CAN COOK, MUST COOK! My challenge: Stop Eating Out! Anyone else?!

Dumb_Blonde_3

Day 5 of the challenge and tonight I will cook - I can cook .............. but the question is What shall I cook ?!?!?!?!?

How is everyone else getting on with the challenge?

nicola1982_2

I'm going to join the challenge with just one exception for me - I'm allowed to have a Pizza Hut triple cheesy bites pizza - once, one the ground that whilst I was in hospital it was the thing I wanted when I got out, but because I'd been on bedrest until Monday we couldn't go out to get one (they won't deliver here).

As I'm not really allowed out restaurant meals aren't a problem. It's more the takeaway thing. However I've decided that OH and I should select a takeaway we fancy every Saturday and attempt to recreate it at home. It will probaby cost nearly as much at first but eventually when we've stockpiled ingrediants we should recuperate this.

millionaire_in_training

I was doing fabby until today and we had a McDonalds. I dont even particularly like mcd's but the kids love em. So it was a wee terat for them. As I said before my biggest problem is spending money on weekday lunches and this week will be my teat as kids are back at school so I will have to be organised and have a lunch made for each day. x

pandapaws

Well, we're doing so-so too! Got an open viewing weekend on our house this weekend, and spent an hour yesterday lunchtime trying to think of something we could make for lunch that wouldn't smell/mess up the kitchen. In the end, hubby went to the bakers and bought a couple of ready-made sandwiches!

We were *that* close to ordering an Indian last night (£20ish) but better sense prevailed - I had some pasta and he had some bizarre veggie burger things that we found in the freezer instead (no idea where they came from, no veggies in our house, but they were really nice. Apparently).

So, to decide between an Indian or more Loyd Grossman tonight...

nicola1982_2

Update - last night I made h/m prawn toasts, butterfly prawns and char sui roast pork with boiled rice. Total cost was circa £30 but we do have plenty of store cupboard staples now, and a restaurant meal would cost much more. I lit some tealights in the middle of the kitchen table and used the best dishes. I was shattered by the end of it all and the meal didn't finish until midnight! Still haven't done washing up though - hoping OH will do it as he was raving about how good it was!!! Even drank Schloer out of best M&S champagne glasses - very posh!!!

OliveOyl_2

OK, last night DS2 and I had Asda "takeaway" chinese meal for two......and it was pants.:(
It was supposed to be a treat for DS starting his half term and he reckoned pot noodles had more flavour :eek:

Trouble is, we have 2 more "takeaway" nights in the fridge. Does anyone know whether we were just unlucky, or if their Indian meals are nicer? Or am I to look forward to another chemical concoction?

wyebird

The Indian meals at Asda are definitely nicer....

wyebird

My SIL is Thai and she has taught me how to make lots of nice stuff, but I can't get the hang of folding spring rolls! With the last lot the contents shot out of them and around the wok like fireworks!

skintscotslass

PP, for the peanut sauce I usually mix a tablespoon of peanut butter, juice of a lime, a chopped red chilli, a pinch of sugar and a tsp or so of Fish Sauce (Nam Pla). You might find that your local authority does cookery classes. One of my friends is Chinese and she used to take a cookery class at the local school one evening a week.

chevalier

You have reminded me how stuck in my ways I am about making food. And that way leads to take away temptation.

I should add that one of the 'best' ways of not eating take aways is having a son who is allergic to milk. Bang goes all indian meals and pizza, and most chinese too! We have hardly have had any since we found out 5 years ago! If we do have one it means me having to cook for him and then get the take away which sort of defeats the object.

But I have a middle and far east cook book which I REALLY ought to at least OPEN!!!
cheers
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