Cooking for one (Mark Two)

moneyistooshorttomention

Irenadler wrote: »

Er, sometimes (ok a lot) do talk to myself. Read an article that says it's the first sign of madness, well, I have to start somewhere! : )

Think of it positively - you're keeping company with Erin Brockovich in that (for those that dont know - everyone thought she was "just a Secretary" until she took on a big company polluting the environment and she won:T). This sort of thing is what she does for a career these days - not just a "dumb blonde with big boobs" then:D. I've got her book/seen the film.

Apji - you are coming over clearly from the other side of the screen as feeling visibly brighter these days:D. It's very obvious imo.

wort

I've just spent the morning prepping mushrooms peppers and onions for the freezer. I mostly use them in most things I cook so if they're chopped and ready I'll be more likely to use them more often.
I also cooked a big pan of potatoes, I've frozen them open and will transfer when they solid , I kept a few back for roasts tomorrow. I had a quick tidy of my inside freezer, and have a mushroom and chicken crispbread that's been in there for longer than I can remember, so I'll cook that with the tempura chicken gougons for tea today. I've also identified a small piece of cooked steak that I'll have this week.

Irenadler

PasturesNew wrote: »

The big question is: when do you dial 999?

If you're doubled up in pain ... it could be wind!
You hope it'll go in a minute.

But, you have to make a choice .... call and waste their time ... or die because you didn't and you then passed out.... and even if you DO manage to phone them, you've still got to get up, find the keys, open the door, unlock the gate etc......

*sighs*

If there are two people deciding whether to call an ambulance, it's a lot easier to make the decision .... and deal with them arriving.

Hey PasturesNew,

Don't let it drag you down, or worry about it. I used to....

My own personal feeling is that you have to go on instinct. You know your own body better than you think you do. For instance, having broken a foot in the past, I know the difference between that kind of pain (swells up and hurts so much can't stand the weight of a sheet on it) and the need for medical aid, or the twisted ankle - a bit swollen and can walk through the pain, hobble on and get on with it...

I am planning to get an emergency type alarm in the future (which you can have as a bracelet or pendant) and links to the emergency services if and when I feel my health is at risk/getting older/going senile. This is because I helped an older relative who had multiple health problems. It gave him a huge boost as he was very anxious about the same thing, and didn't have to worry about being found in time, etc. He could even stand at the bottom of his garden and it still worked. Only worked if he was at home though.

The thing is, I have seen past relatives with different problems, and to be a bit graphic here, they only tended to pop their clogs in 2 ways.

1. Pop off so fast that nothing could be done for them anyway e.g. heart attack (one wearing an alarm bracelet and didn't even have time to react to it). The best way, for the person themselves, as you don't know much about it. Not so good for the rest of us left behind.

2. Slow decline, with whatever variety of ailments they had, ending in drawn-out hospitalisation/hospice. But, professional care, and family visiting, so, in most cases, able to say their good-byes to their loved ones.

What I am rambling on about is, it's more likely if something 'quick' happens, but, do some kind of action for this like alarm, some 'signal' to the friend that you're ok or not. Ask around for what others do. Myself - carry mobile at all times, and make sure the blessed thing is charged up (forgot sometimes). : )

Takes the angst/worry out of it.

My only slight concern is that the dog might eat me if I 'pop off' which wouldn't be pleasant for anyone checking up! Sorry, dark humour, at least the dog would be alright....;)

wort

Hope those who are not well are soon feeling better. My cold started the weds before Xmas but apart from the first day , of headache and shivers in bed, I've just been coughing and blowing my nose, as many people at work are in/off with bugs I'm hoping that's all I'll get. Dgsons is sat working his way through a box of tissues as we speak!!
Just had chicken cheese and onion with garlic mayo, dry fried , just going to get a kiwi with some greengage and ginger yogurt.

karcher

Soda Bread advice.

It turned out ok for a first effort but the base seemed rather too well done and fell off as I cut slices. Any ideas what I can do to avoid this please?

Also it seemed very heavy...the recipe said to leave the dough quite wet and sticky, but do you think it was maybe too wet and sticky?

TIA

Farway

Afternoon folks

Hope all the poorly folk are improving. I still have this recurring cold / cough, which started after my flu jab in October, and the itchy eyes but that went after lots of sluicing with cold water & wet pads

Confession time. Yesterday's call of cheese topped crumpets overpowered me last night, and I scoffed the whole pack of 6 during the evening, in lieu of dinner:o

Up fairly early, in time to have a nice pot of loose leaf tea, plus bowl of porridge with sliced banana, Greek yoghurt & honey

Of into town, wanted milk "just in case" and I wanted to get some of W/rose chunky fish fingers, not cheap, but I had seen them being made on Gregg Wallace prog even though he grates on me, and liked the ethos behind them, employing humans and not machines.

They are on offer at the moment, plus I have added them to my pick "your own offers" list. All to no avail, just a large fish finger sized hole in the freezer:(

Back home, put more milk on to make HM yoghurt. Yesterdays' moved into fridge. I made another 6 pots and now in the warmer brewing

Lunch of bacon, lettuce & tom sarnie

Dinner, planned to be roasted veg, consisting of spuds, carrots, cauli, parsnips & shallots. I think I will chuck in a couple of the beefburgers which have stuck forever in the freezer. I just want to get shot of them and if I don't eat them they will be binned. I need a dog, even if just to eat me should I keel over:D

karcher wrote: »

Soda Bread advice.
It turned out ok for a first effort but the base seemed rather too well done and fell off as I cut slices. Any ideas what I can do to avoid this please?

Also it seemed very heavy...the recipe said to leave the dough quite wet and sticky, but do you think it was maybe too wet and sticky?
TIA

I think it may have been too wet, should be just sticky
It does turn out heavier than yeast type of bread, and I think you left it in too long, about 20 minutes does it, and tapping if for hollowness is the way to tell if done, as does it turning into charcoal:)

PasturesNew

My lunch was 2 hot sausage rolls.
For dessert ... I had another 2.

caronc

Good afternoon everyone,
The sun has been shining today though it's been decidedly chilly (3C at 1pm) and is now dropping rapidly so a heavy frost tonight I think. I made the most of the better weather and managed a short walk and then set up my new bird feeders in the garden:) before having a much needed snooze;).
I don't unduly worry about keeling over/taking unwell on my own, I am prone to falling but thankfully I'm agile enough to get back up and using a walking frame has reduced the number of times I go over considerably. I could have an "alert" system but have opted not to at the moment, I feel secure enough having my mobile on me all the time:D.
Doesn't everyone talk to thereselves?;) I used to be able to pretend I was talking to the pooch but I have nattered to myself for as long as I can remember - I reckon it keeps me sane:rotfl::rotfl:.
Food so far has been a repeat of yesterday- no breakfast and cheese salad for lunch. Tonight I'm having a steak with peppercorn sauce. Last night I baked two spuds so I had one for tonight. I'll either just nuke it or slice and griddle. I'll use up the remaining green beans and some mushrooms to go with it.:)
My grocery shop arrives tomorrow - I could have left it another couple of days but I'm runnning out of tea bags which would never do! My last grocery spend was on 29/12 so I'll have managed 9 days between shops which is a good start to the year:)

Hollyharvey

I had porridge for lunch as well as breakfast today. It was nice and easy. Then I had a yoghurt this afternoon.

I was going to have a ready meal this evening, but when I was rummaging through the freezer I found a portion of chicken goulash so I'm going to have that.

Cooking anything else isn't an option. On the plus side, I have caught up on my sleep dozing on the sofa all day , and I'm using ready meals from the freezer so not all bad .

moneyistooshorttomention

Duly stocked-up at the supermarket - loads of milk/loads of plant milk/half the shelves worth of vegetables (well - okay - I exaggerate - a lot anyways).

Don't know about talking to myself personally - but I do often have the radio off these days whilst doing the washing-up for instance. I'm perfectly silent outwardly then - but "I can hear myself think" and I've definitely come to the conclusion that I don't know what I'm "tapping into" as ideas come up/different slants on things/etc rising up to the surface of my mind. Could be my own "higher self"/subconscious/guardian angel or a "guide"/etc. But I find it a handy mechanism for all those little thoughts I need to remember and those "different slants on things".

Anyone watching me wouldnt hear a thing - but they'd often see me diving off into my study to make a note about something that had just come to the surface of my mind (whether it's of the "Must remember to add x to the shopping list" mundane variety or "Oh yes - I expect that's what's going on there/what they're thinking or doing or whatever" variety on the other hand). Whatever level it's at - it's a useful mechanism I think.

On that note - must get myself some more spicy sweet potato wedges into the oven to go with the last of yesterday's stirfry.

EDIT; Bought some of that Frank's Red Hot Original sauce someone on here recommended - and ...yep...I've still to be a bit "cautious" with it and use it as a dipping sauce (rather than scattering liberally over the top) but I think it's sorta working for me on that basis.