Weezl and friends Phase 2 -giving it a whirl for Shirl! Testing meal plan for a month

shanks77

I have only seen the 1st episode of Doctor Who keep trying to get a chance to catch up but something always gets in the way. I am def going to try for this Fri to have a marathon session.
Had the onion tart delicious as usual tried the pastry again and it was still a disaster dont know why it doesnt work for me but never mind (dont go all mother hen Weezl its not a big deal). Had it with the leftover Croatian potato salad from last night as they need used up (again no panic Weezl:D) as ex loves it one of his favourites from the whole planner so thanks Allegra think that was yours wasnt it? Got chicken out for tomorrow and will use up some more of the manky carrots that are lying about (Weezl stop reading this post please as it sounds like a complaint and its not) need to try and make some bread and some hummous tomorrow as its my day off. Hope everyone has a good weekend and the weather it nice and not just for you lot:rotfl:it was persisting heavily here today almost made me glad i was working.

In_Search_Of_Me

keep up good work folks...thought of you all as I spent £6 odd for tonights quick supper in mr t's!! eek!! The rain is chucking it down here...apparently thunder & lightening forecast!!

Allegra

I finally managed to get to the bottom of the water butt last week, so cleaned it out and put it back in place yesterday afternoon.

This morning it was overflowing. All you need to know about the weather here

On the subject of food, I found that bean curry is lovely if sprinkled liberally with fresh coriander; that cheese scones are so ruddy nice that you can only stop eating them when they've run out (even DD loved them); and that all the food we will have consumed while giving it a whirl for Shirl cost under £90, and that's with a fair bit of off-plan stuff for DD, and with stocks left at the end of it - just how much left I will let you know on Friday

Not much else to report - I had to throw out the last inch of apple curd as it went mouldy, and the houmus is gone, but the bean pate and nut butter are still going strong. Breakfast pancakes as nice after freezing as they were fresh, btw Oh, and the carrots started going a bit manky on the ends, so I chopped, blanched and froze the ones left.

Weezl, if I'm not too late, I'd really like to tidy up the batch cooking thing a bit, but want to do the other thing first, and have no time to do either just yet - I am hoping I might do a bit on it Tue or Wed morning.

ETA: Forgot to add - I cooked the scones on fan 200 C, for 8 minutes - end result was perfect in texture

Lesley_Gaye

I am doing a giant store cupboard challenge this month and trying to run my stocks down a bit. Had roast chicken today using a 99p whoopsie chicken, have stripped the carcass and weighed the meat and have portioned it up and froze it as 200g for a 4 portion chicken and mushroom pie (mushrooms in place of the sweetcorn), and 400g for a 4 portion curry using a bottle of curry sauce DH bought last month. Plus have the bones etc in the SC to make stock for soup.

have drawn up a meal plan using as much as poss from the store cupboard and freezer, Asda order is still £59 for food items tho, but that includes items for things like oil and pasta that are on offer and I won't use all of, plus replenishing store cupboard items like oats and a lump of parmesan that I will only use a fraction of this month. I will need to get a few fresh things during the month, other than that, that should be it

I haven't costed out all the meals as I will be doing meals that wouldn't be 50p a main meal etc as they are using up stored items (smoked salmon sandwich for lunch for instance), but I was surprised by how much it added up to. I suppose it makes a lot of difference not using up all the ingredients.

what are other people planning to do this month? Although I have my meal plan, I still may have a go at testing new recipes for plans 2 and 3. I like the look of the tomato, lentil and olive pie for instance and I have all the ingredients, so it wouldn't cost extra

I am using oil in most things now instead of Vitalite. I picked the rhubarb I had forced yesterday (just over a kilo) and had some as a crumble, and used oil in the crumble to see what it would be like. When we ate it, I forgot to notice the effect of the oil, so that was a success then, and DH didn't say anything. It is so much cheaper using the oil instead of the spread.

poohbear59

Hi everyone, e had a lovely onion tart again yesterday. I remembered the problems last tme of DH asking what was the main course after he finished so cooked piles of wedges and everyone was full after eating it.

Today instead of chicken pie I am making pasties so that the hungry men who have been working outside today have extra carbs in the pastry.

Weezl I hope you are feeling better soon. Please have lots of rest.
And let me know what else I can do to help.Please.

Bigjenny

Made half of Savoury (cheese) scones today. I used oil instead of lard but found that it was too sticky so added 20g extra flour, will use less water next time.

Have to agree with Allegra, they are lovely, even better plain than with spread on.:D

As I have only been testing some of the recipes the only extras I have bought are Gran Padano and Garam Masala, but have definitely saved money on food shopping:j:j

Couple of things I didn't like but everything else will be cooking again.

Bigjenny

Weezl

What would you like me to include when I write a piece for the website.

Jenny

weezl74

hello all

thanks for staying on track, we're so near the finishing line and all the testers are to be commended :T:T:T:T

Lesley, that's fab that you're willing to test some veggie and vegan meals

jenny, thanks for being willing to write that :A mainly I think a very basic, straightforward guide to adapting a shopping list/recipe for four people down to one, and are there any special considerations a single shirley might need to be aware of.
Don't worry about sounding patronising, we'd like it to have mass appeal, so imagine they've very little/no experience.


If you like you can post it for others to add to, or if not then just send it to me

Bigjenny

Thanks Weezl

Will have a look at shopping list and have a think.

Jenny

artybear

In regards to reducing the meal plan to less people-the food items that were odd numbers on the shopping list I went under and have run out now. For example if there were 3 packs of bacon on the asda list I bought one and have now run out. Personally I would advise Shirley to go for over the number (eg two packs of bacon) and have some for the month after.

(btw I have run out of bacon but a pack and a half would have been the right amount so its not that there wasnt enough food on the list IYSWIM?)

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx