Mealplans WB 29th June 2009

kunekune

I think it is tempting to be all or nothing with meal planning, whereas I see it as a guide or plan to what we're going to have. All sorts of things can alter our plans - a special deal we spot, being asked out unexpectedly, the weather being hotter than we expected so we can't face putting the oven on. A well stocked larder, fridge & freezer means we can usually adapt to changed circumstances.

In my family, if we have something else it doesn't mean I've failed, although I'd be annoyed with myself if it involved extra shopping when it wasn't needed. So, in your situation I think I would say "ah, that night didn't work ... can I adapt tomorrow to use those sausages and then go back to the planned menu or do I need to alter some other meals?". If you know what food has to be used, then you have the information to decide whether to follow the plan or throw it out for a night or two in order to avoid waste.

The_Golden_Goose

All good advice KK. Will bear that in mind for sure.

Fridayschild

Yes, I feel the same KK. There are so many variables in life, that often things change and plans have to be modified.

This week I have already swapped two meals around due to different numbers of bodies on different nights!! As you say, as long as it doesn't involve extra expense and shopping it doesn't matter really.

KC

ELIZA_D

Yum !
Behind with my meal planning this week so came here for inspiration .

BOODLE ! You need to go on come dine with me !! I am going to try the sausage pie on Friday.....not got sos meat but got fab sausage marked down fromm £3.00 to a £1.00 in co op.........did you put a sauce type thingy in with the mix ??

Any way here goes from now
Wed ...... fish pie and veggies (see other post please for how to make !)
Thurs.......Tuna pasta bake ....
Friday.......Sausage pie ! and veg
Saturday....... out all day working at festival
Sunday.........something with turkey mince (see other post!)

Ok so im very needy this week !!!!!!

Boodle

Am a bit worried now... hope ppl trying the pie will like it after buying all the stuff

Eliza, there is no sauce. It is just sausagemeat and made-up stuffing. Let me know how it went.

Frugal Swan, the pie was lovely cold too. Would have been nice at a picnic in fact. Hubby had it at work, warmed up with ketchup. DD and I had it cold with salad. I think it would be very good with baked beans and HM oven chips too.

Kune Kune, I totally agree with the flexibilty. For example, I had plsanned tuna and sweetcorn lasagne yesterday but discovered I didn't have the lasagne sheets I thought we had. So we had tuna, sweetcorn and sweet chiili sauce mixed into fusilli, toppd with cheese and breadcrumbs and baked. T'was yummy! It will be on future plans at request of DH :T My lunch plans often swap or differ, but as long as I have an initial plan I know there is something in the house, or for when I am busy so that the effort of thought is taken out of it

PS Please excuse any typos - feeding baby as i type!

ELIZA_D

BOODLE ! dont worry we are all her to try new ideas and share ?
If it does not work for some.......... so ?
taste is differrent.......... to experiment is good.....no blame ! :shhh:

Boodle

Lemon_Verbena wrote: »

Hi all,

This is a super idea, just joined MSE and looking at ways to save money, we tend to eat whatever I put my hands on and often end up going out and buying something like a takeaway because I've forgotten to defrost meat or don't have any idea what to make (lazy I know but working on being more organised!). I'll join in with my mealplan next weekthough, I need to survey freezers and cupboards and do a plan first. But I wanted to pick your collective brains before I do my plan. DH buys his lunch at the work canteen and spends £4.50 per day on sarnies, cake and drink. I've suggested we can cut that to around £2.00 per day if he takes HM sarnies or a pasta salad some days and he agreed :eek: saying he'll try it if its cheaper!

Sarnies I can do easy enough but my pasta salad ideas run to tuna and sweetcorn, sweet chilli chicken (using sweet chilli dipping sauce and chilli mayo with spring onion and peppers), chicken tikka pasta salad, and salmon, broccoli and cheesey mayo. I know I can probs make a million pasta salad variations with chicken and tuna but my brain is a brick wall and I can't think of any. Anyone got any suggestions, I want to make them tasty but cheap obviously. I can rustle up homemade muffins and biscuits and get him to take some fruit as well and as I've stuck my neck out have to do it all for £2.00 a day, is this possible or am I fooling myself?

That sweet chilli chicken pasta sounds yum! As well as the tuna/mackerel and sweetcorn, you can add sun-dried tomatoes or swap the fish for shellfish i.e. prawns or crab meat, or chicken and sweetcorn is nice. The fish/shellfish versions will be nice with your sweet chilli mayo you usually use with chicken. Another simple one I used to do alot last summer is a sort of cheese savoury pasta salad -pasta mixed with grated cheese, carrot, onion and some mayo. HTH

Lemon_Verbena

Thanks Boodle and to KC for the PM with suggestions, I've been reading a lot of the recipes on here and have some super ideas to try. I'm a throw it in and see cook, don't often stick to a recipe if I want to use something up or it feels like something else would be better. I've got chicken and walnuts to use up, need to go to Asda for more apples so will get some celery and make him a chicken waldorf pasta salad for his lunch tomorrow.

I thought I was being creative last night when I dreamed up a curried tuna filling for his sarnies today (just checked the net though and its not new or original lol, still it is to us now), OH was nervous as he didn't like the idea of curried fish! But he just rang from work and said it was lush, that's a first :A all I did was throw finely diced onion, tinned tuna, mayo and korma curry paste into a bowl mix it together and whack it on the sarnies with cucumber and lettuce. I made some bread in the breadmaker as well (after I removed the dust from the BM that is, been ages since I made bread :rolleyes:). DH thought it was his birthday especially when he got to the cake, I packed him some homemade Lemon Verbena cake I made yesterday. I have marigold scones in the oven (kitchen other side of house so I'm not sweltering yay!) and some white choc and lemon muffins cooling as I type (there are two less than when they came out of the oven, don't know how that happened yum,yum,yum lol1 I also popped another loaf in, this one with garlic and fresh chopped basil in to go with the spag bol tonight. You can tell I like me herbs and spices they go in almost everything :rotfl:

I've been working on the meal plan for next week after sorting through freezer and cupboards, you lot are an inspiration and just what I needed to get me motivated to do this. It's ages since I baked and made meals from scratch that didn't involve using ready meals, packet mixes/ jars or takeaway. I'm loving the buzz I'm getting from doing the baking and sorting, long may it continue, sorry I've waffled a bit but I'm so chuffed with my little self I just had to share :T

LV

ELIZA_D

ok Lemon Verbena............ marigold scones ...they sound fabilous.... recipie please :beer:

emmie1234

Hi Karenc135, the 5p curry sauce is a Tesco Value one and it's in a tin. Its really mild, (but you could always add extra spice if you like your curries on the hotter side) - has bits of onion and sultanas(?) in it. Very nice, cheap and cheerful! HTH