Cooking for one (Mark Two)

moneyistooshorttomention

I used to have standard type porridge oats at one point and then bought the jumbo oats by mistake.

These days - I have gone off the texture one gets from using said standard type ones for porridge and I now use the jumbo oats anyway. Even though I soak my oats overnight in the milk I use before doing them as porridge - I can still tell the difference and find the standard ones gloopy.

Right - must get my act together. Voluntary work to do (the source of the awkward person who can't/won't see things as they are - but I'll just have to steer a bit clear of her and be glad she doesnt come in the same time as I do. I can't be doing with a "small town mindset" and I think that's what the problem is).

Hollyharvey

Morning all,

I'm pleased to say that I don't have to cook today . I'm being taken out for lunch by a friend, and then we are going back to her house where we will have a late tea of a sandwich and scone and cream. I do like these no cooking days

PasturesNew

Hollyharvey wrote: »

I do like these no cooking days

I don't get them, as a rule.

3x a year I get fed my tea.
2-3x a year I'll stay at my sibling's house and get a jacket spud for tea.

That's my lot, as a rule.

365 days/year, eat twice a day, that's 730 meals.... and I get about 6/year I don't cook myself

Add breakfast times in and that's over 1000x a year I have to get something onto a plate

Scrambled eggs on toast this morning - as I bought a loaf and eggs last night. Splash of brown across the lot.

Hollyharvey

PasturesNew wrote: »

I don't get them, as a rule.

3x a year I get fed my tea.
2-3x a year I'll stay at my sibling's house and get a jacket spud for tea.

That's my lot, as a rule.

365 days/year, eat twice a day, that's 730 meals.... and I get about 6/year I don't cook myself

Add breakfast times in and that's over 1000x a year I have to get something onto a plate

Scrambled eggs on toast this morning - as I bought a loaf and eggs last night. Splash of brown across the lot.

I go out for lunch with this friend about 6 times a year. Then I get fed at my brother's house about 6 times a year, but I think that will become less frequent now that his youngest goes to university next month.

A group of us used to go out once a month or so to eat of a evening, but it has become too expensive now and we can't afford it so tend to meet just for a drink in the pub instead.

meg72

Hollyharvey wrote: »

Morning all,

I'm pleased to say that I don't have to cook today . I'm being taken out for lunch by a friend, and then we are going back to her house where we will have a late tea of a sandwich and scone and cream. I do like these no cooking days

enjoy the no cooking while you can. I am being taken for a late Birthday lunch my friend was too poorly to go last week. we are going for a mixed grill so wont want a dinner tonight. If hungry will probably just have cheese and crackers wit a few cherry tomato. Have a little glut of these at the moment as all ripening at same time.
Have given away some and froze some Lol and scoffed a lot straight of the plants.

hunters

meg72 wrote: »

Love the idea of a smaller breadmaker can I ask which one you have please.

Look on Lakeland for one.

Ladies who lunch today so no cooking for me :j

Farway

kittie wrote: »

yes farway, almost twice the price of my panasonic but I have been very disappointed with the panny bakes lately. They are too dense and damp and I am not enjoying the bread it makes. I didn`t have a holiday and save a fortune on the allotment produce, so what the heck. I don`t spend much apart from council tax and the like so I might as well buy what I want

Thanks Kittie, hope my comment did not sound like criticism, not meant to. In fact I am in much same situation as you regarding bread, my Panny makes too large a loaf, and has been a bit of a let down lately with mixed results, from bricks upwards. Like you I can afford one if I wanted one, and have in fact bookmarked the item for the future.

Does it make jam? I know it says it does but is it bung fruit & sugar in, then later on spoon out jam and put in jars, or does the result need further boiling up on stove to set?

All this jumbo oats talk, I will have to try them now I am back into porridge and have nearly used up my pack. I had porridge again this morning for breakfast, with the berries I picked yesterday & yoghurt. Plus nearly had extra protein with a baby earwig scuttling around the berries :eek:

The Asda mooch produced some YS meat for the Bank holiday weekend. I have been hoping for decent YS chicken and today was the day it appeared. Plus a YS rolled pork shoulder, a big one

Both are now cooking, the chick is roast in bag in the oven, and pork is in the slow cooker, with some windfall apple slices & fresh sage for company

The pork will be left to cool and used over the next few days. The chick is tonight's dinner with fresh steamed veggies. I will joint and freeze the rest of it

Lunch was pork pie ploughman's again, very nice, def one to repeat

PasturesNew

Since breakfast ..... I had a tomato sandwich - then a choc ice - and I've just eaten the final two sausage rolls I bought yesterday (1300 calories/pack.... oops!).

[Deleted User]

hunters wrote: »

Look on Lakeland for one.

my MIL used to say `buy the best I can afford` and she was the epitome of old style and frugality, cutting coats up for little boys trousers etc. Others say `buy cheap buy twice` and I have been there, done that. Lakeland stuff isn`t what it used to be in the 80s, I used to go there, up the rickety stairs where they used to make poly bags from big rolls. . If I can afford it and I want it then I buy it but I know also that I do combine need and want, its in my nature.

Today turned into yet another busy one, allotment 100% came back for quick lunch of hm ratatouille and halloumi and chocolate. Then back there again to carefully dig up more very large parsnips. I am processing them now, slight boil and 15 minute fast roast in olive oil. Ready to freeze and feed me all winter. Lots more to dig up yet but I cannot leave them to get bigger as they are impossible for me to prise up. Already they range from 12 to 20 inches

Lamb noisette this evening, red cabbage and roast parsnips. Yummy

moneyistooshorttomention

I know what you mean Kittie by "buy cheap buy twice" and some firms are no longer making goods in their usual (well it used to be) quality.

I duly had to take back a pair of Marks & Spencers slippers recently that I'd only worn for a matter of days!!!! - as they had literally fallen apart. Thanks to a bit of "strengthening of backbone" courtesy of the MSE Forums - I went back and requested a refund and, when they refused and tried to fob me off with a credit note, I stood my ground and absolutely insisted on it and got it:)

I'll save money if I reasonably can - but I get where you're coming from re spending if need be these days - as I now take the attitude of "If I can't live like ME by my age (ie in my 60s) then when can I (ie eat my way/dress my way/socialise my way)?" and I sometimes dig my heels in and think "I'm darn well having it regardless(ie reasonable quality stuff and/or what I want) as one just can't go on economising for the whole of one's life imo (well I don't feel it's reasonable for it to be expected that's for sure....:cool:). I had to economise in my 20's and my 30's and my 40's and my 50's - so I'm just not going to do so in my 60's onwards:p