Cooking for one (Mark Two)

Farway

SquirrelSmall wrote: »

Am I the only one who finds breakfast a bit "meh"? I often CBA, then it gets to lunchtime and I realise I've not actually eaten anything.

Same here, I rarely bother, unless like last week when I was away and someone else was supplying a full English. Just CBA and then it is lunchtime

I sort of like hash browns but find them a bit too greasy for my tastes, probably just as well given the calories in them

It has stopped raining enough to get out & pick runners & courgette for my dinner, which will now include the defrosted cooked chicken

SG, if you fancy trying Lidl at the weekend for reduction offers, best of luck, it is hell, Go early, take sharp elbows & patience

caronc

PN - Glad you enjoyed your Pie & trifle sounds as though your friend knows exactly what tickles your taste buds:D

B17c wrote: »

Afternoon (just!) everyone! :hello:
I'm new to this thread, discovered it last night so have been catching up to today! Hope you don't mind me jumping on!

I'm living in a flatshare buying/cooking for myself only and I'm trying to live a little (lot) more frugally as I've a lot of debt to pay off in a fairly short space of time! I've just taken on a 2nd pt job starting Monday to earn some extra money, I'm already on a very tight budget and struggling a little but I know if I was more strict with myself, particularly when it comes to groceries shopping/eating/drinking it would be a bit easier. I signed up for a groceries challenge on another thread to keep myself accountable!!

I'm loving seeing what people are eating, crumpets, crackers and cheese... just making me ravenous though!!

Welcome B17c

SquirrelSmall wrote: »

Am I the only one who finds breakfast a bit "meh"? I often CBA, then it gets to lunchtime and I realise I've not actually eaten anything.

I only eat breakfast to stop me munching mid-morning on rubbish. Generally I'm happy with toast & fruit as CBA thinking about what to have;)

SquirrelSmall wrote: »

I've just succumbed to a fishfinger sandwich. With ketchup. None of this mayo nonsense.

Ketchup - nope not for me hate the stuff, has to be salad cream on a fishfinger sandwich for me:cool:

Good afternoon everyone,

I had wee trip to the monthly food market this morning so smoked cheddar, duck eggs, a big bunch of beetroot and some lush basil & sundried tomato pate were purchased. The food is expensive but really lovely and I pay for it from my "entertainment" budget as I'm hardly out these days and a girl's got to have some fun:D. My son treated us to lovely chicken, haggis and peppercorn pies which we had for lunch. They weren't cheap at £1.80 each but crammed with lovely moist chicken and haggis with just the right amount of sauce and the pastry was beautifully buttery and flakey. When you think what you pay for a pie or pasty from a chain bakers they were definitely good value.

Although my son doesn't go back until tomorrow I think that's me back to CFO as he is off out tonight so will either make himself something quick or get a takeaway. I'm not sure what to have all this talk of burgers has given me a notion for one so I may well succumb:D

poppystar

Hi all, back from hols to find you've all moved to a shiny new thread:)

Well two weeks of not CFO was nice although wandering around looking for something I wanted to eat in a bar was almost as bad for me as wandering the supermarket aisles --- think I must be the problem;). Added to which was deciding where best to go since on my own - avoiding all the 'romantic' looking places and the very touristy loud shouty family places. Overall though a great time and meals were supplemented by visits to my favourite frozen yoghourt bars (well, it is served with fruit;)).

Popped into MarksSparks on my way back from airport - nice mango salad reduced to 25p and sushi at a £. Trundling around with suitcase got me some looks from other shoppers but it is only once in a while that it happens and is no more problematic than big pushchairs. I did not run over anyones feet as it is quite a well behaved case:)

Bigger shop done today. Then I got back and read the thread. PLEASE STOP MENTIONING FISH FINGER SANDWICHES!!!!! any other references to dishes I can just let pass but there is something about fish finger sandwiches that give me such a craving. So healthy lamb steak will doubtless be pushed to tomorrow now as I grab the pack of fish fingers from the freezer section and head to corner shop for ketchup:D

SunnyGirl

Farway wrote: »

SG, if you fancy trying Lidl at the weekend for reduction offers, best of luck, it is hell, Go early, take sharp elbows & patience

Haha I will try my best although may not even get in as I work on Saturdays from 8.30am - 5pm and Sundays 11am to 5pm but I shall sharpen my elbows if I do go

caronc wrote: »

Ketchup - nope not for me hate the stuff, has to be salad cream on a fishfinger sandwich for me:cool:

I'm the same Caronc it has to be salad cream. I don't mind garlic mayo but my taste definitely runs to salad cream more!

poppystar wrote: »

PLEASE STOP MENTIONING FISH FINGER SANDWICHES!!!!! any other references to dishes I can just let pass but there is something about fish finger sandwiches that give me such a craving. So healthy lamb steak will doubtless be pushed to tomorrow now as I grab the pack of fish fingers from the freezer section and head to corner shop for ketchup:D

I'm the same Poppy! I have none in and no money until payday next Friday so can't have them but am craving them now as though I were pregnant. Which thanks to god I can't do anymore

Hollyharvey

Afternoon everyone,


I discovered a banana that I didn't realise I had so that was breakfast this morning.


I had a tuna mayo sandwich for lunch today.


Dinner is haddock, new potatoes and steamed veg and I'm making a cheese sauce to go over the veg. I've got a craving for cheese sauce for some reason.


I sorted out all of my kitchen wall cupboards this morning. They were in a bit of a mess. I still have loads of tins of tuna and more tins of salmon than I realised. At least they have got BBE dates into 2020 (not that I take much notice of BBE dates). It looks like my lunches will mainly be tuna/salmon based for the next few years. At least I know exactly what is in the cupboards now.

caronc

Perhaps I should have named this thread "forgotten foods you know you want to eat....." :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:I think we have all re-visited some old (or new to us) foods through sharing our adventures in CFO land

PasturesNew

I had the burger & big bread roll (toasted), couple of slices of one of those tomatoes that still need using up ... spoon of chutney..

Didn't do chips. "Forgot" really and I didn't need them.

Two sweeties for dessert.

Farway

That's dinner done, it started tipping it down just as went out to pick the runners.

The neighbours would think I am going senile if they saw me picking runners in with my huge anorak on in a downpour. At least the beans were well washed, now loads too many, some will do for tomorrow I think but possible either more pickling or give away. No freezer space

I was reading about using the dried beans, same as one would butter, kidney or haricot beans. Bit more research needed I think

PasturesNew

One of the things I struggle with is freezer space wastage once I've opened a box (say burgers). Yes you can decant them into a freezer bag, but that's a waste....

You start with a box and take one out - but the whole box is still needed. Once you've had the second one you CAN rip half the box away and tuck the rest down so it takes up less space, but when you take the 3rd burger out and only have one left you're still using half the original box to keep it.

A family would have the whole box, open it, cook all four and bin the box - instant new space again.

A single can have that one box lurking in the freezer for 1-2 months as they get through all four.

caronc

Farway wrote: »

That's dinner done, it started tipping it down just as went out to pick the runners.

The neighbours would think I am going senile if they saw me picking runners in with my huge anorak on in a downpour. At least the beans were well washed, now loads too many, some will do for tomorrow I think but possible either more pickling or give away. No freezer space

I was reading about using the dried beans, same as one would butter, kidney or haricot beans. Bit more research needed I think

LOL - despite the looming clouds I've just watered my garden as everything is in pots they dry out really quickly and with it being so windy today everything was looking really wilted so I was taking no chances that the clouds blew away without emptying;)

PasturesNew wrote: »

One of the things I struggle with is freezer space wastage once I've opened a box (say burgers). Yes you can decant them into a freezer bag, but that's a waste....

You start with a box and take one out - but the whole box is still needed. Once you've had the second one you CAN rip half the box away and tuck the rest down so it takes up less space, but when you take the 3rd burger out and only have one left you're still using half the original box to keep it.

A family would have the whole box, open it, cook all four and bin the box - instant new space again.

A single can have that one box lurking in the freezer for 1-2 months as they get through all four.

I just pop them in a bag with a bit of the box showing what it is, I get 100 bags for £1 and these do fine so don't mind the wasted 1p. It's all part of why CFOers need just as much storage space as a family if they want to store a decent variety of food and take advantage of any cost savings.

I think I mentioned about the really salty M&S southern fried chicken well I got a £10 gift card for raising it with them. I could have held onto it but as my son was heading to M&S anyway I got him to get me some more of their 3 for £10 offers. So I now have to find space for 4 beef burgers, 4 pork burgers and 2 smoked haddock fishcakes with melting cheese middles. I'm swithering whether to have a fishcake with some of the LO spuds from last night and garden veg or a burger. Too much choice.....:o