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Sunday 18 October 2015

More from Mr Tesco and a ramble.

I went into Tesco on the off chance of finding some good strong cheddar and came out grinning widely. I picked up 4 blocks of serious;y strong cheddar for a total of £4.28, they had been marked down from a total of  £17.12, there was 1 days life on them. They are grated and frozen and stashed away, as I was down to my last box in the freezer I am a happy bunny. That lot will last for well over a month, possibly as many as 3 depending what I decide to cook. I very rarely keep block cheddar in the fridge, I like it far too much and can slice off 1/4 lb and eat it while wandering round. Having it grated saves time and mess as well, I use my box grater or if I buy a huge amount the processor.

I have seen several blog posts showing wonderful loaves of bread that require no kneading and no second rising. They all look crispy crusted and golden brown, and believe me if I could I would reach in for a slice or 3. BUT the one thing that they all have in common is loads of yeast. I make 2 large loaves of bread using half wholemeal and half white flour and 7gs dried yeast, it may take a while to prove but that just increases the flavour. Once cooked and cooled I slice and then freeze, I have cut my bread consumption right back and still have a loaf from the last bake over 2 weeks ago.

This is because I now have muesli or porridge for breakfast. Lunch is often left overs or soup or maybe crackers and cheese. I can not say that it is shifting any weight but I do not get the bloated feeling now. I have made several versions of Impossible Quiche and use gram flour in that. Slowly wheat is going from my diet (apart from cake!), I will see how long it lasts.

I am debating over buying cans of cooked pulses or packets of dried to be soaked and cooked. I have used dried and cooked a whole packet at a time in the slow cooker and then when cold freezing in portions. This takes a lot of my freezer space up as I like a variety of pulses to hand. It is less to do with cost than space and convenience, I am undecided, any ideas/suggestions?

My trip to Cardigan went well, James and Cerys were thrilled to get The Beast and I took Owl covered hot water bottles for Junior and Kaitlyn. The baby clothes were inspected by Junior, who pronounced them to be Cool and Kaitlyn who just shrugged her shoulders. She wants a girl and she wants it NOW. Luckily James and Cerys loved them.
I did notice how further into Autumn Ceredigion appears, the leaves are fast turning yellow, gold, orange and red. It was so marked in some places that I felt that it looked like Canada.
No photos though, I left the camera at home and my ancient phone does not connect to the laptop.
My "ding" chilli and rice dinner was most welcome last night and I followed it with a slice of whole orange cake and a cuppa about an hour later. 
That cake is so light and the flavour seems to have deepened, will be making that again for sure.
Ben wolfed his dinner down and then snored all night.

I have been busy this morning, doing the Fridge Bottom thing and prepping veg for meals during the week. I have downloaded some cute weekly meal planner sheets (so unessential but so cute) from 
crystalandcomp.com and will use them for the fridge door, must prettier to look at than a sheet of lined paper. I will write in pencil and then erase and use again a few times, so not completely frivolous, then of course the back will make shopping lists.

Now it is time to get Ben out for a walk, bath for him later.

                 TTFN                                                         Pam

15 comments:

  1. I was so impressed not only with the bargain buy of cheese but the really useful tip of using the food processor to grate it, why didn't I think of that? Simple but effective...

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    1. I only use the processor if If I have a lot, I hate washing it up.

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  2. A brilliant buy with the cheese :-)

    I do exactly the same and grate and freeze all my cheese as soon as I buy it. It just goes so much further this way and is available for immediate use as it thaws so quickly.

    I agree with you about the slower proving AND the double rising giving bread such a better flavour. It amazes me that so many folk are willing to give up flavour for speed in so many foods.

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    1. I love cheese and am always pleased to find a bargain.

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  3. What a great bargain with the cheese , Its very rare i see it reduced and then its never what i like , I am slowly loosing weight now since the doctor has increased my thyroid medication , The thing is i never feel like i have eaten unless i have some sort of sandwich for lunch but i am still loosing weight although i cut the bread as thin as i can xxx

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    1. This weekend I had lots of bits in the veg drawer, celery and peppers, half a box of mushrooms, so I made a big tray of impossible quiche and will have a wedge of that for lunch. I use gram flour in the mix for extra taste and protein, it is tasty and filling.

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  4. That sounds like a great weekend Pam, and I'm glad your gifts were so popular.

    You get some good buys at your Tesco. At ours, they will take perhaps 20p off an item and it seems would rather bin it than give a customer a bargain!

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    1. I go to Pontardawe, it is only 3 miles, not every week just when the mood takes me.

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  5. Never thought to use the processor for grating cheese, what a good idea and what a bargain you found xx

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    1. I do not understand why no one seems to look at the cheese, there were 3 women stuffing ready meals into their trolleys. I also picked up 3 packs of sliced ham for next to nothing and froze in packs of 4 slices, they will go in lots of dishes.

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  6. Fab buy with the cheese Pam, once many moons ago I was lucky enough to find similar style of cheese for 10p a pack & bought 10 for the freezer! I buy tinned pulses for convenience but I do have the dry ones in stock too but have never gone down the route of preparing them for the freezer. The tinned ones are ideal for a quick supper! x

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    1. If I buy dry pulses I like to soak and cook the whole packet, it takes all night in the slow cooker, and then what I don't use go in the freezer. I will probably use both, tins for the ones i use less of and dried for when I make a big batch of chilli or a chick pea curry.

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  7. Wow! What a bargain! And yes, like you I prep and freeze when I get an abundance like that.
    I am quitting sugar, and will be reducing (but not omitting) carbs so wheat will be taking a very very lowly place in our diet. Bread does bloat me, but making my own and doing very long proves is often the key. Also I managed to keep a 'starter' alive last week and made a good sourdough which involves two long proves, giving a much less bloat bread (and delicious, hope I can keep the starter alive!)
    I use tinned beans quite a lot, Pam, I have tried fired but though cheaper it really is a faff. I always cook too much too, and as you say, it takes up space in the freezer. I do buy whole, fired lentils of various kinds though, they cooks quite quickly and I use what I cook in one meal - or it will be eaten cold next day or as a spread. Beans - nope, I buy tinned! Lxxx

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    1. I have taken the route of baked beans and washed the sauce of for several recipes now, it saves time,. money and cupboard space. I read your post and have ordered the book from the library.

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  8. We also only use a 7g sachet of yeast for 2lb 4oz of flour. DB seems to react if we use the normal amount.

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