Ready made pastry.

Oh no, Megs36, prepared to be crucified by those who have not only made their own pastry, but reared their own cattle to produce the steak for the pie - and probably grown their own mushrooms too!

Even worse ‘sin ‘ to confess …..?Not only do I use ready made pastry. I stick it on top of tinned stewed steak and …lo and behold ….ready made meat pie!, ( I do sometimes mix a few button mushrooms in the meat ??

Why should using something which makes your life easier make you feel guilty? That just doesn't make any sense to me. Pastry making isn't a service you give or a donation to charity which if you withdrew it someone would lose out by it. Just enjoy the baking you have done and enjoy the extra time you have earned by not having to clear up the mess!

pastry is so easy and is part of the slow mo vibe, taking my time, not rushing to get it done

I make mine all organic, rub in at room temperature by hand lifting to get the air in, mix with very cold water, with a knife. Quick gathering into a ball and into the fridge until I am ready. It is the most divine flaky pastry, very much nicer than ready stuff. I tried ready stuff only once

I make tarts and cases,small and large and freeze them. ready to pop into the oven

I make my own by hand as 1. it’s dead cheap, 2. I can choose my own ingredients (always use vitalite) and avoid palm oil and 3. I make just the right amount I need. Did it from cost perspective from when I was poor young mum, and it’s second nature now. Appreciate it’s not everyone’s bag but I have had LOTS of practise. ?

I hardly cook at all since Mr M retired - I have to clear everything up though but I’d have to do that if I cooked plus he’s rubbish at loading dishwasher despite several lessons haha. He shops too as I’ve my fair share of chores. We shouldn’t feel at all guilty at using ‘shortcuts’ - Shirley Conran said Life’s too short to stuff a mushroom!

Trisha57-I’ve got one of those wood and wire ones too! Makes lovely pastry. No idea where it came from. It was getting a bit manky, and I bought what I thought was the modern equivalent, one like Auntieflo’s, but couldn’t get on with it at all, and went back to the old one. Keeps the pastry from getting under your nails! I think it makes the pastry lighter, because there are slightly bigger bits of fat left in the flour, so when you roll it out it is rather like a fine flaky pastry. And you are not handling the pastry to rub it in if your hands are hot. Works for me anyway.

A seersucker tablecloth! That's what I need! Thanks Yammy, why didn't I think of that?! Will search for one immediately.
I've found the Orvis winter shirts I've bought my husband at considerable expense over the years are worth their weight in gold as they don't need ironing! Not that I'm lazy you understand!!!

Auntieflo - I have one of those contraptions in your picture, but mine is wooden handled with thinner wires. My mum bought it at the Ideal Home Exhibition in 1948 as a newly-wed and it is still doing sterling service!

Germanshepherdsmum

I don’t iron our sheets but I do iron sheets for visitors’ beds though. Do other people?

I only iron sheets for guests and make the pillowcases look good.
A tip from Martha Stewart the American fold your sheets as flat as possible then quarter your pillowcases and fit them all inside one pillowcase to store in an airing cupboard. It's brilliant no more searching through piles of flat and fitted sheets and somehow they don't get as crumpled AND DH no longer has an excuse not to find a set.
When he first retired DH took to wearing his Rohan shirts through the week and I grumbled. I soon stopped when I realised they do not need ironing if you hang them outside or hang them by the tag in the utility room. He might look like Sherpa Tensing but he doesn't mind so why should I.
Table cloths for the kitchen are seersucker checks like mums again do not need ironing. A job I hate after doing six pale shirts and ten white blouses every week for years. maybe I'm getting lazy or just crafty in my old age!!!

Another " good as the real thing". I have only recently discovered the joys of Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire Puddings. I absolutely always prided myself on my Yorkshire puds until a couple of years ago when my future DiL joined us for Christmas dinner. To keep her happy and make her feel welcome and at home I agreed to include Yorkshire puddings as part of our meal, much to the horror of the rest of my family. I figured that I really wouldn't have the time, space or inclination to make the batter, heat the tin and cook the things. So I got a large bag of Aunt B's frozen. 5 minutes in the oven!! Who knew!! So easy! Never looked back since.

I have never mastered pastry. We had a lovely domestic science teacher at school, but I can still hear her admonishing us for getting the butter and flour on the palms of our hands. " finger tips, girls. Just your finger tips! And lift them up!" I think I was scarred for life. I very rarely make pastry but will occasionally make a crumble topping. But ths ghost of Mrs D is still behind me, looking over my shoulder "finger tips! Use your finger tips"!!!!

If you enjoy the process, it's fun, not hard work. I really enjoy making my own bread - and just can't buy anything as good. I'm quite happy to cheat with crumble, though (just smash a packet of biscuits).

My mother was a cookery teacher but even she used ready made puff pastry! She said it was just as good and saved huge amounts of time. However she made her own shortcrust and crumble mix and was horrified when she found out I bought ready made crumble mix. She made me a large quantity when she came to stay which lasted ages, but I confess I went back to bought ready made when it ran out!
As I've got older I'm happy to take short cuts especially if it reduces the time spent standing in the kitchen, I hardly ever bake these days, especially when I'm on my own as it would encourage me to eat too much if I had homemade cakes to tempt me. I was considering baking for my daughter's birthday which is tomorrow, but in the end opted for a really nice bought cheesecake - her favourite dessert - and will take her out for dinner.

It's been the secret of professional kitchens for decades, along with dried pre mix i.e. scones, carrot cake to name but two.Treat it as home made your secret. I only make from scratch Christmas pudding and cake, big hit in my house. Weights orange cake mix ,add chocolate nibs to mix. When taken out of oven sprinkle with sugar nibs and top with orange zest .

I have a small kitchen with not much room for rolling pastry out so I get the ready made, ready rolled sort. And I can guarantee that it will be edible. Which is often more than I can say about my own!!

Plunger

Kali2

I always buy ready-made pastre, but always check it is butter only and NOT palm oil.

Definitely with you on that! Palm oil is devastating vast areas. Destroying habitat for endangered species eg orangutans in Borneo. Vegan pastry made with it is not only disgusting but causes environmental harm to the planet. I make my own shortcrust pastry but buy all butter puff pastry.

Thanks. Yes, I know many people who have stopped buying palm oil, but do not check for palm oil in prepared products.

Can you recommend a Brand or type that is butter and not palm oil, please.

My mum was very good making pastry. I watched her for years and mine is rubbish. Ive tried and tried and my problem seems to be the rolling out. I can't get it thin enough or it just crumbles and looks terrible. Ready made and rolled pastry is used often in my house I'm afraid Thank you Jusrol for saving my sanity as far as pastry is concerned.

Germanshepherdsmum

I don’t iron our sheets but I do iron sheets for visitors’ beds though. Do other people?

I only iron the pillow cases. The duvet covers don’t really show the creases - one’s a check and the other’s a William Morris pattern - the strawberry thief - in a dark blue.

I only make pastry occasionally now when family visit and request a ‘homemade’ pie. The flour doesn’t last long even stored in an airtight container so I resorted to ready made a few years ago. The family are non the wiser and always praise the shortcrust

Certainly don’t make it anymore, never had the touch like my ma did hers was amazing. So ready made suits me. I make my own crumble though.

If shop bought is better than I can do it then I buy it and feel no guilt. Pastry comes into that category.
Try frozen mashed potato too or those delicious tubs of mashed potato from M&S. Yum!
I do still make cakes, scones and soda bread. I have not been totally seduced by the dark side yet.

I'm told my mincepies are like shortcake and melt in the mouth but its the only time of the year I actually make my own pastry.
Can't beat the pastry made by the grandchildren with there hot little hands. Hard and unpalatable but after grandad has his Granny saves hers for later?

I don’t iron our sheets but I do iron sheets for visitors’ beds though. Do other people?

Life into short to make pastry, iron bed sheets and chop onions