New paintings and regular art updates.
My friend keeps sending me photos of bread he has made. Because he’s posting on WhatsApp the images keep downloading themselves into my phone gallery.
He makes a basic dough then adds nuts or berries, chilli powder or flakes or garlic. Recently he’s been adding chick peas.
The only thing is, he lives so far away that I’ll never be able to eat any of the loaves.
He’s got an airfryer this weekend.
Never used one before. I’ve only used mine for a few months. I got a bit motherly, trying to explain how it works, that it’s not a deep fat fryer.
When you get something new it’s not always simple to understand. Which buttons do you press? What’s suitable for cooking in it? What are the hazards, risks.
But the good thing is it seems more economical than a full sized oven. They need regular cleaning and drying or food can bubble up and stick on surfaces
You can get charts to tell you cooking times and heats.
I once used a greaseproof paper sheet and managed to char it’s edges. An airfryer is not a microwave. It gets very hot, and removing food from the baskets can be… Ouch… Hot.
Still I would recommend this piece of technology for cooking. I just want one big enough to roast a chicken.
I fancy fish fingers and chips for tea. After a week of being ill I’m ready to start eating properly again. The problem is my fridge and freezer are almost empty. I haven’t been well enough to wash or clean up for days and I’ve done no shopping. If I don’t cook tonight I will be so hungry.
Then I thought, this is a first world problem. I can go shopping tomorrow, I can eat a bowl of soup and I have bread. I could just make toast or make some porridge. Or I could send out for a pizza or something else.
I don’t live in a war zone. I’m not being bombarded with drones or missiles. I am not being threatened by violence. My human rights are not being violated. I don’t live in a dictatorship.
So
Moaning about being hungry is NOT something I should do. I should try and help others instead of complaining.
Hugs.
A heart in the bottom of my mucky mug.
Like a parchment map of old
Stained shape of hidden treasure
And a bit like Plutos bold
Heart impaled on its frosty ground
Making it’s tiny world go round
Hearts bring me cheer
Makes me remember
He once was here.
So I write a poem to remind me
While on the cooker I’m burning tea!
Strange how things look
When you cook
Sautéed mushrooms
Nicely softened
A touch of brown
Like autumn leaves
The spoon?
A trunk.
And suddenly
A mushroom tree
Beauty?
Curry splodge for tea. I like to cook but I struggle to cut things up as Parkinsons shaking makes it hard to hold the knife. It tasted nice though. I buy odd shaped veg so I guess it doesn’t matter how it looks. Had no nan or roti bread so used tortillas instead.
Stewing some apples for tea. There red one has red flesh like a beetroot! Just got to mix up some custard.
What was the last thing you searched for online? Why were you looking for it?
I am using an air fryer as my gas oven is no longer working. But as it’s temperature is set in Celsius I sometimes have to check what the equivalent is
So Gas Mark 5 is 190°Celcius. But the air fryers maximum heat only goes up to 200°C and yet my old gas oven goes up to 9 so I do wonder whether there are any things I shouldn’t cook in it? Of course there’s always the trick of putting things in the microwave afterwards to ensure the food is thoroughly heated through.
Apologies for this boring post, but you did ask!
Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle?
I don’t use the oven or gas fire.
I’ve got an airfryer which is good for small amounts of food. I use the hob for vegetables and small meals like soup. And for really quick meals I use the microwave instead of the hob.
I think doing this has saved me a few pounds. And it’s not warming the climate as much so my carbon footprint must be smaller as I don’t use the car much.
I’m currently trying to cook a turkey thigh in my smallish airfryer. To roast it the instructions say cook at 190 degrees in the oven wrapped in foil for 45 minutes, then unwrap and cook for a further 45. So that’s an hour and a half.
I don’t have any foil but I put it on a grease proof paper liner and put the metal grill on top of it to stop it from burning. So far it’s been in for two lots of 20 minutes and I’ve just turned it over again and put it on for a further 20 minutes. after that I will see if the juices are running clear.If not ill put it on for a further 20 ish… .. It smells nice, but it is a big lump! I hope this works as I might try a small chicken next..
Mallaband-Brown