Cooking for one (Mark Three)

moneyistooshorttomention

Christmas-wise - I've got the cards and stamps - but not done them yet. No excuse - as I've kept last years list and so only need to amend as appropriate.

Decorations - I'd only put them up personally about a week before - if I used them - but I don't think it's worth it personally and cba anyway. If I want a bit of "cheer" I could just "light" the battery-powered candles I have. Note to self - must buy some more candles at some point (as I've not got any at all - having chucked out the "unhealthy" standard variety ones and not got round to buying beeswax or similar ones).

The cards get put on available surfaces as they come in and that's that. Arranged a Christmas meal out with friends and looks like one of my "groups" might have a Christmas thing of some description. One way or another a different group I was in has "collapsed" and so there won't be one of those this year. But, personally, I'd rather celebrate when I personally have things to celebrate - not "just because it's that day on the calendar".

caronc

Much as I love Christmas my decorations don't go up until the week before. I do keep them up until 12th night though. I've my main tree and a smaller one and apart from tinsel over picture frames that's it. I'll need to think about what goes where this year after changing my rooms round though I can't see the main tree fitting in what is now my living room so it will probably go in the alcove it's always gone in.:)

Novice_investor101

It's been tipping it down all morning & I don't fancy spending my days off in the rain - so I'm staying in. Shoes can wait a bit longer.
Still got chores to do round the house. Going to make sausage sandwiches for lunch - more like hot dogs as I'll put some mustard & ketchup on.

I've got some study texts from work for exams I'm taking, so the afternoon will be spent reading that. Actually looking forward to that as it's a qualification I really want to do.

Novice_investor101

I must admit - I don't celebrate Christmas, but I do like to have the little tree up, just to feel even slightly "involved".

Xmas day will be spent by myself, usually I'll either do nothing different or make myself s nice meal & watch films. There'll be no presents to open or anything like that. If my best friend is around, we might go for a drink.

But, I still like to see the tree lights of an evening

PasturesNew

I don't need a spreadsheet to know what's in the freezer.... it's a case of not having the other ingredients to make the thing I thought of - or it not being an appropriate day/time to make the thing.... which can be that the weather's wrong, or I'm going to be going to XYZ in the next 2-3 days so it'd end up back in the freezer, or that other stuff needs to be used up and takes precedence.

I've currently got beef in the freezer: Not got the other ingredients for a stew.

I've got meatballs, 2 packs of 12: not got the other ingredients for a nice sauce for those.

I've got a big fishcake: not got any chips to go with those.

I've got mince: That's planned as a kebab ... but not for 1-2 weeks or so as I've eaten well quite a few times recently, so need to "rein eating in a bit" when it comes to "big meals I scoff a lot of".

Also, if I am cooking something smelly in the SC, I have to think what day of the week it is and what the weather's like outside, in case I have viewings as I need to have the window open while it's cooking and potentially the next day.

Mostly though - my problem is not having the other ingredients .....

When I made the fish pie I had just the fish, spuds, eggs, peas .... but I had to actively go out and buy the milk to make the white sauce. I rarely buy a pint of milk.... so that needed active thinking and action to achieve.

Beef stew will need carrots, onions to be bought ... and probably a parsnip would be nice in there too. Not got carrots or onions or parsnip in the house at the moment, so that one could be 2-3 weeks away before I am in the shop and get round to it.

PasturesNew

Novice_investor101 wrote: »

I must admit - I don't celebrate Christmas, but I do like to have the little tree up, just to feel even slightly "involved".

Xmas day will be spent by myself, usually I'll either do nothing different or make myself s nice meal & watch films. There'll be no presents to open or anything like that. If my best friend is around, we might go for a drink.

But, I still like to see the tree lights of an evening

You're one of our special little Club: XCFO Xmas Cooking for One.

I do like to get my tree up, baubles, lights, mini santas/penguins with LED lights, tinsel.... and I buy a few little treats for myself and a chocolate santa.

No presents/cards expected.... but I do cook myself a full Xmas dinner. I bought a plate for it specially.... from £land. It's oval, so I can squeeze quite a lot more on there than I usually can.

Not nailed the final menu yet, but it'll most likely be: turkey, 2 stuffings, Yorkshire pud, brussels, carrots, roast spuds, roast parsnips .... gravy. Maybe a spoon of mash ... maybe a spoon of mashed swede, maybe a dozen peas, maybe cauliflower cheese.

So much other food I could have.... and it can be difficult limiting myself to just a few things, but the reality is it's just "a spoonful" of most things, so becomes a problem to have the full raft of everything.

I don't eat/make a Xmas cake... nor Xmas pudding ... no starter. Just the one course.

I will probably make myself a nice chocolate trifle, to be eaten at some point over the week.

caronc

Novice_investor101 wrote: »

But, I still like to see the tree lights of an evening

Simple pleasures:)

When the kids were at home I always bought a real tree so it made sense not to get it too early (minimised the risk of the pooches attacking it or having a sneaky leg lift:eek:) . Even though I've an artificial one now it would feel weird to have it up early. My younger son would probably also have a hissy fit as he is "chief decorator" and he doesn't finish until the 18th.

PasturesNew

My last two XCFOs:

2016 Veggies: https://i.postimg.cc/hjjy6p4v/2016-Veggies.jpg
2016 Dinner: https://i.postimg.cc/bvLVmKh4/2016-Dinner.jpg

2017 Dinner: https://i.postimg.cc/Mp7FQnr6/2017-Dinner.jpg
Dropped a lot of the previous veggies and made a nut roast from scratch too.

I've also got a bottle of Schloer there ... my Xmas serving spoons .... and a cracker

Wednesday2000

Okay, I'm feeling better today and much less coughing so the diet really starts!:)

I've only had some sparkling water and a black coffee and a banana and I will eat when I get back from my walk. Lots of smoothies, soups, veggie curries etc... will be eaten in the next, hmm, 5 or so months.

I think I'm going to have the leftover black beans from last night with brown rice and salsa. I'm going to buy bananas and avocado.

Just having the avocado with the beans and rice, not the bananas obviously!:D

flubberyzing wrote: »

I had THE most annoying couple sat next to me though...
1: They were late. The performance had already started when they rocked up.
2: The man nearly knocked my drink over, while he faffed around. Luckily, I'd anticipated that, and had a hold on it while he got settled.
3: The woman of the pair had a horrible-sounding chesty cough, and did a "bark, bark" every 5 minutes.
4: The man sniffed constantly. And when he wasn't sniffing, he was heavy-breathing.

I had an annoying couple behind me when I went to see Halloween the other day. They kept whispering to each other.

candygirl wrote: »

pmsl I never noticed it'd posted that:rotfl:will try firming up all the limp things :rotfl:

:eek::rotfl:

Farway wrote: »

Maybe we need another grouping, "the Breakfast Pizza club":D

I will join that!:cool:

candygirl

Omg can I join the breakfast pizza club.I love cold pizza for brekky:p

We used to get a takeaway on the way home, then eat cold pizza to cure our hangovers, in the morning .Oh happy days :rotfl:
Not sure what I'm eating today.It might be omelette , with a jacket spud, n spiralized salad, in front of Strictly. God I'm getting old :rotfl: