Reverse Meal Planning

zafiro1984

EssexHebridean said:

 I am reminded that I have swede to use - and carrot come to that - as well as potatoes, so I may cook up a pot of three root mash in the next few days I think. That will then enable some mash-topped pies - I'm currently thinking that I might grab a leek at the weekend and combine some of the turkey chunks with some leek and mushrooms in a white sauce for the filling...in fact that might feed us on sunday and one day in the week... 

I can hear you thinking as you are writing but it has reminded me that mash hasn't just to be potatoes. I may well copy the idea as I also have carrots and just a bit of swede in the fridge.

Yesterday went as planned and I even had a bit of leftover pudding which DH had at lunchtime after the soup.
Today:
lunch,:-  soup from the freezer, It wasn't labelled but I knew from the colour it had a base of parsnips and squash. I also could taste chilli and apple a weird combination but it was fine. Followed by more HM spice biscuits. 

Tea:- found a casserole in an icecream carton, now defrosting. Thinking aloud, it needs some more veg, possibly a splash of something to cheer it up and then maybe topped with a veg mash. That should go down well with DH.
Pudding - not sure, there's a couple of bananas that are starting to go brown - I'll do something with them.

Suffolk_lass

@Primrose - I had completely forgotten about stuffing mix - I used to add it to Toad in the Hole batter. I never buy it now but I do have some sourdough breadcrumbs in the freezer. I could plan those in at some point.

In the meantime I have chicken for lunch today after we polished off the goulash that did two nights. It was much spicier after being allowed to go cold and being reheated.

I shopped yesterday. It was meant to just top up veg and fruit, salad and sugar, plus 2-3 store-cupboard things, but they had some salmon newly reduced, so I bought 2 reduced and one full price for when our friends come for the first weekend in Feb (and they went straight in the freezer), along with some smoked salmon (because we like the cure on the the Mr S mild one. I accidentally picked up two packs stuck together. I meant to buy 2 but ended up with three. I must remember it for a treat, when needed. Again, this is primarily for when our friends come. They don't eat meat, and I don't go to MrS very often, but I needed 10k of sugar (bee feed and home) and that has gone up again - now £1 a kilo in the 5k bags

2Scratters

This week DH surprised me with him being frugal. I get home late each time I visit my parents twice a week. (we work on a rota of seeing to them) We had 2 packs of bacon in the fridge unopened from before Christmas. He made bacon buns yum, what a good way to end the day. Yesterday I was unorganised/out of sync with preparation so suggested to him we have the same again. He moaned a bit. Pudding was Pancetta (passed to us from parents as they don't eat it) with custard. We had removed steak from the freezer in readiness but it didn't happen and as tonight is a late night back we are having a date night at McD's. Naughty but nice. That means Friday and Saturday tea time meals are sorted.

2 Scratters xx

rtandon27

@2Scratters - Bacon buns sounds yummy! I'm firmly of the opinion that Bacon makes everything taste better! 🤣

EssexHebridean

There is nothing that bacon doesn't improve the taste of RT, it's just a fact! 

Zafiro - I do the thinking while writing thing a lot on here! Glad to have been helpful in a mixed root mash reminder though. I think we originally got the idea from Huge Furry Wotsit - his take on it was a mix of potato, parsnip and swede I think, but I find it an excellent way of hiding carrots that need using! 

I remembered to get the soup from the freezer last night so that has defrosted overnight and combined with second pack of part-baked rolls we got free from the Good Food Show that will make a quick easy and tasty tea tonight - lovely! It will also prompt me to do the initial run on the replacement multi-cooker too so that will be another job out of the way. 

I need to have a freezer dive later and think what we might have for tea tomorrow too - I left it unfilled on the meal plan as we still have a "takeaway credit" from the one we didn't have at Christmas, and we may yet use that - we'll see. We're out on Saturday too though so we may decide that's not the best use of personal spends at this stage! 

zafiro1984

EH - I agree with using bacon. I use quite a lot of cooking bacon and leave the more expensive stuff for the occasional butties.

I'm almost at the bottom of a supermarket bag in the big chest freezer which had loads of bits and bobs from the small freezer in the kitchen. One of my aims this month was to use up all the contents of said bag. - almost there but I'll have to get a bit creative with what's left before I get tempted to move on. 

Tonight:- one lonely pork burger for me with salad, I can't remember when I made them, probably last Oct/Nov. 2 lamb chops for DH chips and/or salad. 
Pudding:- I froze kgs of rhubarb over the summer with the intention of making rhubarb and ginger jam. I've never made it with frozen rhubarb -  a disaster as I just couldn't get it to set, so, not wanting to throw it away I froze it again and use it in puddings covered with sponge. Should be quite welcome tonight as it's so cold at the moment.

Suffolk_lass

We love Rhubarb and I have four bags so far in one freezer so far - I suggest there may be more lurking in one or the other freezers in the pig shed or cart lodge. I may even cook some soon! I chop and freeze it in large ziplock bags. I do like it cooked with strawberries but have none of the latter currently. More likely if I ever get to the point where the coincidence of empty fridge and TGTG bag from the right place are available at the same time. Make do and clear ups today I think. I made bread yesterday so that might feature

zafiro1984

Suffolk Lass - I didn't know rhubarb goes well with strawberries - that' s anew one for me.. I know it goes well with orange and you seem to use less sugar as well

lookstraightahead

I have just counted 11 tins of chickpeas in the cupboard. Big slow cooker of curry tomorrow as I have a couple of sweet potatoes, onions, frozen spinach etc. I have a six litre pot so afterwards this will be sectioned into lidded Pyrex dishes and put in freezer. I warm them up once defrosted in the oven - no mess no waste, very quick after work. I love doing this. Makes me feel very wealthy as I think it comes in at about £1.50 for the two of us (rice works out about 20p). I gain time and money and vitamins.

Primrose

I enjoy reading all these comments and feel quite lucky I grew up as a child in wartime and post war austerity.  All these tips come perfectly natural to me and I feel sorry for current youngsters who've grown up in current times of affluence.  They're missed out on so much wisdom which, from the way the world seems to be going, may end up being greatly needed in the future.