OneGuyFromBarlick

I'm a big fan of slow cooking Maz and also cooking at lower temperatures than boiling point. The bugs are mostly killed at over 75C and if you can hold this temperature food will cook thoroughly given enough time. I really like the concept of slow cooking in a water bath with the meat in vacuum packed bags but the gear needed would be beyond my pocket.

Dinner was a pressed beef butty using half of an out of date loaf Kath gave me so that was cheap! For tea I treated myself and had two small meat pies and seven small oatmeal biscuits with cranberry Wensleydale and a slice of a Cox's Orang pippin on each. I do like a treat now and again!

Stanley wrote: I really like the concept of slow cooking in a water bath with the meat in vacuum packed bags but the gear needed would be beyond my pocket.

I bought a vaccuum sealer on eBay for about $60. I buy meat in bulk and vaccuum seal it in small amounts before I freeze it. I also buy large blocks of cheese, cut into small amounts, seal and keep in the fridge; same with bacon. Things like that last in the fridge for a long time.

I'm sure you could use the slow cooker as a water bath. Lets experiment. Stanley, if you send me a recipe you'd like to test I'm happy to try it.

"the concept of slow cooking in a water bath "
Its called 'sous vide' I think. Very trendy.

I don't think recipes are important Liz, I first saw water bath cooking on a cookery programme on the TV. It was a lady chef and she was cooking small piecesw of meat at 65C and I thought at the time that it was a very kind way of cooking, less liable to degrade the essential nutrients. However, I decided that my slow cooking on the stove was probably almost as good and I've got quite adept at getting the right temperature.
Yesterday I had porridge for dinner made with my antique medium oatmeal (I got a 25kg bag from a watermill in Scotland about three years ago, still as good as the day I bought it!) Tea was the rest of the free bread for two small haslet butties and the oatmeal biscuits with cranberry Wensleydale and Cox's apples again. Part of my thinking at the moment is that in terms of my weight, my home made bread is my downfall! It's too good and I tend to eat too much of it.

I made my old favourite yesterday, a casserole made with burgers and sausage with beans, tomato paste and the usual flavourings. Boiled up a big pan of King Edwards and mashed them. So casserole and mash x 2 yesterday and no doubt the same today!

Veggie sausage casserole.

I made a large pan of the casserole and one of lentil soup yesterday morning; the soup we had for dinner + 3 meals in the freezer. Casserole was tea + 4 meals in the freezer.

Chipolatta Sausages tonight ( son's request).
I might have one, but there will be plenty of Veg to fill me up.
Have gone a bit mad on Licorice these last couple of days and have had consequences, so my tummy is taking it easy today.
( nothing like a 20 yard sprint at 3am!)

I have been searching through recipes to make and bundle up for Christmas. My Greek neighbour bestows little home-made treats on us every Christmas and I thought I might shock her by producing some of my own. She doesn't make them of course ( her mother does). I don't know where folk get these wonderful relatives. I spoke to a woman the other day whose 82 year old mother-in-law still comes every Friday and cleans the entire house for her...( laundry and ironing included) and has done for the past 30 years. Personally, I think that is gross abuse of a kindly older person, but I am assured she loves to do it.

Maz, it probably keeps her going! Casserole and mash X 2 yesterday and one helping left for today. I shall put a loaf in I think.....

Scrambled egg on toast for us. The 5:2 diet has become a way of life for us now. After ten months my metabolism seems to have adapted and I'm not losing weight at the same rate anymore but the trend is gradually down rather than up and I'm 20lbs lighter than this time last year.

So, as I understand it, you eat normally 5 days out of 7. And you eat only 25% of what you would normally eat, 2days out of 7?
Is that the general gist, or is there more to know?
( would love to see myself 20lbs lighter!)

That's about it Maz. We stick to about 500 calories on a Monday & Thursday each week...which isn't difficult to do and the other days are just normal eating. The weight has gone from round my middle bits and I have found a waist that I didn't know I had!

After Sundays food excesses I had only porridge for breakfast and a boiled egg with a slice of toast for tea on Monday, Usualy I feel sluggish after large amounts of food and for many years have had sort of rest days for my body. Good to know that I appear to be doing something right.

I understand what you mean,Hartley. I tend to have days when I am more interested in food than others. Some days I am just not bothered at all. I am sure that doing the 25% thing 2 days a week wouldn't bother me.
My biggest problem is that I am cook, and expected to feed two grown men each evening ( one needs his calories but the other doesn't). It's hard enough pleasing them both and meanwhile getting the vegetable level I crave.
( I wish it was someone else's job quite often)
It doesn't help that one works shift work and often needs to eat earlier or later than normal mealtime.
Lucky it is summer here and Salad goes with most things!

Steak pudding, chips & peas tonight - I have lost a couple of stones during the past 3 months - face looking rather scraggy.

One of the problems with ageing Moh, you do the right thing by your weight and end up looking poorly even if you're not! Sounds like good grub for a convalescent!
I had the last of the casserole and mash for dinner and an open bacon and poached egg butty for tea. (One slice of bread less....)

Porridge for dinner and a smoked haddock and chips butty for tea. Fruit for pudding of course and a small portion of Co-op Fairtrade dark chocolate....

Got all tied up in stuff at work, went directly to T*sc* then Sainsbugs; too late for tea so had a snack in the car on the way home. Most unsatisfactory. Shepherds pie tonight though.

A shin beef and root veg casserole with some spelt chucked in last night, with a bowl of greens.

Our grocers in town brings us a veg box every Thursday, so tonight I'll see what's in it and take it from there. The grocers is 'The 3 Sisters' - subject of a 1hr BBC programme the other year when that Mary Portas lady 'did' up' the place in her series on 'the high street'. I'm in the programme - 'saved' Ms Portas's bacon I did......

Richard Broughton

Minced Beef Pie with Flaky Pastry tonight...with Mash and Veg.
( yes...I made the pie from scratch)

Bacon and tomato butty for dinner and smoked haddock, chips and peas for tea. Shin beef is so good in stew, our mothers knew what they were talking about when they said "The nearer the bone, the sweeter the meat".

Pasta with romansesco cauliflower, pine nuts, sultanas and chilli and garlic.

That romanesco came in the veg box - it's that pointy cauliflower with green florets. If I'm honest, I'm not too keen - bit gimicky. But the point of the box is you don't know what you'll get - just stuff that's fresh, local and in season so far as possible. I quite like this, as I like the surprise and the challenge of coming up with meals to use the produce.

Bangers and mash tonight, with onion gravy and bashed up carrot and swede.

Richard Broughton

Bruff...we saw those Caullies outside veg shops on our recent trip to UK. Must say they are striking things and quite pretty. They almost belong in a florist shop. Have pics of them.
What do they taste like?
( I think we are talking about the same thing...green and kind of conical at the head? But a lighter green than usual cauliflower with a tight, flower like head. I will post a pic to Stanley, and see if we are talking the same veg. )

Yes, from your description we are talking about the same thing Marilyn. The taste is not too dissimilar to the usual cauliflower, but the romanesco to me has a more subtle, sweet almost buttery taste. I think it's this, coupled with the texture, that turns me off it a bit. Don't get me wrong, I don't avoid it and the pasta was pretty good last night (and it's not bad roasted), but my heart doesn't sing when I see one in the box. Unlike say sprout tops - now you're talking!

Richard Broughton

Had cheese & onion pie courtesy of a neighbour last night - in exchange for some apples. Gammon & jacket potatoes tonight.