Cooking In A Bedsit

2010-05-17T13:18:00.002+01:00

Quick and Easy Dinner
When you are busy blogging or working at whatever job you do, it can make for a very busy day. However, you and your family both need to eat. Following is a tasty, nutritious, and easy to make dinner. Not only is it fast and easy to put it together, but it lets you save money by using leftovers.

Creamy Mac and Cheese Ham Bake
Ingredients:

1 7.25 oz. package of macaroni and cheese dinner mix

1 ½ cups of cooked ham or chicken, cubed or chopped

1 ½ cups (6 oz.) of shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup of cream style cottage cheese

½ cup of sour cream

½ cup onion, chopped

¼ tsp. of ground black pepper

¼ cup of soft bread crumbs

1 tbsp. snipped fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes (if desired)

1 tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Fix the macaroni and cheese mix by following the package instructions, only exclude salt. Stir in the ham or chicken, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, the sour cream, cottage chest, pepper, and onion. Mix well and put into an ungreased 1 ½ quart baking dish.

Using a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs, and parsley, if desired, along with the melted butter. Sprinkle this over the mixture of macaroni. Top with the rest of the ½ cup cheddar cheese.

Bake 30 minutes, uncovered, or until entire mixture is thoroughly heated and the crumbs have turned golden brown.

This recipe makes 4 servings but can be increased by increasing the recipe ingredients. Serve with a salad or cooked vegetable.

Signs of the Times
Have a look at your personal Zodiac sign below to find out what lies ahead of you this month!

AQUARIUS (January 21st – February 19th): The month of May has you brimming with new ideas and chomping at the bit to get them in writing. Go ahead and get started so as not to lose your momentum. Someone has been watching you for awhile now and wants to get to know you better. It might be time to find out who it is.

PISCES (February 20th – March 20th): Magic and mystery keep you thinking that you need to do something useful this month but, at the same time, you don't know quite what that is. Everyone knows you're a dreamer and they accept you as you are. Those who don't are not that important in your life anyway. Forge ahead with whatever comes to mind.

ARIES (March 21st – April 20th): No one knows what you need better than you do, or at least that's what you think. Give people a break because they have things they need to do, too. Concentrate on your future and see what your goals need to be. Once you know the questions, you will find the answers.

TAURUS (April 21st – May 21st): May can be a fantastic month for you if you just sit back and let it. There are many special things you need to take care of this month and you already have a list of what they are. Passions run deep and you will know just what you need to do with them. Expect happier times than you've had in awhile.

GEMINI (May 22nd – June 21st): Your fickle side comes out this month and you can't seem to control where it leads you. Hurting feelings was not something you ever meant to do but you just can't help looking over the fence for greener grass. Professionally, you do pretty well this month. Ideas run rampant and you take charge of implementing them.

CANCER (June 22nd – July 22nd): Even though you are known to be somewhat of a crab for the most part, this month you need to fight those urges. People will get tired of being around you unless you perk up a little. Do you really want to be alone all the time? Of course you don't! Start smiling, even if you have to FORCE it. Soon, it will be a real one.

LEO (July 23rd – August 22nd): You have a tendency to display a lazy streak sometimes. But that's ok. People expect a great leader, such as yourself, to be a bit laid back at times. You'll still be asked to be the leader of band on more than one occasion and you should take that as the highest form of flattery. Give the people what they want.

VIRGO (August 23rd – September 23rd): Stop being such a fuss budget this month. It's the month of May and you need to let yourself feel a bit of that spring fever. Take time to pick the roses and make a bouquet or two with them. Too much order in your life can actually cause a stressful disposition at times. Loosen up a bit.

LIBRA (September 24th – October 23rd): You're known for your fair judge of situations and people come to you for advice on many occasions this month. Be honest and tell things like you see them but do try to have a bit of compassion when you do it. Something exciting is coming your way and you will be hard pressed to contain an unusual burst of excitement.

SCORPIO (October 24th – November 22nd): You feel like you want to break free this month and not be tied down to anything. However, there is someone who wants nothing more than to tie you down in many different ways. It seems that you mesmerized the wrong person this time and now you will pay for that error. Don't worry, though. It won't be ALL bad.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23nd – December 21st): This month promises to give you the chance to get many projects completed that you thought would always be up in the air. Accept help where it's offered and don't feel guilty about taking it. These are still YOUR ideas, no matter how many it takes to get them implemented.

CAPRICORN (December 22nd – January 20th): The entire month of May promises to have you excited about many things. It seems that as soon as one thing is completed, another one swoops in and begins. Your energy level is going to be quite high, which is a good thing because you will need it. Be aware of someone peeking around corners at you.

That wraps things up for May, Bloggers! We hope you enjoyed this month's newsletter and will maybe take away something new with you. Please feel free to let us know any comments and suggestions that you may have.

2010-05-05T08:23:00.005+01:00

A good omelette is a delicious kitchen standby – other than eggs, you really don’t need any particular ingredients, although a dash of milk and some butter are a good idea.

An omelette is also a great way to use up leftover ingredients or those random ingredients that are lurking in the back of the fridge or kitchen cupboard. If you add chopped, cooked potatoes to an omelette you can cook a Spanish omelette, also called a frittata, which makes it a little more substantial thanks to the extra carbohydrates.
It is a good idea to have all your ingredients ready before you start to cook your omelette as it is really very quick to make.

If you want to add any cooked ingredients that are not cooked already – such as fried onions, peppers or chorizo – cook them in a frying pan with a little oil first. Season them well and add some chilli flakes if you like a little heat

What You Need
1 x Mixing Bowl or Jug
1x Frying Pan
1x Spatula or Fish Slicer

Cooking Method
1)You will need to break your eggs into a large bowl. Make sure your eggs are fresh and ideally at room temperature. Whisk them with a fork or balloon whisk until they are light and fluffy, some chefs recommend a couple of drops of water or milk to lighten the mix, but this is only personal preference. Season your eggs well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2)You will need two or three eggs for a one person omelette, with one or two extra eggs per person, depending on appetites. It can also be more stylish to cook an individual two or three egg omelette per person, rather than cutting up a larger omelette.
3)Place a medium sized frying pan onto a medium heat and put in a decent knob of butter or a dash of olive oil. Swirl it around the pan and pour in your egg mixture. Allow the egg to settle in the pan for about thirty seconds and then, using a spatula, gently draw a little bit of the cooked mixture away from the edge of the pan, tipping the pan slightly to allow the uncooked egg from the centre to run into the space.

4)After about one minute, the egg will be nearly cooked. At this point you need to add in your extra ingredients. A plain cheese omelette is delicious – plenty of grated cheddar or emmenthal is ideal.
If you like your omelette barely set, you can serve it as it is. If you prefer your omelette to be a bit more ‘puffy’, like a soufflé, you can put the pan under a hot grill to cook the top – although be very careful with the handle of your frying pan as it will get very hot.

2010-05-04T18:59:00.013+01:00

Whether you eat them on their own or as an accompaniment to other foods, scrambled eggs are simple and quick to make, leaving you plenty of time to pursue other interests outside of the kitchen.

What you need!

1 x Microwave safe bowl

3 x Eggs

1 x teaspoon of milk

Cooking Method

1)Crack your eggs in the microwave safe bowl
2)Add your teaspoon of milk and whisk with a folk
3)Add salt and pepper and stir again till nice and fluffy
4)Place the bowl into the microwave for 30 seconds. Carefully take out your bowl, as it will be hot. Stir your eggs again, and place them back into the microwave for 20 seconds.
5)Remove your bowl of scrambled eggs, and let cool for 1 minute before eating.

Don`t Have A Microwave? That`s Okay Below Video Will
Show You How To Cook Scrambled Eggs Using The Pan Method!

Breakfast:
How To Make Scrambled Eggs On Toast

2010-05-04T16:16:00.014+01:00

A perfectly poached egg is delicious served with fishcakes or smoked haddock, or simply on buttered toast. For best results, use really fresh eggs

What You Need

1 x Clean frying pan

1 x Spatula or perforated spoon

2 sheets of kitchen roll

Cooking Method

1)Place a suitable frying pan on a gentle heat

and heat and add enough boiling water from the kettle to fill it about 1 inch(2.5cm).

Keep the heat gentle till you seen tiny bubbles forming

2)Now break the eggs gently one by one in the frying pan and barely simmer for 1 minute uncovered.

3)when cooked lift gently from frying pan and then drain on kitchen paper!

2010-05-04T15:39:00.026+01:00

If you usually only manage to chew half-heartedly on a piece of toast for breakfast then this recipe will remind you how to make a proper start to the day. Boil an egg. Written with children in mind, it is easy to follow.

What you need!

1 x Small saucepan

1 x Kettle of boiling water

1 x Egg timer (watch or clock)

Cooking Method

1)Half fill the saucepan with boiling water

2)Place eggs gently in boiling water then turn down to simmer

3) For soft runny eggs simmer for 3 to 4 minutes,for hard boiled and salads boil for 6 minutes