| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Sweet dreams. I just got up from resting awhile, myself.
I have to take the dogs out, apparently.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I know how you feel. I love cooking, but when I work until late there are days I don't feel like doing it. That days I get home so hungry that I could eat anything as long as I don't have to cook it.Whenever I make Macaroni and Cheese I prefer real cheese and not the vile orange powder they put in the boxes. The last time I made it, I used Velveta cheese, a bag of Kraft shredded Sharp Cheddar, and a bit of Grated Parmesan cheese.
Did you say "prefer real cheese" in one sentence, and then "used velveeta" in another?
I have to take the dogs out, apparently.
Just returned from that. I'm sweating. In March. This should not be happening.
I like to think I am a decent cook, but between my recent work schedule, teeny tiny studio kitchen, and generally feeling down in the dumps lately, a large chunk of my diet seems to consist of frozen pizza and meals that are very simple to prep like hotdogs and mac and cheese :(
I like to think I am a decent cook, but between my recent work schedule, teeny tiny studio kitchen, and generally feeling down in the dumps lately, a large chunk of my diet seems to consist of frozen pizza and meals that are very simple to prep like hotdogs and mac and cheese :(
I know exactly how you feel. I've been eating a lot of those things for the down in the dumps aspect of my life. Depression and a migraine are two things that don't go great together.
Takes time and money to eat well.
Mostly it takes time. I'm a serious cook, but I only spend about $40 a week on food. You can buy a lot of food (including meat) but you have to be an intense sales shopper and have a bit of space for a pantry when the sales are extra good.
If I had more money and less time, I would spend more, but this works for me. I've been doing it since I was a college student, so I've got the process honed pretty well. I've even taught local classes because so many folks think it can't be done. I have an old Blogger blog lying around if anyone wants to PM me for the link
I know how you feel. I love cooking, but when I work until late there are days I don't feel like doing it. That days I get home so hungry that I could eat anything as long as I don't have to cook it.Whenever I make Macaroni and Cheese I prefer real cheese and not the vile orange powder they put in the boxes. The last time I made it, I used Velveta cheese, a bag of Kraft shredded Sharp Cheddar, and a bit of Grated Parmesan cheese.
This is pretty good & fairly quick for easy mac & cheese: 3-Ingredient Stovetop Mac & Cheese. Since my evaporated milk always comes in 5 oz cans, I reduce the cheese and pasta down to 5 oz portions too. And I add in a generous sprinkling of red chili flakes in with the evaporated milk. The bad part is I'm then likely to attempt to eat the whole batch in one sitting (and then feel uncomfortable full afterward).
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Mostly it takes time. I'm a serious cook, but I only spend about $40 a week on food. You can buy a lot of food (including meat) but you have to be an intense sales shopper and have a bit of space for a pantry when the sales are extra good.
I wish I had a bigger freezer than just the one over my fridge. If you have a standalone freezer, you can spend one day a week prepping & cooking up meals, and then freezing the leftovers in meal-sized portions for quick reheating throughout the rest of the week or later in the month.
You can also use it to stock up on meat when it's on sale, or when it's reduced by the market/butcher for quick sale when it's close to spoiling. My little freezer is crammed full of chicken thighs & wings, portioned out bacon, and handmade hamburger patties (I always make mine to 1/4 lb size, so they are "pre-measured" for browning and breaking up into stuff like tacos and chili).
My general strategy is to cook a good amount of food (I live alone) on Sunday, and then try to get at least 3-4 meals out of it. during the week I supplement that with eating out or frozen meals.
Things are looking up in my life at least, so it looks like I might get a normal kitchen in my future and a bit of a pay upgrade. Although my work schedule will get even crazier, so we will see how that goes.
Good morning, World!
I cook big ammounts of many things and then I freeze them so I always have my own pre-cooked stuff.
There are many things that don't get ruined by doing it.
I also make my own sauces.
I don't think cooking is expensive, if you know how to buy right it's cheaper and tastier than to buy cooked stuff.
Always remember who you are. your gonna break out the lion king now eh?
I buy ingredients and then make them the same day as often as possible im picky. I rarely have left-overs. it is probably not the cheap way to go about it...
I don't like leftovers either... But with lentils, baked beans, etc. They are often better when reheated so I cook a big ammount and then portion them and freeze them. They are even better the second time!
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I learned to portion meals down to 1 or 2 person batches. I dont do left overs really, and im not into frozen. The result is buying food everyother day. Its easy to do since I live in an urban area with many options. I could save buying in bulk but id rather spend more to have fresh.
That's what I like to do too with the exceptions I mentioned. I live in an urban area with many options and near rural areas and not so far of fishing ports so I get very good quality, fresh and cheap products by buying local.
I am lucky that here there is such a good local product in vegetables, pork and beef, fish and seafood.
And bread, of course. You know I love bread. I don't like a lot white bread (well, I do but it's not my favorite), here the bread is made by mixing a small amount of rye flour with the wheat flour, which gives the bread a special flavor and a bit more moist texture.
By the way, I found 100% maple syrup in the international food section. I'm probably buying it soon.
ooo jealous.
I realize I'm late to the party, but waffles are gimmicky.
Pancakes are the real deal.
Waffles = gimmick
Pancakes = integrity
I'll look for recipes to use it. I like going creative with ingredients.
My milk and berries spongecake came out from experimenting and it has become one of my favorite spongecake recipes ever.
Sounds tasty! As always, I'd probably add my variations to the recipe, but it looks great.
I always beat the egg white separately and add it later because it has a much better texture like that.
I learned to portion meals down to 1 or 2 person batches. I dont do left overs really, and im not into frozen. The result is buying food everyother day. Its easy to do since I live in an urban area with many options. I could save buying in bulk but id rather spend more to have fresh.
That's pretty much what we do. Keep the basics (and lunch food) stocked up and go to store for protein, dairy, and fruits and vegetables every couple of days.
But we have 4 grocery stores (including two with the best butcher departments in the state, and a fresh produce shop (and wine and cheese store) within a mile of home.
Which always helps. :-)
Here it's common to have a big store like 2 streets away everywhere, so no big issue for shopping.
*sits here munching on Cheez-its because he can't get anyone to give him a ride to the store to buy actual food.*
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
In case you want a full body workout.
Walk two beagles.
They're constantly pulling at the end of their respective leashes, sniffing. And refuse to follow the same trail, except every fifty feet or so when they insist on criss crossing, preferably while also wrapping me around two sign posts and a tree tree.
In case you want a full body workout.
Walk two beagles.
They're constantly pulling at the end of their respective leashes, sniffing. And refuse to follow the same trail, except every fifty feet or so when they insist on criss crossing, preferably while also wrapping me around two sign posts and a tree tree.
I have a pitbull mix and a Plott hound mix. Both about 75 pounds. One always walks in front pulling (the Plott hound) and the pibble walks behind stopping without warning to sniff at things. And because he's behind me I never see him in time to get a second to prepare for the sudden stop. And they crisscross the leads, too. I know your pain.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I don't like leftovers either... But with lentils, baked beans, etc. They are often better when reheated so I cook a big ammount and then portion them and freeze them. They are even better the second time!
Curries or stews are always tastier the day (or a day or two) after.
What I generally do on a weekly basis is cook my own patented stew:
Fry garlic in oil in the bottom of a large, heavy pot. Add chopped up cooking bacon and a spoonful of cumin seeds, plus two or three spoonfuls of (smoked) paprika, and leave to brown. Add chopped (hard) sausage, if you like.
After a couple of minutes, add sliced potatoes, one chopped onion, one chopped leek and a sliced bunch of spring onions. Leave to clarify while you chop up a portion of green beans and a quantity of mushrooms.
Drain and wash a can apiece of red (kidney) beans and sweetcorn. Once you think the onions, etc, have fried for long enough, add the above.
Add two cans of chopped tomatoes, filling the empty cans with cold water and topping the mixture up with that - a third canful may be necessary.
Add the chopped beans and mushrooms. Stir.
Season with chili flakes, tomato puree, mixed herbs, black pepper, lemon juice, and either Henderson's Relish or Worcestershire Sauce (pretty much the same thing, though I prefer the former), but NEVER BOTH, as that means instant death.
Before leaving to simmer for 1-2 hours, add some green peas and a quantity of red lentils - I generally shake them out of the jar until I reach a count of 21 and then stop.
Which I eat at lunch, having a sandwich and some fruit & veg in the evening.
Sounds delicious! I'm trying it and I'll tell you how it came out.
I have some red beans dying out of boredom so I have to cook them.
I love leftovers.
I'm looking forward to BBQ season. Tomorrow someone is giving me an oryx roast.
I also like variety. When I was a child sometimes I had to eat the same thing 3 consecutive days and I hated it.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
I like variety, but I'm also capable of eating the same thing multiple times.
One of my favorites is to make pulled pork, a whole shoulder, just for myself. Then, I use the pork as my protein for a bunch of easy to put together meals. Tacos, non-traditional eggs benedict, BBQ sandwiches, etc. Since I cook for just me, most of the time, it saves me a lot of effort for a few days.
I haven't done a brisket since July 4th weekend and I really, really want to do another one.
|
|
I like variety, but I'm also capable of eating the same thing multiple times.
One of my favorites is to make pulled pork, a whole shoulder, just for myself. Then, I use the pork as my protein for a bunch of easy to put together meals. Tacos, non-traditional eggs benedict, BBQ sandwiches, etc. Since I cook for just me, most of the time, it saves me a lot of effort for a few days.
I haven't done a brisket since July 4th weekend and I really, really want to do another one.
This I can get behind. I got a friend with a 50gallon ugly drum smoker. He will smoke me up a pork shoulder and ill spend a week making it into delicious meals.
What I cant do is make 5 gallons of chilli on sunday and eat it for the rest of the week.
Re: chili, get creative. Make 5 gallons of the "base chili", then, while still hot enough to melt stuff but not so hot as to melt containers, dole them into meals with meltable ingredients: cream cheese, shredded cheeses, assorted pastas, various cooked beans, supplemental flavoring spices and so on.
I like variety, but I'm also capable of eating the same thing multiple times.
One of my favorites is to make pulled pork, a whole shoulder, just for myself. Then, I use the pork as my protein for a bunch of easy to put together meals. Tacos, non-traditional eggs benedict, BBQ sandwiches, etc. Since I cook for just me, most of the time, it saves me a lot of effort for a few days.
I haven't done a brisket since July 4th weekend and I really, really want to do another one.
This I can get behind. I got a friend with a 50gallon ugly drum smoker. He will smoke me up a pork shoulder and ill spend a week making it into delicious meals.
What I cant do is make 5 gallons of chilli on sunday and eat it for the rest of the week.
I can't eat it for a whole week either. 2-3 meals is usually my limit before I need something else. With something like chili, I'd rather freeze it in smaller portions, and have chili once a week for 5-6 weeks.
Tip for freezing soups: you can store it in ziplock bags, but put a thin sheet of cardboard or paper between each bag. This prevents them from freezing into locking patterns that are hard to separate.
Re: chili, get creative. Make 5 gallons of the "base chili", then, while still hot enough to melt stuff but not so hot as to melt containers, dole them into meals with meltable ingredients: cream cheese, shredded cheeses, assorted pastas, various cooked beans, supplemental flavoring spices and so on.And then, put on top of cooked Ramen. Mix it with cooked Rice or Pasta topped with a good amount of grated Parmesan. Wrap the Chili and Rice in a flour Tortilla for a "Chili Buritto," and so on.
Exactly! grins
I have never cooked chili nor tried a good one. There are a couple of mexican restaurants here but they are not very good.
Chili is Mexican influenced, but it isn't a Mexican dish. No region of Mexico claims it, nor do the locals of any region make it themselves. You could say it's Mexican in that it comes from the formerly Mexican region of Texas, I guess.
Hmmm... So Chili con Carne is not mexican?
I'm never making fun again of foreigners coming to Spain and ordering tacos. I made the same mistake xD
So, uh, what do you eat in Spain?