Cooking for one (Mark Two)

moneyistooshorttomention

PasturesNew wrote: »

LOL. Thanks, let's now just pretend you did.

I'd feel bad and guilty if you, or anybody, did that for the poor orphan having xmas alone without cards and presents

I'll live thanks.

I'd hate to feel "obliged" to reciprocate etc. This way I can be rude to you in 2018 if I feel like it

LOL LOL LOL

Having been on moneysavingexpert.com for a while by now - then "being rude to me" is something I have come to regard as "par for the course" by now from a few posters on the site as a whole (not on this thread) I do not like it/know they should NOT be "getting personal" by now and have come to a position where I just have to think "They should know better - but shrug it off:rotfl::(:rotfl::(".

I do know you're basically a "logical" thinker - rather than an "emotional" thinker. So - I dont take it personally if it comes to it sometimes in your case.

But the - "emotional" = "Belt someone and be blowed - and yep it does feel 'personal' " posters are a very different kettle of fish. After a while on MSE - then one can tell the difference and think "Oh ...that malarkey again......oh...sighs....when are they going to learn not to make personal attacks?" scenario is <shrugs>".

HAPPY CHRISTMAS - AND NEW YEAR AND ALL THAT:). I think we "get" where each other is at.....:)

caronc

Good evening everyone,
We had a smattering of more snow a wee while ago but it didn't last or lie. It's well below freezing outside now so the heating has been ramped up.
Still swithering re what to have for dinner for tonight. Wish I had made stew or mince as I could fair go a dumpling and I only really like them in those.

meg72

Farway wrote: »

All well here, like PN weather, cold but dry & sunny, almost tropical

Nil breakfast, round Li's, bit of stocking up, the beef pack on offer of course, got that, plus the celery offer. It looks decent celery as well, not the green scrawny stuff one sometime finds

And the luxury mini mince pies, £1.79 for 12, but come highly recommended by most I talk to, and I think they may be right, there was just an empty Pie hole on Tuesday, and only 2 packs left this morning, now just one left. That will be one of my treats

Lunch I fancied something a bit warming, cheese on toast, with HM chutney

After lunch is was beef stew prep time.
All the 400g of beef, four not yet gone wrinkly LO carrots, one giant onion, some soon to be past it LO mushrooms, LO limp celery, perked up by standing in water, a couple of OK salad spuds, and a sachet of Beef & Ale paste I found at the back of cupboard. BBE 2014

All in a too big pot simmering on the hob, just needs the dumplings adding later

I reckon 3 good meals out of that. I may open a pack of ready cooked beetroot to go with it, just for a splash of colour

Reading through other posts, I think I will have to try & find some type of turkey, small crown / breast or maybe a big drumstick. I saw them last year and I'm not fussy about which bit I eat, except it's bum

Iceland have 500g packs of turkey breast wrapped in bacon for £3
on offer 4 for ten they do also do gammon. I bought two turkey and two gammon to take to DDs for Christmas dinner. I always take the meatI have had the before so know they are really good.

PasturesNew

meg72 wrote: »

.... turkey breast wrapped in bacon....

I do wish they'd not do that. It seems "everybody" from shops to TV chefs to home cooks wrap things in bacon. I find bacon strong/salty tasting - so I don't see the point of wrapping something in it.... you might as well wrap a slipper in bacon and cook it for all the benefit you'll get of what's being wrapped

I like things to be cooked separately, so you can choose/not and taste the different items.

In recent years this country's had this strange obsession with wrapping everything in bacon I wonder when that started... and who started it. If I find them ... I might have to phone them up and say "STOP it now!!".

I bet somewhere there's even a bacon recipe where one cut of bacon is wrapped in a different cut.... it's madness.

Yes it used to happen - but nowadays it seems everything has to involve bacon somewhere in it.... strawberry trifle ... wrap it in bacon to keep it moist

Farway

PasturesNew wrote: »

Having had a bowl of curry/rice .... and decanted the other two (large/r) portions off into containers.... I really wish I'd made the stew.

I've just finished my stew & dumplings, and for those who fancy stew, I can report it was just the job, and Li's meat just fell apart and was not chewy or gristley. I may just buy another pack next week on offer & freeze it

The stew made enough for 3 portions, two now cooling ready for the fridge, probably one tomorrow as it forecast to be freezing again

Also a good result, the pan did not have stuck bits & is now in the dishwasher

Thanks Meg for the Iceland turkey, I'll have a look next time I'm in. I will have to do some minor research, don't want a huge thing, or one too faffed around, stuffed etc

I suppose "wrap bacon around" gives added value /prestige / fancy = bump the price up. Personally I don't mind some items wrapped in bacon, my butcher used to sell burgers wrapped in bacon, they were nice, could also buy bog standard nude ones if you wanted. I like pigs in blankets, but not those awful mini ones with a horrible squidgy sausage thing inside

AndyCF

I can't remember the last time I did have anything 'bacon wrapped' , must be a good few years.

I did notice while browsing for something else a week or two ago bacon wrapped sausage rolls (rolls not just sausage!) which seemed a bit odd to say the least.

Each to their own though.

caronc

I'm not adverse to something wrapped in bacon especially a stuffed chicken breast. Personally I prefer the dark meat on poultry always think it has more taste.
Farway - our local Morrisons sells turkey leg joints - just plain but with the drumstick and thigh separated for about £4 if you don't mind the leg meat and bone in. You get a decent amount of meat off them but not so much that it is impractical for CFO.Agree completely that a "kiltie sausag" aka pig in blanket needs a decent chipolata in them.
Meg - my friend swears by the Iceland 4 for £10 joints. At 500g not too big for small households.
While I always get a whole turkey I do joint and bone it. One thigh usually gets stuffed and wrapped in bacon and popped raw in the freezer for a later joint. The rest get seasoned draped in bacon and roasted. I find you get much more meat this way so there is always more than enough, I've never brought the "bird" to the table to carve as I always cook it on Christmas Eve and that way I get the carcass for stock. It's an expensive annual treat as I get free range "Ayrshire White" from the butchers so I am determined that every scrap of it is put to good use. I'll make stock from the giblets but sadly no pooch this year to enjoy the cooked meat from these.

The weather seems to have knocked my cooking mojo (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it;)) so dinner is sausages, bubble & squeak from the freezer, mushrooms and peas. A spot of bisto gravy will be made when it's ready . Wish I was having dinner at my elder son's they are having Greek cheese and spinach pie, garlic potato slices and pepper stew. His gf is Greek so they had the pie & stew in the freezer. It sounds a lot more interesting than my fling it together effort!

caronc

AndyCF wrote: »

I can't remember the last time I did have anything 'bacon wrapped' , must be a good few years.

I did notice while browsing for something else a week or two ago bacon wrapped sausage rolls (rolls not just sausage!) which seemed a bit odd to say the least.

Each to their own though.

I can't say that appeals to me :eek:

caronc

PasturesNew wrote: »

I bet somewhere there's even a bacon recipe where one cut of bacon is wrapped in a different cut.... it's madness.

You don't need look very far http://groceries.iceland.co.uk/iceland-gammon-wrapped-in-bacon-with-honey-glaze-650g/p/53400 (too much even for this bacon lover) :rotfl::rotfl:
As for trifle https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/heston-from-waitrose-banana-bacon-trifle-dessert/410395-549771-549772 (I see it's not currently available - though actually I could see this working;))

PasturesNew

caronc wrote: »

As for trifle ...

Good spot!

I notice the trifle also slipped in that other gem "salted caramel ".

Everything is now salted..... I dislike salt... it's salty tasting!