FabSwingers.com forum: cooking..

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

what is cooking to you?

is it everything from scratch? or are packet & jar mixes acceptable??

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *atisfy janeWoman
over a year ago

Torquay

On days like this when I am totally knackered after a mad weekend....I thank god for ready made meals from M&S.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *rankOfileMan
over a year ago

France

Has to be from Scratch.....

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Out of a packet usually on weekdays but try to make an effort if I've got friends over I call for a takeaway

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm a from scratch kind of cook, but sometimes its quick and convenient to open a packet or jar and use it as a base for meals.

For example, modify a jar of salsa by chopping coriander and fresh tomatoes through it, or adding extra basil or peppers to a pasta sauce. xx

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Real cooking is from scratch but I can't abide culinary snobs.

There are some fantastic aids out there, such as curry pastes ( not sauces)

I go for chopped onions now though I don't like the way they taste acidic if not used on the day of purchase.

I go for prepared veg ( NEVER cooked )

Meat has to be cooked at home. Cooked meats bought in are never the same and so many flavours lost.

In some cases produce like tinned toms, grapefruit, pears and sweetcorn are better in recipes than fresh.

Like Jane. I buy and cook according to everything else that is being juggled but warming a ready meal isn't cooking..... mind you some effort goes in to planning a healthy ready meal .... from carbs , proteins n veg ...plus a carefully chosen pud....

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'm going to granny and laines for tea then

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

" ...plus a carefully chosen pud.... "

No1 son and G/F have been baking today.....lemon cup-cakes and treacle tart ....yum!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Kate said she was bored the other night so went in the kitchen for an hour or so. She made a batch of meat balls, which we had tonight with mix of homemade sauce and Ragu sauce. She prepared a load of salad leaves, tomatoes, spring onions, red onions, etc and put in sealed tubs in the fridge. Today she made me a lovely chicken salad, with left overs from sunday lunch and preprepared salad, touch of mustard and honey dressing, and jobs a goodun

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

my daughter is doing a catering course...she brought home a lovely bread and butter pudding today

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I'm going to granny and laines for tea then"

And welcome, my son's the chef...I taught him from young to forage and feed himself... He often goes to a friends, the guys get together for a drink a game of cards or a match on telly, and he cooks all of them a big roast dinner.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *uro anchorMan
over a year ago

Coventry

i made a very large chille yesterday.. going to last me days..

cheat though.. use swartz mix tinned tomatoes beans and tomato soup bit of salt n pepper chille powder got enough to eat for a week... ill have to freeze some...

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Oh you guys are making me hungry!!!!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Probably a 70/30 split as ive never learnt to cook and never really got into it, just not confident enough. Thats not to say i live on microwave meals as i dont, in fact rarely buy them, i just buy, for example a ready made pie as opposed to making it from scratch

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

well we're having fajitas....from a box :p

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"my daughter is doing a catering course...she brought home a lovely bread and butter pudding today

omg my gran used to make that for me when i went to visit her, covered in thick homemade sweet custard mmmmmm lovely

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *uro anchorMan
over a year ago

Coventry

"my daughter is doing a catering course...she brought home a lovely bread and butter pudding today

i tried making bread n butter pudding.. it was shite lol...

dont know where i went wrong.. grrrrr

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

im a bung it all together kinda girl..

other day i had some diced beef, frozen peas, freshly sliced carrot, onion, and i diced up half a se and carrot (so fresh ingredients) but then added a Colemans casserole mix to it and left it in the oven cooking for 3 hours.. at the 2 n half hour mark i then added some dumplings (packet mix and add water job) to it

Still count as cooking?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"im a bung it all together kinda girl..

Still count as cooking? "

Yep! does in my book, and if you and your wee one are eating meals like that, pat yourself on the back for managing to find time to make it.

Frozen or fresh veg, still getting your portion of 5 a day. xxx

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

From scratch most of the time, however, I do use ready-made chilli pastes, as life is too short to grind up the chillis, herbs and spices!

From time to time, I may open a tin of something, usually soup, like Campbell's (now re-branded as Bachelor's) condensed Chicken soup, which is one of my favourite comfort foods when I jazz it up with chilli oil and chopped spring onions!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

i love cooking somthing my mum taught me to do, and im a bloke lol

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

Yep! does in my book, and if you and your wee one are eating meals like that, pat yourself on the back for managing to find time to make it.

Frozen or fresh veg, still getting your portion of 5 a day. xxx"

Awww thanks laine! I often make chunky soups/ casseroles/ stews.. i love veg (shame i also like carbs too or id have a body like yours lol) but its easy prep and we both eat it together..

wanna be a propper mummy and 'cook' sounds daft but jar food tastes like crap

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"From time to time, I may open a tin of something, usually soup, like Campbell's (now re-branded as Bachelor's) condensed Chicken soup, which is one of my favourite comfort foods when I jazz it up with chilli oil and chopped spring onions!

"
I didnt know they were re branded! learn something new everyday!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I seldom cook during weekdays, and bulk cook during weekends instead.

I would portion the bulk into separate containers and freeze them until required.

Just need to cook and add some starch like pasta, rice, potato etc., and some veg, and I'll have a main meal at lunch time at work.

In the evenings, I snack from the fridge/ladder etc...

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Yep! does in my book, and if you and your wee one are eating meals like that, pat yourself on the back for managing to find time to make it.

Frozen or fresh veg, still getting your portion of 5 a day. xxx

Awww thanks laine! I often make chunky soups/ casseroles/ stews.. i love veg (shame i also like carbs too or id have a body like yours lol) but its easy prep and we both eat it together..

wanna be a propper mummy and 'cook' sounds daft but jar food tastes like crap

I like my carbs too, my body is like this because I inherited the racing snake gene from my mother, no effort needed by me to maintain it...... I stuff my face then lace on a corset...guaranteed to make every woman look voluptuous, big or small.

Get yourself laced in one, mind you'd need a reinforced bit on the bust. xx

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

From scratch but there are some things I can make, but would never go to the trouble as its cheaper and less time consuming to buy the ready made ie puff pastry and curry pastes.

Jamies meals in thirty minutes is a great concept but I think a lot of people who have been out of the house working all day can face the cooking but not all of the clearing up afterwards. He uses dozens of pans - which most of us cooks tend to do. I'll cook all day and every day as long as someone volunteers to clear up after me.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *iewMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Angus & Findhorn

I always do it from scratch..

pick up my own menu from the drawer..

dial the number all by myself..

awaits answer..

'home delivery please... chicken curry and boiled rice thanks''...

waits 20 mins and answers door..

fuck its tiring work that cooking malarky.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Get yourself laced in one, mind you'd need a reinforced bit on the bust. xx

Make that a corset with steel bones.

For the volumptous laides, plastic bones are likely to bend where stressed, whereas steel bones don't bend.

It does take a bit of time to get used to wearing steel boned corsets due to their stiffness. However, the result is well worth the pain IMHO!

They give me an instant shape of at least 4in waist reduction. More if one is "squigy".

I have been advised to lace up not so tightly at least 30min beforehand to allow the body to adjust itself. This way, one can tighten a bit more than without the conditioning phase.

Corsets UK has some decent ones at good price, and they have a 3 for 2 offer.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Cooking to me is leaving Mick slaving over the stove while I'm on here

Christin

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

cant afford ready meals with 3 kids of my own to feed and 2 others I cook for 5 nights a week.

I tend to cook in bulk though. massive pot of bolognaise sauce and freeze in bags, curry's and other stuff. My slow cooker gets lots of use. have recent taken to baking a fair bit too.

I'm enjoying it but the wasteline objects a bit

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

One of the great joys of cooking is bargain hunting in the supermarkets.

I have learnt when my main supermarket marks down the food, and am a regular visitor near closing time.

Some of the staff know me by name, and they look after me well!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I always do it from scratch..

pick up my own menu from the drawer..

dial the number all by myself..

awaits answer..

'home delivery please... chicken curry and boiled rice thanks''...

waits 20 mins and answers door..

fuck its tiring work that cooking malarky.

ahem....homemade mushroom soup?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *rankOfileMan
over a year ago

France

I love cooking,

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

[Removed by poster at 07/02/11 21:07:02]

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *emmefataleWoman
over a year ago

dirtybigbadsgirlville

im a from scratch kinda girl, occasionally use shortcuts but not much

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"ahem....homemade mushroom soup?"

Nah, New Covent Garden's Wild Mushroom Soup is great, just add a dash of double cream and/or sherry, and one can pass it as homemade!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"cant afford ready meals with 3 kids of my own to feed and 2 others I cook for 5 nights a week.

I tend to cook in bulk though. massive pot of bolognaise sauce and freeze in bags, curry's and other stuff. My slow cooker gets lots of use. have recent taken to baking a fair bit too.

I'm enjoying it but the wasteline objects a bit"

love my slow cooker but...if I could recommend any kitchen addition it would be a halogen oven that stands on the wokrtop. Mines on at least twice a day. It uses a third of the fuel of a full size oven and its not one of those gadgets you buy and shove into a cupboard when the novelty wears off. Its like a huge glass bowl with a lid you can cook anything in it that a conventional oven does. Excellent for cooking for one excellent for cooking for a family.

One of the hairiest things for timing and speed is a cooking a full english - I put the sausage bacon and black pudding in the halogen it needs no attention while you cook eggs and mushrooms on cooker. It even makes toasties!

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"ahem....homemade mushroom soup?

Nah, New Covent Garden's Wild Mushroom Soup is great, just add a dash of double cream and/or sherry, and one can pass it as homemade!

Ask View for his recipe.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *rankOfileMan
over a year ago

France

mmm, my favourite Pumpkin soup...an Austrian classic

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

ok heres a random one,, i make this thick stodge,, but not sure if its a soup or stew

Lentils, Carrots, Se, Potato, Leek, Onion and a Vegetable jelly stock thinggy... and leave it cooking til its a mush. Sometimes i'll add neck of Lamb for flavour if i find some whilst out shopping

Soup or Stew?

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *iewMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Angus & Findhorn

"ahem....homemade mushroom soup?

Nah, New Covent Garden's Wild Mushroom Soup is great, just add a dash of double cream and/or sherry, and one can pass it as homemade!

Ask View for his recipe.

yup............ I is ok at making that.

love mushroom soup x

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *rankOfileMan
over a year ago

France

sounds like stew sounds nice

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

has to be all from scratch, that way you don't get any crap in your food.

Good job I love to cook, and will turn my hand to most things. (Cooking wise)

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"ok heres a random one,, i make this thick stodge,, but not sure if its a soup or stew

Lentils, Carrots, Se, Potato, Leek, Onion and a Vegetable jelly stock thinggy... and leave it cooking til its a mush. Sometimes i'll add neck of Lamb for flavour if i find some whilst out shopping

Soup or Stew?"

If you can eat it with a fork it's stew...you need a spoon it's soup lol xx

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"has to be all from scratch, that way you don't get any crap in your food.

Good job I love to cook, and will turn my hand to most things. (Cooking wise)"

im starting to learn (very slowly) cos theres loads of salt in baby foods,, and dont want my lil one to have all the aditives

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"ok heres a random one,, i make this thick stodge,, but not sure if its a soup or stew

Lentils, Carrots, Se, Potato, Leek, Onion and a Vegetable jelly stock thinggy... and leave it cooking til its a mush. Sometimes i'll add neck of Lamb for flavour if i find some whilst out shopping

Soup or Stew?

If you can eat it with a fork it's stew...you need a spoon it's soup lol xx"

its well stodgey, proper cold weather comfort food. Fork all the way! nom nom

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"has to be all from scratch, that way you don't get any crap in your food.

Good job I love to cook, and will turn my hand to most things. (Cooking wise)

im starting to learn (very slowly) cos theres loads of salt in baby foods,, and dont want my lil one to have all the aditives"
liquidize a portion of what you have for diner, as long as it's not too spicey.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"what is cooking to you?

is it everything from scratch? or are packet & jar mixes acceptable??

Herbs and spices are acceptable but mostly everything from scratch

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Most of the cooking I do is from scratch, but I do cheat sometimes when I can't be bothered and I'll open a jar of ready made sauce

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Stu......scones!

No1 son made a treacle tart from scratch yesterday.......I think I've eaten half of it already.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Stu......scones!

No1 son made a treacle tart from scratch yesterday.......I think I've eaten half of it already.

making up a batch of scones this coming weekend.....and some shortbread...met a chef here who suggested making shorbread with semolina as well as flour....am gonna be soooo fat

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

to me cooking id something you take out the freezer and put in the microwave lol

i'm a terrible cook so i dont even try

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Pot Noodles and Sausages a feast and full of yummy goodness...

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"....am gonna be soooo fat

...you need the extra insulation up there though. xx

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Pot Noodles and Sausages a feast and full of yummy goodness...

oh yeah i can do pot noodles too

go me lol

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It depends.. I can cook properly, ie from scratch.. even have my own fruit and veg in garden and greenhouse..

but busy house, 3 small kids, sometimes a few big ones here too.. and I will have jars in.. I tend to mostly for the kids do things like Mash and chicken and veg.. or cottage pie..

Kids and I do love baking though, and I make a fantastic veg soup.. and my stew I get people asking me to pop a bowl down. lol

Katie. x

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *eighleedsMan
over a year ago

leeds

"i love cooking somthing my mum taught me to do, and im a bloke lol"

same here, mu moum was a fabtastic cook and passed on all her knowledge to me

i usually cook from scratch every meal, although if rushed i will use a packet mix or sauce jar but then add my own touches

Someone (cnat see who am afraid) mentioned Dumplings for stew from a packet, the question has to be why?

Just get a packet of suet (Atora) add plain flour, mix with water, the results are a lot better, than the packet mix which has selfraising flour, and baking powder to make them rise, and not much more difficult to make

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

because its about 19p for a packet and just add water..

Sometimes things are done to make the modern housewifes life easier.. and that is one of them.

Katie.x

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *eighleedsMan
over a year ago

leeds

because its about 19p for a packet and just add water..

Sometimes things are done to make the modern housewifes life easier.. and that is one of them.

Katie.x"

thast very true

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

We both love cooking for each other and friends...its a great way to share life, laughter and smiles...and the creativity is something we both enjoy....

We`ll cook from scratch..but tins n stuff are there, fer those times when lifes manic and busy...

I did mousakka yesterday ....liver n bacon today ...Shaz cooks for a living, so it`ll be nice for her to come home to a cuppa and put her feet up...then when shes settled, share a meal together....

Simple pleasures really ...

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

"i love cooking somthing my mum taught me to do, and im a bloke lol

same here, mu moum was a fabtastic cook and passed on all her knowledge to me

i usually cook from scratch every meal, although if rushed i will use a packet mix or sauce jar but then add my own touches

Someone (cnat see who am afraid) mentioned Dumplings for stew from a packet, the question has to be why?

aye, that was me who cheated. Its cos it takes about 30seconds to do, and with a one year old running riot in my house and screaming cos ive locked her out the kitchen (gotta love the childgate) id rather be in and back out in a very quick time

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Stu......scones!

No1 son made a treacle tart from scratch yesterday.......I think I've eaten half of it already.

making up a batch of scones this coming weekend.....and some shortbread...met a chef here who suggested making shorbread with semolina as well as flour....am gonna be soooo fat

I use semolina quite alot.

After par boiling my spuds for roasters, i shake um and then toss in semolina.

Makes them extra crunchy

I also use half and half as in shortbread. gorgeous.

Also for dusting things and grilling.

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

By *eighleedsMan
over a year ago

leeds

"i love cooking somthing my mum taught me to do, and im a bloke lol

same here, mu moum was a fabtastic cook and passed on all her knowledge to me

i usually cook from scratch every meal, although if rushed i will use a packet mix or sauce jar but then add my own touches

Someone (cnat see who am afraid) mentioned Dumplings for stew from a packet, the question has to be why?

was not having a go, more a suggestion, it takes about 20 seconds longer to make

dont have kids but grew up looking after my littkle sis, then looking after her kids when needed aswell so now how hard it can be with a kid around when trying to cook

Reply privately

Reply in forum

Reply +quote

Post new Message to Thread