Cooking for one (Mark Three)

[Deleted User]

I am in experiment mode re bread as I haven`t even 1 slice left. Wholemeal spelt today, in the small bm, no sugar or honey and 12g of a spelt levain, this is a riser which has been long fermented and then dried. The levain has been unopened in a cool place for several months but now it is opened I have to use in a week, so I will be making 8 loaves, waste not want not and I have plenty of freezer room. It is a shortcut method and I am hoping it works on the spelt flour. I cba going the whole sd bread process from scratch right now

I had the carrot soup with protein pasta, was nice and so much easier to eat in the morning, I just don`t fancy any soup from afternoon onwards

PasturesNew

Yesterday I had jacket spud, beans, cheese for lunch and a roll filled with salad/tomatoes/cheese for tea.

I just bought six sausage rolls, so just scoffed two hot sausage rolls and a sandwich I picked up from Poundland that was reduced to 25p.

I'm going to sell my house. I've decided I will never be happy here, so it's best to just go. Been to see two agents and the best time to sell was.... April/May, so I "missed the rush" and I have a lot of de-cluttering, odd jobs and cleaning to do, so now a bit wobbly about when to sell it. Will sell, but won't be rushed.

caronc

Good afternoon everyone,
:eek::eek:PN re selling up but if it's not the right house for you a good decision.
Beautifully sunny but chilly her today, it's due to hit 1C tonight though!
My balance is much better today thanfully though I've got a bit of a medication "hangover" so horribly thirsty.
I spent a fair chunk of this morning sorting out my tax code with HMRC (again), very helpful chap who was mystified at how the computer had calculated it but hopefully sorted (again) now!
I wasn't hungry for breakfast so just had a banana & a couple of digestive biscuits mid morning. Lunch was a roll with hard boiled egg & tomato and tonight it's pasta I think.
As there is rain coming in tomorrow I'm determined to get some gardening done this afternoon though will be avoiding anything too bendy:)

Farway

Yesterday's lunch out at GC finished up as the old standby, fish & chips. I enjoyed it even though not adventurous at all
Dinner was another bowl of porridge etc. Very CBA and quite full from lunch, oh and some slices of YS coffee cake from GC

Back to porridge etc for breakfast, good job because there is a very cold wind this morning, luckily I'm on the fringe of the downpour area, so just cold & windy

The weather seems to have caught out Asda, shelves of YS burgers, half price. Not BBQ weather at all. I left them on the shelf, not a burger fan at all.

I did splurge on a YS organic, wholemeal Duchy batch loaf in W/rose, 45p from 1.60. Reading about the sourdough, I've made it once, but after a lot of faffing decided this method was not for me

Lunch I transported back 50 years and had a Pork Luncheon Meat sandwich. I bought a tin a week or so back after my Spam trials. Last time I had PLM was for packed lunches during my engineering course. Only missing items were the game of snooker & pint of Watney's Mild:beer:

PasturesNew wrote: »

Yesterday I had jacket spud, beans, cheese for lunch and a roll filled with salad/tomatoes/cheese for tea..

Thanks PN, that's my dinner sorted, I'm in CBA mood and that will solve dinner nicely

Any thoughts to your "new" area PN? or just want to go somewhere, anywhere else?

PasturesNew

Farway wrote: »

Any thoughts to your "new" area PN? or just want to go somewhere, anywhere else?

That's the problem. No idea, kind of. Originally I had a specific spot in mind, but there was nothing I liked/could afford when I looked, so I bought this one "in a hurry, because I just needed a house/any house". And, right now, there's also nothing where I'd have liked to have been. But, last year there were some I'd have wanted to view there... so I figure I can't sit and wait for something to come to market before I decide to sell, I need to just get on with selling and hope there's something to buy at that stage.

New location has "more going on" than here, which is "out on a limb a bit" in terms of travel/transport and jobs potential... and my hobbies preferences (local resources over there, 40 mile round trip from here so I never get there). So I'd prefer to look again at the random place I originally thought I'd like to be.

Budget will be: This one + what I can throw at it from dark and dusty corners of bank accounts ... so I'm thinking "free undred farsand sovs guv - and not a penny more". But the agents, without seeing it (except online/when I bought it) guessed a range that varied by £15k in their "finger in the air guesstimates". My budget is for one of the lower amounts, but until it's tidied/decluttered, fixed/handyman attended, viewed/price given, advertised and I get a buyer ... who knows.

[Deleted User]

I absolutely see why you have made that decision PN, I would like to think that you would be happy for the rest of your life.

Today I have spent the whole day feeling tired, this house hunting and the psychological downspiral of not finding anything, it is cream crackering. I have nodded off twice today, all I have done is loaded the dishwasher and made bread in the breadmaker. So I know I must be tired if I am tired because I normally have energy to spare, I give into it when tiredness comes my way, I am only listening to my body, which is what we should all do. I haven`t even felt like pulling rhubarb because that would mean having to chop and cook it

moneyistooshorttomention

Kittie - you could just chop the rhubarb and put in suitable containers in the freezer and cook it up later (ie when you feel like it).

I did that with some in previous years and just hoicked out/defrosted/prepared when I felt more like it later. Come to think of it - there's still some of last years rhubarb in the freezer and I can see this years rhubarb starting to come on (ie whilst I'm hoicking out the last of 2017 strawberries from the freezer and having them with morning porridge).

All starting to look a bit "promising" in the garden and this year that honeyberry plant of mine has some little yellow flowers on it - so I'm hoping I might actually get some berries from it this year and that will be my first taste (or even sight) of them ever if so:)

Got an eleagnus shrub I put in the garden - after discovering those berries are also edible. So I duly bought the most recommended variety of that - and wondering if I'll see my first berries from that this year. Never had eleagnus berries before either - so another new experience coming up at some point there. It's also growing well and is a healthy-looking plant - so time will tell.

caronc

Good evening everyone,
I'm not surprised you are feeling the strain kittie, isn't buying/selling a house in the top five stressful life events?
Sounds as though you have a plan PN, I hope it all comes together for you without too much hassle.

Luncheon meat Farway, not had it for ages, used to love the stuff especially the type with egg in the middle. It was a regular feature when I was growing up either bought sliced for sandwiches or the tinned stuff cubed and used to make nasi goreng, rissoles or my favourite mixed with beans, fried onions and peas then topped with cheesy mash and baked.:)

MTSTM - I've never heard of eleagnus berries, I'll be interested in what they are like. The one I always intend to try are fuschia berries which apparently are a bit like damsons/sloes. I never seem to be organised enough to pick them before they wither:o.

It's been a cracking day here as long as you are well wrapped as there was no warmth in the sunshine and the wind was icy. Managed to get a fair bit done outside so feel quite pleased with my efforts.

Although cold outside it was warm in the conservatory and I was enjoying a cuppa when next door's cat scrambled very ungracefully through the velux window. :eek: He was in purr overdrive and determined he was coming up on my lap for a snooze. I suspect I was stting in the chair he wanted to sleep on....;) I don't know how long he would have been there if my mobile, which was under him, rang. Talk about off like a shot:rotfl::rotfl:

I had a good catch up with my son re their meal on Saturday, talk about drooling. It was expensive and the first time they have ever done anything like this but are now saving £2 coins & 50ps towards the next time. They said it was worth every mouthful.:D
Appetisers: Deep friend oyster with crispy panchetta & sherry vinegar mayo; salt cod croquette with herby mayo
Starters: Pigeon breast & leg with celeriac puree, beetroot & parsnip crisps; brill & salt cod with romensco sauce
Mains: Lamb rump & neck, lamb offal bon bon, boulangerie potatoes, baby broad beans & spring greens; salt baked sea bass & chorizo with samphire, baby potatoes and a paprika, sweet pepper and tomato sauce
Dessert: Compressed apple & salted carmel mille feuille; paris brest with chantilly cream, fresh raspberries, bitter chocolate and praline.

I'm not sure my pasta dinner will taste quite the same now :rotfl::rotfl:

Brambling

Caronc you're not the only one drooling over their dinner I don't blame them for wanting to go again, it's always good when something lives up to your expectations. You're lucky the cat just wanted to sit on your lap mine has decided he likes sitting slightly higher :rotfl: it's difficult to do anything with a 10lb cat laying on your 'shelf' it does require my arm under him as I may be generously built but not that generous :rotfl: I told you give him an inch and he'll take a mile, they know how to worm their way in

It's been 13 years since I moved here but I remembered the worry that I won't sell my flat and then the panic once I had that I wouldn't find a house I liked after looking at so many but I knew as soon as walked in this one that i wanted it even through it was empty and needed work it felt right. It did help that no one slashed my tyre when I was viewing it :eek:that taught me not to be talked in to going to an area I knew I didn't want to live by an EA. But it will be worth the stress once you find it.

Food wise today was a day of LOs, salad and quiche for lunch and lasagna for dinner so reheating rather than cooking.

[Deleted User]

thank heavens I woke up feeling normal and energetic again, I know myself, know that I need to have a full day off now and then, not surprising after painting very big masonry walls plus the house hunting

Started with hm spelt toast and half a tin of lovely sardines. I know that I will relish my yummy cold hemp/berry/cacao drink later. Lunch will be a mix of greens like sweet leaves and celery plus other salad stuff and flageolet beans, piece of blackcurrant tart with thin very light pastry. I may well bake a sweet potato to have with the salad. Last meal low fat granola and milk. I have a brown cow yoghurt and will mix that with some fresh rhubarb, a special treat

Still early but am off to pick rhubarb and do some hoeing soon, set me up for the day