WHAT DID WE HAVE FOR TEA?

[Marilyn]

Hee Hee...Love winding you up, Stanley.
Gets you back for all the Garlic.

For tea we had Baked Beans and Poached Eggs.

[Marilyn]

Chicken Salad.

[Stanley]

No problem Maz.... Had cottage pie plus peas to extend it X 2 yesterday. One helping left for today. Lovely grub and it improves the older it is.

[Stanley]

I had a chip butty for dinner and only ate half of the cottage pie that was left over at teatime, I shall extend that with peas and have it for dinner. Yesterday I put some wether kidneys and chops on a bed of onions and cooked it down. I've taken the fat off the stock and today will add carrots, parsnips and veg and end up with some good vegetable stew. (Fresh from Chowdrey's Maz!)

[Moh]

Home made chicken curry, rice & naan bread tonight.

[Stanley]

Two bags of broth bits dropped on top of the kidney and chops and by dinnertime that was soft enough to use to extend what was left of the cottage pie. At the same time I cooked carrots, parsnips and two lonely spuds separately and when they were soft tipped the whole of the meat and veg stew on top, had a bowl of that for tea. Maz would definitely approve, 90% veggies and most of the fat taken off.

[Moh]

Fish, new potatoes & parsley sauce tonight.

[Thomo]

Spag Bol in a way that would possibly even impress Nigella, flavour to the Nth degree, finely chopped onion and garlic in a drop of olive oil, best minced steak added. good quality soy sauce, and oxo cube, served with spag and best cheddar cheese, and garlic bread. Oh yes and good French red wine!!

[Marilyn]

Anything "else" in it? ( you said it would impress Nigella).

[Stanley]

Now now Maz.... Mind you, watching her programmes now is hilarious! Looks as though the jury agreed with the assistants, they were acquitted yesterday.
Veggie stew for dinner and for tea a treat. The butty is fresh home made bread, olives and Stilton.

[Tripps]

That butty / doorstop could easily have qualified as a mystery object. I'd never have guessed it. Looked like a piece of brisket at first glance.

[Moh]

Too well done for my taste.
Lamb chops, new potatoes & brussels for tea tonight.

[Stanley]

Not well done, it's the molasses sugar I use that gives the deep brown colour. The olive oil makes it soft as well.
2X stew yesterday. Finished it off. I think I'm ready for a butty phase.....

[Stanley]

Not interested in cooking yesterday. Fish finger butty for dinner and a jam butty for tea. Plenty of fruit......

[Moh]

Had roast leg of lamb, mash, roast veggies, brussels & gravy yesterday - more of the same today but with runner beans instead of the sprouts.

[Stanley]

And they talk about malnutrition in the elderly! They won't be worrying about you Moh!
Black pudding, beans and an egg for dinner and an open sandwich, toast with my tomato relish, Stilton cheese and olives, for tea with plenty of fruit. Didn't feel like any serious cooking.

[Marilyn]

No tea for anyone here tonight. After a three course Christmas Lunch we are all full to Pussy's Bow.

[Stanley]

Never heard that expression before Maz.
Had a poached egg butty for dinner. No cooking today, I made a veggie stew yesterday and didn't overcook the veg, I did them separately and so they are still al dente, had some for tea and it's lovely. Just spoken to all three daughters in Oz and they are having Xmas dinner at Janet's in Perth. As I write they are taking the turkey out of the even. Grand daughter Yiota was stranded by the weather in San Francisco on her way back from Costa Rica but has been slumming it in a five star hotel courtesy of the airline, she is boarding the trans-Pacific flight as I write and will be home in Perth tomorrow.
So all is warm and comfortable here.... Hope you all have the same!

[Stanley]

Veggie stew is superb. One small bowl at dinnertime and an even smaller one at teatime but augmented by cheese on toast. Fruit and a couple of small whiskies. No over eating!

[hartley353]

Roast beef dinner for boxing day, the roasties, brocholli, carrots, and parsnips were lovely. The beef itself a disappointment not worthy of its price or fit for consumption. Now I remember why we stopped buying it, fortunately the two dogs may find a treat in their bowls. Our beef farmers seem to be letting us down god knows what they feed the cattle on, or is it the Super markets demanding food at a cost that is not practical.

[Stanley]

Veggie stew X 2. Simple as that. Butcher's day today, he knows where he bought every animal he slaughters, that's the secret of good beef.

[hartley353]

Stanley is of course right if you have access to a good butcher there is some good beef to be had. Unfortunately Mary with the best of intentions bought this large joint of beef from Asda It was from their premium range, and was supposed to be a cut above the rest. It was cooked in our oven rested then cut into three, a third each to both daughters, we live and learn.

[Stanley]

Had a stew pack that needed dealing with but didn't want to make a stew so I boiled it all down after chopping and mashed with butter and a small whipping cream I was given because it was out of date. Finished up with something like coleslaw without the cabbage and vinegar! It was OK so I had it with a pork pie for dinner and on a big ham butty for tea.
One small matter. I had decided to stop using very strong white flour half and half with wholemeal in my loaves but after a couple of disgraceful 100% wholemeal attempts that came out like pumpernickel I have got some white flour. I shall go back to my perfectly acceptable bread!

[PostmanPete]

I had decided to stop using very strong white flour half and half with wholemeal in my loaves

Have you tried Carrs breadmakers flour - it makes a lovely tasting loaf and it's the one I keep going back to after trying most of the various brands.

[PanBiker]

I always get better results with wholemeal when baking by hand. Machines are not so good on some types as the don't exactly bake the bread, the process is more a steaming operation. Never had a failed loaf with the dough given due process and then crafted in the oven.