Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Farway

Another wet morning, the radar shows all us southern CFOs are getting nice raining on today

One of the CFO perils Brambling, boxed in a cupboard is a new one on me though

The last of my toms are waiting, just a light picking left to decorate tonight's salad, then it's back to whatever SMs supply

The more I think about it the more I'm tending towards ordering on line veg box from local G/grocer.

Since lock down he started doing on line Click & collect and he has really been a life saver for folk around here, trouble is usual CFO and although there isn't a minimum order I feel as independent G/grocer I don't want to waste his time, and my diesel,  with one cabbage & six tomatoes, plus come winter his toms are same suppliers as SMs ones

I'll continue pondering for a bit

Last night's stew turned out tasty. I don't have a set recipe, it's bit of this & that fridge scrape sometimes so not able to replicate the better ones

The dumplings were bit stodgier than some I've made. Edible but not fluffy IYSWIM. The veg suet was slightly past BB date so maybe?

I've two good LO stew portions for another day anyway

Late up this morning but given the weather there's no rush to do anything

Lunch, looking like a couple of toasted frozen slices with jam

Dinner, one salmon fillet out defrosting, I'll fry in butter & EVO, and have with AF own chips + salad, using last of my toms

If the weather improves during the week I can then clear out the  toms from the conservatory and maybe the runners from garden as well

The leaves outside are certainly changing colours now even though they're hanging on despite the winds

caronc

Good afternoon everyone, 
Just had a look Brambling and agree the sweet and sour pork sounds good - I've added it to my "to make list"
My front (North facing)and back (South facing) are like two different seasons. The front looks like an Autumn/Winter scene and the back still has a fair number of flowers still in bloom and more green than golden leaves. The cues are still happily producing in the greenhouse. The cotoneaster is laden with berries though and the resident robin and blackbird family are feasting on them.
It's less wild today and actually dry, it's much milder as well. 
The rarebit burger yesterday was blooming gorgeous - firmly on the "make again" list.
Sticking with JO again tonight with the easy salmon en croute. We'll have it with baby spuds, broccoli and savoy cabbage. Lunch will either be mushrooms on toast or HM soup from the freezer.

Wednesday2000

I had to go out to the vet this morning as I broke my dog's insulin bottle last night. It was pouring so I got the bus there and back.

I had a PB roll for breakfast and then baked beans on toast for lunch.

Brambling

Farway I'm also a cook who uses a little bit of this and a little bit of that, ok until someone asks for the recipe 🤔😁

another grim day day weather wise 💦💨☔️ I waited for a lull and drove to the office to pick up my office chair, my body is complaining about working from a dining room chair 🥺 and they have brought me a monitor as I'm fed up with using the laptop screen.  Unfortunately as I was wheeling both out of the building the skies opened and I realised getting the chair into my car wasn't as easy as thought it would be, I should have asked my sister to help as she has a bigger car and it was awkward to lift.  I may miss working in the office but not the drive in torrential rain, the car did appreciated the drive, I went the slightly longer route as I was worried about flood water on my usual route so it was almost 30 miles round trip.  My desk as been taped off as a do not use desk, and there are notes saying max of 8 in the office so it will be home for a while, I think I should have set up my small bedroom as a office in April.

Lunch was cheese and crackers this time with a apple.  I'm really enjoying a vintage cheddar from W8itrose deli counter it's a shame that I only brought a small piece and can't remember what it was 😐 

Dinner was JO sweet n sour pork, slightly tweaked as I didn't have prawns (it didn't need them) and I didn't have any tomato and chilli chutney so used some caramelised onion chutney with chilli and tomato purée.  Served with LO rice and runner beans.  Considering I don't usually do fruit with pork I enjoyed it and and LOs to.  I do like how a lot of his recipes are for 2 which is ideal for CFO.  LO tinned peaches for pud although no tinned evaporated milk 

Farway

A better weather day ahead, this morning anyway. Must be colder though because my CH clicked on earlier

Brambling, I like the w8rose cheeses, some times have very good offers but now I'm stuck with local one closed, on line only & no available slots it's a distant memory.

I did like my brief spell of on line specialty cheeses and may return nearer XCFO, in the meantime it's bog standard Extra mature from @sda or Ice£and, which are OK for the price

Lunch, back to cheese talk, I'll have the last pizza sub, this time with added grated extra mature on top

Dinner, rump steak time.Defrosted overnight.

In the past I've marinaded my steak but since I've moved over to posh FR roaming around ones I find they are tender enough without needing special treatment

Not very MSE to find the more you pay somethings are just better, cheese & meat for instance

I'm going to have HM SF chips & fried FR eggs with the steak. I did ponder on side salad but I've got "use up" eggs before my next delivery

Brambling said:

another grim day day weather wise 💦💨☔️ I waited for a lull and drove to the office to pick up my office chair, my body is complaining about working from a dining room chair 🥺 and they have brought me a monitor as I'm fed up with using the laptop screen.  Unfortunately as I was wheeling both out of the building the skies opened and I realised getting the chair into my car wasn't as easy as thought it would be, I should have asked my sister to help as she has a bigger car and it was awkward to lift.  I may miss working in the office but not the drive in torrential rain, the car did appreciated the drive, I went the slightly longer route as I was worried about flood water on my usual route so it was almost 30 miles round trip.  My desk as been taped off as a do not use desk, and there are notes saying max of 8 in the office so it will be home for a while, I think I should have set up my small bedroom as a office in April.

My office chair was a "special", due to my bad back it was supplied under occupational therapy, cost over £700 at the time

Because it was fitted & unique to me it was not allowed to be used by anyone else, [bit like false teeth ]  I got to keep it when I left and I'm sitting on it as I type this

Somewhat similar to my prescription Safety glasses & boots. The boots fell apart a few years back but saved a few toes mowing the grass

Wednesday2000

I had vegan bacon pieces with roast potatoes, mushroom and tomatoes this morning. I feel so full up. Green lemon matcha tea as well.

I'm about to go out for a walk, feed the birds in the park and buy some porridge from the shop. My house feels so nice and cosy since the heating went on.

caronc

Good afternoon everyone, 
Sounds like a good call on the subs Brambling, the sweet and sour does sound tasty. I've been pleased by how many of the recipes are for 1 or 2 portions. Not what I expected in a "family" cookbook!
Don't know if I agree Farway, I think you can be both MSE and buy decent meat & cheese. To me being MSE is making the most of your cash so if you want to buy a premium product you seek out any discounts etc. you can apply and look for other areas to save money in that are less important to you. 
There was a heavy mist first thing but it lifted quickly and was bright and dry, however more rain is due and it's beginning to cloud over now. 
The JO easy salmon en croute was another success and added to the make again list. I halved the recipe so no LOs though I reckon it would be nice cold as well. We're having a night off from new meals and I'm cooking my tried and tested Thai green chicken curry which we'll have with some "ping" rice.  Cheese & ham toastie and salad for lunch. 

PasturesNew

It's starting to grate.... and the window of opportunity is fast closing.  If I don't find/offer on something in the next two weeks that's pretty much guaranteed I'd never get a purchase over the line by Xmas. 

But what's one to do?  Just buy something "not right/in the wrong place" just so it's done.... or keep holding on for something better/closer to what you wanted?   Tough one.  There is one house, 2 beds, in a place that'd do... but the rooms are small and the layout not ideal, but it's got ORP in the garden and has a new roof and is "modern enough".... layout sucks though, road's not ideal.  

I do miss the ease of shopping/storing/cooking/eating food afforded by one's own home with appliances, fridge/freezer and free rein over all the space.  e.g. theoretically I could get my SC out of storage, I could buy some stuff and plonk it in the kitchen with food in it.... but I don't have the confidence to do that as "anybody" could flick the switch off in error, or lift the lid to see what's in there, or just be "silly" as some people do... I'm sure nobody would, but it puts me off that.  Also... there's then the whole cleaning it out/washing it up thing. In my own home I'd immediately box up the food made into boxes (currently in storage) and put them in a fridge with plenty of room and the pot would immediately go into soak, I'd then eat and, later, wash the pot up ... but I'd now have to immediately wash it up entirely and dry it .... and so it's just a lot of faff all round.  

Today I've had: one of those flatbreads I bought.  I think they're the sort of bread product that turn green after their date, their date was yesterday, so it's likely that any remaining flatbreads I have will need to be binned.... I think I've just got two packs.  They were dead nice... but as a pack of three, not as TWELVE packs of three  

Yesterday I had three flatbreads, I also had one of the noodle pots I bought the other week (Firecracker Chicken).  

Gagging for "proper food, proper choices, good stocks of food" .... *sighs*

PasturesNew

P.S. And Rightmove have changed their format - and I don't like it  

Farway

caronc said:

u can be both MSE and buy decent meat & cheese. To me being MSE is making the most of your cash so if you want to buy a premium product you seek out any discounts etc. you can apply and look for other areas to save money in that are less important to you. 

Bad phrasing on my part, I agree with your sentiments entirely.

It's just some on MSE [not CFO]  think it is all about the cheapest option every time for everything, which is fine if it suits whatever it is & lifestyle.

PN, sounds like a quandary, trouble is your last pad was bought because of similar situation so I hope you make the right choice when it comes

I'm sure we all would like to wave a magic wand for you

I was going to ask what's ORP but figured it out, that sounds like one less hassle for you at least

Ideal road? That would seem to be a compromise from the roads I know, too much traffic, not wide enough, too wide [everyone parks there]

Cul de sac? could kids out playing ball all day. You can't win on roads