Cooking for one (Mark Two)

PasturesNew

Final doughnut demolished ... accompanied by a mug of hot drinking chocolate topped with mini marshmallows

moneyistooshorttomention

wort wrote: »

On the subject of temperature, my house is always cold despite cavity wall and loft insulation, we added a wall to block the stairs from the living room, which helped. This morning the temp on my remote for the boiler which is sat in my living room, the warmest room, is 16 c now. I always thought that was a decent temp?? For outside anyway !! The boiler is new and I'm unsure what temp to have it set to kick in at. If anyone has any ideas . I currently don't have it set for morning as I'm not always in for long .
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:rotfl:No point asking me on that one - as some people might think I'm being a bit "extravagant". I have mine set 21C to 22C (probably 22C) for daytimes. Ditto - mine is one that is "remote" from the boiler itself.

It's a twice a day control thing (darn it - as I've been used to 3 timeslots). So it comes on early morning for a couple of hours and then again early evening for the evening. But I usually just push the button to have it come on again after it's switched off after the breakfast session.

I can't complain basically about what it costs me - as my gas and electric bill together are currently £58 per month direct debit. It's a small 2 bedroom detached bungalow - with doubleglazing/12" thick loft insulation and low energy usage machinery (fridge/freezer/washing machine/cooker). Hence I was wondering "How come?" when I watched one of those recent "Rich House Poor House" tv programmes and they were saying that one of the "poor house" houses had a fuel bill of £120 per month if I remember aright and I guess they're economising - and I know I'm not.

My house temperature sinks to around 16/17C if I've gone off and left it with the heating switched-off for several days in a row. Then I have to wait some hours after I get back for it to "thaw out".

Not sure whether the sitting room is correct room to place a mobile house control for heating? Mine is in the hallway - which I understood was the correct place for it to be. In my last house it was also in the hallway.

EDIT; In my defence LOL re economising - I'm in my 60s now and was brought up by a mother that was economising, followed by I had to economise myself for 40 odd years. So, these days, I tend to refuse to economise any longer - and definitely don't do so on food and heating.

Wednesday2000

I was cold in the night and got up in the end for a hot drink and a hot water bottle.

I had cereal and coffee for breakfast. I will probably just have peanut butter on toast for lunch as I'm going out for dinner tonight. Either Mexican food or pizza.:)

Hollyharvey wrote: »

I can't decide whether I fancy chocolate fudge cake or a fresh cream chocolate gateux right now, not that it matters because I don't have either

:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

money, it is not extravagant, it is sensible. Older people need to be warmer and yes I know you are not old yet but you are looking after your home structure by keeping the fabric of the house warm

I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch, added aminos to flavour it and it filled me nicely. Now I am back from cs donating and have just eaten a blackcurrant crumble, one I made a few days ago with half ground oatmeal and butter and left in lumps. It was lovely, really was, I sweetened the currants with xylitol, made from trees. My food today has been much more satisfying. I still have to make the egg custard but in a mo as it involves standing and stiring and I need a mug of tea first, to use up the last of the milk

Farway

Nice sunny & cold outside, but I had a restless night for some unknown reason and had a lie in, then up for tea & bacon / brown sauce butty for breakfast

Lunch was standard cheese salad sarnie, again

Dinner is planned as coated cod fillet, HM Actifry chips and probably nuked peas, with back up stewed apples & yoghurt if still space

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Not sure whether the sitting room is correct room to place a mobile house control for heating? Mine is in the hallway - which I understood was the correct place for it to be. In my last house it was also in the hallway.

EDIT; In my defence LOL re economising - I'm in my 60s now and was brought up by a mother that was economising, followed by I had to economise myself for 40 odd years. So, these days, I tend to refuse to economise any longer - and definitely don't do so on food and heating.

It was hallway in the past, but now a days with TRV on radiators it is thought that having it where you live is best. Mine is in the lounge, the rest of the house has TRV rads set & balanced to each room. I have my lounge one set around 18C, variable times and temps for varying days, later on at weekend for example.

I do override the thermostat if I feel like it, like you I will not economise on food or heat, but do not chuck money about needlessly. If I get to be a 100 this may change;)

[Deleted User]

[QUOTE=Farway;73381904

I do override the thermostat if I feel like it, like you I will not economise on food or heat, but do not chuck money about needlessly. If I get to be a 100 this may change;)[/QUOTE]

I fully agree with that and that is what the winter fuel allowance is for, to keep warm, not for extras for christmas

My last meal is stewed apple and some raspberries, amaranth puffs, 5 pecans and a small tub of yoghurt. I feel that my food is back on track, thank goodness and I didn`t feel at all hungry. I didn`t make soup but will perhaps make some at the weekend. Its been a relatively busy day but not strenuous, the egg custard for ice cream is half ready and soon comes the very boring bit ie warming to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

I need to make a food plan on paper for tomorrow but believe it will be very similar to today. I have to do a run to the tip with lots of recycling but definitely want to do a 6 mile cycle ride. I can usually do it in 30 minutes and it isn`t flat. Its all about the right food and the right exercise, worth it for me

PasturesNew

I've just cooked/eaten cheesy chips and beans for tea

That's a few more chips gone from the freezer, grated cheese box emptied, residue of the last can of beans used up.

Eaten directly from the microwave dish I cooked in, using just a fork. So little washing up

moneyistooshorttomention

Farway - in a little house like mine = the hallway is pretty much where I live in some ways. It's bigger than some bungalows - as I couldnt be doing with a detached "OAP self-contained bedsit" as I think of them. So - 1,000 square feet (which is same sort of floor size as some recently-built 3 bedroom/2 bathroom places). But thermostat is only a few feet away from bedroom/bathroom/study/kitchen and just a little bit further away from sitting room. So I guess it about works out.....

Evening meal coming up as per plan - so I've got some veggies roasting up (courgettes/red onion/carrots/tomatoes/broccoli) and about to cook up the amaranth (after having thrown some of it around the kitchen by accident - and grains as tiny as that get everywhere I've just found:(), tahini sauce and a little bit of leftover sweet potatoes to use up with last of hawthorn ketchup to have on the side.

I imagine I'll like the amaranth - rye grains are the only grains I've had to date that I've not been sure about. Have been okay with all the others I've tried.

Kittie - As you say - part of this is it probably helps re home structure to have it warm enough. I've had to live in places that were on the damp side before now (1 of the 2 bedsits way back), then my first house was a Victorian terrace and was on the damp side I felt. This house hasnt got any damp thankfully.

PasturesNew

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

... 1,000 square feet (which is same sort of floor size as some recently-built 3 bedroom/2 bathroom places). ...

Off the top of my head, mine's about 750 sq ft. 1/3rd of that is the hallway/loo, a complete waste of space, so I'm knocking through and removing the loo.

Some new builds have been put up adjoining my bit by the same builder and they are:
- 678-708 sq ft for 2-bed terraced, £260-£275k
- 799-822 sq ft for 3-bed terraced, £290-305k
- 869 sq ft for the 3-bed detached, £335k.

moneyistooshorttomention

Just goes to show Pastures - though we know that in this country housing isnt categorised to the amount of square footage it has (which I think would be a good idea personally). I'd have to pay more than twice as much as I'd get for this house to get the same amount of square footage in your area:eek:

Right - food-wise just had dinner and yep = nice:). Decided I like amaranth. Think its the type of grain that will do nicely for more "sweet" type things - and I'd cooked up enough to try it out tomorrow as a sort of cereal. So planning on steaming it to re-heat and drizzling with cinnamon, last bit of coconut milk and some date syrup. Should be nice:)