Cooking for one (Mark Two)

moneyistooshorttomention

CFO leftovers today for main meal - and now I know I'd better do something else (perhaps roast sweet potato?) with them - as they werent enough to make a meals worth imo.

Must finish psyching myself up for a bit of communal exercise again today - so just as well I dont have to make a "proper meal" up. I was shattered for some time after Friday's bout of communal exercise and count me officially as "devil for punishment" as I'm now tossing around in my mind whether to join another exercise type class (that would make it 3 a week) - and I know it will be an average younger age at it.

All very good for me I'm sure:rotfl: and I have an absolute policy of deliberately not going to an exercise class if I see the average age is same or older than my own - I need my younger "role models" to keep me up to scratch:rotfl: Whew!

caronc

Good morning everyone,
Back to dull and damp here, though still fairly chilly.
I'm still in my PJs enjoying a cuppa and contemplating what I'll do today.:)
Once I'm showered I'll pop the soup on that I prepped yestrday so it's ready for lunch time. Tonight I think I'm having jerk spiced turkey breast with Jamaican-style rice "n" peas (they are from a "ping" packet lurking in the cupboard) and various veg. I've a kilo of stewing steak in the fridge which I bought with a view to making New Year's steak pie but there was a muck up with 3kg I ordered and I only got 1kg. I had planned to freeze 2kg for the pie and use the other kg, so I'll trim this lot and freeze in CFO friendly portions:)

PasturesNew

caronc wrote: »

....freeze in CFO friendly portions...

This is an "odd one". While those cooking for more/families can toss whole packets into the freezer, the CFO tries to find the mythical "CFO friendly" spot. The trouble is, until you are cooking, you don't know how much you'll need/want/fancy.

Take 450-500g of mince. Families freeze it. You can always use all of it - it's how most recipes are based.

Now, for a CFO, is 500g 4x125, or 5x100? Or is it 2x250?
Whichever you choose, when you come to use it, you KNOW you won't have the portion size ideal for what you're cooking right then

I froze my brisket - ~100g a portion. When I defrosted/cooked/ate it I think my mind was wishing it was a 150g portion that day.

meg72

caronc wrote: »

I've heard of worse, my childhood friend's Gran made superb clootie dumpling. She used to boil them in a pair of very large knickers (with the leg holes stitched up) in a copper wash boiler, she wasn't the type of woman you could ask if she had, had her wear out of them first :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:(She was a very large, fierce lady who reminded me of Les Dawson and Roy Barraclough when they did "Cissie & Ada", but with a heart of gold and a superb cook and baker who could feed a street full on a few odds and ends:D)

http://static.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_smilies/laughing-smiley-014.gif Sitting here laughing so much I`ve got hiccups. My Nan was the street Jam maker as my uncle worked at the wholesale market andwould bring home sacks of leftover fruit. The neighbours brought their own sugar and they would have a jam session. One day they were making apple jelly. My Nans jelly bag was a pair of her old silky bloomers suspended on an upturned dining chair on the table. A neighbours Husband popped in with a message and said to my Nan " See you've got your Drawers off again Elsie, she came over all fierce and waved the jam ladle at him unfortunately he stepped forward and it connected leaving him with a real shiner of a black eye.

caronc

meg72 wrote: »

http://static.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_smilies/laughing-smiley-014.gif Sitting here laughing so much I`ve got hiccups. My Nan was the street Jam maker as my uncle worked at the wholesale market andwould bring home sacks of leftover fruit. The neighbours brought their own sugar and they would have a jam session. One day they were making apple jelly. My Nans jelly bag was a pair of her old silky bloomers suspended on an upturned dining chair on the table. A neighbours Husband popped in with a message and said to my Nan " See you've got your Drawers off again Elsie, she came over all fierce and waved the jam ladle at him unfortunately he stepped forward and it connected leaving him with a real shiner of a black eye.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:love it

I think there was a whole generation of fierce, capable and inventive women who could be absolutely terrifying in some ways but would also never turn someone in need away from there door.

caronc

PasturesNew wrote: »

This is an "odd one". While those cooking for more/families can toss whole packets into the freezer, the CFO tries to find the mythical "CFO friendly" spot. The trouble is, until you are cooking, you don't know how much you'll need/want/fancy.

Take 450-500g of mince. Families freeze it. You can always use all of it - it's how most recipes are based.

Now, for a CFO, is 500g 4x125, or 5x100? Or is it 2x250?
Whichever you choose, when you come to use it, you KNOW you won't have the portion size ideal for what you're cooking right then

I froze my brisket - ~100g a portion. When I defrosted/cooked/ate it I think my mind was wishing it was a 150g portion that day.

I know it's an absolute minefield. :eek:

[Deleted User]

[QUOTE=moneyistooshorttomention;73368736
Must finish psyching myself up for a bit of communal exercise again today -
![/QUOTE]

That started happening to me, the over 60s group. I was the one on the allotment several times a week, then I started to `resent` going ie the time spent. I stopped and haven`t looked back, going out for more intense exercise on my bike. I will go to pilates and/or tai chi one day but not until I have moved and settled

Done loads on the allotment but had freezing hands even under gloves. I have started the croissants, dough first, then it will rest. House is warm so the butter will be too soft, has to go back in the fridge for a while. I was hungry so ate berries and yoghurt and sd toast and peanut butter

Need2bthrifty

PasturesNew wrote: »

This is an "odd one". While those cooking for more/families can toss whole packets into the freezer, the CFO tries to find the mythical "CFO friendly" spot. The trouble is, until you are cooking, you don't know how much you'll need/want/fancy.

Take 450-500g of mince. Families freeze it. You can always use all of it - it's how most recipes are based.

Now, for a CFO, is 500g 4x125, or 5x100? Or is it 2x250?
Whichever you choose, when you come to use it, you KNOW you won't have the portion size ideal for what you're cooking right then

I froze my brisket - ~100g a portion. When I defrosted/cooked/ate it I think my mind was wishing it was a 150g portion that day.

I don't do weights I try and work on the principle that the palm of my hand represents the size of the portion of protien that goes on the plate, my clenched fist is the size of my portion of carbs and the other half of the plate gets a good helping of veg/salad.

If I use 450/500g of mince to make chilli, bolognaise etc I usually bulk it out with onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms any veg I have really then this gets portioned up and frozen, a portion is generally two tablespoons.

I bought 750g of turkey thigh mince on offer for £3.70 in Sainbugs a couple of weeks ago I froze half of it and I got 7 good sized kofta kebabs from the other half, 2 of which I had with a portion of rice, some salad and tzatziki, the other 5 are now in the freezer.

Soup portions are 2-3 ladles depending on thickness, stews and currys are roughly two tablespoons again but the chunks of meat are evenly divided between the containers - I have been known to count the chunks of chicken and beef to make sure I dont end up with a portion of veg and gravy

moneyistooshorttomention

Yep...duly shattered after exercise class and now found there are two possibilities I'm tossing-up to get in a 3rd class each week. Of course I could be really virtuous and do both - and that would be 4 a week:rotfl:

Duly got chipped sweet potatoes cooking up at the moment to go with that leftover Buddha Bowl stuff that wasnt quite enough. Duly thrown onion salt and smoked paprika over said potatoes. Have come to the conclusion that my way of cooking involves copious amounts of "flavouring" type things. Which reminds me - must check it out re uses for saffron (besides making saffron cake - now I've no longer got my mother nearby hinting at intervals for me to make her some saffron cake again....and so I cant see me using it up otherwise).

wort

Just had two potato rostis with half a small tin of beans. Followed by the greengage and ginger yogurt with a couple of grapes, and some of the pineapple I chopped up yesterday.

Dinner today will be pasta with peppers, onion and mushrooms in spicy sauce, will add lo chicken. I will make enough to take to work for lunch tomorrow, I've lifted out a dish of layered potatoes and onion, that I'll have for tea tomorrow with a gf chicken pie and veg. As it's my long day in work.