Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Farway

Well, that sunshine didn't last long yesterday. At least I managed to get the apple trees pruned in the sunshine, rain arrived later & it's still going on now, except it's windy as well

Our bin collections are all over the place Caron, lack of drivers, holidays, a bit of frost [us Southern Softies] but at least they do come out and collect if missed without any hassle so far

I've decided to skip next week's food delivery, just not required, and I can't get to minimum order level. TBH with a freezer full I'm going to continue running it down before getting more, just topping up with fresh milk if needed

Taken a cook in bag chicken out to defrost for tomorrow, that went in the freezer Oct 2021 , so you see my problem, there's probably some other stuff similar vintage lurking in there

Lunch today, another sarnie, maybe bog-standard cheese & tom

Dinner, a frozen RM from the hoard

caronc

Good morning everyone,
Hope you feel better today CharleyStone. I couldn't live without a fridge or freezer. Pasta dish tweaks sound good. 
Bin is still unemptied! 
Cold and wet here today.
I'm Hector sitting this afternoon, he's a bundle of mischief this week so will no doubt keep me on my toes. His new favourite game is playing Jenga with the log pile!   
Salady bits for lunch. Dinner will be chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in pancetta, garlicky mushrooms, baked spuds, broccoli and green beans. 

CharleyStone

Feeling much worse, in fact, caronc, so I am very glad I slow cookered last night. I made too much ham casserole, which was in fact divine, so I tried out my new food flask. Unless I'm missing something in how it should be used, it does not keep food properly hot for five hours, let alone the six advertised, but it was still hot enough that I felt oookkaaayy heating it up a bit and eating it for tea as well. So that was a fair amount of effort saved when I'm not up to much. And breakfast was a banana and a guilty doughnut I bought yesterday, so also thankfully easy

The trouble with being without a fridge is mainly leftovers, or not leaving any, especially as my reflux means I should be eating small meals anyway. Most veg keeps okay for at least a couple of days, I have already had to give up cheese before this, and I buy powdered milk all year round. I keep my butter in a metal bin on my stone kitchen floor with cold water in it, as well as any cut veg I'm not sure about leaving on the counter, and nothing's poisoned me yet? Without bread I usually have to cook more meals from scratch, that's all. But it's definitely not for everyone!

justkeepswimmimg

Mostly stayed indoors keeping out of the awful weather today. Did brave it to do a food shop but haven’t done much else except some ironing and a bit of life admin.

End of the Christmas cheese with fresh baguette, celery and apple for lunch. Made salmon with creamy leek and butter beans tonight, served with broccoli.

Brambling

I can remember when we got our first fridge probably 1970ish it lived in the lounge until the kitchen could be rejigged. I still sniff milk as I remember it sitting in a bowl of water in the larder on hot days but still going off.  Also in those days women went to the shops more frequently.  It's been about 10 years since I used a food flask but I remember I had to heat it with boiling water before adding the food (as hot as possible) and would fill at 8am for a 1pm lunch, soup in liquid flasks tended to stay hot longer

I drove out to the farm shop this morning, the car needed to go somewhere other than the occasional pottering around town in the last month.  I managed to get a nice big cauliflower 😁 as well as other bits of F&V and the nice sausages & bacon🙂 the young girl on the till was new so I had to correct on some products for example those aren't turmeric but Jerusalem artichoke luckily she was packing for me so I could keep a eye on the till display 

I also made it into town and home before the heavy storms so stocked up from Savers, Wilkos, £shop and the little shop I buy my herbs, spices and 'foreign' food.  I had a quick look in M&S and picked up a couple of jars of artichoke hearts £1 rather than £5 each and some half price rice and noodles, not on my list but they will be used and all long dates.  

I wanted to roast a chicken tonight and to fill the oven. I made a large lasagna and some rice and black lentils stuffed vegetables (peppers, beef tomato's and portobello mushrooms) with goats cheese. Left over meat sauce from the lasagna was added under the stuffed vegetables as a sauce and I had LO rice, lentil and vegetables stuffing with my chicken. 8 portions of food added to the freezer 

I was cooking lunch time so it was a bit picky, some tomatoes and cheese, raw veg, tasting as I cooked. Dinner was chicken, LO rice, lentils, veg stuffing, wilted spinach and peas

Farway

Congrats on the cauliflower hunt Brambling, and artichoke hearts, very posh YS catch there

Seems it's roast chicken all round CFO land, then?

My been in freezer for over a year, cook in bag one is in the oven right now, smelling tasty at least. I decided to get it cooked this morning because I made another overnight loaf in the Panny, and maybe it's chicken sarnie time for lunch?

The sky is darkening as I type, and rain is due anytime now. The sky was a weird orange colour this morning, most odd

Despite my saying no online shopping this week i have completed my Asda order, it was getting close on salad items & marge / spreads. Made up the minimum spend with sirloin steaks on a twofer offer, and trying another brand of curry sauce, on offer, see if I can tell any difference between cheap & How Much?!!!

Lunch, chicken sarnie if it's cooled down enough

Dinner, change of plan, was going to be roast chicken with Sunday roast style sides, but seeing Caron's baked spud has set me thinking, looked like some suitable ones in my recent Mark's spuds, if so it's microwave "bake" one of them, with the chicken + salad bits, nice and easy

caronc

Good morning everyone, 
Sorry you are feeling worse CS
I don't remember ever not having a fridge when I was growing up but I do remember the thrill of the first fridge/freezer being bought in the mid 70s.
Off out this afternoon to Girl Guide event to celebrate the Guider's 60th anniversary of being a leader. I'm going with my sis and oldest friend (who I met when we started Brownies on the same night) and expect to see lots of old faces from my youth.
Roast lamb tonight, with red chimichurri, sweet potato wedges, broccoli, green beans and baby corn. 

EskarinaWeatherwax

Healthy wishes to all who are sick. I had a grumbling lurgy for about four weeks which is gone now, not the worst but just constantly present.

It must be cauliflower day today! I’m making two trays of cauli and chickpea tray bake, and I’m baking potatoes too. This will be dinner for me as well as the freezer, and I’ll swap one portion with a friend for a sourdough. 

Breakfast today was tofu lettuce and tomato pitta 
lunch was avocado and oatcakes followed by an apple and some Xmas chocs 
dinner will be tray bake with a baked potato and more Xmas chocs for pud. 

justkeepswimmimg

Much more productive today 😉. I’ve dusted, de-cobwebbed, hoovered, swept and mopped, plus bathroom had a quick swish.

After late lunch of scrambled eggs and mushrooms on toast, I walked into town to run an errand and collect a John Lewis order.

Made a batch of Normandy pork in the slow cooker so portion of that tonight with potato and parsnip mash (made extra for tomorrow) and green beans. Lots of portions for the freezer 😋

Watched the second episode of The Light in the Hall this afternoon (intriguing) and after clearing up the kitchen, I’ve settled down to the new pottery throw down.

Brambling

Some housework done here as well this morning although not quiet as much as you JKS 🙂my spiders still have webs 🕸 

I popped around my sister for a sandwich lunch time and a catch up, she is also getting over the lurgy and is still coughing well

Dinner was stirfry veg, LO chicken and a spicy sauce.  I finished my book afterwards (where did the murder come from? I feel I missed something 🤔) I also enjoyed the pottery throw down 🙂