Cooking for one (Mark Three)

moneyistooshorttomention

Oh well...the plus side for the day food-wise was I realised one can eat sweet potato leaves.

Now I've never even come across said leaves anywhere - but I can feel a garden growing experiment coming on at some point (might be next year by now).

Had another verdict on my garden as it stands to date by "someone who Knows" and their verdict amounted to surprised expression at the sizes some of my permanent planting has got to, followed by comment of "Oh, you HAVE got green fingers....ooh..":D

Errrm...if they knew just how many plants I've managed to kill so far:rotfl: - as I learn by trial and error.

PasturesNew

Brambling wrote: »

...Charlie Bigham...macaroni cheese on offer £6.50 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:

Yes... I'm staggered at the cost of all CB's food!
I especially despise high prices on "basics" - I mean, how expensive IS a bit of pasta and cheese? I bet I could knock one up in the microwave in 5 minutes for 1/10th of the price of his overpriced aspirational dishes

I have bought a couple of his empty pie dishes before, from a shop close to your house ... 2nd hand.

Talking of your house ... I'm actually planning on moving around about that general area, although it does depend what's for sale when I'm looking, I might end up having to go 20 miles further West. Can't tell really until the day ....

Maybe I can get you on the case to find my next house as I don't really know the area.... I originally planned to move there, but then "suddenly bought" and nothing was for sale that I fancied, so I bought this in haste.

PasturesNew

I'm eating Jaffa cakes. Yesterday I bought a 350g bag of them .... I'm very nearly at the bottom of it. Haven't enjoyed them, to be honest.... but there's nobody else that'll eat them!

Earlier I had my two hot sausage rolls.

Brambling

PasturesNew wrote: »

Talking of your house ... I'm actually planning on moving around about that general area, although it does depend what's for sale when I'm looking, I might end up having to go 20 miles further West. Can't tell really until the day ....

Maybe I can get you on the case to find my next house as I don't really know the area.... I originally planned to move there, but then "suddenly bought" and nothing was for sale that I fancied, so I bought this in haste.

Didn't know you were thinking of moving south east I'll help if I can

Back to CB food for £6.50 I could make a lot more than 2 portions of mac and cheese I thinking four portion of mac cheese and four portions of meatball and change for dessert. I can't think what they are putting in it for that price, maybe I'll check the ingredients for truffle and caviar :rotfl:

bouicca21

I am constantly amazed at the price of even ordinary ready meals, let alone the posh CB type ones. What sort of person doesn't know how to make macaroni cheese, or how to tweak it to make it more upmarket?

bouicca21

Had some friends round and over catered, so lots of left overs. Home made soup and hummus and crudit!s for lunch will make a small inroad. Maybe freeze some of the other stuff to make sure it doesn't go off ...

[Deleted User]

bouicca21 wrote: »

. What sort of person doesn't know how to make macaroni cheese, or how to tweak it to make it more upmarket?

Its not that, the knowing what to do, personally I have been able to make a very good mac cheese for 63 years. Those of us cooking for one, we don`t always want to cook or to be driving to get salad stuff. We even sometimes get into cba phase and getting a rm out of the freezer can be a lifeline bwetween eating properly, or not. I will spend £4+ on a ready meal, a cookfood one, just to have one in the freezer. Having said that the only rm I have at the moment is hm


Food so far: I finish eating at 4.30 so most is eaten by 1. Cold soaked oats, soya milk +soaked walnuts. lovely light fresh green minty drink cucumber, celery, spinach, apple, lemon, mint. Just now wanted a snack so have had 2 small pieces of hm flaxseed/walnut crackers with a little goats cheese. I have worked on the allotment so fancy quick things today. At about 11, my hemp/cacao/blackcurrant drink, mmm, nice cold and chocolate flavoured. Lunch Lentil pasta with chopped olives +capers in olive oil, shredded spring greens and peas. Dark chocolate piece. One slice of hm date and walnut, then spelt bread and butter at 4


Made my AnC list for this week, will soon be tapering that as already getting home grown salad leaves and other produce is making very good progress. I am going to add cream and whole milk, I really want to make some ice cream again. I so much prefer my own made and it is so rich that I only need a little bit to satisfy and there is nothing but pure organic ingredients in it. Trouble is that I have 3 egg whites over and double cream, will avoid making meringues but will use the whites for low fat granola and will need to make scones to go with the cream

PasturesNew

Brambling wrote: »

Didn't know you were thinking of moving south east I'll help if I can

I thought you were "near me" (~20 miles) .... oh well, I was wrong. As usual.

PasturesNew

bouicca21 wrote: »

What sort of person doesn't know how to make macaroni cheese, or how to tweak it to make it more upmarket?

I've been known to pick up an 80p or £1 mac cheese, especially if they're reduced...because, I don't have milk in the house unless I am specifically going to use it for something planned (and I don't usually plan food).

To make mac cheese I'd need: flour, milk, margarine, cheese. I've always got all those, except the milk. I COULD buy a carton of dried milk, but when I've looked it's not for sale, it's hard to find these days unless you shop where it's sold and remember to look. I COULD freeze milk, but I don't for two reasons: 1/I have a small freezer 2/it grosses me out thinking of defrosted milk.

So, if it's winter and if I have milk in the house to use up ... and if I remember mac cheese, then I'll make one. Else, if I randomly spot a RM mac cheese for £1 or less when I fancy one then I'll have that. I probably eat 3 a year, so it's never sufficient quantities or frequency to justify making it and freezing it.

Brambling

PasturesNew wrote: »

I thought you were "near me" (~20 miles) .... oh well, I was wrong. As usual.

I did read it twice as thought you were further west than me, I believe you're one side of Farway and I'm the other not sure if that makes him a rose between two thorns or a thorn between two roses as my dad would say :rotfl:

Tackled my back lawn this morning, I given up waiting on my nephew to do it, I think he's forgot it will keep growing. It needed strimming first as it looked like I was making hay to be honest I've only tidied it it needs mowing so he can do that but with the threat of rain the rest of the week I couldn't risk it, he can deal with the brambles constantly coming in from next doors jungle. I've just had a late shower to clean up and hopefully the stream will help with my eyes (hay fever) and my asthma before I go out for lunch.

I think ready meals have a place my 86 year old neighbour eats well thanks to Wiltshire Farm frozen meals delivered to him with veg he justs pops in oven and he tells me he has tried chilli for the first time and now orders it once a week It was the £6.50 for mac cheese for two (looked small portions) that's on offer full price will be £7.50 that shocked me :eek: maybe I'm just too [STRIKE]tight[/STRIKE]careful with my money.

Anyway best get dressed as I'm 'making' the salads to take for lunch and there's 10 of us. I'm not complaining as I usually get struck with desserts which is a lot more work especially as 3 are young men in their early 20s with hollow legs :eek: