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Cooking for one (Mark Three)

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  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    edited 31 October 2018 at 9:58AM
    That's the first time it's struck me - I don't recall having noticed any decorating of houses for Halloween round here this year. There was last year I do know and I've seen some pumpkins on sale in the shops locally. Hmmm...

    My house is a bit tucked-away location - so that puts off some of the casual doorstep knockers and it does feel a bit "dark" to get to/from at night - so unlikely to get any "trick or treaters" even calling here I've found. Daytime adult age people still turn up - tradespeople leaflets/Jehovahs Witnesses and the political canvassers (I have a feeling the ones from one particular political party - including their would-be candidate for M.P. that turned up here are somewhat unlikely to turn up here ever again somehow after the comments they got from me:rotfl::rotfl:). You can probably guess which one ....

    Dinner yesterday was a mushroom and tomato curry from the "Cooking on a bootstrap" by Jack Monroe book. Served with rice and it wasn't bad actually.

    My method for cooking rice (brown in my case) is easy enough for a single. One cup of rice and 2 cups of boiling water put into my little 2 person size slowcooker. Turn the switch to high and leave for one hour. Job done - and I don't know why I don't do rice more often actually - as that's so easy.
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic


    My method for cooking rice (brown in my case) is easy enough for a single. One cup of rice and 2 cups of boiling water put into my little 2 person size slowcooker. Turn the switch to high and leave for one hour. Job done - and I don't know why I don't do rice more often actually - as that's so easy.

    I've got a £2-3 nuke steamer. Random amount of rice in (thin layer), boiling water added (I slowly pour from the kettle over the rice so it gets the rice wet on its way through to the base), lid on. Into the nuker, 3x4minutes stirring round every 4 minutes. Taste/check, drain, serve.

    It's a bit like this: https://www.andysemporium.co.uk/ekmps/shops/andy1/images/chef-aid-microwave-steamer-1.5l-128479-p.jpg
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,535 Forumite
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    Good morning everyone,

    There's a long tradition of "guising" in this area and something kids done when they were younger as did I and it was great fun. :)Only houses with hall lights on and if appropriate open "storm doors" can be knocked and a parent is always nearby. No "trick or treating" though, you have to do a "party piece" for the reward. :) (I can still remember my first trip out guising- I was 4 and dressed as "Mrs Mop" and had to sing "Twinkle Twinkle" it was a magic evening:D:D)

    I'll be closing my door/lights off but I have got sweets for the kids next door. Before pumpkins were common a swede was carved (that's a job and half I can tell you:eek:) to make a "tumshie (turnip) lantern". My Dad used make brilliant costumes and lanterns and even when my kids were of that age you never really saw bought costumes. Deciding what you were dressing up as and putting your outfit together for the big night was all part of the fun. :)


    It's much milder here this morning but showery, I need to visit the library and run some errands so hope it stays dry while I'm out. I'm going to defrost a chicken leg for dinner tonight, I'll probably roast it with various veg and sweet potato wedges.
  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 14,667 Forumite
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    edited 31 October 2018 at 12:04PM
    'morning folks

    Cold again, but heating on and not venturing out today, nothing needed really

    Breakfast usual porridge etc
    Not sure about the rest but LO chicken will feature somewhere I'm sure

    I briefly thought about making stock with the chicken carcass for a warming soup, but dismissed that idea, mainly because I'd have to buy veggies / mushrooms and I don't want to do that just to make soup, then have veggies LO and into a CFO food circle of what to do with the excess veg

    I've already binned "bargain" head of broccoli

    Desperation finally forced me make a start on replacing the under cupboards light lamps. They've lasted over 10 years, and one by one the filaments have died
    Since I fitted them alternative lamp technology has come & gone, now I'll look into LED replacements. My duff ones are tungsten filament type.
    Since I replaced the cooker hood filament one the LED replacement is much brighter, and is cheaper to run as bonus
    Morning all!

    Dinner for me today will be a fray bentos pie. There's one left in the cupboard, after I got a few of them for a £1 each a while ago. I do that with a good mound of broccoli.

    I've got a couple of FB pies still lurking, making me think now, should I grab the tin opener this weekend?
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • elona
    elona Posts: 11,806 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Had a cooked breakfast of bacon and egg and two small slices of toast and not sure what to make for lunch later, maybe just beans on toast.

    I ordered pork ribs from sainsbugs yesterday intending to make soup and then scrape the meat off the bones but they helpfully sent me pork steaks instead!!! Might have a pork steak tonight with a baked potato and green beans and turn the others into pork and mushrooms in tarragon sauce or mustard sauce then portion up and freeze to help out DDs.

    Found that Sainsbugs no longer stock frozen onions which used to be very handy to have so ended up making a small order to A**a which do have a good range of frozen veg and also have a lower set order price.

    Have just ordered the cooking on a bootstrap book to give me some ideas for cheap meals and hopefully some will be freezable..
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  • I have the Jack Monroe book 'Cooking on a bootstrap'. I think it was her first one, and I like it a lot. My favourite in there is her "car-brie-nara". Gorgeous. I also like her mushroom and red wine risotto recipe, but it's a million times better with some chicken or bacon added.

    I've been less keen on her subsequent books, because she's vegan now, so a lot of her recipes are vegan. She says she isn't against meat and dairy eaters, but she's doing a lot more recipes for that vegan audience now, and that's not what I want. I want the cheap, tasty recipes, but I want my meat and dairy as well.

    I do admire everything she's done with regard to her work on food poverty though! And the way she took down that vile Katie Hopkins was a joy to behold.
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  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    elona wrote: »

    Found that Sainsbugs no longer stock frozen onions which used to be very handy to have so ended up making a small order to A**a which do have a good range of frozen veg and also have a lower set order price.
    If you can face it, wait until they're on offer ... and have a peeling/chopping session. They just need to be tossed in ... no "prep" as such. Just make sure they won't freeze as "one huge blob" of course, which is no use to anybody :)
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    edited 31 October 2018 at 2:14PM
    I don't like/eat the sort of foods Jack makes ...

    I've eaten absolutely nothing today ... belly's rumbling.... had a call about 10am, somebody wants to see the house in about an hour, so I've not been of a mind to get out food/prep it, eat it, perchance to make cooking smells and give myself more things to clear away/tidy up after etc. I've been doing "useful tidying and cleaning jobs" ... and changing the time on the clocks (had to clamber up onto the worktop to change one!).

    I have to disappear ... viewing is one of three they're seeing, so I don't know in which order (I think I'm 2nd of 3) or how long they'd stay etc ... so I do have to leave the house for that and plan to come home clutching a pack of sausage rolls .... even the little oven's tucked away in a cupboard for viewings, so I'll have to get that out again. I'll also do a laundry run, to kill time....

    STARVING!!

    It's not my preferred time to go food shopping, but, who knows, maybe I'll discover a YS pricing spot I didn't know existed before :)

    For a viewing, first I air the house (all windows/doors open) ... then it's cold ... so I've had to put the heating on to bring the house up to a "more regular temperature than I'd have it for just me". It started at 59F ... need to get it up to about 64 probably (guessing) - I'll see how it feels. Need to turn the heating off, so the radiators go down ... so it doesn't appear as if I've turned the heating on for the viewing as the house is cold (it's NEVER cold, it's super insulated).
  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 14,667 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Homepage Hero Name Dropper
    Best of luck with viewing PN, followed by sausage rolls and maybe a super secret afternoon only YS

    Lunch became a cheese & salad sandwich, tasty but as uninspiring as it sounds

    Dinner is veering towards LO chicken, HM chips & open a tin of beans. It is that sort of day

    I've never thought of pre chopped onions, I normally buy ordinary red or brown ones when on offer in L's, and try to choose the packs with smaller ones

    But pre chopped would be handy for convenience and anyone with chopping veg problems, which so far is not me.
    The only problem I have with onions is dropping them & they make a dash for sanctuary under the kitchen units, at least pre chopped would just splat on the floor:D
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • I had two rolls with PB for breakfast and a tea and a coffee.

    Lovely out today, not too cold at all. I am going to be in on my own tonight avoiding the Halloween callers. Hopefully they will have gotten the message from previous years and not even knock!:D
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