Cooking for one (Mark Two)

Hollyharvey

Farway wrote: »

Oh what a night

Yesterday's dinner, pie & steamed fresh veg was lovely. But oh my how I have regretted the loads of broccoli. Bloated like a Michelin Man or Peter Griffin

Awake most of the night, and sat here in my slummy dressing gown still with tum ache

I have thought before that brassica family were no longer agreeing with me, and now I know 100%. Shame because I do like broc / cabbage / sprouts but in future it will be only a spoonful just for taste

So folks, there will be no CFO today, just sipping tap water

I had a quick search on line, so may try some peppermint or ginger infusion later, if I fancy something other than water that is

Oh no! I hope that you feel better soon. I find a peppermint infusion helps me feel more comfortable in your situation.

Hollyharvey

I've not managed much to eat again today. Just some scrambled eggs on toast this morning, biscuits/crumpet for lunch.

I have found a hm ready meal of goulash in the freezer and will have that for dinner. I'll just put some rice on to go with it and that will do.

At least I'm not ending up with left overs at the moment.

PasturesNew

I have a huge haul of "absolutely nothing to eat" .... just been out, to one shop ... one's enough (plus a favourite choccies dash).

I got enough flour for 3-4 years... that's 1.5Kg of plain AND SR.
Got 2Kg of basmati because the other German retailer stopped stocking it, so I was fearful. 2Kg is about 2 years worth.
A jar of coffee for when this one runs out (one lasts 3-4 weeks).
A can of rice pudding.
1 pint of milk & 10 eggs

Then the big bread rolls had 30% off stickers, so I got two packs. Mulled over getting three but then I thought I'd probably be "stuck with them" as they are huge... so two was enough.

NO idea what's for tea though!

While out, in £land, I looked for "the perfect dish" for a big Yorkie - and they didn't have what I had in my mind's eye .... but I grabbed a sponge cake tray in any case.

I could make a giant Yorkie - but I've nothing to put in it.



I am shopping fail really.

I had to leave 4ldi with my haul as the little basket was overflowing and eggs were balancing on the top ..... so that's a signal it's time to leave.

I think I'll pop to L1dl now.... chips.... perchance a sausage roll or six.

EDIT: I forgot the sausage rolls. I got two bags of chips, a frozen chicken breast joint, a pack of fish fingers and a vacuum pack of two part-baked baguettes.

I thought: Use the big bread rolls (from 4ldi) to make a fish finger roll, using four fish fingers + splash of ketchup!

I think the thought of the f/f roll made me forget sausage rolls....

Mince is cheap this week - £1.45/pack, so I might get round to making a chilli this week in the SC.

Both 4ldi AND L1dl used to sell packs of two scotch eggs for 62p. I noticed today that they are both now selling other label versions at 69p. Cheeky way of putting prices up ... change the packaging/give it a new name. Although the 4ldi name was a "brand" (can't remember what it was now) ... the L1dl ones are just "another name".

moneyistooshorttomention

Dinner tonight - stir-fry with udon noodles (yet another - use-up-because-I-dont-eat-that-way-anymore). First time I've had udon noodles (finally got round to them.....) and they remind me of macaroni puddings of my earlier years.

Think I might actually use one of the packets of them up by making a sorta macaroni pudding with them in fact.

caronc

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Caron - I've been giving some more thought over the last day or so re getting housework done and remembering the idea on "old style" MSE board re 15 minute bursts of activity.

I just know I loathe and detest housework and would cheerfully pay someone else to do it if I could:
a. afford it
b. find the right person.

But I know I've got reasonable standards imo as to what standard the house should be like and have now come to the conclusion that the best way I can manage to get it done is to (reluctantly) introduce a bit of "routine" into the equation - as, if I follow the logic of doing it when there's nothing better to do = I get resentful at spending 2-3 hours at a stretch doing the housework (rather than what I want).

So - I've only got a small house and it's on one level (courtesy of being a bungalow) and I've now worked out my latest attempt to ensure it's done without impinging too much on me that I get fed-up and abandon it for something more interesting.

So - my house has one kitchen, one bathroom, is bungalow and the plan I've just worked out (which should see me spending no more than 30 minutes per day on housework - with possibly a tiny bit more on Sundays - and Sundays are very "quiet" in this part of the country:() is:

MONDAY - bathroom (except the shower cubicle)
TUESDAY - shower cubicle
WEDNESDAY - hoover sitting room and bedroom
THURSDAY - hoover study and hallway
FRIDAY - do kitchen sink and kitchen units
SATURDAY - clean out fridge and do kitchen floor
SUNDAY - do the washing/do any ironing/change bed/breadmaking (if feeling "virtuous" enough not to think "Blow it - I'll just buy some").

I've done my own time and motion study on this - based on things like the layout of the place means I can just start the hoovering by removing the hoover from hallway cupboard and it's literally 2' across the hallway to the sitting room and then I take the hoover up to the bedroom and do that and leave it in bedroom (ie where no-one can see it). Next day it's there in room next to study ready to do the study the following day and then go down the corridor (hoovering as it goes) to go back into the hall cupboard.

Well - "experts" do time and motion studies on workers in factories (and even offices these days:eek: - having been on the receiving end of a bit of that:mad:). So why wouldnt I do the same for work in my own home?

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

I've timed myself to see how long basic housecleaning jobs take.:o

It takes me 5 minutes to vacuum upstairs and 5 minutes to vacuum downstairs so I often do one or the other at 5 minutes to 1 before the BBC news starts.:p

I was cold and damp from the rain when I got in (I didn't bring an umbrella!) and I just threw some veggie sausage rolls in the oven and had them with ketchup.:D

Yep - I'm a definite short bursts for most everything these days.;) Although I do have an upstairs, I can't manage the stairs. Thankfully it is only the boys' bedrooms up there and my son cleans those & the stairs for me. On good days I can manage most things, though I'm desperately looking forward to getting a new more mobility and cleaning friendly bathroom fitted once I get my lump sum. I did use a local cleaning company last year and they were very good and would do so again if I need to. I got the hoovering done today but consequently only managed a few minutes garden tidying later this afternoon after a long nap. Still as they say "every little helps".....:)

Farway wrote: »

Oh what a night

Yesterday's dinner, pie & steamed fresh veg was lovely. But oh my how I have regretted the loads of broccoli. Bloated like a Michelin Man or Peter Griffin

Awake most of the night, and sat here in my slummy dressing gown still with tum ache

I have thought before that brassica family were no longer agreeing with me, and now I know 100%. Shame because I do like broc / cabbage / sprouts but in future it will be only a spoonful just for taste

So folks, there will be no CFO today, just sipping tap water

I had a quick search on line, so may try some peppermint or ginger infusion later, if I fancy something other than water that is

Oh poor you my meds sometimes upset my tum and I swear by lemon & ginger tea. If I cba I grate root ginger but more often I use Tesco "Lemon & Ginger" teabags. Flat unchilled ginger ale also helps me.

Holly - a freezer stash of ready meals homemade or otherwise is such a godsend when you are under par.

PN- it's so frustrating when you do a big shop and don't feel there is a meal in it:eek:

MTSTM - macaroni pudding don't think I've had it since Primary School. It used to be part of my Mum's "Soup & Pudding" Thursday night dinner options. I used to like but only if it was baked or finished under the grill until it was crispy and needed to have dried fruit in it. I couldn't swallow the slimy, boiled one they made at school! _pale_

Glad

caronc lunch was lovely especially the soup which I just threw together to use up some veg

Farway I agree with caronc, ginger is good for poorly tummies, hope you feel better soon

dinner tonight was tuna pasta bake, made with 100% pea fusilli, tastes great and counts as one of my 5 a day , I added some spinach that needed using today, a courgette and half a mozarella ball I had in the fridge, pudding was greek yoghurt with one of the green satsumas that came in my veg box today

edited to add - the pea fusilli was from Aldi, one of their ranges on sale for a limited time only, I bought 5 boxes when they downpriced it to 60p

moneyistooshorttomention

Caron - have you been onto the Union re your pension getting sorted out? I don't recall having any problems getting my lump sum immediately it was due (ie the second I retired) and I can see it's urgent for you to have yours asap. Failing that - the retired members association? I'm guessing you're planning on having one of those large walk-in showers with nice slotted wooden seat in the shower? (That reminds me - I might as well save the subscription money to said retired members association now - as I only had it for a while in case of "swopover to retirement" problems).

The only problem I recall having re my pension was having to have several goes at the pension provider to provide me with "monthly payslips" when my pension was paid into my bank. I didnt see why they were being problematic - I'd had monthly payslips when it was "salary" and so still expected that when it changed to being "pension". That eventually got sorted out and I have my payslips now.

caronc

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Caron - have you been onto the Union re your pension getting sorted out? I don't recall having any problems getting my lump sum immediately it was due (ie the second I retired) and I can see it's urgent for you to have yours asap. Failing that - the retired members association? I'm guessing you're planning on having one of those large walk-in showers with nice slotted wooden seat in the shower? (That reminds me - I might as well save the subscription money to said retired members association now - as I only had it for a while in case of "swopover to retirement" problems).

The only problem I recall having re my pension was having to have several goes at the pension provider to provide me with "monthly payslips" when my pension was paid into my bank. I didnt see why they were being problematic - I'd had monthly payslips when it was "salary" and so still expected that when it changed to being "pension". That eventually got sorted out and I have my payslips now.

Not yet - apparently they have 90 (working) days to sort it out and I'm nowhere near that yet. The issue isn't with the pension folk but with employee services. If they haven't provided mycsp with the info by Monday they are then outwith their turnaround time and I will be escalating to my TU rep.

Re the shower - yep that's exactly what I'm planning:)

caronc

Good morning,
Bright and a little frosty here this morning - winter is definitely coming....

I'm trying decide what colour I want my door etc. painted at the front as the chap texted me last night to say he can start the job next week. I'm swithering between a dark blue or a deep red. Either would work with the sandstone and I like both. :cool:

I'm not CFO for a couple days as my son is home. Tonight I'm making burgers but he's not sure what his plans are for tomorrow night so will just decide as we go:). I made double egg mayo yesterday so lunch will be that in a roll again.

wort

Hi!
Farway definitely peppermint for bloating, though I use fennel if I run out. Ginger is good for feeling sick.
Today is groundhog day as I'm having exactly the same as yesterday, I've got 2 meals out next week, one to escape the hoards on Halloween, I'm on an estate with loads of kids, and they all seem to have parties, the last few years saw me and late hubby go out, my niece on the same estate had over s hundred kids knock on her door.
The other meal is for a friend's birthday.