What we cooking this week BMN?

Hello my lovely lot.

Thank you so much for thinking of me. We have dog’s ashes back and the dc ( even the teens) have made a memory box for him.

Health wise the ones who were poorly seem to have picked up although DM still refusing to see GP about some issues- I’ve said my piece with her and I just feel I have to let her make her own choices despite me thinking they aren’t the best. It will impact my health if I don’t.

Food wise, I’ve now got to stage with feeling more myself but I want comfort things. I made roast lamb yesterday with apple tart. We’ve got peri peri chicken this evening and I’ve made scones over the weekend too.

By some miracle I’ve not gained any weight over the last few weeks. Weighed in virtually at Ww this morning for the first time in ages. I think the stress and worry offset the Mars bars and fish fingers!

I genuinely appreciate the thoughts of you all and I’m sorry I’ve been so tardy coming back to.

Xx

@Orchidflower1 So lovely to see you back. We've missed you x.
What an awful time you have had mi deeah. We seem to have tailed off on our good cooking tips here. I miss all the delicious things we were talking about.
Perhaps we will start up again in time for Christmas. Last year with all good intentions I made black cake as did Maggie. Only our Christams was a bit of disaster due to Covid.

Good that you are moving forward although slowly. Love to you x

(Tonight I did baked fish with ginger and scallions with some jersey potatoes and samphire. I made a fruit salad for afters as the fruit bowl was looking a bit ripe. )

Thank you @EchoNan

Yes let’s talk about nice things like food!

My Christmas prep is coming along- I have mincemeat ready for mince pies,seedless raspberry jam for jam tarts, Christmas pudding, cranberry sauce, pickles and assorted nuts stashed in the pantry. I’ve also got several bottles of drink ( alcoholic and naice non alcoholic) stashed too. I find it helps to spread the cost and tbh gives me less stress to buy a little bit every week.

Next weeks shop will be dry bits like ginger, sprinkles and edible glitter for the gingerbread house.

Things for Christmas go in the pantry with a sharpie star on them so the kids don’t open them- actually mr orchid is worse, last year it was the star shaped pretzels that he ate in the first week in November!

Orchid Lovely to see you posting again! I'm going to use your sharpie idea! It's the grown ups looking for snacks when they visit that are the problem here. Not the children!

I've got my fruit marinating for black cake. I'm not as dedicated as those who let it soak for a year! I'm hoping to get a taste of it this time. I'm going to make also a Christmas pudding, but would like to do another dessert. So any ideas welcome!

Today I'm going to use a @Maggiethecat recipes upthread for chicken breast. It's early on in the thread but worth posting again. (I think Maggie started a new job, I hope it's going well.)

cafedelites.com/oven-baked-chicken-breast/#wprm-recipe-container-64690

@Orchidflower1 - glad to hear that things are getting better for you. I salute your christmas prep!! I really cannot think ahead so far (other than soaking fruit 1 year ahead!)

@EchoNan - have been away from MN but got a notification of a mention. New job has me seriously under the cosh, oh lawd!!

That chicken recipe is easy and super moist. Good with mac cheese which is one of the few things that I make (other than cakes etc) that my kids rave about.

I don't have a dessert that I do that is especially christmassy. I would say though that home made mince pies are brilliant - you'll never eat store bought ones anymore and they don't require a lot of effort.

A baked cheesecake might be good as a counterbalance to christmas cake and pudding. Mango topping is especially brill!

@Maggiethecat Great to hear from you. Head up girl, you can beat them all in that job of yours! Thinking about you here and willing you onwards!
We always make mincepies ( with a bit of rum) and have them Christmas Eve. The cheesecake is a good call though, and I can make that in advance!

@EchoNan - thank you! need all the positive energy I can get🙏🏽

I have a good baked cheesecake recipe. Have done with strawberry, mango toppings (separately). Going to try passionfruit or a passion fruit/mango combo next.

Are we really talking about C.....?

Maggie positive energy and lots of good food to you! Take care of yourself, I hope those people realise what a treasure they have in you.

Hope so too

Thank you!

Ohh @Maggiethecat I’d love a go at cheese cake- I’ve never made one before.

I too hope your new job is going well. I’m sure you’re fab!

Hey all. I didn’t want to start a new thread ( tbh I’m not sure that’s allowed as it would be a taat) but you maybe interested in this.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_campaigns/4387094-Sign-this-petition-for-Valeries-Law-mandatory-training-for-police-supporting-Black-domestic-violence-victims-before-Sunday?watched=1&msgid=112060157#112060157

Sorry for the derail from food but I noticed it hadn’t been tagged into BMN.

Mnhq have now added the link to the top of BMN. Thank you @mnhq

It's always been on bmn. That's how I found it.

Thank you @Orchidflower1, how are you doing?

It seems to appear and disappear to be fair @Orchidflower1. I've seen it on other boards, only for them to disappear later, then re-appear.

@Orchidflower1 - thanks for highlighting, hope it does go to debate.

Been meaning to send you link for cheesecake recipe - here you go www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/perfect_cheesecake/

Made one last weekend and skipped the water bath stage which can be a faff. Alternatively, in the past I've wrapped the cake tin in foil and sat it atop a muffin tin filled with hot water - less likely to get water ingress.

Thank you @Maggiethecat I’ll give it a go over the next couple of weeks.

Hi @Maggiethecat I tried the cheesecake recipe and whilst mine tasted divine it was a little bit over done on the top.

I have a range cooker and currently my side with the fan in needs a new element so I used the regular side where the temperature is less consistent throughout the oven.

I used digestive biscuits instead of the Graham crackers as I couldn’t source those. The base was crunchy but quite sweet so I think next time I may try rich tea biscuits or would you recommend a savoury type cracker?

Thank you for the link though; it was much appreciated. Mr orchid had his Covid booster was a little under the weather but this perked him up.

This week I’m making ginger cake and also something with pears- I’m not sure what yet!

Happy cooking all; hope you’re enjoying the change of seasons which in our house brings a change of foods!

Ladies,

Did you see Melissa Thompson on Saturday kitchen?? She cooked a very simple dish; ginger beer battered prawns. The simplicity of the dish has my mouth watering and I'm now convinced I need to buy a deep fat fryer.

She dipped fresh prawns seasoned with fresh garlic, salt & pepper in a batter made from ginger beer, corn flour and plain flour. Then fried them.

Served with a salsa made of chopped avacado, bell tomato & spring onions. With a dip made from mayonnaise & hot pepper sauce.

Yummy.
I'll try and find the link to the clip....

@Orchidflower1 - great to hear that it came out well! what topping did you use?

Sounds your oven temp high - cake should have a slight wobble at the end of the bake, seeming a bit underbaked but leaving it in the oven for another hour or so with the oven door ajar helps to finish the bake.

I think closest thing here to Graham crackers are digestive biscuits but if too sweet you could try rich tea (not sure if texture will be same if you particularly like the crunchiness) or you could mix both biscuits. I have a niece who uses sponge cake as the base, so that's another taste/texture to try.

Let me know what you do with the pears - I've always fancied baking with pears but have never done it. Pear and chocolate baked sounds divine.

@NurseButtercup - while you're considering getting a deep fat fryer reach for the trusty dutch pot if you have one. We have a small one reserved for deep frying - brilliant for tempura, chicken goujons, falafels....

@maggiethecat omg you're right!! I actually have a Dutch pot that I haven't used for years. Thanks for poking my dusty brain, this is how my mom used to use her dutchpot.

How do you dispose of the oil??

And if you ever know anyone coming from Jamaica ask them to bring you a small one (about 20 cm diameter) - more economical to use in terms of the oil and you can always fry in batches.

We let the oil solidify in the fridge or outside if cold and then put it in with the food waste.