Cooking for one (Mark Three)

PasturesNew

pattypan4 wrote: »

Is anyone else on here likely to be on their own christmas day or between that and new year? Just asking because I am wondering how to cater for myself, to make that week less mundane and a bit more festive. I have bought a few nibbles and just now have ordered a few solo ready meals from cookfood.

I usually am alone the entire time... but as I've no home at all, this year I will be foisting myself upon somebody.

I make a Xmas dinner for me and get some bits and bobs in. The trouble is you can't just buy everything you fancy as you can't get through it all

I never have breakfast, nor starters, nor desserts, nor a tea-time meal. I just cook a 1 course Xmas Dinner and scoff nibbles.

I usually cook: turkey breast, xmas stuffing, yorkshire, roast spuds, roast parsnips, brussels and other veggies (different each year). Sometimes there's a couple of cocktail sausages (pigs, no blankets).

One year I made an additional nut roast from scratch too, then I bought a pack from Holland/Barrett in case I wanted one (which I didn't, so that is in storage now). I'd like cauli cheese, but it's one more thing to find room for, so I've never bothered.

Nibbles include: A chocolate Santa, a box of L1dl extremely chocolatey biscuits, a couple of multi packs of crisps, mint matchmakers.

I've been known to make a trifle one year and buy one the following year.

It is difficult seeing all those food adverts knowing you can't actually buy those things as you've already enough "just with the basics" and you'd have too much food overload....

Just make a list of what you'd like.... then be picky about what you choose so you don't get sick of it.

pattypan4

That was helpful PN. It makes me more likely to actually make a similar dinner. Those green bags from lakeland are very useful for keeping veg nice and fresh for quite a long time, they can be washed and used over and over. I can buy a bag of sprouts for example and keep dipping into it if I use a green bag. So I went to MnS today and at last found the small portions of cheese that I have been looking for and also got pickled walnuts in sainsbury. I want to be done and dusted before the panicing hoards crowd the shops

Wednesday2000

I woke up very late today and I've just had two Linda McC sausages with grilled toms in a pitta bread.

I will be running down the fridge, freezer and cupboards this week as we have so much food!

I will only need to buy loo rolls and kitchen rolls and will hopefully not be ordering any groceries until next weekend.

I think I will make spag bol with veggie mince later on today to use up some of the mince and the last of the black olives and red onions.:)

caronc wrote: »

I am an extremely proud mammy, my younger son won the "Young Engineer of 2019" award for his region yesterday.:D:D He looked very smart in his dinner suit clutching his trophy and certificate and grinning like the cheshire cat.

Wow, well done!!!:T:T:T

Farway

pattypan4 wrote: »

. So I went to MnS today and at last found the small portions of cheese that I have been looking for and also got pickled walnuts in sainsbury.

At last, another lover of pickled walnuts, I thought I was alone on here:j I bought my XCFO supply in W8rose when on offer last month, I've opened a jar for quality control testing Passed OK

Small posh cheeses are in L's if there's one near you.

Sometimes I strike lucky in the likes of Asda etc & find YS bashed selected cheeseboards but of course that method cannot be relied on

Lunch was cheese triangle on toast

Dinner, spuds peeled & chipped ready for Actifry.

I had a peer into the Actifry to see if I could spot cause of recent odd noise, I was hoping to find a chip or similar stuck in the fan / vents

No such luck, but I've given it a good shake to get any LO fried odds & sods out of it's innards.

Being a [STRIKE]tight 4rse [/STRIKE] MSE I'm loath to buy a replacement unless it really fails on me

Brambling

It's not that I don't like pickled walnuts Farway it's just I've never tasted them maybe if I see them at a good price:)

I got my sewing machine out this afternoon to try and get some sewing done i promised my sister, it was grey and damp so another stay in day. If she's lucky I'll get it finished by Christmas

I made a quick all in one cheese sauce (without needing to scrub the saucepan) for the LO cauliflower and had cauliflower cheese for lunch, making more LOs which will do for lunch tomorrow, it won't be quite as nice as today but it was a big cauliflower :cool:

Dinner was pan fried salmon with air fried chips and slightly weird addition of LO red cabbage and cranberries (there's still some left). I'll have the left over beef and veg tomorrow night

unrecordings

unrecordings wrote: »

Cheese & ham toasties for lunch - not quite figured out the correct mustard yet. Polish is too fruity, English (Colman's) maybe a little too strong, might have to go back to some form of Dijon

Cheese & ham & mushroom toasties for breakfast. In terms of mustard Grey Poupon Dijon is working the best, it's a little brighter than the Maille Dijon which makes all the difference. So, from the bottom: Slice of 50/50, thin layer of Dijon, slice of Emmental, slice of Yorkshire Cure Ham, half a mushroom thinly sliced, slice of Emmental, slice of 50/50

Anyone else have a definite top/bottom preference in a sandwich ? For me, the mustard/relish needs to be near the top (unlike the toastie I just mentioned where it's better on the bottom)

Farway

Dull & wet again, hope it clears a bit after lunch because I'm going to a volunteers meeting this afternoon

Usual porridge breakfast, with sliced banana & honey, but now I have a real first world problem.

I saw a piece that T8sco honey may not be 100% honey, maybe added sugar

I don't use their honey, mine's L's, but that didn't stop donkeys turning up in various SM pies did it?

The thought has now been put in my mind and I've decide to go local ethical with honey, so I'm on the search.

I know it costs [a lot] more but for the amount I use it's fine with me, and hopefully supporting a local beekeeper, just need to find one now without having to drive miles
I've seen jars in my greengrocers so that may be the quick solution

Lunch I fancy sort of ploughman's, it'll have to be without the crusty bread as I don't have any:D

Dinner, quick & easy repeat of yesterday, grilled gammon, tom, chips, mushrooms & fried eggs. I thoroughly enjoyed it yesterday

Brambling wrote: »

I made a quick all in one cheese sauce (without needing to scrub the saucepan) for the LO cauliflower and had cauliflower cheese for lunch, making more LOs which will do for lunch tomorrow, it won't be quite as nice as today but it was a big cauliflower :cool:

Just what I've been fancying, but I not spotted nice enough cauli lately. The search continues

Brambling wrote: »

Dinner was pan fried salmon with air fried chips

I think this may be Tuesday dinner unless L provides a YS surprise

Farway

unrecordings wrote: »

Anyone else have a definite top/bottom preference in a sandwich ? For me, the mustard/relish needs to be near the top (unlike the toastie I just mentioned where it's better on the bottom)

No preference for me, to misquote PN, it all goes down the same hole;)


I do try & assemble sarnies so the innards don't squish or dribble out,

unrecordings

Farway wrote: »

The thought has now been put in my mind and I've decide to go local ethical with honey, so I'm on the search.

I know it costs [a lot] more but for the amount I use it's fine with me, and hopefully supporting a local beekeeper, just need to find one now without having to drive miles
I've seen jars in my greengrocers so that may be the quick solution

I'm fortunate in that next door but one keep bees which forage in my garden, so I have a small supply, but there are lots of local apiaries, some specific to the local fauna (heather on the moors for example). From the beekeepers I've known, they're pretty serious about their craft, but it's just like the donkey burgersthing , when big money is involved some people lose their scruples.

caronc

Good morning everyone,

Your definitely not alone in liking pickled walnuts Farway, my Christmas jar is safely stashed. I'm lucky that the deli in town stocks lovely locally produced heather honey. It's pricey but the tastes wonderful and as I don't use very much I'm happy to pay the extra,
unrecordings - mustard etc. on the top for toasties but I've no preference really in sandwiches, it depends what else I'm having in it.
I'm back to CFO as my son headed off around 10am he's working this afternoon and being a lovely Mum I made him a packed lunch - LO roast pork & mustard rolls which I'll also be having.
Last night's pork joint was superb I think I've convinced my son that it is worth paying a bit extra for FR pork. There was virtually no shrinkage so a small joint fed us both very well last night with enough left to have cold in rolls today for lunch, for me to have for dinner tonight and possibly for lunch again tomorrow.

It's tipping it down here and apart from the bin run I'm staying in. I did briefly consider going into town as I have a couple of errands to do but they're not urgent so will wait until there's a dry day. I need to check through my fridge for use ups and think about a meal plan for the week.