Cooking for one (Mark Three)

AndyCF

Farway wrote: »

I did think of PO forward, but the first available convenient time for PO for me would be next Tuesday and I was in town yesterday, where sorting office is. I've use PO collection before and think it worth the 50p or so

Fair enough. For me it would be 5 minutes vs 45 I think that's all so the 50p is a worthwhile 'price to pay'

PasturesNew wrote: »

I am not looking for a flat, but I do keep an eye out for "peculiar ones" just in case...

I had this idea as well as I did not want one, but I found in the end it was "best to (try) to be more open minded" apparently anyway so I merely at that time filtered out ones with excess rooms etc and ignored the 'property type' , figuring if I did not like what I saw in a picture I'd not bother to look further. I did exclude flats that were not ground or at a push first floor though, I'm not really keen on living in the air. There are other reasons for this but that's too far off topic.

PasturesNew wrote: »

It's been mad/hellishly windy here today, gusting at 50mph.

Just more rain here (again!) so my planned A1di trip was out the window so to speak.

Got some cold/flu syrup as not quite 'right' today that stuff usually works well for me so I think I'm staying here quietly and warm for the weekend, thankfully apart from colony feeding I should not have to go anywhere until Monday. (famous last words)

On a food note I'm not sure, depends on how I feel. I had just my potato 'knock about' mix earlier along with some garden peas but did not really feel like anything else.

Good to know / read that you've made excellent progress by the sounds of it. :T Well done so far!

PasturesNew wrote: »

Just eaten choccies today; I think I fancy a chinese. I won't get my usual s/s chicken balls as they're way too big a portion; I'll go for Hong Kong style s/s chicken as that's a much smaller quantity.

Yesterday I nearly got an indian, but as I was driving there I thought "£7" and decided, instead to go to Sainsbobs and buy a ready meal from there to save a bit. Bought a £2.50 chinese chicken curry/rice.

That sounds very well deserved I think. , I know what you mean about pausing for reflection on pricing. I was thinking about chips the other day even though our local chippy is hit/miss in my opinion, I could of stretched to it but I thought that's £2 and I could quite easily get a few packs of things for that.

caronc

Good evening everyone,
Thanks folks -Yes housing market is pretty mixed here too, some things go virtually overnight but there are also lots of flats that were put on the market before my Dad's. We did get a couple of stupid offers when it first went on but we knew it was very well priced for the it's size/condition and there aren't many with that floor space that go up for saleheld on so . Obviously until the missives are exchanged and the money transferred it's not done and dusted but fingers crossed.:)


Farway - I've never grown these ones, you will need to report back. I've been good and not looked at seeds as I have loads though may well get tempted at some point.;)


Son has returned - a few pints in and with a "supper" and randomly a two pack of carmel tarts. I may well succumb after my dinner, though couldn't manage a full one.:D

Blue_Doggy

Farway wrote: »

(re potato chip cutters)
I've had both, the plastic fall apart type, useless, and I've a sturdy metal one, from L's I think
Also useless for one person. Two reasons
1/ Can slice chips for one with a knife more quickly, taking into account washing up after
2/ Spuds are not nicely routinely shaped, so finish up with odd shaped chips, skinny bits shaved off sides etc

OK if you spot one going cheap as chips:D in charity shop or car boot, otherwise use a sharp knife

My mum had a metal one many years ago. It cut nice chips (for feeding a family), but unless the potatoes were squared off first there were, as you say, lots of odd skinny side bits. The cleaning was horrid, think child labour (me or my sister:D) using a bottle-brush in all the sections, it took ages!

Today: breakfast was fish fingers and tomatoes,
lunch was a “sweet potato and cheese gratin” with green beans & cauliflower,
dinner was tinned salmon salad (lettuce, tomato, black olives & cucumber) followed by cinnamon yogurt.

Brambling

Enjoy the tart Caronc

Dinner ended up as bacon, egg and chips the bacon was a 'good' one brought on special offer so no white gunk when cooked but the rashers were very thin, nice but thin

I'm meeting my friend in Chichester tomorrow after a couple of cancellations so it's been a while since we caught up and if the text emojis are anything to go by she's in need of a drink or two so ...... lunch out tomorrow and a snack for dinner with Strictly . Hopefully the rain will stay away

PasturesNew

I got a chinese... it was gorgeous.

S/S chicken hong kong style & plain chow mein. Both portions were in the "smaller plastic tubs", slightly smaller than the common/regular sized ones. I almost made it to the end, making sure I ate all the chicken pieces -v- the noodles as they'd be harder to dispose of.

But - I can't dispose of food, I am moving, so no "bin" can be used. I put the plate down ... and ended up nodding off. A few hours later I woke up ... and decided to eat the rest. Ate it, cold, in the dark

Keeping the tubs, so two more items to pack.

I can't pack my kitchenware until I've finished eating... so I probably now need to devise a plan where I only eat things that need the fewest cutlery/plates and leave the least rubbish to be disposed of.

e.g. if I were to eat packaged sandwiches I can either run the pack to the nearest public bin, or, just squash it up on the car floor until after I've moved. I'll have to think about it

The trouble is, I need to pack/re-pack everything in the next 2 days super carefully as I'm not sure everything will fit in my car, -but- it HAS to fit somehow.... so I don't want to leave packing awkward (kitchen) stuff until the last minute.

AndyCF

@PN as much as I usually hate to suggest using them, the paper/plastic type 'picnic' cutlery / (plates if needed too) can as you know usually be got for £1 or so, that might be a temporary solution to some of the immediate temporary kitchenware concerns ?

I suppose I'm saying some kind of 'mini box' (yes another) with 'instant bits' in to use there and then, after use either recycle or pack away again. Shoebox size thing probably sufficient.

To be honest as I wrote that, I realised you'd likely already thought about such an idea and either implemented it or rejected it


I did think about the environment too with these items, but they are plastic and recyclable so as long as they find their way into the recycling bin/bag/box/(whatever your council provides, seems to vary wildly!) then that is the 'help save the planet' part neatly attended to.

Farway

More overnight rain, now sun's out so hope same applies in Chichester Brambling

Last night's "dinner" was ham sarnie, followed by cheese & crackers, later a bowl of Granola with pot of YS 20p L's ready made fresh fruit salad.

Easy and sort of nutritious, just feeling a bit guilty about not cooking FO, just eating FO;)

Porridge for breakfast, my new batch of yoghurt is also runny:(. I've just made another batch and will see how that goes. In the meantime I'll order some fresh starter this weekend

I have some [3] overripe bananas and was toying with idea of maybe a loaf or oatmeal cookies but I've really got too much stodge stuff around already so chancing it & freezing the fresh bananas. Never done that before but I know it can be done very successfully.

Caron, bl00dy butcher toms are new to me, I saw them mentioned on a gardening programme which gave me the idea, plus there was offer on seeds at the time.
My beefsteak ones were beefburgers in the end, hence try these 2020

Lunch, I think cheese & salady sarnie
Dinner, not sure, Brambling's bacon, egg chips tempts me to LO ham eggs & chips.

I always try & buy the "good" bacon when possible, for animal welfare reason as well as no gunge when cooking

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

@PN as much as I usually hate to suggest using them, the paper/plastic type 'picnic' cutlery / (plates if needed too) can as you know usually be got for £1 or so, that might be a temporary solution to some of the immediate temporary kitchenware concerns ?

I suppose I'm saying some kind of 'mini box' (yes another) with 'instant bits' in to use there and then, after use either recycle or pack away again. Shoebox size thing probably sufficient.

To be honest as I wrote that, I realised you'd likely already thought about such an idea and either implemented it or rejected it


I did think about the environment too with these items, but they are plastic and recyclable so as long as they find their way into the recycling bin/bag/box/(whatever your council provides, seems to vary wildly!) then that is the 'help save the planet' part neatly attended to.

The trouble is, that's more time shopping - and just creates a rubbish pile to be disposed of The car will be packed to the gills.

Cutlery is on top of the bag, so still accessible. I don't mind washing up those. Because I'm packing things super tight it's the plate and bowl that are wrapped in polystyrene and bubble wrap and close to the bottom of the tub.

Looking at timescales I'll take the nuker and toaster to the tip tomorrow... holding onto the kettle possibly and hoping there's room in the car for it when I drive away

AndyCF

Makes sense now. Although more time shopping yes, unless you happen to see them and/or walk past them but then its more cost I suppose.

You'll be fine I'm sure. Surprised in a way you're not taking the old nuker and toasty with you but I recall you said its more 'stuff' to deal with. Kettle, well assuming its cold/empty you'll find space! Under the seat if nothing else!

No point me mentioning hiring a van/trailer or something if 'transport space' is that tight, as you've no doubt already been down that "path of thought" anyway, not to mention neither is particularly cheap anyway. I should say when I looked into this the cost vs time factor meant it was better to have one for two days and not be in a mad panic/rush compared to a 'half day panic' thing.

Moving towards lunch, well I'm still hunting for the chicken/mush slices I did venture quickly out today but BM had one lonely one left so I left it alone, I prefer to have these chilled items when there's more than a few there. There is always an abundance of the steak slice ones though, they are edible (just) but I'm not really keen on them at all. This will work well as (its cold/drizzle out anyway and I need to keep warm to kill the cold bug) Mon/Tues is weather permitting my A1d visit/exploration so they will have something there of interest. , its going to be some boiled potato's in about an hour I think and perhaps something to throw on them.

PasturesNew

AndyCF wrote: »

You'll be fine I'm sure. Surprised in a way you're not taking the old nuker and toasty with you but I recall you said its more 'stuff' to deal with. Kettle, well assuming its cold/empty you'll find space! Under the seat if nothing else!

They were on their last legs last year when I put the house up for sale, I was wondering for the last year if they'd last it out.

They'd have to go into storage, moving into a shared house arrangement: A seaside hotel that rents out rooms for short term winter lets, so they've a proper/full kitchen available for me to use and fridge/freezer space. Quite a lot of hotels do that October to March. They work out easier/cheaper than a regular house share.

Today I think I might wander to L1dl and grab one of those "burger in a bun" chilled microwave reheat things.

When I move I'll be close to an Iceland, so I can try some of their food