Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Nelski

Happy birthday Brambling hope you had a good day  

On the subject of cookbooks I think I was way before you girls .....donkeys years ago.... probably before you joined (can't believe how long Ive been on MSE lol) I had a long running challenge thread to cook something different every week from my library of cookbooks after getting into the familiar trap of every week being the same. Might do that again I remember some fab recipes came out of that. For now though Im just going to change up a bit next week nothing too radical just different  

Last night was sausage casserole and judging by how much I left then it may be one I leave off the menu for a while. Least lockdown has meant weight loss for me....no sneaking into Greggs for brekky or Sainsburys for a meal deal lunch followed by a yellow sticker pizza from the station supermarket! I miss it though 

So tonight Im sticking with the boring plan to use some freezer stuff up so its a Greggs (aka Iceland) corned beef pastie with wedges and some leeks and cabbage .....sounds better than last night with any luck. Tinned mackeral fillet roll for lunch and some wine in the garden

Have a good day all

caronc

Good morning everyone, 
I remember that thread Nelski, perhaps one to resurrect to give all us cookbook collectors a nudge?
I got up this morning with sore hips and ankles and feeling very stiff, not sure what's triggered it but will do extra physio today to try and ease it.
It's not so nice here today and we've just had a sharpish shower, good for the garden if nothing else. It's supposed to dry up after lunch and be quite warm if not sunny.
The air fryer continues to get a big thumbs up, we made gorgeous very crispy potato cubes in it last night.
Today I'm going to get some household chores done and catch up on admin for the out of school club.
Lunch will be oatcakes and "something" probably cheese plus grapes. Dinner tonight is still tbc.

Farway

Sunny & warm ahead, made a start by sorting out the conservatory for my tomatoes before the heat gets going in there

Another salady day ahead

Lunch will be last of the B in a BLT sarnie

Dinner, I'm defrosting a salmon fillet, which I'll fry in EVO + butter, with salad.

I bought frozen baked spuds in my ice£and on line shop because I thought in lock-down trying to get decent CFO size bakers via ND would be awkward.

I may give them a try tonight as a change from HM AF chips

PasturesNew

Time's passing and I'm forgetting which day it is and to come/post/read here   Blimey. 

As "everybody" is stuck at home using FB I've spent way too long just trawling through it... and I'm staggered at the lifestyles of some others   You see them promoting a local business that's doing food, they use words like "delicious" (hate that word now) ... and so you look, what is it ... 

Over days/weeks/time you realise these people are actually having hot meals delivered every day, costing them about £12-16 (and I bet they get desserts) and there's usually 2+ of them... so they're quite comfortable spending nigh on £1000/month on food that's delivered!  

The latest "gem" spotted is this cream tea.... so what do you get and how much is it? Well, it's £10/person, but it's a minimum of two people and there's a £2.50 delivery charge. So this is £22.50's worth.  It's a minimum of two as it's in one box.  This photo is one box, for two people, £22.50 delivered.  There are 2-3 slight variations, but looking at this photo this one's
1 small triangle of flapjack each. 3 little sandwiches each (that's not even two slices of bread). 1 strawberry dipped in chocolate each. 1 slice of cake between them, ½ a scone each topped with cream/jam, 1 mini cheesecake each, 1 tiny sausage roll each.

I bet if you walked into M&S you could buy all that lot off the shelf and with a bit of construction have the whole lot a lot cheaper AND have enough leftovers to repeat the meal for the next 4 days   

£22,50 - and I bet whoever has these also has a meal delivered later this evening!  And wine. 

Wednesday2000

Happy Birthday Brambling!

Wednesday2000

I keep hearing people call in to the radio saying they are at home drinking Prosecco in their hot tubs! It's alright for some.

I just had my CBT session and I hadn't eaten yet so we ordered a pizza. My stomach is growling as all I've had is a banana and water today and it's taking ages to get here!

PasturesNew

Another example, this one "quite cheap", just a local pub close to the council estate/cheap houses.  A takeaway Sunday roast.  There's no choice, you order and they make one sort, or a vegetarian one. Here we have: meat (chicken?), a stuffing ball, one yorkie, 3-4 roasties, a spoon of red cabbage and a little mixed veg. £10.  I presume there's some little pot of gravy out of view.

You have to phone/order in advance, then go out to collect... that.  They are providing no clean table, no cutlery, no condiments, no plate, they do no washing up, there's no vacuuming round the tables afterwards and cleaning/tidying away ... in short, no staff except the chef. 

We're all in the wrong business. This dinner is neither special, amazing, unusual, or anything... stuff's been tossed in the general direction of an oven, then a pack of foil cartons has been opened and lined up along the bench... in it goes.... open the window, £10 a go.  Close the window.... end of the day.  

And, online, where everybody likes to be liked .... they're all gagging for this.  

Farway

A pub near me is offering cream teas & ploughman's delivered, similar prices to those you show PN.

But to be fair those type of prices are what you could [not YOU personally of course ] pay in a pub / cafe. Especially the pub in question

I suspect the sun & VE day& feeling of a long holiday has gone to some folks heads but I suppose f you had an isolating relly it could be a nice treat for them, can't always put a price on everything these days.

Not for me though but I have paid good money for cream tea or ploughman's, in the "right" setting when the extra value cannot be priced, Looking over Plymouth Ho on sunny summer day, or sunny country pub garden in pleasant company for instance.

Change of lunch pan, the BLT failed because I've only enough lettuce for tonight's salad, and not sure if replacement via ND will arrive as requested..

Thus lunch was bacon & brown sauce sarnie

Tomatoes potted up in the conservatory, just sit back & wait now

caronc

Lots of places doing afternoon teas and meals delivered round here though generally a bit cheaper £7-8 for afternoon tea for example. I suppose it's one way for folk to support local businesses while having a treat. Lots of folk buy lunch every day and takeaways/eat out frequently so while they might be spending a bit overall it maybe works out much the same and they aren't paying pub prices for a drink. For those who are WFH it maybe brings a bit of welcome relief from the daily grind. This weekend we are treating ourselves to a bakery delivery, yes the SM  do what I've ordered cheaper or I could bake some of it but for a few £s (delivery is free if you spend over a fiver) it's a welcome treat and change from the groundhog day feeling most days have just now. I'm looking forward to my steak bake and caramel apple slice 😁

Nelski

Personally wouldn't order an afternoon tea just for little ol me but I can see for a couple its a real treat and for a birthday or any celebration its a lovely treat I got one for a good friend and his hubby for his birthday. Yes I could have bought each item separately for far less but how to get it to them? I t was a posh one and sent in a hamper so an indulgence for sure but hey why not, it supports struggling food outlets and for them it was 2 days worth of romantic picnics worth every penny. As for the roast I wish my local did one its so much hassle sometimes to do all the elements for one person