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

HowlinWolf

I think I just outed myself as a Weezl-ite by accosting some poor bloke in the office who was having some pumpkin seed butter with a knowing "I wonder where you got that recipe then"

weezl74

frugalmumof4 wrote: »

hi everyone,
We are on our third week of the diet plan made vegetarian!

this is amazing and helpful research, thank you so much! :beer::Athe questions I have are: the quorn bacon/meat free mince, I'm worried about affording these. do you know of any alternatives, and is it a flavour reason for using it or a protein adding reason or another reason would lentil and onions in a gravy work in place of the meat free mince for example?

weezl74

HowlinWolf wrote: »

I think I just outed myself as a Weezl-ite by accosting some poor bloke in the office who was having some pumpkin seed butter with a knowing "I wonder where you got that recipe then"

Howlin! you've found bob!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

artybear

Hey guys:wave:

About to make Mr Frankie's soup for lunch and have the chicken and onion pie for dinner later.

Just showed mr arty all the meals/planner etc he thinks it all looks scrumptious diddly bumptious:D although he seems to have a lot of choccie biscuits around. These are 'emergency rations' apparantly :cool::rotfl:

Just thought I would pop in and say hi:)

I will report back later

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FrankieM

weezl DH did like the soup, so you can keep the name
It doesn't feel particularly full, it probably just sounds alot!
DH suggested I make the Pea and Apple soup unadulterated before I decide I don't like the apple in it, so I would say, for us, that as we get more into it people are being slightly more accepting about it. Though there are still some family members who decide they don't like it before trying and are then pleasantly surprised

FrankieM

Oh, just wanted to add, that I think things will be a bit easier once they are all back at school next week.

FrankieM

I have made the Pea & Apple soup. It doesn't taste of apple at all so I don't mind it.
DH found it quite 'heavy' but the flavour ok.
Second eldest DD found the texture interesting but the flavour was ok.

I've also made the risi e bisi. I've had a taste and I quite like it. I put the whole amount of cheese in cause I'm portioning and freezing it.
DH hasn't tasted it cause it's not his thing.
Second eldest DD didn't want to try it either.

DH tried the houmous on toast. He ate it, it didn't make him sick, he would eat it again but it's not something he would fancy.

I'm finding the sandwich fillers/ toast toppers the most tricky cause they aren't things my family would ever really eat. Not sure what to do about that.

So just bread and snacks to make now.

In_Search_Of_Me

arty MrArty souds lovely...you keep hold of him!
Sounds like you are all doing fabulously! A well done from me...who is v concious that all I am doing is supporting from the sidelines but hopes that is of help cos its all I can manage for now!
Howlin you made me chuccle...poor bloke .....I reacon quite a few have been weezled...asda seems short of key ingredients but that could be weezl stockpiling!!!!

taka

weezl74 wrote: »

this is amazing and helpful research, thank you so much! :beer::Athe questions I have are: the quorn bacon/meat free mince, I'm worried about affording these. do you know of any alternatives, and is it a flavour reason for using it or a protein adding reason or another reason would lentil and onions in a gravy work in place of the meat free mince for example?

You can buy dried soya mince in MrT but I haven't found similar in other supermarkets. Apparently this is available in MrS but I have never seen it in mine and it costs a bit more. You can get the Gran0se one in H0lland and Barretts too but I don't know the price there. I just tend to buy frozen qu0rn (or supermarket equivalent) when it is on special offer as I don't use it much or buy dried TVP mince or chunks in a local healthfood shop. (Qu0rn and supermarket equivalents are cheaper frozen than fresh if you can't get dried.)

Most things like qu0rn/dried soya/TVP chunks don't taste of much at all so need a flavoursome sauce or they are not all that appetising. I use things like this as an alternative source of protein as having beans/lentils etc every day can be a wee bit tedious but I don't eat them more than once a week/10 days or so! Veggie chilli is the only time I have veggie mince but I use the chunks more often in spicy stews/curries etc.

Tofu can be tastier (especially marinated in soyu sauce/ginger/chilli etc) but is probably more expensive than TVP/Quorn/Soya eyc.

Oh... most dried soya mince/TVP is vegan but Qu0rn is not as it contains egg.

Things like shepherds pie are good without meat equivalent. My mum used to do a lentil version (onions, carrots, celery, beans of some sort + red lentils cooked in veggie stock with added bayleaves, topped with potato mash and a sprinkle of cheddar) Nomnomnom!

Gravy is not something i really eat at all... I've never had veggie bacon or ham. I've been veggie so long (25+ yrs) that I have no idea what real bacon tastes like so I don't miss it. I'm not even 100% sure I've EVER had it! Eating a fake version sounds vile and really proccessed to me! :eek: It really bugs me that qu0rn comes in "chicken" style pieces too! I'm veggie and don't WANT to eat things that pretend to be meat... :mad: I know its all marketing and that more recent veggie converts may still want to make their favorites, but veggie, but it kinda bugs me! Woops... sorry for the rant...

artybear

I'm back!!!:wave:

Mr Frankies soup was LOVELY!!!! We both really enjoyed it.:j:j
Mr arty gave it 9/10 and I give it 10/10. It is something I will carry on making after this month had finished.:T

I have had a thought regarding the recipes-I had an appointment at 2 (more about that later) and in my naivety thought the soup would only take about ten mins to make, however it took about 40 including chopping and waiting for it to thicken up. This wasnt a problem as I had started it in plenty of time but I think we should give Shirley a rough guide of how long things may take. Just so she can fit it around her day.

Mr arty has really got into this (he thinks hes blummin Jamie Oliver!) and we had a small amount of soup left-probably not enough for a portion so he wants to know....Would it work if we reduced this in with the stock later for the chicken and onion pie for added flavour and depth?? (where is the rolls eye smiley lol):)

Alsoly -I dislike homemade bread immensely I dont know if it is because mine is not brilliant or if I just prefer bread which has been chemically processed:o, Mr arty thinks its good, and has eaten nearly half a loaf since last night, but it is quite heavy and stodgy. After much discussion and inspecting the image of weezl's bread (told you he's got into this:eek:) Weezl's looks fluffier than mine and lighter. So Weezl if you did have time this month to do the youtube clip that would be really helpful? Just so what I'm doing wrong-however no rush AT ALL:D

Anyway-after looking at my budget for this month and realising that due to following the plan by the crazy welsh lady I actually have spare money. So for the first time in over a year I booked an appointment in a salon and had my hair cut!!!!!! So its gone from long and straggly to short and bobbed.

So thankyou very very much weezl and everyone. :T:T:T:T:T:T

Sorry for the mammoth post
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