Reverse Meal Planning

joedenise

We're having a fry up tomorrow morning so have got some sausages out of the freezer, also got some cooked chicken out to have in a sandwich at lunchtime.  We're out for dinner tomorrow night and staying at a friend's overnight so won't need to plan anything for Sunday morning and lunch.  Have got some ready cooked lamb shanks which cook from frozen in the freezer so depending on what time we get home we'll probably have that plus roast pots & veg but if we're later home that I think we'll be then we'll just have them with mash & frozen veg.  Decision will be made on the day!

CCW007

Soup maker is busy today, just making my third batch (watercress, other two are salad) for the freezer.  Lunches sorted for the next couple of weeks.

Parsnips will be roasted and red cabbage will be braised to have with roast.  Not sure what I will have as the "main" yet.  OH is having lamb daube, in the slow cooker already.  

rtandon27

Have done the weekly fridge & freezer audit and now need to get a meal plan together for the week.  We went a bit off-piste last week as I had a couple of late evenings at work.  We rejuggled the plan & managed to stay on top of the fresh ingredients, but as a result now have an overly full freezer & will need to base this week around what's in there!

Breakfast today was easy, a freezer dive gave us some cinnamon raisin bagels, which we had with cheese & some sliced leftover smoked chicken breast. Lunch was simply canned soup & cheese/shallot toasties.  Dinner tonight will be pork chops, cavalo nero champ & steamed carrots, possibly with a mushroom sauce/gravy.

Last week's small win was picking up bits from the co-op & keeping them in the fridge at work for lunches, a compromise between eating out & taking a pack-up.  It worked quite well, and I'd like to try and do a repeat this week - getting back into work from the office routines has been exceedingly difficult after 18 months of working mainly from home!

joedenise

Got some carrots in the fridge which I've got no plans for so going to make some carrot, coriander and lentil soup.  Probably enough for 4 good portions so a couple of portions to go into the freezer for another day.

Got given some garlic butter pork chops yesterday by my friend as she found she didn't like the first one she tried (too garlicky for her) so going to have those for dinner tonight.  Will make some mash to go with it and some green veg from the freezer.  

ruby_eskimo

Friend of ours is going away this week so dropped off some of the stuff from his fridge to save it from just being thrown away (we reciprocate when we go away too, if there's anything left).  So tonight we're having macaroni cheese using some odds and ends of cheeses from his donations.  

Most meals are going to be from the freezer this week as I need to start making room again ready for Christmas 😏

rtandon27

@joedenise - our dinner last night involved pork chops & for some unknown reason, too much garlic! - OH adores the stuff and forgot to cut it down for me - LOL - I can still taste it! Luckily no face to face meetings today, only z00m

Tonight's dinner will be one that didn't get eaten last week - pan-fried pumpkin gnocchi with mushrooms & spinach in a cream sauce.  Back to our routine of a meatless Monday - there is something to be said for the comfort of routines.

joedenise

Have to admit it was going to be the usual meatless Monday but because of being given the pork chops wasn't going to waste them - they'd previously been frozen but were starting to defrost so didn't want to risk refreezing.  The chicken ones were still frozen solid for some reason so they are in the freezer, otherwise they would have been cooked and then refrozen!

CCW007

Trying again for the aubergine, tomato and chickpea stew today as had cauliflower cheese grills yesterday with the roast.  Not sure about OH, will see what I can find for him.

EssexHebridean

Morning all! 

Stopped on the way back yesterday for fruit for the week plus something to eat for tea yesterday as we were going to be back too late to cook when we got in. I will still need to do a dive into the supermarket somewhere along the line for milk as mine had turned by yesterday - I thought I had a bottle in the freezer but it seems not! Annoyingly I can't easily do it after work tonight as I've not got my bike lock with me - might have to dash over there then come back for the bike I think. I'll also try to grab a bunch of coriander and some mushrooms, as those will work well into plans for food for the week. 

Did remember to get something out to eat this evening too - bolognese which I'll just keep simple and do with spaghetti. Tomorrow MrEH has rugby training and I plan to go straight to the gym from work so tea will be couscous probably with halloumi and assorted bits of veg - if I remember then I'll roast some chunks of butternut squash this evening to go with it. 

Loving the people doing reciprocal use-up arrangements with pals for stuff that needs using when going away. Our upstairs neighbour frequently gives us stuff she has left over in that circumstance too - as well as stuff that she's forgotten about from the cupboards - she won't eat it past the BBE date - but knows we're far from that fussy! Sadly we rarely get to reciprocate as I plan down to the nth degree to use stuff up ahead of holidays! 

CCW007

Haven't been so good at the planning this week, must try harder!

Tomatoes in oven roasting at the moment to make tomato and basil soup for lunch. 

Got mushroom stir fry for dinner for me, just need to add some sort of protein.  There is a pack of bacon bits open and creme fraiche so OH can have carbonara.  Fridge needs a good sort out to see what exactly is in there but I know I have lots of veg so cancelled my veg box for the week.

Other meals for the week:

Shakshuka to use up aubergine with silken tofu for protein (we will both eat this) 
Mushroom risotto or stroganoff to use up some posh mushrooms from Olio (OH will eat risotto but not stroganoff)
Sausage and mustard pasta for OH