Cooking for one (Mark Three)

PasturesNew

kittie wrote: »

...tapeworm segments. On a duvet!!
...

I think that nails it!
Gross.

I've never had a pet, so had no idea!

Growing up, we had a cat. He was never allowed upstairs, it never occurred to us that it'd be something to do. Cats live outside, get fed outside or in the kitchen - and are allowed into the living room when humans are present.

If you've ever watched Come Dine With Me you'll see some episodes where a host has a pet, usually a dog.... the programme is 4-5 contestants who cook the others a meal in their house and then they are judged/get points from the diners for hosting, the food, entertainment... winner gets £1000. That's a whole £1000 ... and time and time again some cat/dog owners have the animals all over the kitchen while they're cooking - and even bring their pet to the dining table, letting them walk on the table (cats), and/or be fed at the table.... and every time all the other contestants mark them down for it. They could've won the £1000 if they'd started their day by tossing the pet into the garden and locking the door until the guests had gone

[Deleted User]

I just prepared flapjacks, took 5 minutes. malt extract/honey/oats/butter add anything to that, I added chopped almonds and sultanas. Will bake now, while the small oven is still warm

pineapple

My dogs have always slept in the bedroom. As a singleton it feels nice to have another being breathing close by. Plus my current dog would probably chew the leg off any unwanted visitors. At the least he comes to get me if he hears anything untoward, so it gives a feeling of security. Also, when my last dog had health problems in later life, I could monitor her over the night.
I have never had a problem with letting them in the kitchen. My last house was open plan downstairs anyway so banning the dog would have been an impossibility. Also I eat in the lounge and my dog is always in there, so I don't see the difference. To the best of my knowledge I have never caught anything. What does gross me out however is keeping cat dishes/food on the work surface and the cats roaming round on the work surface. I know someone with 5 cats and her work surface is plain nasty. Also people who wash pet food dishes along with theirs or who put down their own plate, with scraps, for the pet to eat off. :eek:
Anyhow - this week I was given a dozen fresh duck eggs and last night I made an omelette with a filling of chestnut mushrooms, chopped fresh garlic and cheese. The only downside was the cheese - which came from the travelling butcher. I got red cheddar as that was all he stocks. He says he has no call for white cheddar. Quite why people want extra dye with their food escapes me. But the main thing was the flavour - or lack of it. I usually get mature or extra mature and this was just a big lump of unnaturally coloured nothing.

Brambling

The advantage of living alone I get to decide what pet I have and where it roams . Complaining about him waking me up is always done tongue in cheek because it's my choice he come upstairs, he's not allowed in the spare bedrooms because it's not always a visitors choice. he has a catflap but it is shut in a night, helps to save the local rodent population

As with Pineapple, I like something else living and breathing in the house, I lost both my cats last year and took 7 months to go and get a rescue one, One of the reasons was an bad asthma flare up just after I lost the last cat which lasted 6 months it seems its worst when I don't have cats! He's 5 so has come with some bad habits which we are carefully working on as he's been mistreated and needs a gentle hand. No cats on the table or work tops in my house, but I'm sensible enough to know he could be when I'm out so I use antiseptic wipes before doing anything. I also don't want to live with fleas or worms so he's treated for both regularly

I used to know someone who bred cats and even I as a cat lover didn't want to eat there, cats on the worktop as she cooked and on the table when you ate, combined with the fact she was a really bad cook I only did it once and then made excuses or suggested the pub. :rotfl:

Back to food meatballs and pasta for lunch, not CFO tonight my neighbour wants to go to the beefeater and I've been putting off going but he's coming up to 86 so I've said I'll drive him up there tonight, it won't be a late night we just have to avoid talking politics, religion, immigration......

wort

Brambling :rotfl: you don't need an alarm clock then!!
I meant my house alarm, the cat is usually out at night, it's a pain trying to keep him in !!!
I've never let him upstairs at night, though we he comes in from his night on the tiles he goes up to the spare room and goes on the cat tree in the window, he can observe the world going by from there!!!
Just to clarify, I wash his dishes and tray after I've washed mine with his own sponge kept under the sink. He doesn't ever go on the worktops and table. Even though I always wash worktops down before I prepare food anyway. A bit of a clean freak me!!:rotfl:
And he's wormed regularly

Dull day today, my niece has messaged she is going shopping later so I'll hitch a ride and get mine too.
Mainly fresh stuff plus loo rolls and toothpaste.
I had an offer on the made without wheat on my sparks card so got some packs of tempura chicken on 3 for ten pound less 20% 8.00 then 20% discount, 6.40£ . And gf fish fingers, £3. -down to £1.90 so got 2 packs. Might have slipped blueberry muffins in:o

I've lifted black pepper hot smoked salmon fillet out for tea, baby potato, and carrots plus any veg I might get from shopping today. Tartare sauce may be involved.
I will have lo tinned salmon salad sandwich for lunch. With yogurt after.

Caronc I hope your not as wobbly today, and can get around better.

caronc

Thanks wort

Good morning everyone,
It was early to bed for me last night and I managed to get a reasonably decent sleep and definitely feel the better for it this morning.
Cats I think can be harder to restrict than dogs, my pooches got reasonably free roam apart from bedrooms, though were always confined to the dining room/kitchen at night or if we were out. Next door's cat does sometimes join me on the bed for a snooze which we both enjoy.:) I know he is up to date with worming, flea treatment etc. so don't mind. The doors are always closed on the upstairs rooms so he can't visit those. I do miss not having a pet for the companionship but equally don't want to take a new one on.

It back to sunshine this morning and so it's back to pottering outside for me:D. I'm still going to avoid anything overly bendy but have lots I can do that won't need that.


Not much cooking planned today, usual toast for breakfast and lunch will be a salad roll. Last night's chicken made two portions plus some spare sauce. I'll use the sauce to form the basis of a pasta sauce for tonight's meal. The other portion I was going to freeze, however I am out early evening tomorrow so will be looking for something quick when I get home so might have it then. If I don't fancy it I'll freeze it at that point.

[Deleted User]

I am back from cycling and am having coffee and a small bit of flapjack, oh my word this recipe is going sraight into my favourite hand written recipes book. No gunge, not sticky, light with a gorgeous malt/slight almond taste. I used jumbo oats and can see me breaking some up to top scrummy puddings like fruit/ice cream/cream/hm trifle

Trouble is that it will have to go straight into the freezer, very moreish

caronc

I bet frozen flapjack would be nice on a warm day:rotfl:

[Deleted User]

Ah don`t caronc, I often eat a slice of frozen cake, always start with good intentions

AnC box came and I am very happy with the juicing box which contains spring cabbage, celery, cucumber amongst other things. I could actually survive the week nicely on that as long as I buy carrots. So now my fridge is full and I have decided to do a stir fry for my omlette filling, bok choy/spring onion/ ginger/garlic. Tomorrow I will be having a kale, lentil, cranberry ragout in a GF case plus some veg stir fried, which I will need to prep tonight or I won`t bother at 6am

I am still not changed, am wearing untidy cycling gear but want to make my hemp drink first. Still fretting, a bit, about houses, still in my mind. Had a vivid dream last night, about teaching a small class in a school but making cakes with them, I slipped out to buy something and came back to see the headmaster with his back to me writing on the board. We finished the cakes. I apologised to the class for leaving them. Still didn`t see the headmaster`s face and he did not confront me. No idea what it means but a dream that was definitely vivid but calm. I was a physics/science teacher!

Drink now, then change, then read, then lunch, then read again, then spin, then read, then spin

pineapple

kittie wrote: »

. No gunge, not sticky, light with a gorgeous malt/slight almond taste. I used jumbo oats and can see me breaking some up to top scrummy puddings like fruit/ice cream/cream/hm trifle

My problem is I love sticky, gungy, claggy things.
The Pudding Club is pineapple's idea of heaven. I saw a TV feature about it years back and it 'stuck' in the memory. Lots of scrummy and ridiculously unhealthy recipes on here too.
http://www.puddingclub.com/