After a slightly self indulgent weekend, life moves on and I'm pulling the strings tight again. Back to weighing portions and imposed frugality. It's harder to be frugal when you are cooking for others as well as for yourself, when it's not an ongoing thing and you're at their home, not at yours, and I am looking forward to simple things again.
So, here's today's plans - it may not be what's on my planning sheet because I left that at home, but that really doesn't matter.
B: porridge, fruit and natural yogurt
L: I have eggs to use up so I'll make a simple mushroom omelette in my diddy little pan and have it with salad
D: kidney bean and veg curry, maybe some rice (I'll see how hungry I feel) or I might make a quick flatbread; fruit yogurt
Ss: apples x 2
From the freezer
If I have a bit of grated cheese on my omelette, that will be from the freezer.
The curry.
The frugal factor
I'm pleased with today's plans. None of it is extravagant, it's all tasty and the health factor is pretty high too. The most expensive items are the apples!
Last week I treated myself.
I almost always make my own yogurt, just buying it now and again to refresh the starter. I've always used a simple yogurt maker that I bought in Lakeland, not an Easiyo (you have to use sachets of powder and they are expensive) but one where you add life milk and some of the last batch of yogurt, turn it on, leave it for 12 plus hours and, hey presto, lovely yogurt!
I discovered that they have stopped stocking that machine and have an upgraded model that is easier to use and more versatile. For a start, it turns itself off when the time is up and also it has a straining gadget that means you can make thicker, Greek-style yogurt and, if you leave it straining for longer, a soft cheese.
So last week I indulged. I made my first batch with it, strained it for about an hour and am absolutely delighted with the results.
It only cost a few pounds more than the original one cost several years ago and is far better in design. It's a bit Tardis like - bigger on the inside but not on the outside, than the previous model. The old one paid for itself very quickly as I eat a lot of yogurt and I know this one will too as it's no flash in the pan gadget but one I will continue to use regularly every week.
The only flip side is that the instructions go all round the houses describing how you have to scald the milk and let it cool to 42 degrees before starting the yogurt off but don't seem to mention that you can use long life and give it extra time to warm up in the machine! So, so simple.
This is it.
We eat a lot of Greek yogurt, perhaps I ought to think about a yogurt maker. That one looks very stylish and small enough to not take up much space.
ReplyDeleteWell, I can thoroughly recommend it - so simple to use (using long life milk) and makes lovely thick yogurt when strained. Next batch, I will have a go at straining some for longer to see what sort of soft cheese it produces.
DeleteHi, I’ve used uht skimmed milk to make yoghurt for years, never ever scalded the milk. I do scald the cream to make ice cream. Did you know if you use double cream to make ice cream you do not need an ice cream maker, just put it in the freezer, no ice crystals.
ReplyDeleteHi, Chris. I make a lovely strawberry icecream what doesn't need churning - it's terribly calorific though.
ReplyDeleteJ x