I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Kirri

^ I'm looking forward to a new month!!

Cheerfulness - when I moved out I think my mum was glad to have the kitchen cupboard space back as I used to buy all my own food and had even more than I had now!! She used to worry the cupboards would fall off the wall with the weight of what I had in them...

Didn't want to spend again till Feb but as I had to go out I nipped in Morrisons for a cucumber for the pets as I'd run out - saw Ecover on offer and I had a coupon for it so couldn't resist one (will get another tomorrow as last day coupon valid) - but that goes on a separate 'household' budget anyway.

Breakfast - last 2 slices of hm fruit bread from loaf 1.

Lunch - will be hm bread and rest of the split pea dip I made yesterday.

Dinner - not sure yet, might just be cauli cheese again - as the cauli was 2kg so will do me about 3 dinners I think! Though half tempted to make a cauli cheese gratin dish with brown rice (Delia recipe) and if I do that I might make two in one go to save me cooking tomorrow.

MrsCD

Well today started ok. Then we went out to buy some cleaning stuff and bought more than we should, all because of a £5 voucher I had. When will I learn?????

Very overcast here today, trying to snow but not quite getting there. Just little bits of tiny snow bobbles. Hope it stays like that. Don't want any of the white stuff - maybe I'm getting old!

Weetabix and banana for breakfast
Lentil soup for lunch
Leftover Sunday dinner for tea - I make a BIG Yorkshire pudding in a roasting tin and cut it up into 8 pieces so we have some on Sunday and the rest on the Monday night

Must start to plan meals properly instead of just writing my shopping list of what I've used up each week. Going to make a spreadsheet I think. Hmm, may have to ask DD for help with that one.

How does everyone else do it? Do you work out every meal all week then work out what you have in the cupboard and what you need, or do you have another way?

Lynsey - I know it seems daft, but if you're blocked up, you could try liqorice. It's cheaper than the decongestants you can buy from the chemist and it does work. Just don't eat too much if you have high blood pressure.

quintwins

my kids have the cold aswell

te$co shop is coming soon with plenty of store cupboard bits, i had a £10off £50 shop even with postage it's still a good saving so figured i'd use it

breakfast was toast, lundh was cumberland pie(bought reduced so only 44p) dinner will be cheese and brocolli pasta, gonna make a big pot of sauce to freeze (using reduced stilton and on offer brocolli, just waiting on the butter), lots of yogurts to use that that will be pudding

Kirri

MrsCD wrote: »

Must start to plan meals properly instead of just writing my shopping list of what I've used up each week. Going to make a spreadsheet I think. Hmm, may have to ask DD for help with that one.

How does everyone else do it? Do you work out every meal all week then work out what you have in the cupboard and what you need, or do you have another way?

I used to do that as I don't like being without one of my standard or favourite items but that is now what I am trying not to do, it's hard though when I run out of something not to re-buy it!! but in reality if I re-bought that item I wouldn't use whatever else is lurking in the cupboards..

I have mine in excel, multiple columns for fridge/freezer/cupboard etc and divided into tins, packets, jars etc with BB dates, then highlight in red and move to the tops of the lists items needing to be used up.

On the far right column I have a list of 90 meals - I went through all my ingredients to make the most obvious meals, without buying any extras, to see how many meals I can make from what I have. I don't stick to set meals each week though, but I do eat whatever is in red and needing to be used up then if that's gone whatever I fancy from the list. Then I've got linked recipes in the list so if I open a tin of something and use half, the next recipe will have to finish that off. Sitting down and coming up with the meal list made it easier as I now just glance down to see what I fancy.

I'd like to see how others do it to see if I can find a better way!

gailey_2

Wow that spreadsheet sounds fab but very techie for me.

I do like writing lists:)

My methods no where near as technical but works for me 95%of time.

I tried mealplanning 4weeks in advance around recipies but hated it!
Found it was costing me more and got bored and stuck in a rut.

Last 12months changed the way I shop around many shops and always on hunt for reduced.
So I meal plan a week ahead at most around what bargains Ifind.

When I buy stuff I have rough idea in my head what meal it can make.

But to assists me in this try keep cupboard full of basics

vinggar
salt
pepper
herbs
spices
packet mixes sometimes
pasta
rice
couscous
rissotto rice
lentils.

passatta
tinned tomatoes
tinned tuna
tinned sweetcorn
gravy granules
stockcubes
tinned kidney beans
tinned beans /spagetti hoops.
tinned fruit
corned beef-useful standby.

wraps
curry powder
some jars if on offer.
tacos
dried fruits
flour-lots of different types
sugar
baking powder
oats
golden syrup
honey
ketchup
mustard
soy sauce
cooking oils

all thse usually enable me to make many meals and lunches.

Dident really decide on this weeks meals until this morning

best way to shop is always do quickstocktake what you got then write a list of what could go with them to make a meal.

But come pay day will be low will have to do massive shop and top up on staples.

frozen veg is my saviours and my huge chest freezer allows me reduced bread and reduced meats.
alsi batchcook meals into tub.

I find personally I spend too much f shop all time as we impulsive.
my mam shops every other day she really could do with mealplanning and I could easily reduced her bill she probably spends more on her and her hubby then we spend as family of 5.

get better soon lynsey.

Im worried my toddler has chicken pox.

given hubby the aldi list for supersix as he works next door.

did tomato pasta with value pasta (was 25p) tin value tomtoes 30p, some value herbs and added finely sliced sausages made 4portions kids had some for tea. put remainder in half cut up 4pint milk carton and wonder is milk cartons microwave proof as idea is to freeze it in milk cartons instead of buying plastic tubs but not freezing pasta as find does not freeze well.

got sausage casserole in oven again value tomatoes, stock, skinny reduced sausages and some frozen veg which is a life saver herbs and spices.-should make hubby 2meals.

Done the sherperds pie but with tinned tomatoes and stock instead of gravy. but need poatoes so asked hubby to get aldi sweet potatoes as be interesting mash maybe mix with normal potatoes.

Other meals this week and next all sausage related are

sliced sausage on pizza
sausage rolls
hot dogs and chips.
mini toad in hole just cocktail sausages in yorkshire puds with mash and gravy
more pasta
maybe a paella
or a rissotto
another casserole.

Love reading what everyone else is up to.

Kirri

^ I think a week ahead meal plan is good, gailey, I don't like being forced to stick to set meals on set days and agree would get bored a month ahead - I am still buying the odd new thing a week too to liven things up. I had mine on paper first but kept scribbling things out and circling things and it got messy so when saw this thread I typed it all up and as I love excel it works better for me now. I log everything though, every single item I buy goes on the spreadsheet with cost per month - it was the only way to make myself see how much I was spending!

In summer though I will eat whatever has grown on the allotment so don't plan a thing then!

Read the gratin recipe and decided to make that tomorrow instead as too much faffing at this time of night. Going to be lazy and get a hm quiche out the freezer and have it with pink fir potato wedges with garlic mayo all done in the oven instead!

MrsCD

Wow Kirri, that's amazing! You are SO organised! Thanks for the help. :T You've inspired me to write down everything in the cupboard, freezer and fridge. Then I'll work on how to put it onto a spreadsheet somehow.

Gailey, I like your idea of planning a week's meals at a time, so I might just have a go at that first.

I'm not very adventurous with meals, so maybe I should try something new.....

Thanks for the help everyone!

ms_night_ryder

Brekkie was porridge, using free milk and 2 slices granary toast, lunch was some of slow cooked beef,rice,beetroot,coleslaw,green beans and baby spinach, was yummy,used the last ken hom ready meal, crispy beef an it was so yummy, i'm going to get it again, offer finishes 5th feb the deal is 2 mains and 2 sides for £5, need to make space in freezer, but still have loads of beef and a pie to eat up for dinners and lunches.

kraftykat

I was putting DD to bed when Superscrimpers started so I decided to watch it on 4+1 at 9pm....bl**dy DH has sat and talked about work for 25 mins non-stop Ggggrrrr :mad:

Anyway.....spent £17 on shopping today. I bought 2 bottles of fabric softener (half price), 2 loaves, crisps for Ds's packed lunches, cooked ham, 2 pks biscuits and a cake for my friend as she's minding DD tomorrow while we go to DS's parent teacher meeting. Half price Rice Krispies & Special K, I can't remember what else I bought???

Breakfast: cereal or toast for whole family.

Lunch: packed lunches for dh, ds & dd. small frozen fish pie for me.

Dinner: chicken curry and rice, used leftover chicken from yesterdays roast.

Lip_Stick

Evening all

Well I decided to make an open tart of tomato, red pepper, red onion, mushroom, feta cheese and whoopsied ham. Was nice with a rocket and watercress salad.

Jus-roll have a free offer at the mo on packs where if you buy 4 you can send off for a La Creuset pie/flan or rectangular dish. Postage is just under a fiver so it's not bad value I think. Going to get the flan dish.

Spent a bit of money in Asda on toms, mushrooms, whoopsied ham / chicken lattice / sausage rolls / salad. Loads of the tart left so will finish that off tomorrow.

gailey. I'm now thinking it might have been my pet rats nibbling at the clothes. They free roam in the bathroom and hall for an hour in the evening so they could have had a go at the clothes through the holes in the wash basket.

Ds has given me a mild cold. Nothing too bad but, hoping it doesn't get worse.