Away From The Madding Crowd

Humboldt

Organgrinder said:

I must confess that air fryers can be marvellous, in the same way slow cookers are I suppose. It's a case of finding enough to make them worthwhile.

The trick as always are the things that work well. Ours has a rotisserie function and the results are great. The cleaning afterwards however is too much of a faff!!!

But for thing like chicken kebabs it's great. Cooked breakfasts too!

Would I buy another? Hmmm. Jury is out. 

Welcome back @Organgrinder.  I have thought long and hard about whether to buy an air fryer, however, this recent hot weather was instrumental in my decision making.  An air fryer will enable me to cook a small hot dish i.e. fresh fish or chicken thighs, and serve with a cold side, or visa versa, without having to use the whole oven.  Having researched recipes, I am pleasantly surprised how many are available. Thanks for the suggesting cooked breakfasts, which is something that I hadn't considered, but will definitely try. 

Humboldt

uralmaid said:

I hold my hands up to owning 2 airfryers.  We originally bought a single one after months of resisting. I really liked it and decided that we should have got the double one - so we bought a double and the single now lives in the motorhome.  I ony use it for a few things - it cooks salmon or lamp chops nicely. Chips of course and a cheese filled bagel wrapped in smoked bacon is very tasty. 

So good to hear from you @uramaid, I hope all is well. I bought a N!nja 3.8l air fryer, with a single drawer.  I thought it would be sufficient for just the 2 of us, and be easier to store due to it's smaller size. It has 4 functions; air fry, roast, reheat and dehydrate.  I intend to use it to cook fish, so was pleased to read your salmon recommendation.  That bagel sounds very yummy! 

Today's simple pleasure - menu planning for family visiting next week, a cuppa and mellow jazz playing in the background.

BrilliantButScary

I have an Instant Vortex 4 in 1 air fryer (3.7 litres), that I use all the time. I find it is great for sausages, chicken drumsticks, fishcakes, heating pies. It is brilliant for making roast potatoes/parsnips in, something that we would hardly ever have eaten,  as I rarely cook a joint of meat, as there is mostly just the two of us. 

Our air fryer sits on the worktop, as it has earnt its space! I hardly ever use my oven.

Cleaning wise, we put the drawer in soak, hot water and washing up liquid, and use a brush on the grid to loosen any stubborn bits.

Humboldt

BrilliantButScary said:

I have an Instant Vortex 4 in 1 air fryer (3.7 litres), that I use all the time. I find it is great for sausages, chicken drumsticks, fishcakes, heating pies. It is brilliant for making roast potatoes/parsnips in, something that we would hardly ever have eaten,  as I rarely cook a joint of meat, as there is mostly just the two of us. 

Our air fryer sits on the worktop, as it has earnt its space! I hardly ever use my oven.

Cleaning wise, we put the drawer in soak, hot water and washing up liquid, and use a brush on the grid to loosen any stubborn bits.

Morning @BrilliantButScary thanks lots for taking the time to share the air fryer information.  I too was thinking of roasted seasonal vegetables which I could then stir through couscous, or serve as a side dish.  Chicken drumstick's would be great with a salad. Good to know that you don't find the cleaning too much of an issue.

All air fryer advice/recommendations are welcome to help me make the most of my new purchase.

Today's simple pleasure - a homemade chocolate and raspberry muffin.

mark55man

Chocolate and Raspberry muffin sounds delicious - as do your air fryer recipes

Not got a quote for you today @Humboldt, but my simple pleasure for most of today is watching the Tour De France on telly (ITV4) as they go up and down the Pyrenees, currently climbing up the "Col Du Tourmalet" and then in a couple of hours will be watching the finish at the top of the Superbagnères.  I am not brave enough to watch them do the descents so will nip out with my OH and have coffee and cake at a nearby garden centre - another simple pleasure

Humboldt

mark55man said:

Chocolate and Raspberry muffin sounds delicious - as do your air fryer recipes

Not got a quote for you today @Humboldt, but my simple pleasure for most of today is watching the Tour De France on telly (ITV4) as they go up and down the Pyrenees, currently climbing up the "Col Du Tourmalet" and then in a couple of hours will be watching the finish at the top of the Superbagnères.  I am not brave enough to watch them do the descents so will nip out with my OH and have coffee and cake at a nearby garden centre - another simple pleasure

Hi @mark55man hope that you enjoyed both the Tour De France and the trip to the garden centre. Are you going to let us know your cake of choice? 

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability – Sam Keen.

Money saving.

Our monthly grocery budget for me and my DH is £250.  Week 3 spend for July was £62.50. Total to date for July is £188.33.

Earned an extra 200 Nect@r points by completing Task 2 of the Healthy Ch0ice challenge at S@insbury’s. 

Fully utilised the 2-hour free electric via our energy provider.

Made £36 via my crafting. Monies added to the Christmas/Birthday account.

I was gifted lots of homegrown bay leaves by a friend.  They had also kindly dried them for me too.

Having submitted a complaint to our bank, we received £75 by way of apology.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Roasted mixed vegetables (beetroot, sweet potato, peppers, courgette, red onion, cherry tomatoes), stirred through whole-wheat couscous with a harissa dressing.  I will add some feta and fresh basil.

Tuesday – Beef chilli con carne, served with brown rice, smashed avocado, red chilli and lime, sour cream, and a few 'cool tortilla’s' (89p @ S@insbury’s). Chilli will be cooked in the slow cooker.  Followed by a C0rnetto (£2.40 for 4 Nect@r price). Feeding family today.

Wednesday – BBQ.  Spiced chicken drumsticks, sausage, wagyu quarter pounders  (£3.39 for 4 Ald!) in buns with banana ketchup, corn on the cob, and rosemary & red pepper orzotto. Chicken spice and banana ketchup were holiday purchases.  Sausages were reduced in price and frozen until required. I will use a M+S flavour kit for the orzotto recipe (reduced from £1.25 to 20p BBF Sep 25).  Followed by chocolate filled bananas (just run a knife through each banana but do not cut fully, fill with chocolate (chunks, buttons, chips, whatever you have), wrap in foil and cook on the BBQ for a few minutes), with cheats mango ice cream (J@mie Ol!ver recipe).  Feeding family today.

Thursday – eating out with family.

Friday – Homemade pizzas – goats’ cheese & wild garlic pesto, and pepperoni /sweet peppers/olives with a tomato/herb sauce.  Wild garlic pesto is homemade and from the freezer.  I will make a tomato and herb sauce for the other variety. A large dish of oven chips (cooked in the air fryer). Feeding family today.

Saturday – Eating out with family.

Sunday – Bacon and courgette creamy spaghetti (from one of my recipe scrap books). Bacon was reduced in price and frozen until required. Courgette is homegrown and kindly gifted by a friend. Feeding family today.

Healthier lifestyle.

Last week’s step count was 45,932.

Completed 4 free meditations last week.

Completed 0 free online workouts last week.

Simple pleasures.

So very much looking forward to family visiting.

Planning lots of trips with family, including visiting the coast and a picnic in the sand dunes.

I have finally planted my beetroot and cucumber plants outside in the veg box.  Very late this year, so fingers crossed.   The tomato plants that I put in the veg box the other week are now growing at a rapid rate.  Planted more kale seeds to replace the ones snaffled by the snails last week.

A couple of  hours crafting whilst listening to Chilled Ib!za.

A quiet cuppa in my summerhouse whilst watching the numerous pollinators enjoying the garden flowers and the sparrows enjoying the bird bath.

Thank you for dropping by and taking the time to read my diary.

BrilliantButScary

I hope the weather is kind to you this week, so that you can enjoy the time you spend with your family outdoors. How are you getting on with your air fryer ?

mark55man

Humboldt said:

mark55man said:

Chocolate and Raspberry muffin sounds delicious - as do your air fryer recipes

Not got a quote for you today @Humboldt, but my simple pleasure for most of today is watching the Tour De France on telly (ITV4) as they go up and down the Pyrenees, currently climbing up the "Col Du Tourmalet" and then in a couple of hours will be watching the finish at the top of the Superbagnères.  I am not brave enough to watch them do the descents so will nip out with my OH and have coffee and cake at a nearby garden centre - another simple pleasure

Hi @mark55man hope that you enjoyed both the Tour De France and the trip to the garden centre. Are you going to let us know your cake of choice? 

Raspberry and chocolate obviously in blondie form - which was very tasty if a bit soggy

Organgrinder

mark55man said:

Chocolate and Raspberry muffin sounds delicious - as do your air fryer recipes

Not got a quote for you today @Humboldt, but my simple pleasure for most of today is watching the Tour De France on telly (ITV4) as they go up and down the Pyrenees, currently climbing up the "Col Du Tourmalet" and then in a couple of hours will be watching the finish at the top of the Superbagnères.  I am not brave enough to watch them do the descents so will nip out with my OH and have coffee and cake at a nearby garden centre - another simple pleasure

I watched the tour in Evreux in 1986.  Cycled there from Le Havre - not in one day I should add. Stayed in some lovely places eg Honfleur. Was back in France in 1989 too. LeMond won on both occasions. I remember watching the final TT in a cafe and not really believing what I had just seen "Qui à gagné le tour? Fignon?" "Non, non .... LeMond"......noone could quite believe it.

You cannot appreciate how fast these cyclists are. Now clearly I'm now a lot older, but nevertheless it is somewhat humbling that in the time I took to do a virtual ride up Hautacam, Pogacar could have gone up, back down and up again and have had a warm down. I had considered a virtual ride up Ventoux but after my Hautacam exploits I'm glad I didn't!!