Jane Plan 03/08/22

[loveallthingsitalian]

I can cook everything but there is only the 2 of us and there are some things we only eat very little of so I just buy them ready prepared A very small spoonful of mashed potatoes is more than enough so it’s not worth boiling and mashing once a week as w3 eat very little spuds.

Mr L doesn't like soup except for a small bowl of pea and ham once in a while so again I just buy ready prepared .

Years ago I made everything from scratch including pasta but now I don’t feel the least bit guilty in taking short cuts.

 

[boffy]

I went to secondary school in the 70's and we learned how to make everything from scratch. Bread, biscuits, stews, pastry the lot. When I had a family those Home economics lessons saved me a fortune. I had very little money but my daughters ate very well. I budgeted strictly and every 2 years I took my daughters to the most amazing holidays with the money I saved. We had very little. But I considered it a worth while experience.

 

[Grizelda]

My young neighbour can't peel potatoes. Says she just can't get to grips with how to do it. Mash is bought ready made from Morrys, chips are frozen ones and boiled pots also ready cooked from Morrys. We had to learn how to make them all when we were young. We were expected to and we did what we were told.

Nothing wrong I suppose with ready made if you're rushing or been at work all day, but she doesn't work. The 6 year old is at school all day and the 3 year old is at nursery in the mornings. Lunch is a delivered McDonalds. I make everything myself and have a takeaway once a flood.

Sounds to me like your young neighbour is making excuses about the potato peeler. Peeling vegetables takes no skill, so could she be plain old lazy?

 

[donna255]

The peeling of potatoes makes me think of the ad for Smash in childhood.

They peel them with their metal knives. The tin aliens laughing.

Back in the 80s, I used to make curries, chilli and all sorts from scratch I had a small slow cooker to make it in the mornings before work and cooked when I got home. Hell, I make white sauce for homemade lasagne and no, my sauce was never lumpy. Not in a slow cooker, of course. First big error when my parents died was trying to make soup, I got a ham bone from the butcher and did not realize you had to boil it for hours before putting the veg in. After that, it was a stock cube used.

I make scramble egg in the microwave, I am a little weird about it, very little milk goes in. In fact, you could cut it with a knife. Hate watery scramble egg. Porridge is another one, my granny who was a Scot made it in a double pot, and it was solid and that is how I like mine even today. I buy the ready packets but have to let it sit until it goes really thick. Friends make it and I swear it is like soup, so much milk used.

 

[Toril]

I hate to admit this but I don’t peel potatoes. I scrub them clean and then boil or roast them because the skins are apparently good for you. Well, they haven’t killed me off yet.

 

[SisterBliss]

Another thing is they stopped doing cookery glasses in schools years back. So loads do not even know how to boil pasta or rice.

It's called 'food tech' now. Cooking i sinvolved.

My young neighbour can't peel potatoes. Says she just can't get to grips with how to do it. Mash is bought ready made from Morrys, chips are frozen ones and boiled pots also ready cooked from Morrys. We had to learn how to make them all when we were young. We were expected to and we did what we were told.

Nothing wrong I suppose with ready made if you're rushing or been at work all day, but she doesn't work. The 6 year old is at school all day and the 3 year old is at nursery in the mornings. Lunch is a delivered McDonalds. I make everything myself and have a takeaway once a flood.

Not being able to peel a spud is weak rhetoric. havethem peel on - not that bad at all & healthier

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I hate to admit this but I don’t peel potatoes. I scrub them clean and then boil or roast them because the skins are apparently good for you. Well, they haven’t killed me off yet.

Apart from mash I eat the skins and all.

I’ll fess up when I do baked potatoes or wedges I microwave them whole, skins on, first then spray them with light oil and seasoning and put them in the oven for 20 mins which I would do only if I was roasting something else as well. I can’t be arsed baking something for 2 hours which ends up with skin like leather plus I hate the smell of baked potatoes. Remember those baked potato carts that used to be in shopping centres about 20 years ago, the smell made me gag and I had to get out into the fresh air. I’ve never bought a baked potato and certainly never ate one with the likes of baked beans on them!

 

[Patsy]

Always make ours in the microwave.


I like my eggs slightly underdone.

Same here.

 

[candycane]

Bry loves scrambled eggs so I make them for him once a week as a treat. He doesn't care how they are cooked!

I used to get a Spud U Like on the way home from the pub (baked potato) and have either chilli or haggis and neeps on it. Yum, I could do with one now!

It seems to be the thing with young people (my nephew and girlfriend for one) that you don't cook now. You just order a Just Eat or Deliveroo for tea. Every day. That's a lot of money. We cook from scratch every day and get a takeaway on pay day.

CC

 

[ERICS MUM]

Mum went to a cookery “evening school” before she was married, so early 1950’s. When we were kids in the 1960’s she cooked from scratch, nutritious meals even if a tad repetitive - I could tell you the day of the week according to what we had for dinner.

She taught the 3 of us how to cook. My brother taught his 3 and one of his daughters now teaches her 3. Her boys aged 8 and 5 can make beans on toast, boil an egg and generally help her prepare veg etc.

I still have Mum’s exercise book from her cookery classes, I like to see her writing. It’s older than me, at least 68 years old.

I live alone and find cooking from scratch a faff - I find it expensive to buy small amounts of ingreeedjunts (to quote AY) or I end up eating the same meal until they’ve all gone.

I get M&S prepared meals and just cook veg/pasta/rice to go with. M&S are nutritious and good size portions. I’ve tried other brands of ready meals but not found one yet to equal theirs.

 

[boffy]

I live alone and find cooking from scratch a faff - I find it expensive to buy small amounts of ingreeedjunts (to quote AY) or I end up eating the same meal until they’ve all gone.

I get M&S prepared meals and just cook veg/pasta/rice to go with. M&S are nutritious and good size portions. I’ve tried other brands of ready meals but not found one yet to equal theirs.

I agree. I have a local M&S and get loads for just over £1.00 if I go the right time and they freeze well. I do cook if I feel the urge.

 

[Toril]

I live alone as well, but do cook for myself. In winter I often batch cook, freeze it and then it’s a quick blast in the microwave. At weekends, if I’m not away, I do something quick and easy and occasionally have a ready meal.

However, I’ve only had a hot meal a couple of times since May because I’m choosing to have salad for my evening meal. In warm weather I don’t want the oven on and if I do make a hot meal it’s done on the hob.

I do like M&S food but only get it if I’ve received a gift card because I personally think it’s too expensive for what it is when there are other brands that are just as tasty, in my opinion. Thankfully I could afford to shop there but I choose not to,

 

[Brissles]

I'm alone too, but the past couple of years I've had a "can't be arsed" attitude, and just settle for a boiled egg and toast for a meal. I love a roast dinner but its 2 hours in the making, 10 minutes to eat and a load of washing up just for me. M & S single dinners are just enough for me, so whether its age and a reducing appetite I don't know. Yesterday it was a fresh roll with bacon, lettuce and tomato, and that did me for the day - and an ice cream at tea time.

A friend did try the Jane Plan, but she said the range comprised of a a lot of 'stews' with different flavourings to make it either a curry or hot pot, which were watery, and only the small packet snacks were ok.

 

[Grizelda]

I've never had a ready meal, except the ones you get on an aircraft, and you only eat those because you're bored. You can get packs of cooked spinach, steamed rice, and grilled vegetables in the supermarket here, but they are expensive. I live alone too, and hardly ever cook for myself. I've never had a take away meal either, except pizza. I don't feel deprived, but I would love someone to cook me a home-made, 3 course dinner. Fat chance that would happen!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I haven’t had a takeaway in over 30 years. It’s not so much that I’ve anything against them but I need my food to be piping hot and they would never be hot enough for me.

I have no idea how much multiple Just Eat etc would cost in a week but after my mum passed my Dad found buying and cooking for one meant having the same thing over a couple of days so he just ate at local cafes every day, different meal every day depending on what he fancied and then his Asda shop was really just tea bags, loaf etc to make a sandwich or beans on toast for tea. It worked out reasonably priced as he didn’t throw food out and it meant he got up, showered and went out to meet people every day.

I don’t know what it is but I seem to have lost my appetite this last few weeks but unfortunately it hasn’t resulted in any weight off.

 

[Brissles]

LATI my appetite disappearance coincided with the beginning of lockdown, and it really hasn't picked up since - like you I seem to be the same size. I even had an endoscopy to check for any nasties, but apart from gall stones and removal of gall bladder, thankfully all was well. I could eat, BUT its more a case of 'not fancying', and I might have a Chinese once a month for ease.

I certainly wouldn't have all this stuff from Deliveroo or Just Eat which a hell of a lot of people rely on. I saw a documentary once on where a lot of this stuff is prepared on desolate industrial estates, and you would have to wipe your feet on the way out !!!! so I'll stick with a tin of soup or baked beans !!!

 

[stratobuddy]

This is picking out various points from the above posts.

I very rarely have a takeaway, even though it is only a 10 minute walk to a Pizza chain (I've never had a cooked pizza from anywhere), a chippie (very expensive, over £10 for basic F&C), an Indian (the portions are twice as much as I want) and a Chinese.

The Chinese is manned by 2 or 3 primary school children, with their parents cooking around the back. And just by coincidence, the story on BBC radio 4 is a true story about a child brought up in that environment who spent all her non-school time working there. It is very interesting. Here is a link - - -

Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter by Angela Hui - The Counter - BBC Sounds

Angela Hui remembers growing up at the counter of her parents’ Chinese takeaway in Wales.

www.bbc.co.uk

I buy part-baked rolls from Lidl, just heat up in the oven for about 8 minutes, delicious; actually I use my Ninja Foodi as it doesn't need to pre-heat. I was given a breadmaker, but although it was nice to have fresh bread, it went stale so quickly that most of it had to be thrown away. I am looking to give it away to someone who will use it, now I use the Lidl rolls instead.

I "cook" loads of curries, but TBH they all come out of a jar or a packet for the basic sauce (eg Patak Madras or Jalfrezi) and I just add to it eg veg, eggs, meat etc. I am making Madras Curried Eggs for tea today. I don't have rice with it as it would then be too much for me, although I do cook rice for other meals. However, I stongly recommend microwave rice, it only takes 2 minutes. Lidl (my nearest dhop) have various types eg plain, pilau, egg fried, Mexican etc and it's very economical (about 35P for a generous portion).

Otherwise I tend to have snacks for lunch, such as crisps. I've just had a large portion of roasted salted cashews, for example.

Otherwise, it is tinned or frozen food for me.

And I have 1/3 litre of home-made yogurt 3 times every day after meals.

 

[Brissles]

Strato, the curry sauces I buy are the ones where there are spices in the plastic lid - Sainsbury's own are good. Once the chicken, onion or whatever is cooked in the pan, I chuck the spices over it for a couple of minutes then pour in the sauce - they do make a difference. And yep I only use microwave rice, cooked for minutes then I throw it in the pan with the chicken to give it a fried rice taste ! What parent can't do that is beyond me.

 

[Grizelda]

This is picking out various points from the above posts.

I very rarely have a takeaway, even though it is only a 10 minute walk to a Pizza chain (I've never had a cooked pizza from anywhere), a chippie (very expensive, over £10 for basic F&C), an Indian (the portions are twice as much as I want) and a Chinese.

The Chinese is manned by 2 or 3 primary school children, with their parents cooking around the back. And just by coincidence, the story on BBC radio 4 is a true story about a child brought up in that environment who spent all her non-school time working there. It is very interesting. Here is a link - - -

Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood Behind the Counter by Angela Hui - The Counter - BBC Sounds

Angela Hui remembers growing up at the counter of her parents’ Chinese takeaway in Wales.

www.bbc.co.uk

I buy part-baked rolls from Lidl, just heat up in the oven for about 8 minutes, delicious; actually I use my Ninja Foodi as it doesn't need to pre-heat. I was given a breadmaker, but although it was nice to have fresh bread, it went stale so quickly that most of it had to be thrown away. I am looking to give it away to someone who will use it, now I use the Lidl rolls instead.

I "cook" loads of curries, but TBH they all come out of a jar or a packet for the basic sauce (eg Patak Madras or Jalfrezi) and I just add to it eg veg, eggs, meat etc. I am making Madras Curried Eggs for tea today. I don't have rice with it as it would then be too much for me, although I do cook rice for other meals. However, I stongly recommend microwave rice, it only takes 2 minutes. Lidl (my nearest dhop) have various types eg plain, pilau, egg fried, Mexican etc and it's very economical (about 35P for a generous portion).

Otherwise I tend to have snacks for lunch, such as crisps. I've just had a large portion of roasted salted cashews, for example.

Otherwise, it is tinned or frozen food for me.

And I have 1/3 litre of home-made yogurt 3 times every day after meals.

Bread and butter pudding is a good way to use left over bread, also bread pudding. They are winter 'nursery tea' type things and stick to your ribs in cold weather. There is a Lidel shop in a town about 30 mins drive from where I live, but since I drive a 3-wheeler Api, I'm a bit leery of making the 'long' trip. I know they sell own brand baked beans and lots of German products, also long, English cukes, that I can't get in a regular supermarket. I could take a taxi, I suppose and ask the driver to wait, but that would be a bit self indulgent. I like curry, too, but the smell seems to hang around for ever.

 

[Grizelda]

LATI my appetite disappearance coincided with the beginning of lockdown, and it really hasn't picked up since - like you I seem to be the same size. I even had an endoscopy to check for any nasties, but apart from gall stones and removal of gall bladder, thankfully all was well. I could eat, BUT its more a case of 'not fancying', and I might have a Chinese once a month for ease.

I certainly wouldn't have all this stuff from Deliveroo or Just Eat which a hell of a lot of people rely on. I saw a documentary once on where a lot of this stuff is prepared on desolate industrial estates, and you would have to wipe your feet on the way out !!!! so I'll stick with a tin of soup or baked beans !!!

The newspaper reported that Boris and his new wife spent a lot, really a lot, on food deliveries during lockdown. It was mostly from a ritzy farm, the same farm that provided the food for his wedding celebration. They also had an abundance of deliveries from gourmet Thai restaurants. None of your 'Just Eat' or 'Deliveroo' for them!