Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Brambling

Similar weather here to Farways mild enough not to have the heating on 🙂

I once upset a vegetarian by telling her what gelatine was made of  

I didn't sleep well last night so fell asleep lunchtime for a long uncomfortable nap sitting up on the sofa   not entirely out of things so aware the TV was on etc. A Delivery got be up but it left me bleary eyed and headachy this afternoon and evening, hopefully nothing more than a bad night sleep. If I don't feel 100% tomorrow I'll test 

Lunch was a late cuppa and the last of the Xmas cake.  I had to cook some chicken which I had defrosted so dinner was flattened marinated spicy chicken with salad.   There are LOs of the chicken 

Farway

More dull & damp weather but very mild. Had the weather been better I had hoped to get out with my camera for a mooch, but it’s too meh out there, looking like today’s highlight will be reading the gas meter & setting up a Direct Debit with the new, since old gas co went bust, supplier

Hope you are feeling a bit belter today Brambling and aren’t sickening for something to see in the New Year

One thing to look forward to, apart from reading the meter that is, is spooning into the trifle I assembled yesterday; it’s looking tempting in the fridge. I’ve not added any cream etc. to the custard topping, mainly because I don’t have any and I think I’ll try out the posh W8rose Number One ice cream I bought especially for Christmas while it’s still in the calorie free period

I have frozen the roast chicken breasts and a pack of streaky; it was just getting overwhelming in my fridge and too close to meat use by dates to be safe. The W8rose rump steak I’ll fry for tonight, with eggs, mushrooms & frozen AF chips

Lunch, maybe try the trifle & ice cream?

As usual I’ll be fast asleep when the new year bongs in, no doubt someone around here will be letting off fireworks to wake me up, at least the covid may be on the wane at last, fingers crossed for 2022

Brambling

Too long a nap yesterday meant I couldn't get off to sleep last night 🙄 so this morning I was a little heavy headed which was mostly cured by a couple of painkillers and a long hot shower  I did a LFT just in case which was -ve 

I popped around to my sister this afternoon for a cuppa, gossip and a piece of stollen neither of us are going to see the new year in.  

Lunch was some LO chicken in a HM flatbread with salad. Dinner found LO Nasi Goreng in the fridge so just a quick ping dinner 

Happy New Year for all those in CFO land 

justkeepswimmimg

So, my new year celebration plans have been scuppered by Covid (not me), which means I have an extra few days at home and CFO - had to do an additional Sainsburys trip today 😂

Managed to fill the rest of the day with swimming, some kitchen cleaning, bit of hoovering and mopping, and some catch-up tv.

Lunch was quiche and baked beans (didn’t fancy the curry so that will feature tomorrow). Did masala cod traybake tonight 😋

Won’t be seeing the new year in here either (have never really got it tbh)…

Happy new year, fellow CFOers 🎉🍾

caronc

Happy New Year everyone, 
2021 ended with me having to get dyno rod out yesterday to unblock a drain, sums the year up!
Sister and nephew are coming for dinner this evening so a day of cooking on the cards - slow roast shoulder of lamb, braised carrots, savoy cabbage, mash, roasties and gravy. There's cheese for afterwards if we have room. Wine will feature. 

Farway

Fast asleep come the New Year, but as expected what sounded like a salvo of mortars and ack ack opened up nearby at midnight, which woke me but soon dropped back off again. It used to be nice when I was younger & we lived on the hill slopes overlooking Portsmouth Harbour, then we had a larger navy and all the ship sirens were sounded at midnight, which along with the fireworks made it worthwhile going outside to look

Still dreary weather but the rain has stopped, just realised I’ve only poked my nose out for wheelie bins since Christmas day, but TBH the weather is hardly tempting

The use up HM stale cake trifle is excellent, a large greedy guts crater has now appeared in it, but not too impressed with the Number One ice cream, but that’s probably me as I’m more a steamed suet pud than ice cream person

The fridge food continues to go down, today I’m cracking open the posh super streaky from Farm Shop for a BLT at lunch time and making a large pot of mash to go with last of the roast chicken and steamed 20p veggies for dinner. LO’s will be bubble & squeaked at some time

The W8rose rump steak last night was excellent, as mentioned previously, not cheap but worth it, especially part of a 3 for a tenner promotion

Brambling

Happy New Year

An expensive end to the year Caronc  I'm glad your sister is well enough for a belated family dinner enjoy your wine 

Very loud fireworks here between 12 -12.30 last night which is unusual for here at least they could all have them at the one time and not spread out over the half hour 😐. Next door had them at a civilised time of 8.30pm for their young daughter His lordship doesn't usually mind firework night but did get cuddly last night probably as we both woke up with a jump

I sorted my vegetable containers this afternoon and decided to use up and freezer the red cabbage and some of the root vegetables.  I made Delias braised red cabbage with cranberries and a root veg mash as both freeze well.  

Lunch was the last of the LO chicken with a raw sprout 'coleslaw' made with a yoghurt and whole grain mustard dressing rather than Mayo and salad.  Dinner was roast beef (using SO M&S beef joint brought before Christmas 😋 it was very tasty) Yorkshire pudding, red cabbage, cauliflower, root veg mash and sweetheart cabbage.  Other than stocking up the freezer with veg sides I have plenty of LO for the next couple of days, I was using up the odds and sods

justkeepswimmimg

I’m really getting used to all of these relaxed days. Did some ironing and little bits of decorating today.

Lunch was the LO curry with a toasted pitta. Bit more using up from the freezer today - made gnocchi with bacon, spinach and mascarpone for tea. Also made a batch of smoked mackerel pate.

Farway

Sun at last and still mild, if it lasts I may just mooch around the garden & very slightly tidy it

Fridge continues to slowly empty, had to bin the 20p Asda broccoli, going very khaki & manky, luckily I caught the going slimey carrots and have disposed of the few there were before the slime spread to the rest

Today’s food is more Christmas use ups, lunch I think may be sort of Brunch, just fancy streaky, fried bread & fried eggs. The posh FR streaky gives plenty of bacon fat for fried bread; diet starts soon but not just yet

Dinner, the LO mash + veg from yesterday made into bubble & squeak with cold LO roast pork & maybe some Christmas present HM apple chutney?

Brambling, you’ve reminded me I have LO M & S beef joint roasted and frozen, in fact I have bulging freezers to clear before I even think of buying more food. I can see shopping over next few weeks will be just mainly milk

Dyno rod on weekend does sound expensive Caron, but it's one of those things that has to be done isn't it?

caronc

Good morning everyone, 
Thankfully I have a home care policy with British Gas so I'll just had to pay the standard excess of £60. 
I had lovely evening yesterday with DS2, my sister and nephew. The food worked as I wanted it to and we played some parlour games and had much needed laugh. I'm feeling surprisingly fresh considering it was a late night and I had a few wines! Leftovers will be turned into the base for a shepherd's pie tomorrow. Lunch is tbc and tonight it's curry from the freezer with bought naan and pakora so a day off from cooking.