Cooking for one (Mark Three)

caronc

Brambling wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek:

I know unthinkable:eek::eek: - I thought I had another box at the back of the cupboard:(

PasturesNew

I've been going through the soul destroying act of listing items, perchance to sell them, on FB buying pages.

If they sell it'll work out. Else I've spent the whole day photographing, measuring, listing, responding, waiting for something/anything to happen for no reason

Anything not sold I'll take to a charity shop up the road next week.

Hardest thing to shift, I expect, is the sofa I'm sitting on. I'll list it for free, but I don't know how many people want a free sofa. The hard bit is they need two people and a van to collect.... just have to see how that goes.


Breakfast: 2 bits of toast.

Snack: 1 kit kat.

AndyCF

As much as I might be berated for saying it, (although it seems a bit 'marmite' love/hate) the instant powered tea maybe ? Just for emergencies perhaps if you are not keen.

Too early to say on lunch. Much busy today Sorted a few minor jobs out (post office sorting parcels out / gas board phone call / electric board phone call etc etc) and still some to do as well really. A1ld trip is again on hold due to external factors. Hmm. I will get there eventually

EDIT... One thing I did not mention ... a few months ago (when I was not here) I tried to microwave some vegetable fingers although I ended up both making the microwave stink for a few days and almost permanently staining the plate they were on. I was not (unsure why!) convinced they were done enough so kept doing the 2 min / turn thing until I smelled something , turned out that was the oil inside burning! They were beyond edible unfortunately, rock hard and black!. Lesson learned!

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

... vegetable fingers ...

From frozen I'd have spread them out and done 2 minutes. Turn/rest a bit, then 1 minute. Then have a taster to see. Should be more than enough time

You only need to get them warm/hot all the way through

Wednesday2000

I want my pot noodle!:rotfl: Supposed to be delivered here before 1.30.

I got one called Mr Lees Noodles Zen Garden Vegetables. I hope it tastes nice.:D

AndyCF

PasturesNew wrote: »

From frozen I'd have spread them out and done 2 minutes. Turn/rest a bit, then 1 minute. Then have a taster to see. Should be more than enough time

You only need to get them warm/hot all the way through

Thanks! I am always guilty of over cooking things though out of paranoia perhaps.

It was a few months ago, so I cannot recall exactly but I do remember 2 mins / turn / 2 mins / turn but then repeated it until there was erm a smell and instant 'magic smoke' , oops. , You're correct they were probably 'well done' after the second 'two minute' session.

Mind you having said that, those meatballs I occasionally like it says 3min @ 800W with a stir at 2 minutes, but I tend to give them 2 min / stir / 2 min / stir / 1 min / rest+stir . They seem perfect after that, despite having a bit more than recommended! They are not burned or frazzled either, mind you the gravy is a bit overdone but I don't mind that.

Can't be sure if I mentioned this in the dim/distant past but: This microwave now (about 18 months old) although its the same power as the older one, it does not quite have the same 'poke' somehow. I was quite happy with the manual one previously (could not get another to match) and the electronic one I only use the time + power settings the same as you would with the manual one. Have sort of confirmed the above 'not quite as pokey' with a ready meal last year. I think there was a technical reason about microwave "waves" for it.

Might try those Heri chips later, still could not find a review for them, only wholesale suppliers who had them for batch sale to outlets. To be fair they do a half-decent range of bits so I guess they can't be that bad.

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

I want my pot noodle!:rotfl: Supposed to be delivered here before 1.30.

I got one called Mr Lees Noodles Zen Garden Vegetables. I hope it tastes nice.:D

All good (maybe) things come to those who wait! :rotfl: , not tried that brand before. I've seen it (online) but not locally to grab.

AndyCF

No local shops had any frozen waffles in yesterday either! A bit of an odd thing as usually its the first thing you see as there's an abundance of the things. Mind you the place I did not check only has the 'eu' ones, I tried these a long time ago and was not really impressed with them. Given that the 'eye' ones are at most £1 with a bit of hunting there seems little need to look further.

Only mentioning this as I've not had any for ages, and all of a sudden I could just do with one.

I was very bad last time though, as I placed it in a shallow wide saucepan with a tiny blob of marg and warmed it like through that. It was erm a bit 'fatty' to say the least! Can't remember why I did not microwave it, usual 2 + 2 +2 works OK from frozen for these I think.

I have a vague idea of a waffle with half a dozen meatballs on it for either tonight of tomorrow night.

Farway

Sun's out for the next few days, ripen the final lot of outdoor toms I hope

L's this morning, nothing YS exciting, boring buying, porridge, custard main concerns today

Lunch was cheese & salady sarnie
Dinner is salad,

I've taken a cooked LO 1/4 roast chicken out to defrost, but in case it's still frozen I've also belt & braces taken a YS pasty out

I'll eat whichever one is first defrosted, the other for tomorrow

Just been sorting out my BB & 'phone,

I'm OK with what I have but realised newbies get a better deal. Phone call knocked £7 off but it was 18 month contract tie in, so I've jumped ship to John L, daft thing is their service is supplied by the company I'm leaving, but £9.98 month less:money:
That's my no soon to be no longer free TV licence part paid:)

AndyCF wrote: »

My main 'concern' would be it swimming in fat perhaps. Then again people must air fry sausage ? Unless it gets broken up by the paddle if using an acti model.

I cook my bangers in the Actifry, with paddle fitted, it does a great job, they remain in one piece & brown all over

Not much fat mainly because I buy over 90% meat ones, more expensive but worth it to me


Congrats on move date PN, sofa, any bonfire collections being made yet? Here the Fire Brigade sort out bonfire, there is a charity shop that collects, sometimes they are used furnishing hostels etc. Just a thought if it gets hard to place

AndyCF

AndyCF wrote: »

No local shops had any frozen waffles in yesterday either!

AndyCF wrote: »

Given that the 'eye' ones are at most £1 with a bit of hunting there seems little need to look further.

I must correct myself. I looked closer and found some, although the first box I looked at was a bit battered (not unbearable though) and to make it worse they were £1.99 :rotfl: , "you must be joking" I thought at that price!

It did not end badly as a closer look in said fridge revealed a large bag of (co-co branded but its a local shop) lightly spiced skin-on potato wedges. No price on the bag so I checked at the till. £1.20 seemed good to me for the bag size. So they are now having a rest in the freezer.

Farway wrote: »

Sun's out for the next few days, ripen the final lot of outdoor toms I hope

Yes I think its forecast generally sensible warmth (but not too hot) for the next few days.

Soon be officially Autumn too, not that in itself means much these days with the odd climate! I can recall grandfather telling in either 46 or 47 just after the war, he fell off his pushbike on the way to work in July or August, in the snow! At that time of year too.

Farway wrote: »

I'm OK with what I have but realised newbies get a better deal.

Generally unfortunately usually the case. Sometimes if you ring to cancel they will offer something, but I'd personally not ring to 'test it out' as such.

Farway wrote: »

That's my no soon to be no longer free TV licence part paid:)

Ah another very sore point really. I'm quite sure there are lots who do actually qualify (still) but because of the silly tie-in with PenTaxCred, they do not realise this. Then there are those who are entitled to said credits but do not want the bother or the paperwork is too complex.

I can recall I was more or less insisted upon me when I was caring that grandfather qualified, so I jumped through hoops and more hoops, guess what he just missed it by a few pence. The silence when I told the same person (from the social) who 'insisted' on it what the outcome was deafening as you'd expect.

If they really do insist on it being PenTaxCred only then the age limit should go out the window, its grossly unfair to have it "both ways" , mind you the fee is too high and there was talk that their 'arrangement' for their licence with the govt was on condition they (beeb) picked up the bill. Can't accept lack of pennies when 'stars' are paid huge sums myself!

Farway wrote: »

I cook my bangers in the Actifry, with paddle fitted, it does a great job, they remain in one piece & brown all over

Not much fat mainly because I buy over 90% meat ones, more expensive but worth it to me

That's re-assuring to know actually. I could not stretch to one at this moment in time but I had visions of them coming to bits or swimming somehow. I do recall reading that erm 'uncle bernards' turkey drumsticks would lose their coating or fall apart in said appliance.

That's something else actually too the recipe for those and the 'roll' thing has changed, ten or twenty years ago the roll was really nice when we had one a couple of times a month. I've not had one for about two years now but the last couple appeared to be not as good by any means. If I had to describe it I would say (even though its wrong) it was some kind of compressed thing.

Farway wrote: »

Congrats on move date PN, sofa, any bonfire collections being made yet? Here the Fire Brigade sort out bonfire, there is a charity shop that collects, sometimes they are used furnishing hostels etc. Just a thought if it gets hard to place

I concur. Only 'gotcha' with the charity places that do collect (around here not many, might be different elsewhere) is they won't have electrical items or furniture that does not have up to date fire-labels on. Mind you there's absolutely no harm at all in asking regardless!

PasturesNew

Farway wrote: »

... any bonfire collections being made yet? Here the Fire Brigade sort out bonfire, there is a charity shop that collects, sometimes they are used furnishing hostels etc. Just a thought if it gets hard to place

I've never heard of/seen any bonfire collection.

Charities make it impossible for you to give away stuff; they've gone way up market these days and really want top end/as new items.

Council collects, charges £36, but you're at the mercy of when they eventually can get round to it, which is usually weeks after you want it.

The only way forward is to list is soonest/free and hope somebody comes fast for it.

The way my mind works is like this: There are TWO types of belongings. 1/ Those you can physically manage/carry/lift/transport yourself. 2/ Those that need 2+ people and/or a van.

My focus is on getting the biggest stuff out of the house soonest, so I've the longest time to try assorted routes if not initially possible.

If I can lift/carry things, then I have options as I can, alone, get it out of the house... it's the big/hard stuff that is a challenge.

If I end up with "more boxes than I expected" that's simple as I just have to rent another and/or a larger container. If I'm staring at a fridge freezer I'm utterly stuck.

I contacted one charity re a filing cabinet and chest of drawers and a portable telly (just for good measure) the other day - they've still not got back to me. They made me choose two delivery times/dates online.... I didn't mind when they came, but had to pick two, so picked this Thursday.