Cooking for one (Mark Three)

caronc

dreaming I think going for as big as works best for you in the space you have is the best idea. I'm a firm believer that it's a myth that small households need less fridge/freezer space. If anything we need more if we want to be MSE and take advantage of offers, batch cooking and a balanced diet as it takes much longer work through stuff than a family. 

dreaming

caronc said:

dreaming I think going for as big as works best for you in the space you have is the best idea. I'm a firm believer that it's a myth that small households need less fridge/freezer space. If anything we need more if we want to be MSE and take advantage of offers, batch cooking and a balanced diet as it takes much longer work through stuff than a family. 

I was trying to think this through this afternoon (whilst also mindlessly watching Youtube). I have always been of the mindset of saving money (after bringing up a young family in the 70s and 80s on low wages) so I do tend to buy multiples if on offer etc. As I have to rely on supermarket deliveries I tend to buy enough for 4 weeks at a time in order to save on delivery costs. I do this for all things (food and non-food) but yes - I do end up working my way through things for what seems like months (for example condiments). However, what I eat has changed considerably in the last year or so, and I noticed that my fridge often contains little more than cheese, butter, milk, the odd bit of veg/salad, and the sauces and chutneys. The other variable is that I can't reach things in the fridge easily now. I hardly ever use the salad drawer as it is at the bottom (obviously) and it is not easy for me to bend down. Likewise, anything that gets pushed to the back of the shelves gets lost until a visitor comes as I can't reach in that far, so the idea of having a f/f with a smaller fridge more accessible at the top is very appealing. I can't have too tall a model though as equally the top shelf would be largely inaccessible if I had to reach up. I am looking at models which give as large a freezer as possible - a 30/70 split would be ideal but no luck so far in finding one - but aren't too tall. I know I seem to want the moon on a stick and will have to compromise on something but the thing about the condiments just popped into my head as I was considering different sizes. It isn't something I had thought about before (why would I?) and I was just wondering if there was any solution so I can have my sauce and eat it too. To be honest I'm starting to annoy myself now by being so indecisive so I will have to stop thinking about it for a day or so and do something else.

justkeepswimmimg

I agree with caronc, I have a smaller fridge freezer at the moment than I’m used to and it’s always a struggle for space with cooking from scratch and freezing additional portions of things.

Another very cold day but at least the sun was out. Soup maker was on today for spicy parsnip soup so a portion of that with a toasted pitta for lunch. LO Chinese pork shoulder steak in egg fried rice with red pepper, baby sweetcorn and mange tout tonight.

Got to leave the house tomorrow but hopefully fractionally warmer 🤞

Brambling

I eat a lot of fresh fruit, veg and salad so my fridge is full of them, although this fridge seems to dry out fresh food if left uncovered.  It's not that old so I'll have to live with it.

i had to have a blood test today, I think it's first time ever I walked into a empty waiting room and I was given a car park ticket by someone leaving 🙂

I promised to take my elderly friend to Tesco to get a new phone and move her supplier to them 🫣 the woman was so helpful and patient although unfortunately due to my friend having two mobile numbers connected (we wouldn't go there 🙄) she was unable to get a PAC code to do that part of the process we had to call EE so only half a job done and it took a couple of hours.  I manage to call EE from her home and hopefully after I left they sent her a code but we will need to go back to Tesco next week to do the contract.  She does have a new phone and it will only be £7.50 a month as she brought it outright, they worked out the cheapest option of doing things.  It was the look on the assistants face when my friend asked what would happen to the contract if she died, she didn't  quite know how to react and said 'I'm sure you won't' and was told 'well I'm 88 dear so I probably will 😁).  I looked for a email address for the store to send back positive feedback but could only find how to complain! 

Tesco plus other jobs took a lot longer than I hoped so I managed to miss lunch and not get home until 17.30, she has no landline so I needed her phone sorted so she could call out.

Dinner was pork chop, mash potatoes and veg I thought about a large gin but I'm volunteering tomorrow 

Wednesday2000

Brambling said:

 It was the look on the assistants face when my friend asked what would happen to the contract if she died, she didn't  quite know how to react and said 'I'm sure you won't' and was told 'well I'm 88 dear so I probably will 

Lol. 

I am about to have half a toasted baguette with either black olive houmous or vegan cheese. I'm meant to be eating out tonight even though I managed to hurt my little toe after I went out to the theatre last night.

Farway

Sunny, bright, but very frosty with a cold wind blowing as well. The weekend is supposed to be wet & windy, so clam before the storm it seems

What a nice result with the Tesco phone trip Brambling, there used to be , in Asda, Tell Us cards where you could complement, or not. But I expect that sort of thing vanished with Covid.

Lunch, more of the HM mackerel pate

Dinner, Boil in bag kipper fillets, mash & frozen peas

caronc

Good morning everyone, 
Hope you can find what you are looking for dreaming, like you I find bending and stretching a challenge so on the more inaccessible shelves I keep things in these IKEA baskets UPPDATERA box, white, 24x17 cm - IKEA UK which come in a couple of sizes which I find really helpful.
Lol re your friend Brambling, I messaged Tesco via their FB page when I wanted to pass on a compliment.
Bitterly cold and icy here this morning, the back garden is like an ice rink, Hector was being very cautious (unlike him lol) when he was out earlier so I won't venturing off the deck! DS2 says snow that fell in Newcastle yesterday has melted overnight then froze so it treacherous underfoot. He's at an awards do this evening and is hoping it's thawed as his dress shoes have no grip! However, no sunshine here today and we have sleet & rain forecast as coming in. I'm glad DS2 isn't having to drive back tonight. 
Ended up making mince soup with loads of veg and some rice and brown lentils along with 250g mince. It's made 4 generous portions so I'll have another bowlful for lunch. Just the thing when it's so cold. Dinner is tbc, probably fish or chicken. 

dreaming

Thanks caronc. It might help if I could work out what it is want as I keep swithering (a word I use to mean swivelling and dithering). I do use similar baskets to group things together. I have a supermarket delivery today so will assess my needs as this is when the fridge tends to be at it's fullest - until things get portioned or cooked and moved to the freezer.

caronc

Swithering is a great word dreaming, I use it all the time!

Need2bthrifty

caronc said:

Ended up making mince soup with loads of veg and some rice and brown lentils along with 250g mince. It's made 4 generous portions so I'll have another bowlful for lunch. Just the thing when it's so cold. Dinner is tbc, probably fish or chicken. 

My goodness Caronc, that's a blast from the past must be about 20 years ago my father mentioned that my grandmother used to make it, he tried to replicate it once and I wasn't too impressed but yours does sound nice. 

I risked the very icy ungritted pavements to go to the bank and get a couple of messages then back for a warming bowl of soup for lunch.

I have some l/o sweet & sour chicken for dinner tonight, to eke it out a bit I’ll add some extra veg and noodles.

Dreaming - I swither a lot too