Cooking for one (Mark Two)

AndyCF

PasturesNew wrote: »

I forgot to mention, while out earlier, I popped into £land to get the loaf tin I'd spotted the other day .... but they didn't have any! So now I don't know if I've missed those forever, or just until the next delivery comes

In these cheap shops you really do have to "grab it when you see it" - there's often no mulling time!

Usually the case 'grab now or do without' I've noted with a few things. Then again, there might be something similar again in a weeks time or from elsewhere if you have any other similar 'bargain' type shops nearby ?

I ought to keep an eye out for a breadbin or something as at the moment I just place the cobs/half loaf/whatever into a large 'breakfast' type bowl, although its perfectly suitable for this a more suitable container might be in order. I might just treat myself to a tub of icecream and save the container

Cold has been mentioned a few times today, it was bitter out here early morning and I've just been out again now a few minutes ago as I needed some coffee and its going to be a cold one tonight again I think.

Reason for mentioning the cold weather is thoughts are turning towards some kind of warm puddings as mentioned above by moneyistooshorttomention , although probably not the best idea I do like those "fruit pies" or similar the "six pack" either from a leading brand when on offer or a supermarkets own as they are ideal to zap for a few seconds in the micro to make a tiny quick warm-up treat, although really given their size you do need two

Some kind of 'easy to make' apple crumble or fruity pie/pudding is in order I think.

Also is a quick 'double pic' of the knife here I mentioned as it raised a couple of queries really I guess. The pic is not brilliant, sorry but the kitchen lighting and the unwell camera combined do not help. I put a 20p coin in half of it you can judge size. Note the 'top edge' is completely blunt it only has the serrations "lower" as a cutting edge, unlike one I saw that had some kind of 'edge' on the top too. You see what I mean about the burned handle, mind you its older than me! The blade is nice and sharp now and shiny I just need to find a suitable handle, something I'll look for over the weekend.

Need2bthrifty

Hollyharvey wrote: »

Dinner was a ready meal I bought y/s as I cba to cook at the moment. Today it was lasagne. At least I've got some different things to choose from that don't require motivation/effort, or even washing up because I eat it straight out of the container it comes in .

PasturesNew wrote: »

Ahhhh .... food that comes under the "best food" category for CFO

I've got to the stage where I begrudge having to wash up two mugs after eating! I can do fish fingers, chips and peas in only one dish, that I then eat from, but as I am re-using old containers there's always washing up

Please don't take offence, but I have to say the thought of eating food straight from a plastic container that it has been packaged in and reheated in is just not on my radar at the moment.

That day will probably come when the carer turns up and only has 10mins to see to my needs, chucks an industrial pre-cooked meal in the micro and puts it in front of me.

But at the moment I have a choice - it may be my upbringing, that I have respect for myself and the food I cook, that food presented well is more appealing and that eating is supposed to be a pleasurable experience and not just fuel for the body.

I eat my meals off a porcelain plate, sat at a table with a fork and knife - am I dying breed.

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

I ought to keep an eye out for a breadbin or something as at the moment I just place the cobs/half loaf/whatever into a large 'breakfast' type bowl, although its perfectly suitable for this a more suitable container might be in order. I might just treat myself to a tub of icecream and save the container

Breadbins are annoying to get the right one aren't they - I have a great bread bin, but, not being able to see inside it, it's easy to forget if there's bread in or not, so now I leave it out on the top ....

I was looking in £land for a specific shape/size/type of plastic airtight food containers - there are a few in there that, for £1, might fit your bready needs... or they might be too large/ghastly. One, from memory, is a 4 litre one, it's not on their website. It's oblong, with a slightly domed lid I think ... which is always annoying as they don't stack!

There are "proper" plastic bread holders, from the Lock & Lock range.

Sometimes in life it's so hard to choose - and to access - what you want.

AndyCF wrote: »

.... thoughts are turning towards some kind of warm puddings .... I do like those "fruit pies" or similar the "six pack" either from a leading brand when on offer or a supermarkets own as they are ideal to zap for a few seconds in the micro to make a tiny quick warm-up treat, although really given their size you do need two

Some kind of 'easy to make' apple crumble or fruity pie/pudding is in order I think.

I love puddings, but there's only so much food one can eat, so I rarely get round to them.

PasturesNew

Need2bthrifty wrote: »

I eat my meals off a porcelain plate, sat at a table with a fork and knife - am I dying breed.

I have a plate I got from poundland - and I have no table.

If I liked my kitchen and if I had a table and if I were eating "good food" I might have a different view.... but when it's freezing in the kitchen and using a plate is just one more thing to wash up .... it seems a waste of time/effort to decant the meal onto a plate before dashing from the cold kitchen to the sofa to eat

Also, eating from a cooking dish, there's less chance of spillage as a lap isn't as flat as one'd like.

Glad

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Re pineapple - I would think one could make a sort of pudding out of it similar to what I did before with mango.

I used defrosted frozen mango and canned coconut milk and a bit of sweetening as I recall (my definition of sweetening being maple syrup or date syrup usually). Blitzed together and put in freezer for a while. Dont recall exact recipe - but that was pretty much it - and the friend I'd made it for (courtesy of avoiding various foods she avoids) thought it was lovely.

ooh thank you money, that sounds like my sort of pudding and I have everything I need here, I'll try it tomorrow

PasturesNew

I've never bothered to keep sugar in a canister of any sort - I use so little and went years without owning any! I'm close to the bottom of the bag of sugar now, which has taken me about 3 years to get through - and I'm pondering whether I should spend £1 at £land to buy something to keep it in. Decisions.... decisions. Don't want to buy something for the sake of it!

Lunch today, I'm half way through cooking it, is going to be a chip & onion butty. Just chips and softened onion rings, in a toasted bap, with a splash of ketchup

EDIT: Eating that now .... the onions are gorgeous, I ended up fancying them crispy. Crispy, oniony, mmmmm

EDIT 2: OMG .... I want to eat that again now .... those onions tasted GORGEOUS. I must have more onions, with EVERY burger.... and other things. More often. Yes. I love, love, love, "fried onions".... which is what they tasted of.

Wednesday2000

So far today...

Bran cereal with almond milk.
Two satsumas.
Bowl of leftover root veg soup and some slices of a fresh baguette I got at the shop this morning.:)

Farway

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've never bothered to keep sugar in a canister of any sort - I use so little and went years without owning any! I'm close to the bottom of the bag of sugar now, which has taken me about 3 years to get through - and I'm pondering whether I should spend £1 at £land to buy something to keep it in. Decisions.... decisions. Don't want to buy something for the sake of it!

Lunch today, I'm half way through cooking it, is going to be a chip & onion butty. Just chips and softened onion rings, in a toasted bap, with a splash of ketchup

EDIT: Eating that now .... the onions are gorgeous, I ended up fancying them crispy. Crispy, oniony, mmmmm

EDIT 2: OMG .... I want to eat that again now .... those onions tasted GORGEOUS. I must have more onions, with EVERY burger.... and other things. More often. Yes. I love, love, love, "fried onions".... which is what they tasted of.

I don't have sugar container either, I only use sugar in cooking, like stewed apples, jam etc. Mine last ages and gets lumpy sometimes, soon breaks up with a thump. My concern would be knocking the container over and sugar everywhere. I did this with my tea caddy:( At least in the bag some would be left in the bag if dropped / tipped

A very dull and damp day, just the day to be back indoors. I did pop out just to be "out". Went into £land and got a small fluted round flan dish, not that I make flans but I found I did not have the right size dish to fit in my mini oven, so that will do just fine

Nil breakfast
Lunch was sarnie made with the LO tuna / mayo mix from yesterday, with added salad bits. The huge baked spud & salad was excellent BTW. I have 3 spuds left for another day

Dinner is getting adventurous, base will be currently defrosting L/O roast chicken portion, and some steamed frozen chunky mixed veg. + LO stuffing

The extra is I just fancy some roasted carrots, having enjoyed them so much when I had them eating out the other week.
I will take the opportunity with the oven on to bung the last of the frozen roasties and the last of the grotty AB Yorkies in at the same time, frees up space and removes some of the "fed up with looking at it" stuff

PS, Having just read PNs post, will also add a small whole onion into the roasting dish

moneyistooshorttomention

Still CBA here - and I've just had about the last of that "posh hummus made by someone else" on sourdough bread. Knowing I'm feeling cba at the moment means I'd already bought in vegan "sausage" type things ("Chick'n and apple") and am planning on having them with baked potato and a bit of steamed green veg for dinner.

So at least I'm keeping up the experimenting a bit - whilst I'm waiting for "Normal Life To Resume" apres the "Bl**dy Useless Electrician I had back when" saga being sorted out.

Got some "new" ingredients ready waiting (for experimentation) for when Life goes back to normal.

AndyCF

Lunch today was small, it consisted of two quite small potato's aka mash and a handful of garden peas. I thought about a bit of gravy or some other veg but to be honest was just after a "quickie lunch without any fuss"

I'm out of frozen peas now hmm, will have to wait till mid-week before I get chance to get some, if I see any I'll try to remember to grab some frozen mince of some description too. I think I'll (try) the Quorn one this time. Near December I will hunt down a small bag of decent quality frozen Turkey Mince if I can find said item.

Unsure on what's for later. I might have to face one of the ready meals that have been in the freezer for a couple of months