Cooking for one (Mark Three)

caronc

PasturesNew wrote: »

It'd be nice to serve it with chips, but that means going out .... and the freezer's a bit full too.

HM wedges/oven chips with some of the spuds??;)

Farway wrote: »

Cor, dull, wet & windy today not going out anyway because IT'S HERE, my new freezer arrived and unpacked by the JL delivery men:j

:j:j:j it will be full in no time;):)

moneyistooshorttomention

Yep - I can certify freezers indeed do get full rather quickly. Some sort of "Sods Law" that decrees "Food expands to fill space available". Mine is 6' tall - and it's full.

I can confirm that it's blowing an absolute hooley here at the moment too - one of those "Wonder if everything in the garden is going to stay put" levels of wind here now. Yep....duly went to hairdresser today - hair looked immaculate - until the second I stepped outside the door. Oh well....but the plus side to that was the hairdresser commenting on how my hair is in extremely good condition. I don't do a thing to it - other than wash it - so that's an incentive to keep up the healthy eating (as that's what is doing this:D).

Still dieting - so currently on what has become a bit of a default lunch. Toast with latherings of quark and some sliced tomatoes. Followed by fruit. Yet again - I havent really thought what to have for dinner tonight.

A little bit more "organisation" going into things. After Caron's comment the other day re being able to reheat rice without a microwave - I thought "I could usefully do portions of cooked rice and cooked dried beans deliberately and keep in freezer". Cue for I've got a pack of food prep containers through and awaiting another pack in a different size. I hadn't realised it's possible for me to buy food prep containers - as I thought they only came in plastic (as that's what all these food prep gurus are using on YouTube videos). Wrong - they are made in glass as well (though with those plastic clip-on lids - which I can't see a way round having at the moment:(). So it's glass ones I've bought.

I thought I could also do things like deliberately making extra portions of vegetarian cottage pie, etc, and stick them in the freezer too in those glass dishes. Another advantage to plastic - I can see what I've got in them.

Novice_investor101

Hope everyone is well?
My CFO has gone out of the window this week - Monday I was so late home from work I just ordered a Dominoes deal.... It was £18, but it lasted Monday tea, Tuesday work lunch & today's breakfast.
Pizza for breakfast isn't too bad! Still stupidly expensive for a pizza, tiny garlic bread & 7 chicken wings (& a bottle of pop).

Last night was a meal out - £14 all in & it was delicious. Went to a Vietnamese with friends & 4 of us decided to order 3 dishes & 1 rice/1 noodles & share them all. Worked out cheaper than the set menus.

Today, I'm on my half day - so it's time to clear the kitchen work tops, wash all the pots & decide on a proper tea. Might be sausage, mash, veg & gravy

Farway

Novice, welcome to the CFO breakfast pizza club;)
£18 is a lot, but as you say, it stretched so not too bad if it's affordable

Talking of affordable, just been browsing my ethical / local meat, gulp, but as others have pointed out before, if it's affordable then why not?
In my case it's just me, no one will go cold or hungry when I spend my money, and just maybe someone like a farmer / butcher who cares about their animals & meat will get some benefit

Still here after my OOD sushi, tasted lovely, I'd certainly buy again at 20p:D

Steak & ale pie defrosted, rump steak likewise & ready for it's marinade

Only thing left to do is pop the frozen chips in the Actifry & open a tin of beans

I'll put freezer on tomorrow just in case I return from town with loads of "stuff". Interesting reading about the glass containers Money, I need containers & I'll have a peek in Wilko when in town

Wednesday2000

I had a walk and then had the broc and then half a falafel pizza. Yummy!

Farway wrote: »

Good for you, keep away from those scales until you fell better, meanwhile take chips twice a day:)

I made up for it as I just had a plate of steamed broccoli!:D

caronc wrote: »

wednesday - have you been to Drs yet with your cough as it does seem to be hanging around.

I have an appointment next week as I was going to get some blood test results but I haven't got them done as I feel bad enough as it is. I will go next week and see if I do need antibiotics. I do feel slightly better today.:)

PasturesNew

I am currently eating the best fish pie I've ever tasted.... having a tiny rest before the last bit.... as it weighed very close to 800-900g by the time I'd stopped

Another one is prepped and covered/in the fridge for tomorrow.

OMG it's good. A lot of faff.... but I got there in the end. Biggest faff was making the mash... which started by peeling about 20+ small "wonky" potatoes, my God, that's a thankless and never-ending task

Actual pie, sauce, etc, wasn't any trouble at all...

Oh .... and all the washing up I created .... I did all that while the pie was under the grill browning There was a lot of it.... spud steamer, mash mixing bowl, a dozen forks/spoons I'd used, two measuring jugs as I was making sauce in one, but had sieved the milk I'd poached the fish in into another jug... then there was the sieve and the egg slicer ... and the mug for the peas .... and the egg boiler .... and the takeaway box I'd stored the mash in until I was ready to use it.... endless it all was. Endless. And now I've finished, I've got a dish and a plate and a fork to wash up! Endless!

PasturesNew

Novice_investor101 wrote: »

Monday I was so late home from work I just ordered a Dominoes deal.... It was £18, but it lasted Monday tea, Tuesday work lunch & today's breakfast.
Pizza for breakfast isn't too bad! Still stupidly expensive for a pizza, tiny garlic bread & 7 chicken wings (& a bottle of pop).

I'd rather starve than give them £18 of my hard earned money for "a bit of flour/water smeared with a bit of stuff".

I really would......

Novice_investor101

PN, the desperation of hunger, tiredness and the fact the first thing i saw when i walked in was one of their leaflets on the doormat is what did for me. I wont be doing it again - £18 for what it was is really expensive.

I've decided to give up on working any overtime at work from now until the new year - it's nice to have the money and double time is so tempting i almost feel guity for not doing it, but after about 10 weeks of it now i just feel run down. All i've done this afternoon is lie on the couch with the heating on, big candle flickering in front of gas fire imitating a real fire and listened to the wind/rain and played on the internet.

Mountain of washing up is still there to be done - there's so much i'l have to wash - dry - wash the rest.
it can wait a bit longer.

candygirl

Butter pie, mushy peas, beetroot n pickles for tea tonight::p Was meant to be having it yesterday on Lancashire Day, but I forgot :eek:

moneyistooshorttomention

Farway wrote: »

Novice, welcome to the CFO breakfast pizza club;)
£18 is a lot, but as you say, it stretched so not too bad if it's affordable

Talking of affordable, just been browsing my ethical / local meat, gulp, but as others have pointed out before, if it's affordable then why not?


I'll put freezer on tomorrow just in case I return from town with loads of "stuff". Interesting reading about the glass containers Money, I need containers & I'll have a peek in Wilko when in town

I'm probably one of the ones that said "If you want it - and it's ethical and affordable - then have it" about things.

Errrm....well I wouldnt eat meat personally - havent done so for literally decades - but there is meat and "ethical meat" I can see....

Anyway - re the containers and I bought mine from Amazon (courtesy of buying an awful lot of stuff from there these days - with living so remotely).

The ones I've got through so far could be found by looking up "8 sets value pack glass meal prep containers" - they are 710 ml internal size/3 cups worth.

I'm now also awaiting "4 pack glass meal prep containers" in 850ml (3.5 cups).

By the sound of it - if it's meal prepping you are thinking of opinions are divided as to whether the smaller size is suitable (probably depends on peoples appetites). Pretty much everyone agrees the 850 ml ones are a suitable size for that.

To me - part of my reasoning is that the idea is so widespread now that a full size prepped meal will fit into one of these containers that I feel I could put my dinner for the day in one and, if it fits in, then chances are I'm choosing correct size portions (ie not too big).

I've also been rooting through my various bowls - as I like "bowl food" and find it convenient and I feel I can also monitor how much I'm having better in a bowl than on a plate iyswim (even though I do use more old-fashioned size plates - ie smaller).