Induction Hob - Epic Bargain Success

Yay! I now have an induction hob. It's not fitted yet, but I bought it from B&Q today. I had seen on Hot UK Deals a chap who had got a Hotpoint Induction Hob for £49. I wasn't too convinced to be honest.... but I thought I'll have a quick look.

After a lot of sodding about looking at a different hob that was £40, I had a Hotpoint one labeled up at £499 I thought "ah, give it a try" so we got a price check... £119 :)

Was very pleased... have wanted an proper induction hob for years as I exclusively cook on a single ring plug in hob.

Now, all we have to do is to fit it ;)

Now, Foods for the day

Breakfast

1/2 Can Prunes
Splodge Yoghurt

Lunch
Low sugar/salt baked beans
2 Slices Warburtons Bread
Soya Cappuccino

Dinner
Seitan Cutlet

Steamed veggies - Made up of
120g Baby potatoes
75g Carrots
75g Mange Tout

Dessert
Low Fat Muffin Parfait
Made up with
Low fat homemade muffin from the freezer
Homemade Soya Yoghurt
Frozen Blueberries
Black Cherry Jam
1 Tbs Sherry
Microwaved for 1 min... with a lid on

This revives the dead muffins.... I feel like The Piemaker... just far less creepy

Today I also cleaned off the bookshelf and put all my recipe books on one shelf. Yay! No more swearing because I can't find the book I'm after... now, swearing because I can't remember which book the recipe is in ;)

Cleaning out my pantry

Well, for long and convoluted reasons, I have a cupboard full of food. It's nice in that, in case of Zombie Invasion....I've got enough food to keep me going for a bit... but on the other hand, I can't find anything when I look in there.

About every 6 months or so I get really annoyed with it, and reorganise it, only to throw out half a dozen bits of food, which I then replace very quickly, and I'm in the same position after a few more weeks.

Anyway, I've decided to eat through all the things I don't need.... today I started with a can of prunes for breakfast :) MrDerious and I shared them, topped with a nice splodge of my homemade soya yogurt from homemade milk.

The only time I've ever managed to make soya yogurt I've made it in a thermos flask. Making it in a yoghurt maker never seems to work. Weird huh? Anyway, I have a fairly small 350ml flask, which is perfect really, as it doesn't make too much and I can therefore eat through it in 2-3 days and none of it gets thrown away. I guess if I was using some for baking, I would want more.... but mostly I use it as a topping, or a little bit in my breakfast burritos with some guacamole to make it creamy :) I don't feel it's quite as nice as the store bought stuff, but I know what's in there... and it's all healthy. The store bought stuff like Alpro has thickeners and sweeteners in them... this is just water, soybeans and a wee bit of yogurt culture, which as time goes on will just be water, soybeans and some endlessly multiplying bacteria.

Anyway, no firm plans for the rest of the day.... might be brave and walk up to Tesco if the weather holds. Its a good walk though... made 40mins in good weather and the walk into town wiped me out yesterday, so it might not be a great plan. Hmmm, will decide later

Snack Time

In order to increase my calories for the day I just made a scrummy snack

Defrosted a Low Fat Chocolate Muffin (Homemade)
Sliced into 4 bits
Put into a rammikin
Layered up with plain yoghurt and frozen blueberries between each slice of muffin
Topped with blackcherry jam
Thought 'it still looks dry'
Added 1tbs of sherry

Put another rammikin on top to catch steam and microwaved for 1 min

Yum Yum Yum :)

The Weather, It's Snow Fun

Brrrrrrrrr

It's now day 3 of it being too snowy to go anywhere.... The week has been an odd one.

Monday I woke up to see snow outside the window.... a fair bit as it happens. However, myself being the person I am.... I went on my merry way to work. It's a 17 mile trip... and I got into the office to hear the phone ringing. I was surprised to see that there was no-one else in the office. It was my boss

Me: "Good Morning *******, How can I help"
Boss: "Who's that?"
Me: "MsDerious"
Boss: "Oh, who else is in the office"
Me: "Just me"
Boss: "Oh, What's the weather like?"
Me: "About 2inchs of snow?"
Boss: "Oh, Are you staying?"
Me: "Well, I have a lot to do"

This conversation continues, until we decide that I'll leave at about 11... only 2 other people made it in that day.

Tuesday
I head in.... still snowy, but today the rest of the office make it in

Wednesday
Normal Day

Thursday
SNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW
Probably 3-4 inches deep, and it's like death on the roads. I'm still stupid enough to have a bash at going in. At about 8am on of the other ladies in the office calls on my mobile to tell me to go home... I'm a plank, so I continue to head in....
I get stranded in the snow until a nice made comes along and helps my wee car.
Left home at 7.30am
got back home 12ish

Most of that time was spent cacking my pants that I was going to die in the snow.

Friday
Get a call at 7am to say not to come in.
Work from home
Look in cupboard
For dinner I had

Quinoa
Homemade BBQ sauce
Chicken flavour seitan
Celery
Orange Pepper
Green Pepper

Made Quinoa in microwave as I was feeling very lazy

Cut peppers into strips
Added 1 rib of celery and fried until weeping a bit
Had left over seitan made with La Dolce Vegan recipe... added that
Continued to cook until warm
Added 1/4 cup of BBQ sauce... and some juice left over from my breakfast chili
Heat until thickened
Yumm :)

Today
Got up about 7:30... did the weekly weigh in. Wrinkled my nose at the weight... 7st 1lbs .... not good. I've lost more weight :(

Ate last of Breakfast Chilli with some spinach in a tortilla... Yum :)

Watched the end of Spiderman 3, Plus One and the first episode of being Human

Decided that I didn't much fancy paying for parking while we went into town, so decided to walk. About 3-4 years ago I had bought two pairs of 'Snowgrips' that stretch onto the bottoms of your shoes. I actually found these at the start of the shitty weather, and I use these. They really make the difference on the walk into town.

We get into town, go get a Soya Cappuccino, then watch Bolt 3D. OMG!!!! Never seen a 3D film before, and it's not most awesome thing ever... Anyway, after that we buy some more vegan cheese (Tofutti for MrDerious, Redwood for me) and get another Cappuccino (to stay warm more than anything else).

Walk home via Morrison's, buying some more peppers, a snack bar for MrDerious, mixed veggies and some veggie burgers.

Get home, have a toasted sandwich done in toasterbags. Chedderstyle redwood and a slice of seitan pepperoni :)

I make up the soya milk from the beans that have been soaking, and make some seitan dough up in the breadmaker. I look at the small lumps and think "That's not going to be enough" but, as usual, it puffs up nicely in the broth. I'm feeling lazy enough to use the vegan chicken broth I found in Asda... it tastes blooming nice :)

For dinner we have (Makes 4, we had 1 each)
Seitan Chicken Cutlets
200g Seitan
Simmered for 30min in 2cups of broth
Dipped in homemade soya milk
Dipped in mix of flour, paprika, black pepper and salt
Fried for 10 mins over medium heat (Whacked up to high at the end)

Carrot (Steamed for 8 mins)
New Potatoes (Steamed for 25 mins)
Mixed veggie pack (beans, Leek and Courgette)

This is the first time I've steamed carrots, they worked out well :)

For dessert I had a gingerbread bar. These are veggie, but not vegan. I figure there isn't much point throwing it all out, so I'm just trying not to buy any more non-vegan foods. I slip up now and then... but I'm getting better :)

MrDerious is now watching Bourne Ultimatum... I was foolish enough to upgrades to the movies package on Sky. 3 months at 1/2 price seemed like an okay plan... we can watch a whole bunch of movies... then cancel once I've seen all the stuff I'm interested in. Its kinda makes sense to do this as I don't feel I get a lot out of my Sky+ sub.

Anyway, I think I'll go check the soya yogurt (If this batch fails, I swear I'm going to give it up soon) and perhaps get a glass of wine. I've not really eaten enough today.... so I'm thinking of ways of getting a little more food into me. I might have a look in the freezer to see what there is in way of frozen yummies.