General Chat

Welcome to Sharron and Thanks to you and for your entries. Sharron please stay win us we have lots of fun and chat and if stuck for what to make on any particular day a quick look usually inspires!

I have been printing most of the recipies, have to do it one st s time because I do not know how to do otherwise. I have two larege folders which I am putting them in and on some I am adding my view of who they work out. So if anyone does not want their name in my book/ folder please let me know.

Not quite Mrs Beetons but I thought that my grandchildren might find it useful.

Today I finally made the Boiled Christmas Cake and as it was cooking it smelt delicious. I licked the spoon and the raw cake tasted good.....
I am not going to marzipan or ice this one as we do not like it, so any other ideas will be considered.

We are out tomorrow for our Christmas meal at the localy which we called "Tinsel and Mistletoe." there will be some raffles etc so plenty of fun as well.

Lasagne and salad for our main meal today,, fruit smoothy for Breakfast and have no idea what to have for supper....any suggestions???

The sky is just turning pink which I suspect means more rain but not like a few days ago.

Bye bye for now,

Best wishes to you all

Bridget :-D

WHY NOT ROAST THE REST OF THE PORK- CUT IT UP AND MAKE A CURRY SAUCE, TO HAVE WITH PINEAPPLE RICE--I USE COCONUT MILK INSTEAD OF WATER IN RICE GIVES A SWEETER TASTE

SHIRLX

I don't think I have put it on this thread but we came upon what has turned into my dad's favourite lunch by accident.

Cut and butter a stale cheese roll.Put in some cheese as if you were making a fresh roll to eat, Put it in the microwave for a minute.
That's it.

I like to put some sliced onion in mine.

And I thought I was up early !!!!!!!!! Bridget I think greowin up with parents who had survived the war instilled a different message into us...of waste not want not.Fortunately my daughter has also taken this message onboard, and her new hubbie also. They make stock from chicken carcasses and freeze, then use for risotto and the like. Perhaps that is what is missing from some childrens lives now.

Here follows a favourite of my OH

Dads favourite supper.

serves 4

750g new potatoes (tho I have used old ones) 8 saus. 1 tBsp orange marmalade, thick cut is best. 2 tBsp wholegrain mustard1/4 pt cider and a few rosemary sprigs.

Roast the potatoes by drizzling with olive oil cook for 10 mins at 180oC
Then add the sausages and put in between the pots, roast for a further 15 mins, half way turn the saus over. Make the saus by gently heating the cider,mustard and marmalade in a pan, reduce until thick
Then when saus nearly cooked pour over sauce, scatter the rosemary on top and cook for a further 10 mins until golden brown and sticky with the glaze. Lovely

I made Tuna fishcakes last night very quick and also very delicious

Serves 2

Baking potatoes about 300g, cook and scoop out flesh into a bowl.Mash in 2 tBsp Tartare sauce, 1 red onion chopped very finely, and when smooth add the tuna (a 185g tin in brine). Season. add one egg yolk. mix again then make into 4 fishcakes. Cook in a frying pan with a little oil, or if you do not want the extra calories, put onto non stick baking paper on a tray and cook in the oven. Serve with coleslaw and a few chips, or a good salae.


Have a good weekend Jan

Good morning to everyone.

Greenfingers we obviously had the same lesson from our parents. I nearly always double up on food from simple meals upwards. Today I shal be cooking two cakes at the same time. As they are Christmas Cakes with a good dose of Brandy they will last for at least a year if that could ever happen in my house. I will decorate one for Christmas and the other will not be decorated. May use it at Easter or next Christmas. Who knows but at least we are "prepared.
We have a small freezer upstairs which is our main living area and then down stairs, the visitors quarters , we have a large freezer. So no problem with storage.

Not much to say at tne moment so will finish my coffee and put the cake into the oven.

Bye for now, hope everyone is well, I will be back this evening.

Bridget

A suggestion for saving money, is to make double of a recipe...for instance, chilli, spagettie sauce, sheps pie, macoroni cheese ..... it is just a easy to make double as it is to make one meal..Use one and freeze one...

Congratulations to Jan, for being the first person on this page, and only a week ago I thought we had come to a full stop.

I really like the idea of Trying to find fairly cheap ways of ensuring that our family, or indeed just ourselves to eat healthily and as cheaply as possible.
It seems to me that we have a responsibility to be prudent and to teach our children and grandchildren that we can all cook healthy and good food. Now and again of course we all need to " splash out" for a favourite day or celebration.

Going to do some cake making today, so keeping my fingers crossed that my new oven works well as I do not have a manual. I looked on line but Miele have hundreds of ovens and I do not know the number of this one .......

Enjoy your cooking every one

Bridget

Wow just realised we are on a new page !!

Bridget

you could use mixed spice or cinnamon, I think allspice can be a little over powering.

In this recession times I have been looking at some of my mums recipe books

For instance

Corned Beef Balls

serves 4

1 tbsp grated onion, 1 tsp curry powder, 6 oz corned beef finely dice, 1/2 teacup of breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, a little milk.

Heat some oil in a pan and dry fry the onion, stir in curry powder, cook for a minute add the corned beef , breadcrumbs and worcester sauce. When cool roll into balls coat with milk and roll in some dry breadcrumbs. Can be eaten cold, but delicious when reheated with a tomato sauce and some pasta


Bacon and Egg Pie

This is my updated version

I packet shortcrust pastry, 5 eggs hard boiled, 4 slices bacon, 1 onion sliced and diced and sweated in a pan (or microwave). 200mls milk and 2 eggs.

Line a 9inch pie dish or flan dish with pastry, leaving some for lid. roughly chop eggs, top with cooked bacon which has been diced.(you could be lazy and used cubed pancetta or lardons) then top with onion. whisk milk and 2 eggs together and pour over top, then add lid. Cook for approx 45 mins at 195oC, or until the centre is set. I also used some grated cheese in this and it was lovely.....and just as nice cold the next day

Incidentally anyone who made the beetroot chutney I posted, try it now, it is really scrummy !!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I will make it again, I might try during the winter when I run out, the recipe with those vac packed beetroots you can get.

Regards Jan

Hi Bridget

I did not put allspice in mine, I have made 4 small ones 1 as been eaten by visitors and one I have given to a friend, will probably make a couple more so easy and such a good cake the best recipe I have tried in a long time.

cheers Annabel

Annabel.
I am going to make the boiled Christmas, the only thing I do not have is the allspice and have never seen it here in Spain.

On Christmas day we shal be joining some other Brits and eating in the English Bar, it is great fun, excellent food and the atmosphere is " tidings of comfort and joy" but on Boxing day we enjoy just being together.
So I have to try and think of more of a Romantic Meal for two which will not break the bank and will be healthy. The only consideration is OH does not like fish, OK with smoked salmon.
So please could I have a few suggestions, thank you.

OH decided about six weeks ago that we both needed to loose weight, we didn't need scales to tell us this!! I was having to wear size 22 and even larger for some personal clothing! OH could not get into any of his decent clothes or shirts etc.

OH is 5ft, 8 and I am 5ft,1 1/2.
Our approach is this...... We eat twice a day, as follows.

Coffee or Tea when we get up, then OH checks the garden to make sure that weeds etc are kept at bay, and as most of you know our garden is on three levels, he also monitors the pool, takes Jet & Joe for a 1O minute walk then gives them their breakfast. Meanwhile I do a few chores.
We have a brunch at around 11 to 12 and this can be as large as a full English breakfast to a couple of boiled eggs, or a bacon sandwich.
Sometimes it will be any leftovers from the night before.
We have a medium size glass of a smoothy which can be of a variety of fruits, pineapple, apples, pears, banana, kiwi, etc.

We have our main meal in the evening, meat, lots of veg, etc and more fruit if we want it.
To our surprise we have both lost enough weight that friends are committing on it, a pair of my trousers fell down last Friday, thank goodness I was at home!!
OH is already able to wear some of his shirts, can now wear some of his lovely jackets and we both feel so much better.

Yesterday I had a wonderful comment from a friend who had been back in the UK for three weeks.. " Bridget, your neck is looking so much smaller, and you have lost weight, keep it up and you will look like your old self very soon!!

Now some of you who know how seriously distressed last year and at the earlier part of this year, will know what this achievement will mean to me. At that time I lost weight because I had stopped eating and only drank water for two or three months, but once back home OH incisted that this had to stop.

So keep those excellent recipies coming, because good food is more filling than poor food, we learn from each other and it is fun.

Should we try to choose the Recipe of the year, from all the entices on here??

Bridget

:-)

BOILED CHRISTMAS CAKE ***** ( I MAKE 2 SMALL CAKES YUM VERY MOIST )
175g butter , chopped
200g dark muscovado sugar
750g mixed dried fruits ( including chopped dates and glacé cherries I make my own mix up as I do not like peel )
finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
100ml/3½ fl oz cherry brandy or brandy plus 4tbsp more
3 large eggs , lightly beaten
85g ground almonds
200g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice

Put the sugar, fruit, zests, juice and 100ml/3½fl oz brandy in a large pan, i soak mine over night, add butter bring slowly to the boil, stirring until the butter has melted. Reduce the heat and bubble for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for 30 minutes or longer

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150C/gas 2/ fan 130C and line the cake tin. Stir the eggs, and ground almonds into the fruit mixture and mix well. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the pan. Stir in gently, until there are no traces of flour left.
Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth it down evenly - you will find this is easiest with the back of a metal spoon which has been dipped into boiling water.
Bake for 45 minutes, then turn down the heat to 140C/gas 1/ fan120C and cook for a further 1-1¼ hours (about a further 1¾ hours if you have a gas oven) until the cake is dark golden in appearance and firm to the touch. Cover the top of the cake with foil if it starts to darken too much. To check the cake is done, insert a fine skewer into the centre - if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked.
Make holes all over the warm cake with a fine skewer and spoon the extra 4tbsp brandy over the holes until it has all soaked in. Leave the cake to cool in the tin. When it's cold, remove it from the tin, peel off the lining paper, then wrap first in baking parchment and then in foil. The cake will keep in a cupboard for up to three months or you can freeze it for six months. :-) :-)

Having been approached by a few people I have been quite moved by their comments so have decided to try to keep the thread alive.

So please felel free to add as many entries as you can. I will be adding some in the next few days.
From
Bridget who is feeling rather happy.

:-D <3

Oh dear,
I never expected that this thread would last so long, but now find myself feeling rather sad. No entries since the 7th and that was from me.

So sadly I say good bye, I hope that you have all found the messages helpful, fun, interesting etc. I have learnt a lot, hopefully given a few ideas etc.
The only thing is I had hoped that some one would give suggestions for cooking with a Slow cooker....

Bridget :-D :-( <3

Now, now Sharon, we enjoy all recipies being posted on here, so do not feel that your recipies are not worthwhile, using left overs etc is an intrinsic part of cooking and keeping our family and friends well feed.
For example, and I am fairly certain that it is on here somewhere, I still like the "dinner " my father used to make for my sister and I when our mother was very I'll., this was about 55 years ago.

Boil some potatoes, drain them and then crack two or three eggs into the potato and mash together. Add margarine, ( we could not afford butter unless
we were in Ireland ) mash again add salt and pepper and serv with crusty bread.

Later today I will add two more recipies, one for the £5.00 and one for the £10.00.

We loved it and when my children were unwell they enjoyed it as well, although by then I could play around with it by using some cream.

Please add more recipies.


Bridget. :-)

I didn't think it worthy of this thread. It;s not even a proper recipe.

Tastes alright though.

Yesterday I received an email from the friends of our son who is arriving today. She came to stay with us in the summer with her husband and promised to send a recipe that she uses a lot so here it is.

Sheb's Butter Chicken

2 chicken breasts
2 tsps ground Coriander,( Fresh is best but dried will work)
2 tsps Garam Masala
3/4 tsp of Chilli powder
2 tsps Ginger powder or crushed Ginger
3 to 4 crushed clove of Garlic
1/4 cup of Pasata sauce
1/2 cup of plain Yogurt
80 grams of Butter
2 small Onions
1 Cinnamon stick
4 -8 Cardamon Pods
3 tsps paprica powder
2 large tins of tomato puree
3/4 cup of Chicken Stock
1/2 to 1 cup of Cream or Creme Fraiche
2 tbs white wine vinegar.

Make a marinade from the yoghurt, pasata. garlic. garam mesala , chilli powder, ginger, white wine vinegar, marinade the chicken overnight if possible or for several hours.

Heat the butter in a pan and cook the onions, cardamon and ginger stick for ten minutes or until the onions are soft.
Add the chicken when the above are at room temperature to stop curdling. cook the chicken until it is sealed then add the remaining ingredients apart from the cream and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Check the chicken is cooked right through then stir in the cream before serving.
Just before serving sprinkle fresh coriander on the top.
Bridget

PS it is delicious

Taken from Sharon on her thread. I do not think she will mind. I have sent a message, just in case. Bridget

Make a bread pudding. Put it in a basin,Put that in the steamer until it is done and doesn't stick to a knife when it is stuck in.

I think it takes about an hour and a half.

Like most of what we eat, the bread pudding is what is hanging about in the bread bin with mixed fruit, soaked together overnight .

An egg or two, a bit of fat and some sugar and mixed spice
.
You have to squeeze the water out of the wet bread or you will spend the rest of your life cooking it. I keep some dry bread crumbs back in case I can't get the mix dry enough.

Thank you Sharon
from Bridget :-D

Jan,
Now the winter is definitely making it's way across Europe I am confident that more recipies will be posted.
In fact I promise to add at least two this week.

If anyone can think of a theme that would be great,

Maybe in these more difficult times we need to think sideways about a two or three course meal for four people at no more than £5.00, £ 10.00 and 15.00.

Please add any other ideas.

Also thinking about a complete Christmas Day menu for two people 4 to 6 people, 8 to twelve people.

I will start adding sometime this week.


Bridget, in Spain

For Halloween .. don't want to even try an explain it but here it is

http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2011/09/halloween-cake-in-a-jar.html

for the less ambitious one can make Gingerbread men and then with white icing ice a skeleton on to them.

Chocolate marshmallows, Ice two eyes on them and then make chocolate biscuits, break biscuits in half and then ice the marshmallow onto the two halves so they form bat wings.. they are easy little bats.

Persie