Sorry to say, but this site has been so depressing for a few days. I thought I'd ask an average, everyday question....to make us all feel a little more normal today.
I made Eggplant Lasagna, and my BIL and SIL are coming for dinner. They leave for Cali tomorrow to see their beautiful grand daughter.
Sorry, sometimes we just need some REGULAR conversation.......or at least THIS caregiver does.
I can wait.
Right I have a recipe but I think a rule of thumb is about 1 cup of full fat milk to about 1 oz of rice and 3/4 oz superfine sugar
5cups full fat milk
5oz pudding rice
4oz superfine sugar
a generous knob of butter (this is optional - I never use it but my gran ALWAYS used it - but I am quite liberally when I butter the ovenproof dish so maybe that would account for it tasting the same!)
a very generous sprinkle of freshly ground nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 140 C or 285F so quite a low oven this time
Butter a large ovenproof dish - if you don't be prepared for a very stuck rice pudding that is a nightmare to clean!
Bring milk slowly to a simmer in a saucepan - you don't want to burn the milk.
Stir in rice and sugar until the sugar has dissolved.
Pour the whole lot into the ovenproof dish.
Top with the knob of butter and grate fresh nutmeg over the top - please don't use ground nutmeg already done it doesn't taste the same at all.
Then into the oven for about an hour and a half - I usually stir mine after about 45 minutes.
If you like a more luxurious rice pudding (I think this is the one you were on about Send!) then here ya go:
3½oz sultanas
1 mug hot strong black tea
7 cups milk
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
7oz pudding rice
3½oz golden granulated sugar (if you don't have this ordinary sugar is fine)
lots of freshly ground nutmeg
1 vanilla pod which you split and scrape the seeds from
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F.
Soak the sultanas in the tea for ten minutes, then drain and throw the tea away - the sultanas need this plumping first or they will just take it from the milk and you end up with a very dry rice pudding
Butter a large casserole dish ( something about 12in x 8inches should do it),
In a bowl, mix together the milk and cream. Stir in the rice and the sugar and a pinch of nutmeg. Add the vanilla pod and seeds, then stir in the soaked sultanas.
Cover the dish with a lid or sheet of foil, then cook in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the lid or foil sprinkle with oodles of nutmeg and cook for a further 45minutes - an hour (until the rice is tender and the top is lightly golden and has formed a skin).
Note this time you don't bring the milk to the boil first because the cream will split it and it will be vile
Now I am given to believe that finding sausage meat could be difficult in the states so I am having to start from scratch here:
20 oz free-range or organic pork shoulder
8 oz free-range or organic pork belly
1oz fine dried breadcrumbs (optional)
Chop into pieces and mince - now I appreciate you may only have a food processor/blender and you can do it in this but watch it you don't want a paste and that is exactly what you will get if you overdo the blitzing
½ teaspoon salt
16 sage leaves, finely chopped
Black pepper
¼ teaspoons of freshly grated nutmeg
Mix the minced meat with everything else by hand in a big bowl - its messy work but we know messy well so just dig in and squish away - it has to be mixed till it is thoroughly even throughout now just chill it (at this point if you have used only fresh ingredients you could theoretically freeze it but I wouldn’t as it doesn’t last long in the freezer because you aren’t add all the chemicals that commercial producers do)
Heat your oven to about 350-400 F
Decide what pastry you are going to use (see above recipes on pastry) make and chill
Right so you now have chilled sausage meat and chilled pastry
Roll out the pastry into a long narrowish strip now remember you are going to wrap it round the roll of sausage meat so so not too narrow. I find that I roll it long and wide and then cut it into two length wise but practice makes perfect and it does depend on how you like to work
now you need to take some of it and roll a long sausage - the sausage should be as long as the pastry you have just rolled out - now you place the sausage on one side of the pastry then using an egg wash (just beaten egg with a dash of milk) brush both the long sides of the pastry. Fold the pastry in half and pinch the edges together - I use a fork to create a pretty pattern but thats a personal choice.
Then all you do is cut the sausage rolls to the size you want - now I am crap at getting these even so I do it this way I cut them in half and then again until I get to the size I want
Then all you do is pop them on a baking tray - use the remaining egg wash to glaze the tops and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden brown
Oh then you eat them!!!!
Find can opener
pour Chef Boy ar Dee into can
Heat up
Pour in bowl (or if you prefer eat out of pot)
You'd think that would make me hate cooking but it didn't - I just realised that all my life I had eaten food that wasn't cooked properly and I had to relearn what food should taste like - don't get me wrong I love baked beans on toast and I like Heinz soup too but I still prefer to cook my own because I KNOW what is in it.
My preferred choice is to shop at farmer's markets or better still visit a pick your own farm. I like fish straight from the dockside when the boats come in and free range eggs and if I could afford it organic meat.
I adore curries and I make them from scratch no bought ground spices - I make my own dry roast, grind pickle and fry to make the pastes - when asked by the Indian shipowner why I didn't just buy the jars of paste I said would you - he said NO of course not - then why would I want to?
Gershun when this is all over I am coming to the states for my final holiday but that big metal bird in the sky will be bringing me - I hope I don't get put in quarantine at the airport!!!!!!
But seriously, if you plan on going to the U.S. you should go a little further and drop in on Canada.
Is it a full moon tonight cause I'm in a really weird mood.
Tuesday we had chicken a la king with dried cherries, celery, and peas over mashed potatoes or stuffing (your choice), pickled beets, and dressed romaine wedges.
I think rotisserie chickens are a great value. This one served 4 adults 2 meals. I should think of this more often!
I live near a place that supplies barbecued ribs to restaurants, and they have a tiny front office where they sell them to the public. I had a pack in the freezer and tonight we had ribs, cheesy jalapeno corn, big almond-stuffed olives,watermelon, and fresh bakery bread.
I really do cook from scratch sometime, really! But I'm having a bit of an easier week.
I'm always amazed at how well people on this thread eat, jeanne's dinner sounds wonderful (I agree about the supermarket rotisserie chickens, delicious and economical). It's hard to motivate myself to make a decent meal when it's just for me, all mom wants is her ensure and some fruit.
You are awesome to do the recipes AND give to others on the thread: STRUGGLING FOR CV IDEAS, where caregivers can get a real education about returning to work.
Then, going back to THE CAREGIVER OF THE DAY IS...thread, as soon as I figure out which name to use, I may just put your sweet name on there! Your efforts are always appreciated, it is obvious that others think you are special too.
Thank you, again and again.
Disclaimer: Just a poor attempt at bad humor, sorry folks. Don't be confused.