Cooking for one (Mark Three)

Brambling

Sorry guys you can keep your pot noodles _pale_ I'm sure they have improved since they came out but I remember them as being yuk

WHMF I've never heard of golden syrup in beef casserole but having googled it there's quite a few recipes, I have some left from the last time I made flapjack I may have to experiment. I also add port as I tend not to want to open a bottle of red wine just to add a little, I also use vermouth instead of white wine sometimes for the same reason.

I intended to tackle the jungle out the back today but decided too warm for heavy labour . I did some simple cooking today chicken and vegetable soup made from the bones from yesterday's chicken and a vegetable and gammon frittata (crustless quiche) both will do for lunches

Lunch was gammon salad and dinner was last nights LOs chicken, Boulangere potatoes, runner beans and purple sprouting, nice and easy just pinged

unrecordings

Brambling wrote: »

Sorry guys you can keep your pot noodles _pale_ I'm sure they have improved since they came out but I remember them as being yuk

No they got worse... I think they changed the recipe a couple of times in the early 90's and that's roughly when I stopped. The Repo Man thing is a bit of a joke about cold war survivalism. The character J Frank Parnell is a nuclear scientist with two dead aliens in the trunk of his car... (it's not a serious film)

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

I know some people frown on these 'pots' however I will try to keep one 'on the shelf' for quick instant snack needs if required, to me that seems a reasonable use of 50-60p for something that can stay in the cupboard for months.

I only frown at the cost of the official branded ones
I did find some similar pots at 25p once in Home Bargains, never saw them again though.

I've always kept a good supply of cheap noodles in the house, often making them into a meal by tossing in some frozen peas or half a can of "kidney beans in chilli sauce". I don't like the Batchelor's noodles, I always found the experience "thick and stodgy and clumpy". I had stopped eating them for about a year, then I started to eat them again once I was trying to eat what I've already got.... and I got to the end of my stock. But then, the other week, I thought I should get some more as they are quick/easy.

The Tesco 14p ones (where found) hit the spot at a good price. They aren't on their website any more. https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/300457006

The packs are 14p for 65g. They appear to, instead, be flogging them as pots weighing 70g for 28p https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/search?query=hearty%20noodles

PasturesNew

I was making two bits of toast about half an hour ago, when I decided to defrost the freezer... so turned it off and opened the door and removed the baskets.

It's now about half way done. It's probably at the stage where it'll start to outpace me as it produces cold water -v- my ability to keep emptying the little tubs and wipe the floor

Farway

Not a Sn0t Poodle person myself, tried them once and never bothered since.

Don't mind cup soup stuff, but I've only ever used the posh ones and that's when they appeared in the bashed section at 4sda. I assume value ones are not the same

Porridge breakfast, still chopping apple into it
Made some yoghurt, and portioned up more stewed apples for freezing. Kept a portion back for "just in case"

Lunch, plan is cheese & cuc sarnie
Dinner, one Morries YS chicken Korma out defrosting for nuking tonight

Had visit from Audiologist, checking my hearing loss for application for posh hearing aids from British Legion's Veteran's Hearing Fund. He thinks my loss is down to excessive noise so I should qualify, could be a few months yet before decision is made but hopefully I may even hear what's going on by Christmas:)

PasturesNew wrote: »

I was making two bits of toast about half an hour ago, when I decided to defrost the freezer... so turned it off and opened the door and removed the baskets.

It's now about half way done. It's probably at the stage where it'll start to outpace me as it produces cold water -v- my ability to keep emptying the little tubs and wipe the floor

Ever since I had same situation I've always bought "frost free" ones, more expensive but I'm worth it:D

AndyCF

unrecordings wrote: »

No they got worse... I think they changed the recipe a couple of times in the early 90's and that's roughly when I stopped. The Repo Man thing is a bit of a joke about cold war survivalism. The character J Frank Parnell is a nuclear scientist with two dead aliens in the trunk of his car... (it's not a serious film)

I think it was a large salt reduction back then, I seem to recall reading something about it not that long ago. I've not looked into it again lately though!

PasturesNew wrote: »

I only frown at the cost of the official branded ones
I did find some similar pots at 25p once in Home Bargains, never saw them again though.

They are currently about 60p in BM and HB have some kind of 'tray of 12' offer on but I cannot recall the price, it was reasonable from what I remember from a 'in head calculation' at that time.

The Batches I did try the (usually cheap) pack ones once but did not really like the beef flavour so I tried the chicken, again did not like (got binned) I made a mental note to next time not add any flavourings and just have it plain, simply added to something else perhaps. I've not bothered though yet. Mind you they are cheap from BM last time I looked. I cannot recall their 'in a pot' ones being that nice though but it has been ages since I tried those.

The HF ones you show (the pot variety) look reasonable although I do plan on seeing what A1ld has on offer.

Rain stopped play this morning on that journey. Was not forecast either that I saw! That and having to spend the shopping money on a bit of a parcel to send and paying for some gas! Oops. Minor mis-budget calculation! hehe. Thankfully it was relatively minor as in single figures.

There's always later this week or next week for this for me I suppose (depending on how the week pans out) so its not the end of the world if I have to leave my "exciting trip out" for another week! :rotfl:

EDIT... Oh I grabbed earlier today a frozen pack of "Heritages" chips, never seen them before that I can recall so no idea what they are going to be like. I did err a bit when looking at them as there were only about 3 bags of them in there (but its a small shop and a smallish double door freezer) , then I thought "its just potato at the end of the day, how bad can it be" ... They were £1 for a large bag, its dated Dec so reasonable. The 'well known other brands' were a bit of a silly price so I had to leave those for now.

EDIT2... I see 'Asd's are or were selling bacon flavoured frozen fries. That looks worth of a small purchase merely from a curiosity point of view at some point perhaps. Just checked and tis £1.50 for 500g.

Farway

AndyCF wrote: »

Rain stopped play this morning on that journey. Was not forecast either that I saw! That and having to spend the shopping money on a bit of a parcel to send and paying for some gas! Oops. Minor mis-budget calculation! hehe. Thankfully it was relatively minor as in single figures.


EDIT... Oh I grabbed earlier today a frozen pack of "Heritages" chips, never seen them before that I can recall so no idea what they are going to be like. I did err a bit when looking at them as there were only about 3 bags of them in there (but its a small shop and a smallish double door freezer) , then I thought "its just potato at the end of the day, how bad can it be" ... They were £1 for a large bag, its dated Dec so reasonable. The 'well known other brands' were a bit of a silly price so I had to leave those for now.

EDIT2... I see 'Asd's are or were selling bacon flavoured frozen fries. That looks worth of a small purchase merely from a curiosity point of view at some point perhaps. Just checked and tis £1.50 for 500g.

For weather I use https://www.ventusky.com/ [thanks PN], it has radar results, and as "my weather" is always someone's old stuff I get advance warning of what's on the way, today all rain is North of me:)


Chips, I've found price does make a difference, cheap tends to be lots of bits with odd small shapes, and black bits where quality control has not been stringent
I now tend to stick to MaCainzz having tried most others, including L's & Icel4nd.

When making my own I've sometimes shaken curry powder with them prior to Actifry. Have to do it before air fry or you get a the blower = curried kitchen


I suppose bunging a few small bits of bacon in the airfryer with the chips would maybe work? I'll file that way as an experiment to try

Wednesday2000

I have had a bagel with mashed avocado and a cherry yoghurt today.

I used to quite like pot noodles. I haven't had one in years. I think some of them are vegan, even the beef one as I remember. I'm tempted to order one in my Ocado shopping tomorrow.:D

Wednesday2000

Now I fancy noodles for dinner. I have some wholewheat ones in the cupboard. I will have it with broccoli, sweetcorn, peas and make a sauce with maple syrup, tamari and hot sauce. Probably put some tomato ketchup in as well as I usually add that to a stir fry.:)

AndyCF

Farway wrote: »

For weather I use https://www.ventusky.com/ [thanks PN], it has radar results, and as "my weather" is always someone's old stuff I get advance warning of what's on the way, today all rain is North of me:)


Chips, I've found price does make a difference, cheap tends to be lots of bits with odd small shapes, and black bits where quality control has not been stringent
I now tend to stick to MaCainzz having tried most others, including L's & Icel4nd.

When making my own I've sometimes shaken curry powder with them prior to Actifry. Have to do it before air fry or you get a the blower = curried kitchen


I suppose bunging a few small bits of bacon in the airfryer with the chips would maybe work? I'll file that way as an experiment to try

Thanks to both for the weather link.

Yes they did have a large bag of those Piri type Mac's but I was not really ( a ) wanting to spend that much and ( b ) wanted something conventional.

I think you might be right with the brand I got but I'll find out soon enough no doubt. I should point out I'm going to microwave them via the 'baby-sit' method aka 1-2 mins / turn / 1-2 mins / turn until they are well done. Emphasis on 'well' here

There were some potato wedges actually I'm half wishing I'd got those! Never mind.

The bacon bits should work OK I guess (can you airfry bacon on its own ? I guess so apart from the swimming fat ?) , in that it may flavour the fries/chips/potato bits nicely. My only thought here is to use small bits as in under an inch in size or less perhaps.

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

I have had a bagel with mashed avocado and a cherry yoghurt today.

I used to quite like pot noodles. I haven't had one in years. I think some of them are vegan, even the beef one as I remember. I'm tempted to order one in my Ocado shopping tomorrow.:D

Why not. I see they have a large range (just glanced) of various brands. A tad more pennies than locally (here at least) but that was expected.