Reverse Meal Planning

happydenial

Well done on the cabbage front - I have a quarter of one left, although I may consign that to the compost bin (with much regret obviously 😉) as it’s definitely looking past it’s best.

I think we’ve finally managed to use up or freeze the Christmas leftovers - even tho we were away for the big day itself! Enough slices of gammon for a dinner went into the freezer and DH had the last of the pork and stuffing in a wrap with salad at lunchtime. I’ve corralled all the remaining unopened snacks/chocolates/crisps etc into a box and hidden it - if I leave them in the pantry, the menfolk of the house will finish them by next wkend, so hopefully this way we’ll have enough treats to take to the cinema/on walks etc for a few months! 

EssexHebridean

That's a good idea on the treats happydenial - thankfully we're managing to be moderately self-controlled with ours at the moment...although the plentiful supply of chocolate we both received as personal presents might be helping with that! 

I remembered to marinade the pork steaks in char sui sauce last night, and have asked MrEH to take out the tub of cooked potatoes from the freezer - I'll probably give those a fry or roast (as the pork is going into the oven anyway and I can get my two small roasting trays side by side in the top oven with careful placement) with some garlic I think, then can just do some ordinary - probably non-cabbage related - veg alongside. 

zafiro1984

Love the idea of corralling the sweets and treats Happydenial. I work on the premise with DH that if he can't see it he tends to forget it exists. 

I've just made a version of almost non alcoholic mull. Mainly orange squash, spices, demerara sugar, plus one capful of brandy and half a glass of red wine between four of us. It went down well.

Dinner will be LO duck from New Years Day, done as a casserole/stew with sugarsnap peas, green beans and creamy mash. Pudding LO apricot and orange trifle also from NYD.  I didn't think it would be a successful item to freeze so needs eating. 

That brings Christmas and New Year to a close. Everything that could be frozen is now tucked away for another day. It just leaves a few ordinary veg and fruit items in the fridge. So it's back to plain eating and trying to find and use ingenious ways of using everything up. I'm still on track for using all the LO bits and bobs lurking in the freezers this January and spending as little as possible.

Christmas decorations will come down tomorrow

MissRikkiC

Love all the talk on cabbage. Really made me laugh as we’ve been in the same situation. However I’ve found a very good recipe that’s Indian over Christmas so I’ll share that tomorrow as it pairs so well with curry! 

Whoever mentioned about the Gu pots. 🤣 we have about 20 of them. I tend to use them for my daughters paints but they really get on my nerves. I must bin a few. Don’t suppose anyone knows of any type of lids that fit them? 

JIL

@MissRikkiC Amazon have lids that fit gu pots but at £14 for 6. I keep looking in band m. 

herebeme

MissRikkiC said:

Whoever mentioned about the Gu pots. 🤣 we have about 20 of them. I tend to use them for my daughters paints but they really get on my nerves. I must bin a few. Don’t suppose anyone knows of any type of lids that fit them? 

Apparently plastic Pringle crisp tube lids do, perfectly!

JIL

@herebeme I will be buying pringles to test. I really hope they do. I use them for dips on buffets and fridge storage and theres absolutely no way I was paying Amazon prices. Thankyou 

MissRikkiC

I love this place! Thanks @herebeme

EssexHebridean

Yes - I've seen that about the Pringles lids before - apparently they do fit but not tightly - so don't risk lifting the pots by the lids rather than the sides IYSWIM.

I had to bin the previously frozen potato - I suspect it had been frozen for slightly to long as the structure seemed to have started breaking down and they were very "wet" and unappetising looking/feeling - I certainly wasn't going to waste oil on roasting them. We had couscous with the pork steaks instead. Also a tin of sweetcorn - I confess I couldn't fancy cabbage! 

I've got the planned turkey out for tonight and will curry it - another spoonful of the Thai red curry paste of unspecified age will go into that! (but no cabbage, I suspect.)

herebeme

I have a jar of coffee curd that is 2 months past the best before date, so I have to make something with it (I did just give it a sneaky try, and though it’s a bit crystallised it tastes fine). 

I am thinking perhaps fork biscuits sandwiched together with the curd. 

https://www.cookingwithmykids.co.uk/fork-biscuits/

Any other suggestions?