Oops! I've fallen off the OS wagon.....

Bargain_Rzl

As others have said, there are loads of threads dedicated to slow cookers on here - a simple search of the forum should throw up some good links.

As you're cooking for a family I'd go for a large 6.5l model. The much-recommended Morphy Richards one seems to be a favourite (and I saw it on special offer in Debenhams the other week for under £25).

They don't use a lot of leccy - supposedly it's the same as leaving a lightbulb switched on - and I would definitely go for an oval one rather than a round one because it's better for cooking whole chickens etc.

weegie_2

Thanks Mirakl - that looks great.....but I think I will take Bargain Rzl advice and for a 6.5l model. I can see it on Tesco at £33...but will shop around.

And see, I wouldn't have known about the round/oval thing either. Didn't realise you could do a whole chicken - that sounds fab - as I cook them a fair bit in the oven.

mikeywills

I think there will be times in all of us where you haven't got the energy or inclination to do OS all the time.
For example, sometimes we all slip and have a takeaway, the only problem I find is when I have finished eating it, it always leaves me feeling less than satisfied and wishing I had more willpower and done it myself.
OS is a lot like the journey of life its not about the result but how we got there thats important, so don't beat yourself up, just praise yourself on the things you do already and concentrate on the areas where you can make it better.

dronid

I do know exactly how you feel. I live in an area (again about 5 mins from Borough Market - which is a big temptation! Bargain Rzl apparently if you turn up an hour before the end you can get a lot of reduced stuff!) where I am surrounded by take always, restaurants and have a sandwich guy who comes into work and plies us with pre-prepared expensive food. There have been times in work that I’ve brought food in and still bought stuff from him! Ultimately I’ve realised that it’s down to planning. I’ve had to make sure there’s space in the freezer for when I cook extra food and make sure that I’m using up food as well as possible. It is all about improving what you do. No one is expected to suddenly change to domestically frugal with not an ounce of waste. We all get things wrong. However, it looks like you are planning again and devising strategies for improvement. The slow cooker is great. It’ll mean that you can use the cheapest meat and make it taste sensational much, much cheaper.

Also you should be able to make extra so you have home made ready meals available for you and the family. And if you buy food at work we found we could save almost £750 :eek: a year each!

weegie_2

Was going to ask about meat and the slow cooker. I tend to buy red meat from the butchers as I find it's better quality than ASDA. (mind you I don't really eat it - it's for my hubby!)

so if I buy cheap asda red meat - as I quite often see it reduced as well - will it still taste really good?

Aril

OS isn't about set rules...it's just a series of suggested guidelines that you pick from that suit you. I too work full time so have learnt my own limitations. What I do do is menu plan one evening and shop the next evening but I also keep in the odd easy meal eg pizza in the freezer for unexpected events such as having to take the cat to the vet last night or when we are simply too whacked to cook. I personally find the SC great for weekends but it doesn't work for me during the week because I don't have the time to do the prep needed in the morning to run it during the day. Instead we have loads of proper meals that OH can get from the kitchen to the table within 20 mins during the week. I do all my baking on a 2 weekly basis at the weekend and freeze half. OH is in charge of the BM. Other than that I have a very tight routine for the basic housework eg Thursday is dark wash {I fill the machine the night before so I can run it first thing in the morning and get it out before I leave for work] so my home stays presentable and manageable and I always tidy up before I leave. My other life saver is thinking ahead eg childcare arrangements for the holidays are always organised just after the previous hol and I have a whiteboard and notice board on the back of my kitchen door divided into sections eg town, Tesco, phonecalls, house jobs where I can note things as I think of them and eg do all my jobs in town in one hit so I don't waste time. I work very hard but I also ensure I have down time for my hobbies in the evening [knitting etc] and cut myself some slack regularly eg for tonight I've bought shortcrust pasty for our onion tart but at the weekend OH would make a double batch [I am a pastry incompetent] and freeze half.
Don't do yourself down...be realistic and remind yourself how far you've come. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how many small steps you've taken but have probably become absorbed into your daily routine and you've forgotten about!!
Aril

mikeywills

What I find weegie, its not about where you get your meat but what you choose to buy. For example don't buy a piece of top side as a joint, get a piece of brisket, which is a fraction of the price, and the extra fat imparts a lot more flavour. If you are slow cooking it anyway, it will come out really tender.
I miss my mothers rayburn for these things, that always made meat taste sensational.

katieowl_2

dronid wrote:

I do know exactly how you feel. I live in an area (again about 5 mins from Borough Market - which is a big temptation! Bargain Rzl apparently if you turn up an hour before the end you can get a lot of reduced stuff!)

:j Ooooh Which Day???? I make an occasional foray to Borough Market from Sydenham....I have my bargain must haves ....lots of Haslet, and a ham hock! Do the other food stalls mark down or just the fruit and veg?

Regards

Kate

dronid

weegie wrote:

so if I buy cheap asda red meat - as I quite often see it reduced as well - will it still taste really good?

Of course better quality meat should taste better (Organic, farm assured etc) as the animal often eats and lives better so the meat gains in flavour. However it's the cheaper cuts that are the most cost effective. Even the supermarket stewing steak comes out yummy. I use Tesco value stewing steak for all the casseroles, stroganoff etc. Most people think it's done with expensive meat!:D I really should try and find a decent butchers who don't charge the earth though!

katieowl wrote:

:j Ooooh Which Day???? I make an occasional foray to Borough Market from Sydenham....I have my bargain must haves ....lots of Haslet, and a ham hock! Do the other food stalls mark down or just the fruit and veg?

There was a brief article in Time Out, apparently it's in the last hour to 1/2 hour on each day it's open to the public. Only the perishable stuff that won't last is reduced. Bread, veg and presumably anything else that needs to be sold on that day. I have to say I've never got there in time :rolleyes: so if you do get there please PM me to let me know how good it is!:D

weegie_2

Thank you so much for all the comments - it's what I needed! I've given myself a good shake and I'm ready to get back onto the OS bandwagon. Defintely gonna get a slow cooker as well to try out some cheap cuts of meat (see if hubby can tell the difference).

All the regulars sound so organised though - and make it sound so easy being OS. I hope to one day be a bit like that! (and maybe had the odd day here and there slippage) :-)