Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Brambling

Finally we had some dry weather between the rain today :j. But I'm still avoiding the town so stayed in most of the day, I went with a friend to see Cats late afternoon, I don't think it deserved the bad reviews and a pleasant way to spend a afternoon but probably not one I'll dash to watch again

A using up lunch today the last two rashers of bacon with scrambled eggs and the last two crumpets and some mushrooms which needed using no proper dinner when I got in from the cinema just some fruit, cheese and crackers and four Belgium sea horse chocolates which came with a planter as a gift yesterday

Farway

Yesterday's No Bull vegan chilli looked similar to something I've trod in at times:eek: Tasted OK, but checking the YS sticker it was 25P, reduced from £2, which tells you all you need to know about how popular it was with Iceland shoppers.

Mild & dry this morning so taken the opportunity to open the windows and air the place a bit

I tested the posh XCFO choc last night, it's the one square at a time only sort. chilli & ginger. Over rated IMO, Emperor's clothes etc. But all chocolate is nice so I'll plough on with it;)

Breakfast usual porridge, plus made a fresh brew of yoghurt
Lunch, looking like cheese & salady sarnie
Dinner. ??? More freezer lucky dip I think. I don't want to cook something & then have LOs lurking for ever over Christmas

Today I'll open one of the twofer mince pie packets. Best to quality check them before the Big Day:o

Wednesday2000

I know what I am making on Christmas day. I am doing roast potatoes and two types of different vegan sausages, steamed carrots, broccoli, peas, sweetcorn and green beans with stuffing and caramelised onion gravy.

I am also making a vegan cauliflower cheese with a cashew cheese mix I bought. My husband will have some Aunt Bessie Yorkshire puddings as well. I have a few recipes for vegan Yorkshire pudding but I wasn't ever really a fan so CBA to make some from scratch.:D

I am having a vegan cheeseboard with three types of crackers and some clementines in the evening.

We have lots of snacks too, twiglets, crisps and vegan chocolate.

My husband has the traditional box of matchmakers and he wanted some mini chocolate swiss rolls too.

I have got fruit and vanilla ice cream as well, but I'm not sure I will need it.:o:rotfl:

Wednesday2000

I have had bran flakes with sliced banana and soya milk and a cup of tea.

I will have some HM tomato soup and bread when I get back from my walk.

Farway

Dinner decided, it's use up time. Mushroom omelette + salad. Followed by some LO apple crumble & custard

I did include an Iceland de luxe mince pie after lunch, not bad at all.

The sun's out, and mild, so took the opportunity to have a garden tidy, pruned a rambling rose and hacked a red currant about. One curant I want to remove but the fork is down the garage & CBA to get it today

unrecordings

Cat is back from the vet sans cone, next door popped round some third hand surplus veg - not needed but it seems the music stopped and we're 'it' - it'll get used. So now it's back to the negotiations of what we have on xmas day - room for vegan yorkshire puddings ? room for some mash ?

will the Spode tureens come out to play ? Is there even anything on telly ? We'll see...

Brambling

Glad puss is ok and minus the cone unrecordings

Looks like a heathy Christmas lunch Wednesday so you're allowed ice cream to wash all that veg down

I made the mistake of popping into town today :eek: I was asked to make a trifle by my friend for Boxing Day and needed custard and cream, I was only going to the local T Express but my sister persuaded me to share her pain as she had picked up the wrong size for a present. We were only in town about an hour and a half and that included a drink and a tea cake but still about an hour too long :cool: M&S was the closest food shop and where she needed to be so it was their more expensive fancy custard as that was all they had. Trifle will be a grown up lemon and raspberry one with limoncello and no jelly

Lunch once I recovered from town was a tuna sandwich as I picked up some decent bread. For dinner I cooked a big roast dinner, using a small rolled lamb joint I picked up in W8itrose a few weeks ago YS, I took it out of the freezer for dinner yesterday forgetting I was going out, roast potatoes, fennel, runner beans, tender stem broccoli, carrots and mint sauce. I've been fancying a proper roast lamb dinner for ages and this was only a small joint, it should probably have fed three but I had a generous portion tonight and there enough left for a generous portion with veggies for tomorrow. It was worth the wait and something I very rarely do just for me

unrecordings

Brambling wrote: »

Glad puss is ok and minus the cone unrecordings

Thanks - she spent half of last night with the cone wedged under the bed, but didn't say anything, we could just hear the odd scraping sound. Now we can get the full dose of painkillers down her, she (and everyone else is zonked out). Mrs Un took it upon herself to go on a suicide mission to Waitrose to top up on carnivore treats. It was busy but not manic apparently. Plans have been formed for the third hand veg. The chillis will be strung in a ristra, which Mrd Un will learn how to make over the holiday. The carrots, peppers & a squash we have to hand will make a soup for Boxing Day (though I'm having bubble & squeak), which means the Richmond vegan sausages were eaten tonight (with some spared for sausage sandwiches tomorrow) with third hand broccoli & carrots. The broccoli nozzle is saved for xmas day

caronc

Good evening everyone,
Just popping in to say hello:hello:
Chaos sort of rules here but we finally got the tree & tinsel up today:D. My son is at the cinema with his mates and after visitors earlier I'm enjoying a few hours of peace & quiet and a small glass of (well deserved IMHO) red before a cuppa and an early night. There's been a few glitches post my sisters move but thankfully more or less sorted now though the vendor should be ashamed of how disgustingly filthy they left it......

Turkey has been collected and boned (thanks son;)), the sage/lemon/garlic/butter for roasting made and the spare bits plus chicken wing tips and pot veg are in the SC to make stock for the gravy.(Probably my favourite bit of Christmas dinner tbh so I make lots:D) The main carcass is in the freezer to make further stock for turkey soup at some point. All food has been purchased and if we don't have it we don't need it/not having it.
Quite a lot to do prep-wise tomorrow as we aim for minimal cooking on the day itself but all will stop at 6pm tomorrow when Bloody Marys will be made then steaks cooked - our tradition to start the festivities.:beer:
Merry Christmas everyone:santa2::xmastree::xmassign:

unrecordings

Our xmas day is still TBC , but is certainly based around a Vbites (Redwoods) 'turkey' roast. Tomorrow is traditionally bits & pieces round this neck of the woods, so that's HM olive pate, little toasts, humous, pickles, savoury biscuits, meats & cheeses etc for the furry people and maybe sausages, on sticks if we can source some 'tinned pineapple' without leaving the house. Although someone does need to leave the house to see if there are any HM carrots or beetroot in the potager at the bottom of the garden (this task forbidden on xmas day)