make do and mend for tougher times

westcoastscot

lovely pics!

Mar that makes me feel a bit better about my £100 a week! I'm feeding 3, one a fisherman who eats about 5000 cals a day so we aren't doing too badly. I'm really organised and meal plan all the time - between the lack of shops and food allergies I really need a plan, but I think we're going to have to eat more lentil pie and less chops!!!

greenbee

mardatha wrote: »

I really really need to sort out a proper menu, am spending £45-£50 a week although some of it's for preps. A menu is a simple thing but it seems to be beyond me lol. Either I forget to take stuff out of the freezer or else I'm not well and can't be bothered to cook. Money is trickling away here and it needs to stop!

Try here ... http://ayorkshirecook.com/meal-planning-1-why-do-it-anyway/

[Deleted User]

MAR - would you be able to make a first stage dish, like a savoury mince that could be turned into other things easily? If you cooked up 2lbs of minced beef with onion, carrot,stock cubes, gravy powder (really anything to make basic cooked mince) you could use that to make a Shepherds Pie, a Chillie if you like it, a minced beef pastry pie, mince and tatties,add in some curry powder for a keema curry, use as a base for bolognese sauce or a lasagne. The mince, once it's cooked will easily keep 4 - 5 days in the fridge and you could use however much you needed for your meal that day. You'd only have to spend time on the initial prep as the rest should be done in a short time which would mean you didn't have to spend too much time in the kitchen. You can come up with lots of variations i.e Roast chicken can become chicken pie, reheated in gravy, chicken curry, minced up with breadcrumbs and onions chicken croquettes etc. Might help keep the costs down too, Cheers Lyn xxx.

westcoastscot

probably should qualify that - I don't plan actual meals each day, I plan a pantry that I know will feed us for a period of time. I then eat from my pantry and re-stock when I go shopping. By pantry I mean pantry/fridge/freezers/garden

kidcat

lisakay - none of my kids schools (four in total) allow the kids to take flasks or soup etc. May be worth checking before you buy them

lovely pic lisa well done

bluebag

mardatha wrote: »

I really really need to sort out a proper menu, am spending £45-£50 a week although some of it's for preps. A menu is a simple thing but it seems to be beyond me lol. Either I forget to take stuff out of the freezer or else I'm not well and can't be bothered to cook. Money is trickling away here and it needs to stop!

Mar, I know the feeling well, I had to just menu plan things that were easy to cook.... bung it all in the oven or slow cooker and forget all that high brow Delia stuff. I had amazing intentions and zero energy so it never happened.

I have to content myself with a compromise that maybe I can't always do the most economical meals and there will be some waste, but my health is important too. It was better to do a damage limitation exersize than go to the chippy or eat beans on toast every night.

I always drag something out of the freezer the night before and chuck it in the fridge when cleaning up after dinner, it is just routine now. Or I have stuff in that cooks in the oven straight from frozen.

[Deleted User]

KIDCAT - Was your friends dog Ok after eating the mushrooms? Cheers Lyn x.

kidcat

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

KIDCAT - Was your friends dog Ok after eating the mushrooms? Cheers Lyn x.

She fine thanks Lyn bouncing about like Tigger apparently

Mrs_Chip

Mar

Draw up a menu plan for the week then write it out so that the plan says what you actually need to do on the day - can't describe it so will have to do an example:

Monday: Get frozen Kale out for tomorrows Kale pie
Tuesday: Put chick peas in to soak for tomorrows chickpea curry
Wednesday : Get frozen chicken bits out for tomorrows stew...

Every time you make something like a stew, cook double and freeze half, for reheat only days.

Does that help?

[Deleted User]

Thanks, I'm glad she is Ok, Cheers Lyn x.