Reverse Meal Planning

rtandon27

We received news that our regular veg box was not available on the 20th & we'd have to order either the one that feeds 6 or the one that feeds 12...

There are 2 of us!

So the result is that we will be keeping an eye on the veg wars & actually venturing forth into the land of the crazies over the next few weeks!  Hopefully a yellow sticker or two will also make it's way into the basket to make it worth the effort!!!

Also annoying is that that veg box was to be our 10th 'free' one which we are now deferring until late January when they next have regular boxes resuming.  While I am miffed about it, they are a local independent biodynamic farm run by 3 of the nicest people & are working really hard to make a success of their small farm!

Reverse planning for the last two nights was leftover Saturday pork roast and veg - truly delicious, but just a tad more meat then I care to eat in such a short period.  Lunch yesterday was a pack-up from the freezer microwaved at the office and today's lunch was cream of broccoli soup & dinner will probably be a fish and veg stir-fry.  I'm debating if I want to take another pack-up tomorrow or succumb to the pressure of xmas marketing and get a b00ts festive meal deal using points to pay for it 😉

Suffolk_lass

I've been MIA again. I definitely have empty freezer envy! I do have a small beer fridge-freezer in the toolshed that only has about 6 things left in it but I need to transfer some homegrown veg to that from the stuffed chest freezer in the cart lodge. It has a large number of processed white bread rolls in that were left over from the bonfire night do over the road and someone "kindly" announced the lunch club could have them. I've already made a large bread pudding with half of them. Being SM bread rolls (white) they did not behave like my normal bread does, and almost disintegrated when I soaked them in water. It took a lot longer to cook too. The bread pudding is also in the bottom of my kitchen freezer too. 

Our Christmas veg is ordered from Morries for 20th to take advantage of a £10 or £12 off £60 offer. Padded out with pickles, cheese and tins that will keep. Meanwhile we have half a tub of coleslaw, two carrots, half each of a cabbage and a lettuce, and a few potatoes. Jacket potatoes tonight with cheese, butter and coleslaw, then! Maybe a curry tomorrow and fish fingers and chips on Friday! Just eking it out a bit longer before I shop

Suffolk_lass

VEG Wars has started in Morries today

Suffolk_lass

It does mean I have to go back in and edit my £10 off £60 click and collect order for Wednesday but worse things happen!

Spurred on by the discussions on here I now have half a chest freezer of space!

rtandon27

We went to Mr S yesterday as the app said the veg price reductions were on, only to get there & realize they start today!  We did pick up potatoes as we really needed these, but as I'm working in the city this week, it will be Friday before we can make avail of the 15p-19p veg!

• Friday's dinner was oven baked curly fries and burgers from the freezer with brioche buns from 0li0 - very happy that this was under 1pound a head. 
• Eggy brunch on Saturday consisted of our use it up frittata/omelette and actually did us for Sunday brunch as well - Tiger Bread toast both days courtesy of 0li0 as well - again under a pound a head so a win!.
• Lunch on Saturday was leftover charcuterie sandwiches to use up some festive season goodness - I'm counting that as a free meal as the leftovers were already accounted for in another budget.
• Dinner on Saturday was roast chicken from the freezer, drums & wings in bbq sauce with pan-roasted sprouts and oven roasted potatoes and carrots.
• Dinner on Sunday was cheesy broccoli soup from earlier in the week with seedy bread toast & some cooked chicken liberated from the freezer - under a pound for both of us and was the most delicious meal of the weekend. 

Minimal room has been made in the fridge and freezer, but all in all a weekend of wins & cheap reverse planned meals.  Today I'm in the office with a table full of seasonal goodies so breakfast has been chocolate and gingerbread and two cups of coffee.  Lunch will be leftovers from Saturday's dinner with some instant noodles and fingers crossed there will be a lovely cauli-cheese with toasted seedy-bread for dinner tonight.  I'll be having two festive lunches this week so we are trying to do simple veggie-based meals on the other days to balance the excess!

Suffolk_lass

We seem to be resorting to soup in the evenings. A bit of light eating will do us no harm at all. The cheese sandwiches we had for a late lunch, with the freshly made white sourdough bread were enhanced by the addition of cheese and onion crisps. What can I say? Crisps in a sandwich. You forget how good they are!

I want to do a chest freezer audit today so I know what I have. I am utter carp at updating lists but I will try again!

EssexHebridean

AGES since I've had crisps in a sandwich and now I'm wondering why I've left it so long?! 

Nipped into T's last night for a couple of (non food) bits and came out with a 15p head of broccoli - jeez I know how to party eh? That will go into a stir fry tonight anyway as I was a bit short of veg for that. I'll have to have a think around what I want to get from the rest of it now - although parsnips will be a given as those can be parboiled and frozen loose - then I can just bag them up and cook from frozen when needed. We may also make curried parsnip soup again as that is a real favourite. I did notice that Als have shallots in theirs so that's a win, as long as they aren't out of stock when I get there! 

This evening's stir fry will use up a random portion of mince that's an odd size, as well as finishing up last week's mushrooms. Tomorrow we are currently planned to have spicy ragu and rice I think - then Thursday might yet be lamb burgers and chips as that then creates further freezer space... Friday is definitely going to be special fried rice from the chinese takeaway as we have a rugby match in the evening (MrEH playing, me photographing) and so won't be home until too late to cook.  

rtandon27

Last night we did indeed have cauli-cheese & toast for dinner and it was rather comforting for a cold winter's night.  There are 4 more portions left, as the cauli was absolutely huge, so I can see that it will be a side for a dinner or two this week, as embarrassingly (or not - lol) I now have filled the room that had been made in the freezer. 

H&B was giving away chicken ginger bone broth via 0li0 last night & my lovely neighbour who dedicates her time to distributing these hauls provided us with 5 pouches which have filled up our freezer soup drawer.  I'm flattened that each 250mL pouch retails for 5pounds!  That's 25 pounds for 1.25L of broth!?! When I make homemade bone broth the pot would yield about 3L from 3 chicken carcasses, and could easily make it poncy with some grated ginger and shredded carrot, but would I dream that it would be worth 60 pounds? - absolutely not!!! - in my view bone broth is extracting FREE goodness before discarding the bones!

Tonight's dinner menu will be Fish Finger Tacos in keeping with Taco Tuesdays 🤣🤣🤣 - OH usually mutters something about the closest thing he's getting to Fish Finger Butties, but then he tucks into the salsas and guac, so I'm of the opinion that 'he dost protest too much'.  Guac will be courtesy of 0li0 - as there have been over 300 avocados listed over the past 4-5 days!  Every family in our neighbourhood could be having guac, but I am wondering how many of these did not end up being eaten?  Corn salsa comes from tinned corn rather than frozen, sriracha mayo concocted from fridge staples and pickled red onions are a fridge-staple that we whip up each weekend.

Pondering what we will have for dinner tomorrow & Thursday - there is chicken and mince in the freezer & will have to see what veg need using up.

EssexHebridean

The whole "bone broth" thing is a license to print money as if it was sold as what it was - ie perfectly ordinary stock - they could only charge a fraction of that money for it! A prime example of the money to be made in selling people "wellness"! 

Fish finger tacos sound fab! 

marionmgcars

Hi, love reading the posts, as very motivating and great ideas.  I’d like to join along as it makes me focus more.  I’ve just done a freezer stock list that I’m hoping to work through in January.  Today I’ve got a few burgers out of freezer, mashed potatoes and red cabbage and beetroot mix for tea tonight.  Was given some strawberries off Olio last night so might make a small pot of jam later X