Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Wednesday2000

Farway said:

I can add some of the donkey food size carrots that came the other week, supposedly "sweet & crunchy". More likely to break your teeth unless you are a donkey!

Please don't mention carrots to me.

Actually, I did take the carrots out of their packaging and wrapped them in kitchen roll and they do look fine and I think they will last ages.

I was so cold again last night. My Fitbit informs me I fell asleep around 9.30! I did wake up and let my dog outside, but it still says I slept until 10.30 so over 11 hours sleep.

I am hungry. I think I will have some of that nice mushroom soup with toast and marg for breakfast, well lunch, really.

Wednesday2000

I just had toast and crunchy PB instead. I will have the soup later. I just saw my block of tofu had exploded in the fridge so it had to be chucked away!

That was what I was going to say. Farway - you have a cleaner don't you? How much do you pay them an hour?

I was thinking of hiring the partner of my window cleaner and she charges £15 an hour. I assume that is quite reasonable these days?

I was trying to work out how much she could get done in an hour too. My uncle said the other day that he pays £25 for 2 and a half hours, but he is in the North and so I thought must be cheaper up there.

He said she cleans about half the house each week but his house is much bigger than mine.

justkeepswimmimg

Really cold again this evening and it’s been a long day, bedtime soon.

Celery and Stilton soup for lunch, made harissa butter bean stew tonight, served with broccoli and toasted pitta for dunking.

Glad it’s Friday tomorrow!

Brambling

It didn't feel quite so cold during the day, at least the frost cleared by lunchtime 🙂 

I'm also glad it's Friday tomorrow 🙂

A quick trip to SM tonight Sainsbury seems to be really quiet on a Thursday evening, that could be the cold 🥶 I only needed a few bits of fresh stuff and had a voucher from them making president butter cheaper than their own brand, it wasn't on my list but I've put it in the freezer 😁 their nectar vouchers if you use their SmartShop gadget are usually very good and tend to be stuff you have brought before.  I did come back via Waitrose as I wanted cavolo Nero and a fennel bulb and was led astray by two packs of turkey breast strips and a pack of posh sausages YS all for £3.50 (I may share) and some seafood also at a really good YS price

Last of the soup for a early lunch before a 1pm meeting.  Dinner was late after I got back from shopping was smoke salmon, poached salmon and king prawns with a dill sauce (sold in scallop shells so for the posh amongst us but only £1 instead of £4.50 🙂) with half price fresh bread 🥖😋 

Farway

Very frosty morning, but bright & sunny, far too cold to poke a nose out unless having to

Very glad of my stew & dumplings yesterday, but I fear dumplings have moved into the silly range.

My suet packet is getting low so went to add more to my online order, Victor Meldrew voice here, I can't believe it!  Three blooming pounds a packet, was under £2 just before Christmas, and it was expensive then.

I've looked at no suet options and will have a trial to see how they go, otherwise dumplings will become a luxury item at Farway Towers

No local butchers around here to get suet BTW before anyone suggests it

Food today,

Lunch, never had the tin of veg curry yesterday, had OOD tin of spag hoops I found instead. Today is probably stale crust toasted topped with grilled cheese + Branston pickle

Dinner, need to get stuck into the salad slowly turning to compost in the fridge, even though it does not fit the weather

Salmon fillet out defrosting, pan fry in olive oil / butter, with salad & nuke a "baked" spud

Wednesday2000 said:

That was what I was going to say. Farway - you have a cleaner don't you? How much do you pay them an hour?

I was thinking of hiring the partner of my window cleaner and she charges £15 an hour. I assume that is quite reasonable these days?

I was trying to work out how much she could get done in an hour too. My uncle said the other day that he pays £25 for 2 and a half hours, but he is in the North and so I thought must be cheaper up there.

He said she cleans about half the house each week but his house is much bigger than mine.

Yes, I have a cleaner, actually two, and they work as a pair, one does upstairs the other downstairs, not that it's a big house it's just they are friends and work together. They arrive talking and seem to continue doing so all the time they are here , I keep out of the way in spare room on computer, or go out shopping

They only clean the rooms I use regularly, not unused bedrooms, for instance.

Price just went up New Year, £30 [was £25], for that it's about an hour, which is what it takes two of them generally so two person hours @ £15. I don't time them, just my observations and the price / time spent agreed when they started

I have them once a fortnight, that was their choice because it's only me and the spiders here making a mess

They provide all cleaning items, [my Hoover though] like bleach, polish etc which suits me as they know what they prefer & I don't have to remember to replenish

The place keeps clean & vacuumed, but I expect bits are missed, the odd cobweb, chairs not always moved to hoover under etc, but the main bits are fine, kitchen floor, bathroom, stairs, the things I can't do

They do not do tops of kitchen cupboards, up stepladders or climb on chairs which we would do if cleaning for ourselves if we could, but do offer "deep cleaning" if required, which that would be at extra cost

Hope this helps

caronc

Good morning everyone,
Back to cold and frosty this morning. We had sleety rain late evening so the garden is like an ice rink.
Tesco due soon, a couple of minor subs both in my favour, but otherwise complete.
I made a start on my bedroom yesterday, didn't declutter much but my what a difference a good tidy has made!
Food is very much tbc today. There's some LO mushy peas which will feature at some point, probably mixed with cheese and popped in a wrap for lunch.

Brambling

Farway some where could be on a MSE thread? I read that replace the suet with lard the logic was both were animal fat and freeze then grate the lard into the flour straight from the freezer and that was meant to work- i haven't tried it

Wednesday2000

Thanks Farway, that is very helpful! I was thinking once a fortnight would be enough for us too.:)

I got woken up by the workmen this morning and my husband got in from the night shift and was trying to buy us tickets to see Madonna at the O2 on his PC so I just got up and went out for a walk and a mooch around a charity shop. It is beautiful weather, but very cold! So many people I walked past were saying how cold it is today. 

I had half a vegan steak bake before I went out and I bought myself a coke (to wake myself up a bit) while I was out and I had it with an avocado sandwich when I got in.

We didn't get tickets as it would have been over £500 for two tickets!

Brambling

Not too busy at work, just as well as only two of us working today, but I'm glad it's Friday 🙂

Tinned mackerel on toast for lunch with sliced tomatoes.  Mushroom risotto for dinner with roasted peppers and wilted spinach 

justkeepswimmimg

I had a nice wfh day, catching up - both with tasks and with one of my favourite colleagues, so everything seems a bit better today. Also finished dead on time and went to do my food shop, because I have a busy weekend but mainly so I can watch the tennis in the morning 🙃

Lunch was filled pasta, tuna, tomatoes and sweetcorn with the oil from the end of a jar of sun dried tomatoes. Made smoked mackerel and leek risotto tonight. Another inauthentic recipe as I put Parmesan in, the Italians would be horrified!

In bed with a hwb and a cuppa, going to read some more of my book before 😴