Simple living in the country - back to basics

Baileys_Babe

joedenise said:

@Baileys_Babe - I tend to serve couscous whenever I do anything Moroccan as that's what they tend to use.  You can add all sorts to it to make it more interesting.  I generally just add more spices to it and if I've got any in the freezer then I'll add some pomegranate seeds as they go really well too.  If you don't want extra spices then it can be served plain.

As it only takes 5 minutes to "cook" you don't really need to think about it until the stew is almost ready to serve!

Thanks I will serve it with couscous when it is just me, as you say it is very quick to "cook" and easy to make it more interesting with various additions. I haven't eaten it for a while as we mainly try and cook the same for all of us. I use to make a warm salad bowl type thing for my lunches, I think I will bring this back.

Unfortunately, couscous does not work for everyone here as one person doesn't like it and a second can not eat it as they are a coeliac.

Does anybody have any other suggestions that I are suitable for a coeliac?

ladybird1106

You can buy gluten free cous cous or use quinoa 
Love 🐞

Humdinger1

Now on p278 of your diary @Cheery_Daff...or should that be Dr Daff, as I see you have a PhD! Agree re cars; I ignored a light and had to be towed from Warwick services to Hampshire...missed my great-aunt's funeral.  Onwards and upwards love Humdinger xx 

Baileys_Babe

ladybird1106 said:

You can buy gluten free cous cous or use quinoa 
Love 🐞

Thanks great suggestions.

It didn't occur to me that you could get gluten free couscous 🤦

Cheery_Daff

Humdinger1 said:

Now on p278 of your diary @Cheery_Daff...or should that be Dr Daff, as I see you have a PhD! Agree re cars; I ignored a light and had to be towed from Warwick services to Hampshire...missed my great-aunt's funeral.  Onwards and upwards love Humdinger xx 

Oh crikey, I'm surprised you've not given up on all my waffle by now! 🙈😂

Had a light flash on very briefly this morning, oddly enough - but it was just as we pulled out of a service station, and it had stopped by the time we actually got on the road, and didn't come on again thankfully. 

Mr Cheery had a hospital appointment early this morning, but the main road over the moors was closed because of the snow. I decided to go with him for easier navigation etc in case other roads were closed as we had to go a rather long way round, but actually everywhere was pretty clear. 

Got there really early, so had a cuppa in a nearby supermarket cafe. I remembered I had a voucher for an extra 75 points with any cafe spend! They didn't appear in the app though 🤔 Fortunately the guy was able to run off my receipt, which showed they'd been added - I'll keep an eye on the app to see if they turn up.

Back home now, need to get on with some work 🙄

beanielou

Hope Mr Cherry’s appointment went well. 

Cheery_Daff

Thanks Beanie, they were just fitting a 24 hour ecg today. Got to take it back first thing tomorrow so hopefully the road will be open at that point so it's not a 2 hour round trip! 😂

EssexHebridean

joedenise said:

CCW007 said:

@joedenise how do you freeze pomegranate seeds, do you need to do anything or just freeze as is? Often get them on olio and don't always have a use for them immediately but freezing would be great.

I buy them ready frozen!  Can't see any reason why you can't bang out the seeds of a fresh one and then open freeze them on a tray until frozen before bagging up although not done that myself!

I have and it works a treat! 

I am now earmarking the Peanut butter bars for using some of the peanut butter mountain I acquired thanks to the Big River site's ineptitude! In fact, I know I have some other peanut butter based recipes noted somewhere,  must go and find them... 

LaPlan - I'm another one who buys the stuff by the kilo - but also used to be exactly like you, until I realised (thanks to the "Beyond Chocolate" book) that I was creating an interesting vicious circle for myself. Buy a jar > Eat it all in a rush because it was such a novelty to have it > tell myself I couldn't be trusted with it and I wasn't buying it any more > feel deprived of it and start absolutely craving it> Buy a jar... One I switched my mindset to "Yes, we have peanut butter, we will still have peanut butter tomorrow, and next week, and next month, and I can eat it whenever I want" the urge to overeat it was no longer an issue - I usually have one bit of toast slathered with it on weekend days as part of  my breakfast, and a blob on porridge on a friday, and that's absolutely fine! 

LadyWithAPlan

EssexHebridean said:

LaPlan - I'm another one who buys the stuff by the kilo - but also used to be exactly like you, until I realised (thanks to the "Beyond Chocolate" book) that I was creating an interesting vicious circle for myself. Buy a jar > Eat it all in a rush because it was such a novelty to have it > tell myself I couldn't be trusted with it and I wasn't buying it any more > feel deprived of it and start absolutely craving it> Buy a jar... One I switched my mindset to "Yes, we have peanut butter, we will still have peanut butter tomorrow, and next week, and next month, and I can eat it whenever I want" the urge to overeat it was no longer an issue - I usually have one bit of toast slathered with it on weekend days as part of  my breakfast, and a blob on porridge on a friday, and that's absolutely fine! 

I think both you  and Cheery have willpower levels I might just not have.. I dont crave PB  unless its in the house but it is useful for baking.
I am the same with nuts, crisps and haribo. I buy them and all gone in 24 hours (36 if a v large bag) so..
I do have more self control over grated almonds but even the flaked almonds dont last long here. Walnuts might last a week...as they a bit bitter.
Luckily I dont crave chocolate as I can feel how I cant breathe soon after eating it cos of the mucus and DF.. and the DF version is not great and expensive.

It would be useful to be able to buy and keep in cooking ingredients eg nuts, PB so I may try the buying a 1kg pot of it (any suggestions from where for price?) to trial your idea.  
I like crunchy things so like to have crudites in to dip into houmous etc as a way to keep my crunch levels happy

However the crisps and Haribo dont stand a chance Unless I buy crisps with wheat in so then I cant eat them... I am fairly slim and fit so its not a weight issue but a teeth, pocket and fact with crisps/Haribo I am eating UPFs that are not good for me. PB and nuts on the other hand are nutritious.

EssexHebridean

Aldi definitely do tubs of 100% peanut PB, I buy Proper Nutty from the Big River site as it appeals to me being from a small British company, and they do a "slightly salted" which I love! (It also comes in paint tins which I think is a fantastic way to buy a foodstuff!) 

It's certainly not a willpower thing though - it literally just comes down to when something is always there, it doesn't create a "feast or famine" approach. I'm absolutely with you on loving crunchy things - I'm far more of a savoury person than sweet - offer me the choice between a bag of crisps and a bar of chocolate and I'd take the crisps every time!