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Cooking for one (Mark Two)

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  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
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    On the other hand PN - what I do re lists of things I wish to buy while in town is that I keep a list permanently in my handbag. That way - if there is a list currently - then it's with me and I can just check it to see what I had in mind to get.

    It usually works...
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
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    Aw Squirrel - perhaps your cats have been doing their definition of "making a fuss of you" - having sensed you feel ill.

    Must be why they're behaving themselves for once.
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »
    On the other hand PN - what I do re lists of things I wish to buy while in town is that I keep a list permanently in my handbag. That way - if there is a list currently - then it's with me and I can just check it to see what I had in mind to get.

    It usually works...

    I have a bit of paper where I write down random things while I think of it .... but then I sometimes leave that at home as I forget it in the general "leaving home" activities of closing windows, getting keys, getting a bag, thinking about where I'm going, going out, locking up, remembering the gate key...etc etc

    As for handbags....hate them :)

    I've got a big cheap tote that I used to use.... if somebody said "come down the pub", I've got a tiny bag that's just big enough for the bare basics ... and, of course, I've got the trolley that also has its own tiny handbag inside where I can keep "the essentials" of cash/keys/card so I can haul them out fast.

    The trouble is, I move things back/forth between bags. Went out yesterday and realised at the till I only had my debit card as my cash was in the trolley ... and I ended up spending about £1.80 on the card :)

    I do hate bags.... such awkward things to manage/carry/put down/keep hold of ...
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,089 Forumite
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    Hollyharvey wrote: »
    If my inventory of what is in the freezers is correct, there is enough food in them to last 10 months with the exception of fresh veg and potatoes. I really do need to get a grip on this. It will get better in the autumn/winter because a lot of it is stewing steak/minces lamb/beef/diced turkey, the sort of things that I use for stews/casseroles and things like cottage/shepherds pie/spag bog and chilli in the winter when I eat more of that type of food.
    Sounds like my freezers Holly - I've abandoned trying to empty them:o but my aim is to have the large shelf in the smaller freezer clear by the beginning of December so I can stock up for Christmas/New Year as I always cater for a crowd. Like you I've lots of things that lend themselves to stews etc. which course make multiple portions so of which end up in the freezer ........ it's a vicious circle. ;)I usually get a large meat order in November for stocks but don't think I'll need one this year!
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,089 Forumite
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    meg72 wrote: »
    Same menu again for me Porridge, banana on toast and beef stew, I made a load but it was a bit sort on meat today so have bunged in some left over pork and mince, its very tasty. good job as think I will be eating it all week. Also got up at 3am and ate a can of smart price rice putting. Well they do say feed a cold don't they?. Ohhh and a choc ice,

    And wouldn't you just know the week I don't feel up to it the garden has gone into overdrive, loads of rhubarb, potatoes and tomatoes to be picked. Have put the rhubarb on our local Share and swop fb page if anyone wants to come and pick it. Normally my daughter is the rhubarb fiend but shes away touring America for a month.
    SquirrelSmall wrote: »
    :eek::eek::eek:

    I'm still running down my freezer in advance of next week's trip up the canal (won't have the right flavour of leccy to run it, so it needs to be emptied). Thankfully, I think I am more in the parish of "enough food to last 10 days", and I can easily rustle up hungry neighbours to help.

    I think today will be the first day in the best part of a week when I'll have had three meals - or, perhaps put better, have eaten on three occasions throughout the day.

    Just not been in the mood for food. Generally feeling a bit "meh" towards life in general, coupled with one of those 3 day headaches that the pills don't touch. Both cats have been indolent for the last few days too; no spontaneous baths, just lots of head rubs and snoozing on my bed.

    Today - toast for breakfast; ham, hummus, alfalfa sprout sarnie for lunch and remnants of gammon casserole thing from the freezer for supper.

    Hope you both feel better soon x
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    My current freezer plan, having struggled to eat it empty to defrost it the other month, is to give it a go at:

    Tiny drawer: bread stuff. Bread, bread rolls, crumpets, muffins.
    First drawer (14" x 14" and 7" deep): food.
    Second drawer (ditto size): Keep it clear - then put new food in here ... with the objective of trying to keep it clear by eating food to free up space so this drawer can be empty again.

    The idea there is that I'd get a good throughput of stuff, it'd force me to eat things I'd otherwise put off ... and there'd always theoretically be a whole drawer available for "unexpected purchases".

    It might not work out .... only time tells.

    I don't think there are answers to variety, freezer space, eating it all, having a good selection in that you fancy, being able to take advantage of bargains ..... but it's good to try different systems to see if any work at all.
  • Farway
    Farway Posts: 13,223 Forumite
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    PasturesNew wrote: »
    I've never understood why people buy pricey cold Muller Rice, when they could simply buy bigger/cheaper cans! I guess that's marketing for you ... put 1/5th of a tin in a pot, charge 4x the price, give it a snazzy name .... fools suckered in :)

    Here's the DM's article on what the "public on the street" thought in taste tests:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-4725116/Tried-Tasted-judges-blind-test-English-Breakfast-tea.html

    Looks like I'm in luck, no easy to reach Aldi near here, but I do like Ambrosia which I normally find at 50p somewhere. I've tried the cheaper ones, like Smart Price, and find they are sloppier than the Ambrosia, so stick with that for the moment, not that I eat much of it anyway

    The planned bacon egg chips beans mushrooms for dinner worked after a fashion. I had wanted fried eggs, but a yolk popped as I broke them, hate popped yolks, thus it became another mushroom omelette, with bacon etc

    Still room for stewed apple & yoghurt later
    Eight out of ten owners who expressed a preference said their cats preferred other peoples gardens
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,089 Forumite
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    edited 8 August 2017 at 7:13PM
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    I think for me there are a number of underlying reasons for having a good stock and variety of food to hand. I like to eat what I fancy but can't pop to the shops and probably with hindsight could have planned better for becoming CFO:o. I think as well there is a legacy from my chilhood, while we were fed well there was seldom any food choice. My Mum used sit on a Thurday evening and plan every meal for the next week which was then bought the next day. So apart from dry goods all the food in the house had a meal attached to it for the next week. In retrospect she did an amazing job on a very small budget but sometimes it got a bit wearing knowing on a Thursday evening what would be in your packed lunch the following Friday! If I decided to, or finance dictated, between my freezers and cupboards I could probably feed myself for at least 4 months without buying anything.:o:o Would it be interesting or "healthy" probably not but I reckon I could get the relevant calories each day. However, thankfully I don't need to do that (at the moment though if my work situation doesn't resolve itself shortly who knows:eek:). I also like to bulk buy most of my meat on-line. It works out as cheap (sometimes cheaper) as the SMs and the quality is great so works for me but it does add to the freezer load. One of our local butchers has started offering a local home delivery service, however although their stuff is excellent they are very expensive so not for me;)
  • caronc
    caronc Posts: 8,089 Forumite
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    PS - if you like Mueller rice this is a very good HM cheat for it, just use any yoghurt you like. My friend who follows SW diet makes this by the gallon using vanilla flavoured yoghurt and it does taste very similar. http://www.fatboysdiet.com/slimming-world-friendly-muller-rice-syn-free
  • PasturesNew
    PasturesNew Posts: 70,698 Forumite
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    edited 8 August 2017 at 7:32PM
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    Rice Pud: 39p.... I went, I bought, I nuked, I ate....

    It's nice. I'd already decided that the 4ldi 20p Rice Pud was the nicest "cheapo" cans I'd tried - and I don't think I could tell the difference between the 20p cans and the 39p cans to be honest.

    To really know I'd need to open/taste both side by side - and that won't happen.

    I won't bother buying another 39p one, simply because I personally find the 20p one nice enough.

    While I was in 4ldi .... I cruised past the frozen burgers and mulled.... beef burgers, or lamb/mint, or jalapeno/beef .... or try the aberdeen angus ones.... and I didn't know. So I grabbed the lamb/mint ones anyway.
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