Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Brambling

Constant light rain today, hopefully it will be enough to soak into the garden but I'm not convinced it will be. 

I've had problems sleeping the last couple of nights, it was 4am on Tuesday the last time I looked at the clock and I hadn't slept🥺 I didn't feel too bad yesterday but last night I was still awake at 1am so I'm tired and grumpy today. it's  just as well I live alone although I had to bite my tongue on our call whilst testing today and count to 10 multiple times 😡

lunchtime I cooked a ratatouille (minus the aubergine which I forgot to buy) ready for dinner.  Lunch was a quorn fillet wrap with raw spinach and fresh pineapple, melon and mango.  Dinner was rump steak, new potatoes, French beans and the ratatouille.  The ratatouille had a chilli kick to it so LO will mature well, unfortunately it only used two courgettes 😐

Farway

Still a touch of drizzle here this morning, not that I was rushing anywhere anyway

Rump steak , snap Brambling, defrosted overnight for tonight and now marinating.

It's the last of my XXL steak packs from L's last year, can't see me replacing anything from L's anytime soon with CV around

Feeling a bit lacking "go" this morning, even watched some TV very unlike me in morning.

Actually it was last couple of episodes of "Condor" finishing off. Left me confused afterwards so no change there

Lunch, thinking of LO cold sausage sarnie, brown sauce included for dribbling down my front

Dinner, the rump steak, with HM chips.

And there it sticks, I had intended salad accompaniment but with the gloomy weather fried eggs & LO Baked beans may be more seasonable

caronc

Good afternoon everyone, 
After some heavy rain yesterday evening/overnight it's not a bad day here today, dry and reasonably warm but very overcast. Lovely when the sun breaks through though.
My back is still twingy but definitely easing as watch what I'm doing. Flower planting is completed, thanks to a bit of assistance from my son yesterday evening before the rain arrived. 😊 This morning I prepped some raised tubs in the veg patch ready to receive my Calvo  Nero plants after my post-lunch snooze.
Lunch was a cheese and pickle toastie with baby plum toms and fresh peas on the side. I'm CFO this evening as my son is heading to help his Dad move slabs and will eat with him. I made a big batch of mash the other day so will have some of that with a cumberland sausage, green beans, carrots, mushrooms and gravy as it's just what I fancy. Last night my son cooked 'Fish--fragrant pork' which we had over noodles, it was delicious and made a nice change from my usual bung it in and see stir fries. 😁

Brambling

I had to look up Fish Fragrant pork Caronc as it was a new one for me  next time I have some pork fillet I may give it a try 

Farway I hope your get up and go has come back 

Other than work not a lot happening in the Brambling household, I did pick some raspberries lunchtime I'm impressed that as they were new this year I've had a few  unfortunately after eating them I've realised that the shop brought ones in my fridge don't taste as good.  

Lunch was a quick and easy egg mayo and salad wrap followed by the raspberries.  Dinner will be LO ratatouille with pan fried cod, new potatoes and French beans.   Tomorrow is another day to think of courgette recipes 

caronc

Good evening everyone, 
We used finely sliced pork shoulder steaks Brambling which worked very well. I'd certainly recommend it and it wasn't too faffy.
Mission accomplished in the veg planting front , Calvo Nero is planted on and coriander, red mustard and pak choi seeds sown. I also set up some tubs of each for my son and DIL-to-be to take to their garden. Apart from some succession sowing with salady bits that's me finished with the planting/sowing until early Autumn when I want to sow some Angelica seeds. I'm absolutely pooped now so apart from cooking dinner I pretty much plan to laze in front of the TV  until bed time and a naughty glass of red is being poured.

caronc

Good morning everyone, 
Dry and sunny here this morning, I'm itching to get outdoors but I'm stuck in until Tesco have been and the shopping has been put away! Deadheading my baskets is today's garden task, there's loads more I could be doing but I'm taking it easy after yesterday's veg planting as my back is very stiff and achy again this morning.
Salad for lunch and freezer rake for dinner, probably AF fish & chips.

Farway

Brambling said:

Farway I hope your get up and go has come back 

Yep, thanks, back in spades today, up & out watering the plants by 0830 after porridge for breakfast

And spotted ripe blackberries already, only a couple but with the warmer weekend forecast there should be enough for a decent taster before the inevitable glut

I'm going to have to review  my shopping methods.

ND's hours have changed at T*sco, she was only CV temping and a lot of her colleagues have now been laid off & she's on Saturday late evening only from next week

Tomorrow will be my last order for her, but she has very kindly offered to get any "bits" if I'm stuck

I'm now used to Asd@ C & C fortnightly but will have to get fresh milk & dairy more often, not quite sure where I'll venture, certainly not L's or local T*co Express because of narrow aisles piled high.

Possibly Co-op because it is opposite where I am with my volunteer gardening, two birds etc.

My veg I'll explore local greengrocer in town, only small shop but ever helpful

Lunch today is a mini YS pizza, out defrosting right now

Dinner, HM AF chips, with first taste of Asd@ frozen breaded cod fillets, the Morries ones were lovely but mixed reviews on the Asd@ ones

I'll have it with some of my fresh picked peas, nearly at the last of them now but I found a few young runners forming to fill the gap

Brambling

That's a shame about ND Farway  my local T Express isn't too bad if you go at certain times but it hasn't got a large V&F selection and I do begrudge paying 25p each for bananas.  The farm shop I occasionally visit is about 7 miles away and has a two customers policy and it's big enough to avoid each other.  Having been to L once I don't intend going again for a while too many people and with queues down the aisle you are trying to reach stuff around people.  Will the greengrocer deliver?

I'm working on and off tomorrow so dashed into town quickly lunchtime for milk and F&V from M&S after my big Sainsbobs shop last weekend that's all I needed and it was quickest.  Lunch was some cheese and crackers with an apple when I started work at 2pm.  Dinner was a small beef joint roasted with roast parsnips, French and runner beans (the runners were YS today but the French we're home grown   ) carrots and purple sprouting broccoli, followed by some HG raspberries with Greek yogurt and mini meringues.  There's enough LO meat and veg for dinner tomorrow as I'm not sure what time I'll finish work.

caronc

Good morning everyone, 
An early post from me today as I'm not sure I'll get the chance later as we are bbqing later. There's been some rain overnight but hopefully it will now stay dry. Once I'm up and organised I want to make a start on the food prep so it's not too much of a last minute flurry. This morning my son is visiting the big angling supplies shop in Glasgow, handily it's next to a Chinese supermarket so he will pop in their as well and restock our Oriental ingredients. 
Lunch today is going to be a BLT and later there's  sausages, chicken wings and HM burgers to look forward to. 😊

Farway

Morning all, ideal for BBQs down here Caron, fingers crossed it reaches as far north for you

Brambling said:

That's a shame about ND Farway  my local T Express isn't too bad if you go at certain times but it hasn't got a large V&F selection and I do begrudge paying 25p each for bananas.  The farm shop I occasionally visit is about 7 miles away and has a two customers policy and it's big enough to avoid each other.  Having been to L once I don't intend going again for a while too many people and with queues down the aisle you are trying to reach stuff around people.  Will the greengrocer deliver?

He does, also does C & C some days but usual BFO problem, minimum order is £15 box plus £3 delivery, apart from the cost there's no way I could eat £15 worth of fresh fruit & veg before it's compost, unless it's the 25p per banana style. And buying to just freeze it seems pointless, may as well buy ready frozen in the first place

I can see me lurking outside his shop and pouncing in when quite, no doubt it'll resolve itself in due course

Lunch today toasted cheese on toasted stale bread, fresh loaf due PM once ND finishes her shift

Dinner, has to be use up LO beef stew + dumpling, hardly ideal for the weather but it's eat it or bin it time

With talk of fresh fruit & veg, my first ripe BlackBerry spotted in the garden this morning.

Thorn Free is the variety, this year it seems to have paced itself & looking like ripening over a period of time & not all in a glut. Fingers crossed