Cooking for one (Mark Three)

PasturesNew

wort wrote: »

... vacuuming ...

Shouldn't have done that. Too noisy - you've missed him already!

PasturesNew

I finally opened one of the tomatoes tins. The answer is that tinned cherry tomatoes still have their skins on.... now, I'm not one for skins and would usually pick them off - but that's bigger tomatoes (I specifically buy whole/plum tomatoes and never chopped ones so I can pick out any skin bits and cut the top bits off) .... but, having opened the tin and realising they all have their skins on, I couldn't face peeling them individually... so cooked them like that. Mixed the whole tin with some rice and made tomato rice. Meh.... 6/10. It really needed "more" - I knew that before I started, but couldn't face peeling/chopping/cooking an onion to go with it .... and adding spices/whatnot.

I grilled the cajun chicken breasts in the mini oven. Meh 4/10. I found them a little dry to be honest... and they did really need picking through for "funny bits". Served the "two best" bits with the rice.

Remainder of rice is boxed in the fridge. Last 2 chicken pieces are in the fridge... I'll cut out any "funny bits" once they're cold.

But that's two items gone from "food cluttering up the cupboards and freezer that it'll be hard to get round to eating".

caronc

wort wrote: »

Caronc I cook topside like my mum, and put it in a casserole dish with an inch or 2 of gravy /stock and and an onion. With tin foil on the top of dish.Probably sacrilege but easier than keep basting a roast!!
I'm waiting for a parcel today so I'm debating what to use the time for . I'll probably clean !:(

That what I do if I'm oven slow cooking it - not sacrilege at all.:)

PasturesNew wrote: »

I stick it in the slow cooker... usually without liquid as it makes its own ... and accompanied with whatever's wrinkly and needs using up that I can find kicking around the kitchen (spuds, onions, carrots...)

Apart from a tablespoon or so of red wine I don't add any liquid if it's going in the slowcooker.


Good afternoon everyone,

Topside was lovely last night - pink but tender. There's LOs so hot steak and gravy sandwiches for dinner tonight:D.
Weather is cold and windy, my son can't believe how cold it is here, he drove up in shorts and a t-shirt:eek:, those didn't last long I can tell you :rotfl::rotfl:
If it stays dry I'm going to muffle up and get some more bulbs planted this afternoon. I just want them done now but the weather seems to be conspiring against me!

Farway

I used to miss the door bell, partly because I'm a bit deaf and if in the back I never hear it, or the 'phone

I solved the door bell problem by buying a wireless one from L's, and the receiver bing bong is portable. Now if expecting a package I have the receiver bit with me, and I test drive the bell push first

One delivery firm I missed had taken a date / time stamped photo of my front door, it was then on the tracking parcel page. No arguing with that:(

My L's YS mooch was a good result, except my L's has again changed the YS items.
Always were in a convenient heap, now the YS are on the normal shelves with the "good" stuff, so no pot luck dinners, have to know what you want to find & where to look

I found mini pizzas & sausage rolls, which was handy 'cos I fancied sausage rolls since I spotted them last week in £land

There was HM cake for volunteer's tea break mid morning. Ginger, and a Madeira type. Slice of each in lieu of breakfast;)

Lunch was one of the YS mini pizzas, just the right size & convenience

I've just sampled one of the sausage rolls as well:o

Dinner, is all last of the left overs. Must be LO £land cheese & onion slice, with LO mash & LO cabbage, I'll combine as mini bubble & squeak, with the LO beans

PasturesNew

I had the last two (medium sized) spuds from my 2.5Kg bag left - and couldn't think what else to cook, so thought I'd do jacket spuds... only I got distracted and started peeling one of them.... so I sighed and decided it'd be cheesy mash.

Made the mash, added the cheese - mixed up in a 1 litre measuring jug ... and I thought "not much in there - there's room for the beans", so I pressed the cheesy mash into one side of the measuring jug and poured baked beans into the gap

Then I ate it from the measuring jug - it saves on washing up a separate bowl

Brambling

Hope you didn't have too wait too long for you delivery Wort I once chased the postman down my path because he popped the sorry you were out card through my letterbox without ringing the bell, it seems he had already given my parcel to next door because 'I was never in' i reminded him I worked but as it was Saturday there was a good chance I was in, i then sent him back to my neighbour for it, either of us were happy :cool:

There was an Email sent around the office today advising there was gastroenteritis in the building :eek:, there are 7 companies in our building so not sure where it has hit, I think I could object to being reminded to wash my hands :cool: I did suggest we all work from home hopefully it will stay on the lower floors but it's just one of those things and if I don't catch it from someone in the lift I could be standing next to them in the SM

No cooking today as lunch was the celeriac, chicken and sweetcorn soup made at the weekend and dinner was LO aubergine parmigiana not so nice microwaved but fridge to mouth in 5 minutes

Farway

All the waiting in for parcels chat, I'm in waiting for two, from different companies. According to trackers, one is due before 9 PM, hope it's before or I'll be nodding off by then

Sunny day but not going out due to parcels

Breakfast was normal for me porridge etc

I went freezer diving looking for my pork chop, can't find it, maybe it was scoffed? Substituted a roasted chicken thigh, now defrosting
Fancied a roast dinner tonight.
I've got everything I need, except doing it, even have last of the L offer beetroot ready for baking in foil, I'll bung them in when I pop the YS L mini pizza in oven for lunch

Nearly time for a coffee, and I'll have one of the YS sausage rolls with it

PasturesNew wrote: »

I had the last two (medium sized) spuds from my 2.5Kg bag left - and couldn't think what else to cook, so thought I'd do jacket spuds... only I got distracted and started peeling one of them.... so I sighed and decided it'd be cheesy mash.

Made the mash, added the cheese - mixed up in a 1 litre measuring jug ... and I thought "not much in there - there's room for the beans", so I pressed the cheesy mash into one side of the measuring jug and poured baked beans into the gap

Then I ate it from the measuring jug - it saves on washing up a separate bowl

Well done,that's CFO with knobs on:j

PasturesNew

Lunch was one of those "CFO Oddball Meals" ... yesterday's tomato rice, nuked still in the same bowl, grated cheese added to top and nuked for just under a minute so the cheese melts a bit.

Eat from original plastic pasta bowl it was made in ... using just a fork.

flubberyzing

Afternoon!

I didn't manage to get on here at all yesterday! I was called first thing to go and do some supply teaching in the neighbouring town and look after their Year 4s. It was a Catholic school, which I've no experience of. Lots of crossing themselves at every opportunity! Nice kids though, so I'd happily go back. Some schools I visit are awful!

Then had an hour at home, just enough time to bolt some dinner, then off to private tutoring (I always go to the child's house - I wouldn't want to do in my own space), then off to the first rehearsal of my choir, back after the summer break! Lovely to catch up with some friends I haven't seen since early July.

For the next week, I'm doing a mixture of mornings and all-day looking after a little lad who is on a reduced timetable due to behavioural issues. Basically, I babysat him for 3 hours. He didn't learn a thing. Hopefully I can get him a bit more engaged during this coming week. Easy money, but frustrating when you know you aren't really meeting his needs. Ho hum. I do try not to judge though. I've been that class teacher struggling with an impossible child!

I'm home now and have a report for something else that I have to start working on, which I've been putting off for quite a few days now. Although I know that starting is always the toughest bit, and it'll flow easily enough!

Dinner tonight will be a chicken curry. I'm not sure if I'll have it before tutoring at 6, or after... I think perhaps I'll play it by ear, depending how I get on with this report! If I'm still in the flow at 5pm, I'll keep going and hold off on dinner.

Farway

Lunch was the mini pizza.
Beetroots duly baked in foil & now cooling a bit before skin removal
Spuds & carrots in the oven roasting
Cabbage & celery prepped prior to steaming
Chicken part has defrosted, I'll wrap in foil & steam it along with the cabbage / celery

One of my packages arrived a few minutes ago, the other is not being track so could be anywhere, it started out on Monday, may be in Inverness by now;)

Found something for idle fingers while waiting for the door bell

Naked Ladies, at Wisley last week. Click to enlarge