Earlier I took Captain Pyjamas out for his permitted one hour constitutional. We went in a shop for a couple of bits and there I spotted the most extraordinary sight so far: a woman wearing a percolator coffee filter as a face mask. Madame, it's not protecting you, but it is making you look ridiculous 😲
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, people are asked to stay at home, and couples who don't live together are asked not to see each other. I just had an email spam from Groupon. The subject was "Missing your favorite cock..."
It turned out to be cocktail abbreviated, which I'm sure disappoints some of you.
Thanks for the laugh - I needed it! <Just finished wiping the coffee off the computer screen...>
Piglet, we have just had cauliflower cheese and it was very good, except that I am out of bacon and I forgot to put the mustard in. I add hard boiled eggs to mine though.
I had za'atar coated roasted cauliflower "steaks" the other night. I'm not wasting cauliflower on vegan milk and cheese mix (otherwise known as dairy free).
I had za'atar coated roasted cauliflower "steaks" the other night. I'm not wasting cauliflower on vegan milk and cheese mix (otherwise known as dairy free).
Can you give a bit more detail, please? That sounds just right for me.
I shopped at Wal-Mart today. The latest shortage is dishwasher detergent. They had a few on the shelf, so I bought an unfamiliar brand. I'm no sure how much difference there is between one brand and another.
The latest shortage is dishwasher detergent. . . . I'm not sure how much difference there is between one brand and another.
In my experience, considerable. The brand whose name reminds one of a waterfall gives me the best results. The brand whose name used to remind one of a plugged-in star but then changed it to a word that is the opposite of "begin" is decidedly inferior -- again in my opinion.
Trying to get a bit of tidying done in the garden, and give Mr RoS something to keep him away from the news channel, I got him clearing the disaster that was supposed to be a bed of leeks.
I then chopped them up to put on the compost, and was able to find enough late-planted ones that hadn't bolted to add to tonight's vegetable bake. That was an unexpected bonus, and there are a few more that might prove edible.
He also pulled up half a row of abandoned beets, and found four that might not be too woody to eat. Sausages for tomorrow, possibly with leeks and roasted beets.
I agree; my usual brand was the waterfall one, and others just didn't cut it. It also helps if you use rinsing-aid, but I can't remember what brand it was (I'm not in my own household these days so just have to use what my sister uses).
10 people at a time in any store. Preferred is online ordering and you pick up. Shopping has gone to 1969 when any vegetables and fruit were in tins or dried. But bananas. We're still in winter here. Blizzard 2 nights in a row.
Hoarding and resale of things like food, cleaning supplies, medical supplies is illegal. They'll just seize them and fine and jail.
I received my usual organic box delivered today. Much smaller in size and reduced rate as they have gone from 50 customers to 90. I talked to them on phone and they said they are over whelmed so are going to do a cut off at 75 orders next week. First boxes to regular customers. What I received was most welcome, baby tomatoes, bunch of carrots, 6 apples, spinach, and 4 lovely baking potatoes. As there are only two of us we are fine. It has been a along time since we have had a baked potato so that will be the center of dinner tomorrow along with a small piece of fish we will split as I have just one left from a frozen pack of 3. When there are two of us I hate those 3 pack of things. Corn on the cob often is packed that way at our market. Why even pack corn? Feeling very grateful for having food delivered to my door.
Last week our minister delivered the latest newsletter for our congregations, along with a letter explaining why we were having to close our buildings and how we were hoping to worship at a distance. That letter included not only her phone numbers, but mine as well (as my role as the only Elder with any chance of getting out if needed). Then on Sunday my daughter drew cards for the ladies in the church, and I added a note just to say she'd done this at the time when we'd normally have gathered for worship and included my numbers with a "if you need anything, even just a blether, call me".
Yesterday afternoon one of our members, Ann, called several times. She's got dementia, hasn't been to church for more than a year, and lives alone. Her children had reached the point where they were exploring options for putting her in a home where she could get the help she needs as her ability to cope with daily activities deteriorated - a move that's had to be put on hold for the foreseeable. And, her children can't even pop in to see her. A series of calls from an old lady obviously in some distress at being alone, aware of why that was needed but nonetheless needing to hear another human voice; each call following the same pattern not knowing who she had called, recognising my name when I tell her, her apologising for bothering me, me saying it's not a bother, then she hangs up. All to be repeated 15 minutes later. So sad that all I could do was be a voice on the end of the phone - and, to then call some of the other ladies in the church who know her better, in particular to find someone who has the phone numbers for her children.
Oh yes, these thing happen when our phone number is out there, @Alan Cresswell Our village volunteering scheme has two or three numbers on it, but it turns out they all phone me because they know who I am..... We are going to have to alter the system soon!
Yes, phone calls are a whole new thing. I made a list last week of about a dozen people I wanted to call and just finished the list yesterday. They were all so happy to get a call you'd think it was 1940 and I was calling from another country. Some of these people are the same ones who used to answer, chat for a few seconds, and then say they were shopping and couldn't really talk long.
We still have lots of food but I'm having to get creative with the perishables. I've always had a habit of using up everything in my pantry and freezer right after Christmas so that I can start over in the new year knowing nothing is outdated. That's when I first learned you could Google a few random ingredients and come up with a recipe. My favorite was a cake using cottage cheese, the recipe came from the web page of a Jewish woman in Israel keeping a nice kosher kitchen. I got a warm fuzzy feeling connecting with her from Ohio.
It's odd to look out of the windows and see the forests and hills exactly as normal, though.
Mrs S, I had a similar feeling when we were in the time of having regular earthquakes here (one memorable day we had almost one every 2 hours or so - mostly small ones). When summer turned to autumn and autumn to winter in the usual way it felt really strange, as though even the seasons should be affected.
When I admitted how I was feeling to other people (because I thought I was going doolally) I found I was far from being the only one.
I'd be grateful for some suggestions from you foodie shipmates. Three week ago I ordered some white cabbage on my usual online order. I'm not joking, it was the size of a football! I've still got half left and I'm getting bored with it. I've steamed and stir fried it and put it in a coleslaw, but have run out of ideas.
I live alone so cooking for one, and am reluctant to use the oven as it uses so much electricity. I've got a bog standard collection of herbs and spices but nothing exotic. And I'm not fond of garlic.
I can't get out to go shopping for anything else, and I can't afford to waste it. After all, it is a fresh vegetable!
I had za'atar coated roasted cauliflower "steaks" the other night. I'm not wasting cauliflower on vegan milk and cheese mix (otherwise known as dairy free).
Can you give a bit more detail, please? That sounds just right for me.
There are lots of recipes online - I got the idea from a Tesco's recipe card. You slice the cauliflower across into slices through the stalk about 1/2"/2cm thick, coat in spices and oil and roast in the oven on high. I used Za'atar as I was making it for me alone and my daughter can't eat za'atar. She had a ready-made GF southern fried chicken steak I had in the freezer and I was saving the other one for her another time. It was served with sweet potato "chips" and roasted cauliflower leaves.
This took out the central section of the cauliflower, so I used the rest broken into florets and roasted with butternut squash in a curry with coconut and lentils as that's what came up when I looked for recipes using cauliflower and butternut squash. That was a nice gentle recipe, no heat at all for those who like their curries without chilli. Again lots of versions online.
We have another cauliflower in the box this week, so on I go with the search for interesting recipes. I can see a meal with cauliflower three ways coming up in the near future.
Next irritation is the dairy that saved our bacon last week delivering a dairy box is now only delivering the large family box with fruit and veg, So back to hoping that milk and eggs will be available when I can next go shopping on Wednesday - which is when the 14 days is up. The milk should last.
@Thomasina - colcannon? Basically stir fry shredded cabbage with diced bacon and mix into mashed potato. (Potato+cabbage+bacon is Irish soul food).
Variation I make is microwave potato until nearly done, add the shredded cabbage for the last couple of minutes, mash the whole lot with butter and pepper, top with cheese and finish in the oven.
You can onions to the mix.
Or failing that, pickle it and that way you can postpone it for a bit.
The supermarkets seem to be getting back to normal here. There's only so much stuff people can stockpile. You may find you can soon buy most basic items.
I love stir fried cabbage with spices. In my veggie days one of my favourite meals was cabbage stir fried with salted peanuts and served in a cheese sauce. You might also try it with some kind of tinned bean instead.
Or fry the cabbage with herbs and add egg to make a sort of omelette.
I had za'atar coated roasted cauliflower "steaks" the other night. I'm not wasting cauliflower on vegan milk and cheese mix (otherwise known as dairy free).
We had butternut squash "steaks" coated with Za'atar. The squash was sliced vertically, so the shape looked steak like and it was very tasty.
I braved the supermarket yesterday, early evening. Stock-wise, they do seem to be getting back to normal - everything I looked for was in stock, and some things are being rationed, so everyone can get them. There were stickers on the floor and signs about social distancing, but people weren't following it. There is a 'one in, one out' policy, but at the time I went, there was no queue and I could go right in. But it seemed quite busy inside, and people weren't staying 2 metres apart. But then I'm someone who always avoids queues and am used to going when it's really quiet. So my idea of busy might not be busy in reality, but it made me feel uncomfortable. But food and loo rolls and paracetamol were all available.
Sorry for double-post, but I've just scored a "phone-and-collect" order of meat, veggies and bread from a butcher in Lanark Road, to be picked up tomorrow afternoon.
Have elected to make Bobotie this evening I found I didn't have a dried apricot in the house.
I visited our two local shops (at either end of quite a long road, but not an apricot to be found. However I did score fresh ginger, bread, almonds, rice, cake, pannacotta, flour and a cooking apple.
I did look pensively at the bedding plants, being watered by the steady drizzle.
I'd be grateful for some suggestions from you foodie shipmates. Three week ago I ordered some white cabbage on my usual online order. I'm not joking, it was the size of a football! I've still got half left and I'm getting bored with it. I've steamed and stir fried it and put it in a coleslaw, but have run out of ideas.
I live alone so cooking for one, and am reluctant to use the oven as it uses so much electricity. I've got a bog standard collection of herbs and spices but nothing exotic. And I'm not fond of garlic.
I can't get out to go shopping for anything else, and I can't afford to waste it. After all, it is a fresh vegetable!
Any suggestions? Please?
Low carb sandwhich roll, get a large cabbage leave put whatever you’d normally put in a sandwhich (that doesn’t mind being peppery - so you don’t need to add mustard to your ham if you would normally) then roll it up into a cigar shape and scoff.
Oh yes, you can also make a cabbage version of dolmades - Greek stuffed vine leaves. Stuff cabbage leaves with cooked rice, herbs, tomatoes (or whatever) and cooked in a tomato sauce in a shallow dish on the stove.
Oh yes, you can also make a cabbage version of dolmades - Greek stuffed vine leaves. Stuff cabbage leaves with cooked rice, herbs, tomatoes (or whatever) and cooked in a tomato sauce in a shallow dish on the stove.
A Ukrainian version known as golubtsi (sp?) can probably be found online.
Thomasina - depending what's in the larder - soup! I generally use pork hocks to make the broth, but you can do a straight-on vegetarian version, or add a bullion cube. I like to ad about 1 tsp of allspice berries and some caraway seeds. Really, whatever veg is looking long in the tooth can go in. Oddly, my sister and I were discussing cabbage rolls this very morning.
I wouldn't worry about the cabbage going bad, though. Even afeter it has been cut, I rap it in cling film and keep it in the crisper. The exposed surface mix go a little dry and black, but you can trim off just about 4mm and you're good to go.
My mum used to make a giant white cabbage last half the winter by wrapping it up and keeping it in the fridge. She was a “ plain cook” so it was always boiled, sometimes with added leaks for extra flavour.
I once made a Cabbage Pie, with onions, and maybe cubes of cooked potato, topped with puff pastry, for my vegetarian nephew.
Sliced leeks and shredded cabbage cooked in cider is one of my favourite recipes.
I usually use savoy, but I'm sure it would work just as well with white cabbage. The addition of chopped bacon makes it a more rounded dish.
A long time ago I saw a programme for children cooking, I think presented by Nanette Newman (!!) and it included a veggie burger recipe. As far as I recall the main ingredients included lentils, oats and finely chopped cabbage - probably onion as well, and probably bound with egg.
Recipe we call Cheap Thrills, Beat 1 egg with 1 tsp of fish or soy sauce. Shred 1/2 cabbage into thin strips. Heat pan on high, fry one crushed clove of garlic in tab. oil until brown. Remove it. stir fry cabbage for 2 minutes, add 2 tab. water cook covered on med heat for 2 and 1/2 minutes. uncover turn heat to high, make a well in the cabbage and pour in the egg mixture, fry 2 minutes season with black pepper. ( left overs keep well for a day or two)
Even easier than cabbage rolls: Lazy Holubchi, or Cabbage Roll Casserole.
Brown ground beef. Stir with chopped cabbage, chopped onion, raw rice, and tomato sauce; some salt, pepper, and dill. Pour into pan. Top with beef broth. Bake for an hour, stir it around, bake for another half hour. Voila! Easy, cheap, tasty, filling.
Thanks for all the suggestions. My mouth is watering! I can see that the half cabbage in fridge (keeping well in plastic bag) won't be lasting much longer.
IANAC (I am not a cook - or chef), but rely on simple stuff that I can pop into the oven, or the microwave.
However, given the need to spend hours and hours (or days and days) below decks in the Ark, I find myself snacking, or browsing, rather as Rhinoceri do, so I am told.
Recent shopping forays have resulted in the following stocks of nibbles:
Oranges (the easy-peely ones)
Bananas
Almonds
Salted Peanuts (yes, yes, I know about Salt)
Celery (there is some cream CHEESE to go with it)
Mars Bars (CHOCOLATE!)
Healthy Snacky Biscuity Thingies
Pickled Onions (there is some proper CHEESE to go with them)
Not too bad a list - and I have NOT been stockpiling!
I like Radishes, too, but forgot to look for any today...
Heaven on earth! I like celery with peanut butter also.
I've had no trouble finding produce and have been enjoying a different mixture of salad ingredients for lunch every day.
I finally found a nice wedge of bleu cheese to crumble into it. I make my own dressing with bleu cheese and mayonnaise (or sour cream). Also, for a change of pace, "poor man's French dressing" -- equal parts of ketchup and mayonnaise.
Comments
I worry of course that Mr F May become collateral damage if anything happens to impede cancer treatment.
Thanks for the laugh - I needed it! <Just finished wiping the coffee off the computer screen...>
Can you give a bit more detail, please? That sounds just right for me.
I then chopped them up to put on the compost, and was able to find enough late-planted ones that hadn't bolted to add to tonight's vegetable bake. That was an unexpected bonus, and there are a few more that might prove edible.
He also pulled up half a row of abandoned beets, and found four that might not be too woody to eat. Sausages for tomorrow, possibly with leeks and roasted beets.
Hoarding and resale of things like food, cleaning supplies, medical supplies is illegal. They'll just seize them and fine and jail.
Yesterday afternoon one of our members, Ann, called several times. She's got dementia, hasn't been to church for more than a year, and lives alone. Her children had reached the point where they were exploring options for putting her in a home where she could get the help she needs as her ability to cope with daily activities deteriorated - a move that's had to be put on hold for the foreseeable. And, her children can't even pop in to see her. A series of calls from an old lady obviously in some distress at being alone, aware of why that was needed but nonetheless needing to hear another human voice; each call following the same pattern not knowing who she had called, recognising my name when I tell her, her apologising for bothering me, me saying it's not a bother, then she hangs up. All to be repeated 15 minutes later. So sad that all I could do was be a voice on the end of the phone - and, to then call some of the other ladies in the church who know her better, in particular to find someone who has the phone numbers for her children.
We still have lots of food but I'm having to get creative with the perishables. I've always had a habit of using up everything in my pantry and freezer right after Christmas so that I can start over in the new year knowing nothing is outdated. That's when I first learned you could Google a few random ingredients and come up with a recipe. My favorite was a cake using cottage cheese, the recipe came from the web page of a Jewish woman in Israel keeping a nice kosher kitchen. I got a warm fuzzy feeling connecting with her from Ohio.
Mrs S, I had a similar feeling when we were in the time of having regular earthquakes here (one memorable day we had almost one every 2 hours or so - mostly small ones). When summer turned to autumn and autumn to winter in the usual way it felt really strange, as though even the seasons should be affected.
When I admitted how I was feeling to other people (because I thought I was going doolally) I found I was far from being the only one.
I live alone so cooking for one, and am reluctant to use the oven as it uses so much electricity. I've got a bog standard collection of herbs and spices but nothing exotic. And I'm not fond of garlic.
I can't get out to go shopping for anything else, and I can't afford to waste it. After all, it is a fresh vegetable!
Any suggestions? Please?
There are lots of recipes online - I got the idea from a Tesco's recipe card. You slice the cauliflower across into slices through the stalk about 1/2"/2cm thick, coat in spices and oil and roast in the oven on high. I used Za'atar as I was making it for me alone and my daughter can't eat za'atar. She had a ready-made GF southern fried chicken steak I had in the freezer and I was saving the other one for her another time. It was served with sweet potato "chips" and roasted cauliflower leaves.
This took out the central section of the cauliflower, so I used the rest broken into florets and roasted with butternut squash in a curry with coconut and lentils as that's what came up when I looked for recipes using cauliflower and butternut squash. That was a nice gentle recipe, no heat at all for those who like their curries without chilli. Again lots of versions online.
We have another cauliflower in the box this week, so on I go with the search for interesting recipes. I can see a meal with cauliflower three ways coming up in the near future.
Next irritation is the dairy that saved our bacon last week delivering a dairy box is now only delivering the large family box with fruit and veg, So back to hoping that milk and eggs will be available when I can next go shopping on Wednesday - which is when the 14 days is up. The milk should last.
Variation I make is microwave potato until nearly done, add the shredded cabbage for the last couple of minutes, mash the whole lot with butter and pepper, top with cheese and finish in the oven.
You can onions to the mix.
Or failing that, pickle it and that way you can postpone it for a bit.
Or fry the cabbage with herbs and add egg to make a sort of omelette.
We had butternut squash "steaks" coated with Za'atar. The squash was sliced vertically, so the shape looked steak like and it was very tasty.
That might be us sorted for a wee while!
I visited our two local shops (at either end of quite a long road, but not an apricot to be found. However I did score fresh ginger, bread, almonds, rice, cake, pannacotta, flour and a cooking apple.
I did look pensively at the bedding plants, being watered by the steady drizzle.
Low carb sandwhich roll, get a large cabbage leave put whatever you’d normally put in a sandwhich (that doesn’t mind being peppery - so you don’t need to add mustard to your ham if you would normally) then roll it up into a cigar shape and scoff.
A Ukrainian version known as golubtsi (sp?) can probably be found online.
I wouldn't worry about the cabbage going bad, though. Even afeter it has been cut, I rap it in cling film and keep it in the crisper. The exposed surface mix go a little dry and black, but you can trim off just about 4mm and you're good to go.
I once made a Cabbage Pie, with onions, and maybe cubes of cooked potato, topped with puff pastry, for my vegetarian nephew.
I usually use savoy, but I'm sure it would work just as well with white cabbage. The addition of chopped bacon makes it a more rounded dish.
Brown ground beef. Stir with chopped cabbage, chopped onion, raw rice, and tomato sauce; some salt, pepper, and dill. Pour into pan. Top with beef broth. Bake for an hour, stir it around, bake for another half hour. Voila! Easy, cheap, tasty, filling.
One recipe is here: https://allrecipes.com/recipe/14690/cabbage-roll-casserole/ for quantities of liquid to meat, veg, and rice.
https://food52.com/recipes/68691-jamie-oliver-s-italian-bread-and-cabbage-soup
I started my new jigsaw yesterday. I accidentally dropped a piece on the floor. Can you guess what happened next?
🤔
Yep!
The puppy chewed it up and swallowed it before I could blink!
However, given the need to spend hours and hours (or days and days) below decks in the Ark, I find myself snacking, or browsing, rather as Rhinoceri do, so I am told.
Recent shopping forays have resulted in the following stocks of nibbles:
Oranges (the easy-peely ones)
Bananas
Almonds
Salted Peanuts (yes, yes, I know about Salt)
Celery (there is some cream CHEESE to go with it)
Mars Bars (CHOCOLATE!)
Healthy Snacky Biscuity Thingies
Pickled Onions (there is some proper CHEESE to go with them)
Not too bad a list - and I have NOT been stockpiling!
I like Radishes, too, but forgot to look for any today...
I've had no trouble finding produce and have been enjoying a different mixture of salad ingredients for lunch every day.
I finally found a nice wedge of bleu cheese to crumble into it. I make my own dressing with bleu cheese and mayonnaise (or sour cream). Also, for a change of pace, "poor man's French dressing" -- equal parts of ketchup and mayonnaise.
Excuse for Another Essential Journey (well, not until Tuesday, perhaps...).
Tonight is beef olives. Depending where you look on the web, cooking time is anything between 30 minutes and 3 hours.