Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Brambling

Good luck keeping the cat away from the paint Wort it once took me longer to de-gloss a fat cat than it did to paint the door frame :eek: I wouldn't have minded but I only painted the frame and left the door wide open for the cats :rotfl:

The threatened rain never happened although the wind has risen here in fact it was too hot to walk after lunch, the walk back to my sister from town left me wheezy so it probably wouldnt have been a good idea :rotfl:

I grabbed an easy lunch at my sisters' she provided the cheese, ham and crackers and I provided the spiced buns from m&s so we could have benefitted from the 10km we planned. I've put a half chicken in the oven I'm not in a mood for a roast so I will boil some new potatoes and cook off some asparagus. In the mean time I'll catch up on last nights episode of The Bridge, the brain couldn't cope with subtitles last night :rotfl:

PasturesNew

It's been distant thunder and flashing of lightning for over an hour - and the rain's just started hammering down against the windows!

moneyistooshorttomention

Progress report on the New Zealand spinach growing - it's being a bit slow on the uptake compared to most of the other seeds I've planted. But one tiny little seedling poking its head above the soil at the moment - and I guess it only takes one? Fingers crossed. Shall be having a chance definitely at Japanese Beefsteak vegetable, that Bucksthorn plantain and amaranth - as they're all coming on reasonably. I gather Japanese Beefsteak plant is an acquired taste for those of us with a "western" palate - so not sure if I'm going to like it - but I won't know till I try....

The tree cabbage and Alexanders are still conspicuous by their absence - and not sure if they're going to work out. Alexanders seem to be very pernickety about growing - either they work out or they don't - but I'm not going to look for a young Alexander plant to bring home and transplant in this area (because there is so much Japanese Knotweed in this area and I don't want to risk bringing an unwanted "passenger" along for the ride). Though I could wait till my next home visit and get one there (as I've literally never seen JK there) - and see if it will survive the several hour trip back here.

PasturesNew

It's already tipped it down this morning, hard rain ... now a lull in rain.

I'm putting off building this kitchen unit as I fear problems and failure

Breakfast will be a toasted muffin topped with beans and scrambled eggs ... at some point - and I've two sausage rolls in the fridge which will do for lunch.

EDIT: Just slid all the parts out onto the floor in the kitchen - on a picnic blanket. List of tools ..... screwdriver, drill, hammer, spirit level. I've got those, but the drill's cordless and needs charging up, so I'll put that on my list to "get round to in a minute"..... it looks easy enough, but these things always do don't they

EDIT 2: Ah.... first problem. I bought a drill, cordless.... just got it out of the box and realised that it only came with one drill bit (of indeterminate size) - and the destructions say I need a 3mm and a 5mm drill bit! So, with two specified sizes, I can't "wing it" with one indeterminate sized bit. Down the shops when they open then! That puts a two hour delay on starting.

EDIT 3: Drill's charging and I've checked all the components in the plastic bag and got those out and sorted/counted.

Onto a winner here. Just the right drill bit sizes (and correct fitting type) to fathom out and acquire.

[Deleted User]

It hammered down last night and it is hammering now, so intense that a 9" square open window on the east side let rain in and the cill is wet. There was such a build up of CO2 last night, air inside felt very stale, it comes up from underneath homes when conditions are right. I was up at 5.30 and the whole house has had a very good blow through, every window open. The level fell from 1851 to 347, I am glad it was dry for a while. This house is very good for humidity control, good levels but even here the humidity inside is too high right now. MetO got this weather completely wrong again and pity help all those campers thinking they were going to have a nice weekend away. It is green stuff money, not lack of ventilation in the night, many trees and lots of green all around, tall green, lush, CO2 releasing at night


PN, I admire the fact that you will do diy, yes you can do that cupboard, just don`t jump stages, if you work logically then you can just go back a step if it is wrong. Sounds like you will need to build this unit near where it will be, sounds heavy


I am not really bothered about food today, had oats, soya milk, banana, an egg and coffee, spread out in time. I have dried protein pasta sitting there in a box, probably that with shredded spring cabbage and peas. I will toss the pasta in a pounded mix of olives, capers and olive oil. My 2 healthy drinks, one green and one hemp and the rest can take care of itself

Farway

Rain overnight, a few rumbles of thunder in the distance, more again this morning but now a lovely sunny day. At least all watering problems now solved for a a few days

The YS sausage rolls , 15p for 8 big uns, all was going well until I found a lump of yuck gristle:eek: I can see the rest going in the bin, at 15p I can afford to bin them. Reminded me why I'm not a sausage roll fan

Breakfast was porridge, banana, yoghurt & honey. Nearly opened up my fresh pineapple, too late now. Maybe tomorrow

I've been invited out for a birthday buffet, not mine, over my veggie son's place. Looks like veggie finger buffet for lunch / tea

Not due to set out until noon, so I may just squeeze a YS mini pork pie in before go;)

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

The tree cabbage and Alexanders are still conspicuous by their absence - and not sure if they're going to work out. Alexanders seem to be very pernickety about growing - either they work out or they don't -

Intrigued now, I can't recall seeing Alexanders around here, not their normal habitat apparently, but now I think I'll keep my eyes open with a view to 2019

caronc

Good afternoon everyone,
The weather continues to be glorious here, almost too hot :eek:. All can say is it must be warm as I've got short's on :cool::cool:, strictly for garden wear only I wouldn't dream of inflicting my very pale legs on the public:rotfl::rotfl:
On Friday afternoon I came up with what I thought was an inspired idea of filling a builders bucket with water as footbath, so I was quite happy in the shade with my book and feet dangling in lovely cold water:D:D
On a less happy note I've come out with prickly heat on my arms/chest so they are well-covered with clothes today as I think it's a reaction to suncream that's done it.
This weekend as felt a bit like a holiday, my son arrived on Friday evening and treated us to fish & chips. Yesterday we popped to the food market and bought lovely bread, pies and varios other bits so it was pies for lunch:). Last night I made us steak sandwiches using some of the bread with garlic mushrooms, green beans and peppercorn sauce. Tonight he's off out with his mates and I'm heading round to my sister's for dinner. . Normality resumes tomorrow.....

Brambling

We had the rain last night and according to my neighbour a heavy thunderstorm, me I heard a rumble around :rotfl:

The weather is hot 27c and I've given up gardening for now, it was 3.5 hours of weed a bit, sneeze a bit, wheeze a bit and try to politely dissuade my neighbours from talking too much so I could work :rotfl: I swear someone was coming up behind me planting new weeds as soon as my back was turned I filled my wheelie bin so I feel justified in given up for now. But I need to get back out there it will be later when it's cooler, when I'm not so hot, grumpy and sweaty :eek: sorry tmi although as a 'lady' maybe I should say I'm glowing not sweating, I had a old typing teacher at school who tried to instil some ladylike behaviours in us, ie ladies don't shout or whistle and horses sweat, men perspire and ladies glow. I don't think she was made to teach in a Dorset village school :rotfl:

Grabbed a cornbeef and mustard sandwich for lunch with a few crisps. Dinner Im not sure about, I have left over chicken, new potatoes and roasted fennel and chicory so may work around them. I'm annoyed as I meant to roast off some beetroot last night when the oven was on and forgot I was going to use it with goats cheese and make a tart or serve with lentils, I don't really want to turn the oven on just for them so will need to think, maybe bake a cake as well but will need to be later as I don't want the heat of the oven

Glad you're having a good weekend with your Son Caronc

Enjoy your veggie buffet Farway it will be nice to have someone else do the cooking for you

moneyistooshorttomention

Well that was that then....hmmm....

That being I didnt have that Wicked Kitchen ready meal yesterday after all - as "summat came up".

So had it today then...and hence "hmmm...".

Considering it's not on the cheap side for a ready meal (ie £4) then my verdict on the one I tried (Nana's Mushroom Bolognese) was:
- not enough. Having to have toast to fill up.
- Very little green veg - just a token few small leaves scattered on top
- rapeseed oil as one of the ingredients (and it doesn't say it's organic - ie dash of g.m. food anyone?)
- plastic container it's in only stated as "widely recycled" (not every Council then...)
- only cooking instructions given were microwave ones (errr...hello...this range is supposed to be a "healthy" range for people that eat the way I do). No microwave - and so heated in a saucepan then
- they tell people to heat it in that microwave in its plastic container:eek: (lovely - food and chemicals leaching from plastic to flavour it if one does that)
- nowt special taste-wise

VERDICT - That's a no then. Won't be buying any more of that range. I could put my verdict more strongly than that....

Brambling

Sorry your RM was a disappointment Money to be honest that's why I don't tend to eat them, I'm always disappointed once opened and cooked. I think the really expensive ones in Waitrose are called Charlie Bigham I saw some on Friday macaroni cheese on offer £6.50 :eek: for 2 I think but didn't look big portions. I also think the meatballs were the same price :eek: I could hear PNs gasp of shock when I saw them :rotfl: