Cooking for one (Mark Two)

Wednesday2000

So far I have had two cups of normal tea and one of herbal tea. Toast with Marmite, some sweet chili crisps, a pear and a clementine.

I have leftover tomato and chickpea stew for lunch, probably with a wholemeal roll with marg dipped in.

moneyistooshorttomention

Farway wrote: »

You could always use what seems common reply these days of any wrong doing "I'm was very dark place & on a journey, I regret if anyone was offended":D

:rotfl::rotfl:I've seen people come up with that one before. Think I've only had it used once on me to date - that was someone who ran a small firm that was basically saying to me "I can't give you a refund - it would upset me too much - as I have Depression":cool:. I am still kicking myself for not going "Excuse me? - and that's an excuse for not fulfilling your obligations to your customer to give them a due refund - how?:cool:"

[Deleted User]

I did a round trip in the car to waitrose, I fancied a change, takes me 40 minutes each way but blimey I could have paid for my petrol with all the yellow stickers in there, except I had taken my food out the freezer for today and don`t have any spare freezer space. I felt like a spring chicken in there, the only person not clad in a quilted jacket and/or with a walking stick. It must be the time when older locals sweep up bargains and make no mistake, the store is surrounded by older people living in suitable homes, all massively overpriced btw

So I now have some extras for christmas, mince pies and some biscuit/ cake things. I was very careful to not go mad but I did buy nice pork sausagemeat and puff pastry in a roll. Two of each, in case of visitors, halved each of them and froze them to make yummy quick sausage rolls and also in case I see any more of pn`s posts on sausage rolls which always make me drool

breakfast, cold A2 soaked oats, walnuts, raisins. Break a small banana, fresh fig and few grapes. Now cooking my last (phew) turkey bean ready meal and while waiting, I have cleaned and sorted the fridge. I have indicated all my subs into next weeks veg box, my first set veg box today and I was impressed, I usually just order random stuff but a box is easier for them and me and I can add stuff to the box if I want. Probably toast and LO soft goats cheese for last meal

PasturesNew

kittie wrote: »

.... sausagemeat and puff pastry in a roll....to make yummy quick sausage rolls and also in case I see any more of pn`s posts on sausage rolls which always make me drool

I got "conned" one Xmas. I bought/took sausages and pastry to my sibling's house at Xmas - to make sausage rolls. The morning of the day I was leaving I'd still not cooked them (food overload/was only staying 2½ days) ... and sibling suggested I cooked them and went out to leave me to it.

So I did.... cooked the lot. 8 sausages, one whole sheet. Sausages cut into halves I think, so 16 large sausage rolls.

Then "the trouble" .... sibling looked and ate one, said "I'm on a diet" ... followed by "I just wanted a taste".... so I ended up having to eat the whole 15 remaining sausage rolls myself!

That's why I buy the packets most of the time. They are an instant known quantity. No folding/egg washing, baking, clearing up ... and, overall, a smaller quantity

AndyCF

Nothing exciting news wise from me. Lunch consisted of a small baked potato and the last of the tinned sweetcorn. That was an afterthought as I wanted to use up the 'frozen corn on the cob' I had had for ages, but it was not very nice at all somehow so the tin came to hand instead. Odd that as it has good reviews, just bad luck I suppose it was well in date 2019...

There is now *some* storage space.

I looked and did pick the LM veg sausage but I decided for some reason to do a "lastminutedotcom thing" and switch to a different brand, the same name as the Turkish Delight choc (yum!) although I think its a different company. The main reason was although I've had LM's before it was ages ago and the other one seems to have good reviews and I noted on the box instructions pic it listed micro too, a small added bonus as its an approved method.

Mind you I'd have no qualms in zapping the LM one's anyway. , a min or two to defrost them on high power, then probably stick a fork in them to !!!!! them and then the usual 2/3 min + turn + repeat until they were 'ready'

Regarding the odd foods today well I am merely 'using up what is here' as things arrive tomorrow. There's sufficient freezer space although I ought to get some kind of large plastic box (A4 type size) or cardboard box, plastic would be better then it can sit on the floor for my 'tin collection' in the pantry as I do not have much cupboard space. Will check local £1 shop to see what they have.

I do understand about 'min order' value for online although I think one place might be 25 instead of the more usual 40 or *gulps* 60 . My reasons for using online are as put previously simply due to distances really, I can usually manage and get odd and ends locally to 'stretch it out' as such.

I think I'm probably spending about the same give or take a little in total as I only think about 'an order' near the time and start to build it about a week advance, looking at the calendar it seems on average I'm having one about every 6 or 7 weeks so its not that bad all in all.

AndyCF

Oh I knew there was a quick question

I was looking for a pack of dried onions but could not find any. You know the usual 'cup soup' type size of box with just said onions in.

However I did see two small alternatives here both were tiny 'salt pot' size tubs:

One was 'Onion Granules' and one was 'Onion Salt'

Which would be best to have ? The salt may be a bit too much as really I merely wanted the dried onions to either throw into mash, perhaps put a few bits/flakes of them into a hot soup or such.

I'm thinking neither would be best really as salt is salt ( ? ) and the granules I suspect will merely dissolve like that "onion gravy" mix you can get. I may have to wait, I'd rather not have a fresh onion as a little 'freeze dried' pack will last me a long long time.

moneyistooshorttomention

I've got onion granules personally. They are something I find the need to "bash at" (ie with end of a teaspoon) after a while in the jar - as they go a bit clidgy. But they're one of the things I use to transform bland vegan food into summat tasty. So its that and garlic granules and trying my way through things like miso. Add sweet paprika or a tiny bit of chilli powder.

After all the comments in recent recipes I've read online about sriracha sauce - I finally got some the other day (had to be courtesy of Amazon again - as couldnt find it in the shops near me). So will be trying that soon.

Coining a new term - and I just had a "bitsa meal" - ie bits of this and bits of that. So trying not to waste last little bit of that dish I cooked a couple of days back with barley/tomatoes etc. Eaten with olives and feta cheese and a bit of mixed grains I'm using up (and so had cooked in my slowcooker). For pudding it was a bitsa pudding too - I'd previously mixed up some coconut milk, avocado and fruit I was using up and chucked in a bit of cocoa powder and little "sweetening" and turned it into a sorta icecream. So that was hauled out of freezer and ate half of it. Courtesy of a bit more freezer reorganisation going on. Have now eaten my way through about half of the cheese drawer and repurposing it to be for dried beans, lentils or grains I've cooked up myself (to save on having canned ones).

Guess I should save a bit of money somehows:cool: - after just thinking "These slippers really arent warm enough", had a quick look at Amazon ahem.....and £38 odd later I've got a pair of cosy-looking clog style ones with what looks like durable soles to them (for once:cool:) now en route to me. It was the favourable review mentioning built-in arch support that did it for me - and I pushed the order button....

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

Oh I knew there was a quick question

I was looking for a pack of dried onions but could not find any. You know the usual 'cup soup' type size of box with just said onions in.

However I did see two small alternatives here both were tiny 'salt pot' size tubs:

One was 'Onion Granules' and one was 'Onion Salt'

I picked up a monster bag at home bargains some time back, so no idea if they'd have them still. 500 grams .... and would've cost me about 70p I think. "Crispy Fried Onions" the bag says, but no manufacturer name I can spot. (Bag says best before February 2017, so I've had them some time now!)

I used quite a few ... then I switched to frozen, but I am currently on "real/fresh" onions.

I can't answer re the granules or salt except I'd expect them to be the same thing ....

suki1964

I have to admit that I'm childless and I have taken the odd free to children Apple:eek:

The rabbit liked them and as I treat all our animals like family I thought fair enough

PasturesNew

I didn't even know, until this thread, that any stores gave away free food! It's probably not all stores, surely. Just bigger ones/near cities.

My nearest Mr T is 8 miles ... in the opposite direction to 4sda, so can't be done in a "round robin". I'd usually pop in there on a Wednesday as the local town's got a street market that day .... today in fact.... and I did think about going for a "round robin" .... but then I couldn't be bothered and didn't "need" anything and knew I'd come home with more food that needed using up...and time passed...so it's not happened.