Cooking for one (Mark Two)

PasturesNew

Two hot sausage rolls followed those three big rock cakes.


And it's still early .... oops!

moneyistooshorttomention

Lunch today was a snatched bit of toast and cheese - courtesy of two tradespeople turning up at last (one of them being later date than he'd said/had to be nagged).

Followed by pretty much everyone seems to be trying to "catch up on things pronto" (I guess with Christmas coming on at a gallop) and Christmas phone conversation with parents. Followed by some beer "might" have been consumed. Unable to give my parents the Christmas present they both most want - only The Universe can give them "Not having to have another Christmas" - which is what they both want:cool::(. But that's no surprise to me by now:( - whilst I have to tell them there's nothing I can do about that....and see about what material presents I can provide for this Christmas.

Dinner today - it's gonna be a "bitsa". Bit of roasted chickpeas/sauerkraut/tomatoes/steamed chard with tahini sauce/hazelnuts.

Another Christmas-y food type thing out tomorrow. Shared lunch and so must go and make my contribution towards it in a minute...

Lunch out with friends Saturday and then I think it will "all go quiet" for a few days basically. It's a very family-centred area round here (unlike my own area) so....oh well....might even start in on the springcleaning...

Hollyharvey

Caron - Good to hear that your pension has finally got sorted. At least you can relax a bit now and concentrate on your health.

I was going to have cod, mashed potatoes, steamed veg and make either a parsley or cheese sauce to go with it. However, I had a bad night last night and hardly slept at all so have spent most of the afternoon on the sofa wrapped up in a duvet dozing.

So I've just had some nuked cod, nuked mashed potato from the freezer and a nuked tin of peas.

I've got mince pies as well Farway, but I have to confess that mine are shop bought so won't taste anywhere as good as yours. I'm going to have one with some custard in a minute, then will probably end up having a couple more during the evening .

wort

:beer: Caronc great news. My sister just had a new bathroom fitted took just 4 days!

I'm a bit behind, so Monday would have been hubby's birthday, so my sisters took me to lunch at garden centre, just a gf cheese and onion toasties and salad, and coffee.
Had some of the lo roast chicken for tea with chips with cheese on tomatoes and onion.

Tues at work chicken sandwich, broccoli and Stilton cuppa soup, and apple rice pud. It was freezing I was wearing 6 layers, so needed the warm food. I had lifted a hm curry out of freezer for tea, with half pack of u Bens golden rice.

Weds, chicken and cheese dry fried toasties for lunch , slice of hm sponge cake with jam and cream. Tea was jacket potato, last of the roast chicken with the other half of rice from yesterday on it. With peppers and tomato and onion.
Finished the bag of black pepper crisp off at the pub quiz.

Today, had ham salad thin, and apple rice, at work. Tea was salmon fillet, a portion of ultimate mash,and peas and butternut squash from freezer. Last piece of jam and cream cake.:rotfl:

wort

Got some Xmas shopping in m and s today.
Got the pork,chestnut,bacon and thyme stuffing.2 pots of gravy, 2 packs of 36 cocktail sausage and smoked streaky bacon to make the pigs in blankets.
I've got 12 for Xmas dinner. I try to make it as easy as possible, do I'm going to pre cook the roast pots,and freeze too.
I hate making poultry gravy it's so greasy, which is why I buy it.

My sister is coming shortly to take me to the supermarket, to buy my weekly shopping, so will get enough potatoes now and have them ready. Which will just leave buying the veg fresh next week.

Farway

Dinner did end up as CBA, LO ham sliced, with lettuce, in two finger rolls,

Then I scoffed all of the piggy portion of LO strawberry trifle, with added blobs of Greek yoghurt

caronc

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Caron - yah....to the receipt of your pension at last. You are now fully justified (well I certainly would in your position:rotfl::)) to crack open a bottle of champagne.

Boy is it ever a relief to have money pressures lessened that little bit when we get the chance....whew...

Absolutely - though I don't like champagne:eek: so I'm for a (large) glass of red.

Hollyharvey wrote: »

Caron - Good to hear that your pension has finally got sorted. At least you can relax a bit now and concentrate on your health.

I was going to have cod, mashed potatoes, steamed veg and make either a parsley or cheese sauce to go with it. However, I had a bad night last night and hardly slept at all so have spent most of the afternoon on the sofa wrapped up in a duvet dozing.

.

Thanks Holly - hope the duvet/snooze helped:)

wort wrote: »

:beer: Caronc great news. My sister just had a new bathroom fitted took just 4 days!

Thanks wort - that reassuring re the bathroom though I suspect mine might take longer -old house lots of quirks. As long as I have a functioning loo for most of it I'll no doubt cope!:)

Hi pollyanna24 - I liked steamed or lightly roasted herby new potatoes with salmon:)

My delivery arrived just shortly after I posted - the driver had no idea he was apparently running late :rotfl::rotfl:

I've been playing with what I think will be my new monthly budget this afternoon and while it will be tight until my mortgage comes down in 2020 it's certainly doable. :DThank goodness for my trusty spreadsheet.....:cool:

It's freezing now after all the rain earlier so now very slippy outside so I'll not be straying;). Easy dinner in a bit of nuked curry and pitta bread:)

PN - rock buns were one of the first things I ever cooked as part of a Brownie challenge:eek:, the rock bit was certainly aptly named. I still remember my Dad manfully trying to chomp through the large one I had made specially for him :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

AndyCF

PN Thanks re:meatballs. I have tried one supermarket's brand and did not like them, although this has (stupidly) put me off trying others, generally the 'annoying to open tinned pie' maker meatballs are OK for me although I do see other brands I want to try actually, one 'maker of soups' does a decent tin apparently.

800w for my micro too regarding the croquettes, the idea of "one" was really I think the "waffle test" thing in finding out. I should be sensible really and just stick a few in at once and keep going until they are 'ready'

Farway Thanks. Its RapeSeed oil for sure I have seen it on the bottle, not looked (yet) at the list of content in it. The tongs comment is helpful as I was not 100% the 'loop' / 'o' type seemed better in my mind but I'd not know. I may see if I can get one of each maybe (in some offer pack) in the New Year maybe.

The fryer itself I don't think it has cool walls but it will be on a table near the doorway anyway. May try it out over the weekend, the croquettes in it sound good, no idea how long for though , I'll have to experiment. I do have a bag of frozen oven chips and a small bag of frozen roast potatoes to use up in it. A 'toaster type' oven or similar will have to wait the New Year now, I had planned on this month but other 'external factors' have likely put that plan to one side.


Pleased no one complained about the Spam pack actually :rotfl: , its there for when 'its needed'


One thing I must look at really is if its breaded or battered items (bear in mind they will be frozen anyway) that should be put in a basket or not, I can't remember which one will try to 'stick' to the basket, logic says the battered ones. I am keeping an eye out for some breaded/battered onion rings or mushrooms at some point too when I see them on offer.

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

... generally the 'annoying to open tinned pie' maker meatballs are OK for me ...

I just went through all the shops I've been in - poundland have that brand at "2 for £1". But it's the tomato ones.... oh well.

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Shopping/FindProducts.aspx?query=bentos+meatballs&store=Poundland

FOOD:

Today's scoffathon was:
2 bits of toast
1 sweetie (Xmas stash)
3 large rock cakes (but I did leave the sugar out, but stuck jam on them)
2 hot sausage rolls
1 tomato sandwich.

Need2bthrifty

It feels slightly warmer here this morning, probably because its raining. Hopefully that will shift the remaining snow and ice. I went out late morning yesterday to get some more tealights and the car thermometer hit 0 degrees for a short time them back to -1 when I returned to my own street. Roll on next week when they anticipate the temp will get up to double figures.

I need to do a bit of grocery shopping today and thought to make an early start before the crowds get going. Beans on toast for breakfast, probably some kind of soup for lunch then I'll make a pizza to use up some of the odds and sods I have lurking in the freezer and fridge - I'm thinking tomato and basil sauce with spicy salami, jarred jalapenos and roasted red peppers cheap and cheerful.