Once a month cooking

I've seen once a month cooking recommended in books and sites from the US. The idea sounds great although I'm not sure that I would have the energy or storage space to do all that cooking in one go plus all the recipes sound very "not me"-lots of ingredients we don't use often here. Maybe I'm just being stick in the mud.
Has anyone tried once a month cookery? Was this successful? Can you give me any tips about this?
Many thanks
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  • MATH
    MATH Posts: 2,941
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    I sort of tried it but it is a real marathon. i find it much easier to have a three week meal plan with meals designed to use up left over ingredients from previous dishes to minimize the amount of store cupboard items I need to buy. I also plan the menus around the time I will know I have each day. The evening I have kidz swimming, concert club, and gymnastics after school will be the night I plan something very quick 'n' easy for egample. HTH
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  • squeaky
    squeaky Posts: 14,129
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    Aye, I'm with MATH on this one. For soups, curries, casserole type things I'll do extra when I make it to fit the menu plan and stash some away for days when I don't feel like cooking but want a home cooked ready meal, but I don't deliberately do a monthly cook.

    About the only time I batch cook is when I'm going to use the oven. Then I'll knock up some pastry to do a few simple flans and pies, tarts and quiches just to make best use of the cooker while it's on.
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  • dorry_2
    dorry_2 Posts: 1,427 Forumite
    i have never done this , but i think if i had more frezzer space i would do what squeky and math do and fit them into my menu planning. i gonna think this one over.

    has anyone got any more ideas??
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  • Chipps
    Chipps Posts: 1,550
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    Hi, Yes I looked at this once, but just like you found the suggested meals unsuitable, and the thought of a day doing nothing but cooking.....aaarrggghh!
    The nearest I get to that sort of thing is to double up sometimes. eg if I am making spag bog or something, to cook 2 or 3 quantities at the same time & freeze the rest. Same goes for quiches etc.
  • chickadee
    chickadee Posts: 1,447
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    I think if I had to face the once-a-month cooking day I would be tempted to stay in bed. Far too much to deal with! :o
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  • Zend
    Zend Posts: 166 Forumite
    I've sort have had a go at it, made 17 lasagneslast week ,then spent the next day in bed, I have bad back problems and standing for so long did not help. I intend to make batches of curry, meat pies and vegetarian stuff for me.
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  • squeaky
    squeaky Posts: 14,129
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    17!! Good grief! :)

    I can sympathise with the back problem - it's why so few of my recipes are for things that you have to watch for more than a couple of minutes at a time. And why I do as much of my preparation as possible sitting down.
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  • I've been tempted by this-not sure why though as I like cooking and wouldn't want to only do it once a month.Still an interesting idea.The thing that I thought might be more do-able was to triple-up meals once a week.So if you did 3 lasagnes on Friday,3 cottage pies the next Friday and so on, it wouldn't take you long to build up a stock of freezer meals with no extra effort.
  • melancholly
    melancholly Posts: 7,457
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    thriftlady wrote:
    I've been tempted by this-not sure why though as I like cooking and wouldn't want to only do it once a month.Still an interesting idea.The thing that I thought might be more do-able was to triple-up meals once a week.So if you did 3 lasagnes on Friday,3 cottage pies the next Friday and so on, it wouldn't take you long to build up a stock of freezer meals with no extra effort.

    that's a really clever way of doing it!
    thank you!
    :happyhear
  • Pink.
    Pink. Posts: 17,675
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    I love cooking too, but to keep myself on top of things for the days I'm working, I keep Friday as cooking day. So far I have a lasagne, two family sized boeuf stroganoffs and two cheese and ham pies cooling for the freezer.

    The kitchen looks like a bomb has hit it.:(

    Pink
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