Trying to catch up..

BrassicWoman

RedCola wrote: »

I have paid off £50 extra, on top of min payments (debt snowballing) so that was nice, though not enough at all.
If I post what we have, do you all mean everything? Down to flour/spices etc?

If you like, the regulars are usually very good at suggesting recipes from cupboard lists!

monnagran

Never mind 'not enough'. It is a start. Anyway, you have not just paid off £50, you have refrained from adding to the debt. That is just as important.

Every centimetre you climb down that debt ladder is a success. Be proud.

Remember this: even £5 paid off is a step nearer your goal. And every £5 not added to your debt is a success.

x

maman

I think you're doing really well to keep 'shopping' from your stores.


Not sure why you find meal planning stressful. It doesn't have to be complicated. What I grandly call a meal plan is 7 evening meals (or fewer if we're going out) written in the corner of my shopping list which I cut out when I get home and stick on the microwave for the week. I write the list based on what I have in and only buy the absolute minimum of ingredients to make it into meals. For breakfasts I just make sure I have the ingredients in (cereal, bread, oats, milk, eggs etc). Personally I have lots of leftovers (deliberately put a portion aside) for my lunches but also keep HM soup in freezer and jacket potatoes. Bread and sandwich fillings available for anyone else.


I find this far less stressful and time consuming than having to think up a meal every day and shopping with a list is quick. I only buy what's on the list unless I see something YS or on offer that I know we'll use. I only ever shop once a week so that stops me making impulse buys.

RedCola

Store Cupboard:

Fresh Fruit & Vegetables
Butternut squash (1/2)
Cabbage
Shallots
White onions x3
Red onions (loads!)
Nectarines
[STRIKE]Grapes
[/STRIKE]Apples
Tomatoes

Flour / sugar
Wholemeal bread flour
Stong white bread flour
Self raising flour
Batter mix
Sponge mix
Cornflour
Dark muscovado / Light muscovado / Molasses
Icing sugar
Castor sugar

Sweet goods
Ice cream cup cones
Custard x3cartons
Jelly pack x3
Meringue nests
Liquorice Allsorts
Dark chocolate 1/2pack
Milk chocolate
Choc chips
Marshmallows
Popping corn
Hundreds & thousands
Cocoa powder
Malted drink
Magic stars hot chocolate
Chocolate stirring spoons

Tins;
[STRIKE]Chopped tomatoes x2
[/STRIKE]Baked beans x4
Tuna x3
[STRIKE]Plum tomatoes
[/STRIKE]Wild salmon
Kidney beans
Sliced carrots x2
New potatoes
Butter beans
Stewed steak
Kippers x2
Anchovies
Passata x1
Pear halves
Peach slices

Herbs/ spices /packet seasoning
Pulled pork sauce mix x2
BBQ Pulled Pork rub
BBQ Chicken rub
BBQ Pork Rib rub
BBQ Beef rub
Taco seasoning mix
Lemon & Dill salmon Season & Shake
Sage & onion stuffing mix

Oregano / Basil / Hot chilli powder / Crushed chillies / Ground nutmeg / Fajita seasoning / Ground turmeric / Fennel seeds / Ground cumin / Ground ginger / Ground coriander / Turmeric powder / Chinese 5 spice / Sumac / Paprika / Garam masala / Extra hot chilli powder / Ground fenugreek / Cayenne pepper / Ground cinnamon / Smoked paprika / Parsley / Bay leaves/ Mustard powder

Sauce & oil / Vinegars
Sweet chilli sauce x2 / Tabasco / Worcestershire sauce / Malt vinegar / Balsamic vinegar / White wine vinegar / White rice vinegar / Red wine vinegar / Fish sauce / Vegetable oil

Gravy & stocks
Lamb gravy / Chicken gravy / Turkey gravy / Pork stock / Veg stock / Beef stock / Bovril Beef stock / Chicken stock. / Fish stock

Pasta / Rice / Noodles
Instant noodles x3
Egg noodles x2
Penne pasta
Pasta shells
Lasagne sheets
Pasta & sauce instant
Macaroni
Long grain rice
Aborio rice
Jasmine rice
Couscous
Red lentils

Nuts
Pistachios. / Cashew / Dry roasted / Pecan / Walnuts / Mixed / Monkey / Sesame seeds / Almond extract

Breads
Wholemeal / Bagels / Tortilla wraps / Sandwich thins / White (crusts)

Cereals
Porridge oats / Weetabix / Bran flakes / Muesli




Fridge:

Salad & Vegetables
[STRIKE]Fresh spinach[/STRIKE]
Spring onions x2
Little gem lettuce x2
Celery
Iceberg lettuce
Pack of mixed peppers x2
Pak choi x2
[STRIKE]Mushrooms[/STRIKE]
Courgette
Parsnips x5
Cucumber x3
Carrots x4
Sugar snaps 1/2 pack

Dairy
Stilton
Cheddar
Milk
Butter

Condiments etc
Pickled onions / Sandwich Pickle / BBQ Sauce / Reggae Reggae sauce / Hot salsa sauce / American mustard

Leftovers
Broccoli / Cauliflower / Brussels / Green beans (tiny pot)
Stuffing / Roast potatoes (small pot)
Sliced roast beef (medium pot)

Freezer:

Bread
Teacake
[STRIKE]2 pk Naan x2[/STRIKE]
Wholemeal Rolls
Seeded Buns
Cheddar Cheese muffins 4pk
Sandwich thins
Wholemeal bread
hotdog rolls
Cheese & garlic pizza bread x2
garlic baguette x4
Ready Rolled puff pastry
Spring roll pastry

Ready packs etc
Ready to bake yorkshire puddings x3
Vegetable samasa
Onion rings (1/4 bag)
hash browns (1/4 bag)
Cornish pasty (4)
Margarita pizza pockets x2pk
Mini chicken skewers x4pk
Lincolnshire sausages x2pk
Battered sausage 3
Chicken bites (1/4 pk)
1 Southern fried chicken fillet
Scampi
Meatballs (1/4pk)
Tortellini ready meal
Lentil & bacon soup x2 cartons

Vegetables & Fruit
Sliced carrots
Corn on the cob
Mixed vegetables
Spinach
Mushrooms
green beans
Broad beans
Vegetable curry mix
Cauliflower
Sweet potatoes diced
Carrot & swede mix
Peas
Diced red peppers
Sliced peppers
Sweetcorn
Whole mixed Chilli
Apples
Summer fruit

Meat & Fish
Minced beef
Topside joint
Frying steak
BBQ chicken breasts
Pork steaks
King prawns
Fish fillets
Salmon steaks
Smoked haddock with butter x 6 fillet

RedCola

We haven't finished our list yet - need to sort through our top cupboard (has flours etc), our freezer and the fridge.
Thank you for taking the time to offer to look through what we have, and help is make the most of it.

tiredwithtwins

hi, just wanted to add what others have said, you said you didn't cook very well - look on youtube, I find it really helpful for finding how to do recipes ...
good luck
x

BrassicWoman

So fom the cupbards I think there's a week's dinners.

You've a lovely lentil dhal there from what you have listed so far; serve with rice
I do beans and mashed tinned potates on top and call it cowboy pie, add veg or lentils for more excitement! I have also been known to make baked bean lasagne. Add some fried onion to make it tastier.
Might get some sweetcorn and mayo to add to tuna and pasta for packed lunches/ cold dinner
if you've some plain or wholemeal flour I'd make pastry (water, oil, flour) then a pie with the tinned steak and carrots, or corish pasties which are less fiddly.
kidney bean + lentils + tomatoes + spice = chilli
Got any smash and you can make salmon fishcakes?
Kedgeree with kippers and rice

So a fair few meals... looking forward to seeing how we can improve that with what is in the firdge and freezer!

RedCola

Will check out youtube - any recommendations?

I dont have any smash unfortunately, though do have potatoes. How do I make dhal please? The cowboy pie sounds lovely.

I've updated my list, with the fridge food, and rest of cupboard. We are going to check the freezer later on, it's a deep freeze and I can't manage it on my own ( health issues)

RedCola

Freezer has mainly been sorted through - will post up the list in the morning

BrassicWoman

dhal - fry some tumeric cumin gigner and garlic; then add an onion and fry that til it browns. Then add tinned toms, lentils, and about twice as much water as lentils, and a stock cub. Cook for abut half an hour although I usually do an hour, and I chuck in any veg that are on the turn too.