Cooking for one (Mark Two)

PasturesNew

The thing with me and spices is, in the main, I don't use them. I'm more of a "plain food cook" and am quite happy with food that tastes as it comes, rather than dragging out recipes using fancy ingredients that have to be found, remembered, bought, dragged home and then used.

If I want to make a scone, I'll make a scone. If I wanted to make a Xmas special one ... which is on the list this year ... I'll have to find out where I can buy the specific spice/s it needs, write that down, specifically go to those shops, remember to look for it, actually find it's available, buy it, bring it home .... and still fancy bothering



Even so, I appear to have about 28 jars, canisters and pouches of assorted size/brand and use. Over half of those are "my regulars" of curry powder, chilli/cayenne/paprika and mixed herbs.... all of which I have a few of.

caronc

PasturesNew wrote: »

The thing with me and spices is, in the main, I don't use them. I'm more of a "plain food cook" and am quite happy with food that tastes as it comes, rather than dragging out recipes using fancy ingredients that have to be found, remembered, bought, dragged home and then used.

If I want to make a scone, I'll make a scone. If I wanted to make a Xmas special one ... which is on the list this year ... I'll have to find out where I can buy the specific spice/s it needs, write that down, specifically go to those shops, remember to look for it, actually find it's available, buy it, bring it home .... and still fancy bothering



Even so, I appear to have about 28 jars, canisters and pouches of assorted size/brand and use.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:I think they breed when you're not looking.....

PasturesNew

ITV programme, new: Save Money, Good Food.

Teaching people to suck eggs mostly, as they all are.

Using ingredients, so far, I've never had/bought/used.

Family: average spend for 2 adults, a toddler and a baby = £7.78/meal.
£103/week presenter said they spend on food. They chuck a lot of food away.

Chef bloke will show them a Veggie Thai Green Curry recipe on a shoestring in a bit.

And a piece about red wine.
Merlot is apparently the nation's favourite.
Taste testing three cheapest: Tesco £4,, Aldi £3.49, Sainsbobs £3.95
Then they will compare against a posher one, Hardys at £6.
Winner of the three cheapest was Aldi, 55% rated it best of the three.
Street taste testing wine, winner between Hardys and Aldi was: Hardy's.

Farway

PasturesNew wrote: »

The thing with me and spices is, in the main, I don't use them. I'm more of a "plain food cook" and am quite happy with food that tastes as it comes, rather than dragging out recipes using fancy ingredients that have to be found, remembered, bought, dragged home and then used.

Even so, I appear to have about 28 jars, canisters and pouches of assorted size/brand and use. Over half of those are "my regulars" of curry powder, chilli/cayenne/paprika and mixed herbs.... all of which I have a few of.

Sounds very similar to me, some I bought specifically and used once, like turmeric. Generally they are in the cupboard and I never seem to have the one I want at the time:(

Dinner was the Moroccan lamb pie, glad they are gone, not my best buy and never to be repeated. At least I have a bit more freezer space. I had it with CBA Actifried frozen chips

Have just finalised Christmas Day, confirmed over to the daughter's, no cooking, and no washing up because she also has dishwasher:T

Hollyharvey

I made cottage pie for dinner tonight, and found a can of lentils lurking in a cupboard that I didn't know I had (don't even know why I bought them in the first place ). With the lentils in it made three portions, so there are now two in the freezer.

I want the little spare freezer space that I have for a few things for Christmas, that I want to get by the end of the week. I don't want to have to go to the shops next week other than a 7.00am dash to the small Sainsbury in town for some bread and milk.

PasturesNew

Hollyharvey wrote: »

I want the little spare freezer space that I have for a few things for Christmas, that I want to get by the end of the week. I don't want to have to go to the shops next week other than a 7.00am dash to the small Sainsbury in town for some bread and milk.

I've been over-buying other stuff too .... working on the basis of "not having to leave the house until mid January" for some things (e.g. fizzy pop and rollie tobacco) hopefully so I don't have to go out for something mundane.

I've mostly been trying to eat from the freezer in recent weeks, but then stuff's gone in it unexpectedly (like the curry today).... but there's still a good 10 days or so more to eat a few more bits and pieces.

I will not have much that's Christmas food that I don't expect to eat while it's still fresh ... so there should be very little that hits the freezer... just spare bread rolls and "anything unexpected I randomly discover at the last minute", perchance a YS.

I certainly don't expect/intend to be one of those people who goes round the shops before they close Xmas Eve looking for 50p 30Kg turkeys I've no room for one - and - you have to "know your store" to know if/when you'd be lucky.

The trouble is, I want all food to have the longest lifespan, so need to monitor milk etc closely in the closing days to try to get "the longest stuff". And, of course, some sausage rolls

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

I will not have much that's Christmas food that I don't expect to eat while it's still fresh ... so there should be very little that hits the freezer... just spare bread rolls and "anything unexpected I randomly discover at the last minute", perchance a YS.

I certainly don't expect/intend to be one of those people who goes round the shops before they close Xmas Eve looking for 50p 30Kg turkeys I've no room for one - and - you have to "know your store" to know if/when you'd be lucky.

The trouble is, I want all food to have the longest lifespan, so need to monitor milk etc closely in the closing days to try to get "the longest stuff". And, of course, some sausage rolls

I think that most of my Christmas food will be fresh as well. I want to get some more stollen specifically to freeze. I will probably pick up the small sausages and some bacon to make my own pigs in blankets, and some stuffing this week and that may need to go into the freezer depending on its use by date. I may make some sausage rolls as well and freeze them.

I won't be going around the shops just before they close either. I don't have the room to freeze a massive turkey, even if I cut it up.

I thought you would be making sure that you had sausage rolls in for Christmas .

PasturesNew

Christmas just started.... I just opened one of my 18 bags of Christmas crisps

I'd "put them away" ... which was supposed to mean "out of sight, out of mind"..... but they called me.

moneyistooshorttomention

Caron - :beer: pension nearly with you:D. New year = new bathroom then:D

If you're owt like me - then you've been chomping at the bit and the bathroom design/chosen firm/etc have all been written down there for ages and you've been thinking "When am I going to be able to 'push the go button' ?"

Well that was one of my social Christmas-y type evenings this evening then - and a little bit more wine than I planned on drunk. Pretty restrained on the snacks stuff - and had a little of two "things I hadnt tried before" (for the experience of it) and then stuck to food I'd brought (so I knew it was healthy etc). Confused moment of the evening and several glasses of wine later was someone asking me if I'd be At Home for Christmas - and still not sure where they meant for that....but one more glass of wine than I should have had later....and "Who cares which location they meant?:rotfl:"

Wednesday2000

I'm on my second cup of tea, I haven't eaten breakfast yet.

I have leftover pasta bake for lunch or dinner.

poppystar wrote: »

I discovered that when cooking it with a ready meal simply wrapping a handful or two straight from the freezer in tin foil with an added knob of butter and putting it in at the same time as the meal cooks the veg beautifully (and with no washing up:D). You've probably been doing this for years but it is a new trick for this old dog:)

That is a good tip, thanks!:)