Reverse Meal Planning

fionaandphil

@rtandon27 they also do packs of shelf stable gnocchi in Aldi, smaller and slightly cheaper than the Lidl one if I remember correctly.  Can be found near the pasta, sauces, noodles etc

zafiro1984

Yesterday:- Lunch:- needed to be a 'no hassle' lunch as we had visitors during the morning so it was cheese and biscuits followed by some of the biscuits I'd made during the previous days. Tea came out of the freezer 'cod in breadcrumbs' bought when on offer with veg also from the freezer. followed by HM vanilla ice cream with the last of the 'Baileys' poured over it. Bottle (bought last Christmas) now in the bag for the bottle bank and the space in the cupboard ready to be filled by another bottle when 'on offer'.
When I was in the kitchen booze cupboard I spotted some dark rum lurking quietly and looking lonely so I cheered it up by adding as many raisons as I could get in the bottle - should be nice added to vanilla ice cream when they have swelled.

Been a busy day today, no staff,  but I had the forethought to take some pate out of the freezer to defrost for lunch and there was plenty in the fruit bowl for afters.
Tea:- Now defrosting:- sausage casserole (or as a presenter of Blue Peter would say 'Here's one I made earlier') with mash. Pudding: 'apple something'! probably in a pie as I think there's a bit of pastry still in the fridge, if not, I know I've some 'crumble topping with oats' in the freezer. I've run out of cream so it will have to be custard, I'll make it in the microwave, that should save time. 

rtandon27

@fionaandphil - ooo - thanks for the tip - next time we are at Mr.Al's I will have a look!

@zafiro1984 - I am firmly resolved not to tell my OH what you are having for tea!  He'd be over in a flash 🤣🤣🤣

Last night we did not have our planned dinner as I ended up working late and not getting home until 8! - we noshed on leftovers, I happily ate leftover korean lunch and OH had the gnocchi from Monday.  Today will most probably be the lovely fish pie from Tuesday - not sure which veg - perhaps some green beans from the freezer. Pierogis will have to be had tomorrow as I think they may be coming to their BB date!  I'm still having a hard time figuring out our portion sizes - we always seem to have leftovers these days, whereas in the past there would be little or nothing left for another day!

EssexHebridean

Hey all - good to see that the reversing continues!

We needed a fast turnaround on food last night as had to head out again for a meeting and the Agile electric price was painfully high, so opted for the remainder of the quiche, cold, with the last of the salad and potato salad made from the extra tatties I cooked on Sunday. I had forgotten quite how delicious Pink Fir Apple potatoes are cold! That used up both the last of a jar of posh lemon mayo and the last of the jar of regular mayo - the lemon is now replaced with a Chipotle one in the fridge, and the other regular one is also in there and will need replacing when I shop. 

While I could go with my "usual" couscous option for tonight, a miserable grey and chilly day here is pushing me towards the Macaroni cheese I made on Sunday, which will just require some breadcrumbs on the top and then a 10 minute blast in the combi oven to heat through. I could cheat completely and combine that with baked beans (of which we have plenty) for a nice simple but tasty tea. That will leave tomorrow as couscous with roast veggies and probably halloumi, and means that the stir fry I had originally planned for earlier in the week will move to Thursday... 

zafiro1984

Had a sort out of one of the freezers yesterday and realised I had everything I needed to make a chicken soup/broth which my mum-in law showed me nearly 60yrs ago when I was at Uni and I've used the same recipe every year since then. Frozen leeks, parsnip and swede,- carrots, & celery, from the fridge, gammon (I used cooking bacon), red lentils, barley, stock cubes (used chicken stock) a bit of flour, salt, pepper. The chicken she used was drumsticks and everyone got just one in their bowl at lunchtime and it was always served with HM crusty bread. I've been known to add more chicken plus dumplings to make it into a stew x soup which we've had on occasion instead of dinner. It's all bubbling nicely on the Ironheart wood burner at the moment. There should be enough to freeze for later.

update:- Didn't have any of the chicken soup last night, left it to cool down over night. It tastes pretty good
It's made 5x2portion servings, 4 of which are now in the freezer and one for lunch. Just looked at he cost of a tin of soup and I think it has come in well under half price

rtandon27

@EssexHebridean - I chuckled at the mention of pink fir potatoes - we were given some in our veg box & so far are suitably unimpressed - The skin is tough, but the potatoes are so knobbly that they can't be peeled, so after a good scrub, we roasted them in the oven with other root veg - they were still rather firm when they came out!  We still have 1/2 pound to go, so will give them a go boiled!

@zafiro1984 - must be the weather for soups/broths! - I boiled down four poultry carcasses today with standard mirepoix and have just strained it and portioned out into freezer containers. - a good 2.5 litres total - Will turn one pot into chicken, noodle & veg soup and the other 4 pots will go in the freezer for use in risottos & stews!

We had the obligatory meal on Monday for Canadian Thanksgiving - plenty of leftovers are now being consumed.  We did have duck instead of turkey though, so this evening is chinese shredded duck in pancakes with hoisin & spring onions.  We'll follow that up with a stir-fry of special fried rice with some added vegetables.  Pumpkin pie has been devoured for desserts and breakfasts - OH is very glad it's over - I think my next autumnal treat will be cinnamon related!

Suffolk_lass

Over here I have finally processed the last of the Bramley apples. There are a few good "bakers" in the fridge but otherwise, all cooked and stored in screw top jars. I have done four jars for DS&P as I know he loves crumble and that with a bag of frozen mix will cheer him up as a fellow sad person.

I've just made a lasagne for lunches today and tomorrow and I shall be making Shakshuka mix with added chick peas, butter beans and chicken. We are meeting our Norfolk friends in our camper vans for the weekend and their oven is not working. So she is buying meze bits to go with this, whereas mine is all out of the storecupboard, and we will reheat and serve with the eggs poached on top for the four of us to share on Saturday.

We have used lots of slightly past its best cauliflower and broccoli this week, and having several pasta meals so we can concentrate on other things. I have my huge commercial upright freezer to defrost today and will do an inventory of what is there so it all gets used. The meat, bread and ice cream is already on its list on the fridge wall, having defrosted the big chest freezer yesterday and re-packed it. We are able to deploy the bee freezer in the large workshop for this as all the frames have now been in, frozen, and out again (we do this to kill some pathogens and wax moth eggs and larvae).

I've got the squashes "curing" on a north facing windowsill in the dining room and tomatoes and peppers ripening on the south facing sill in the kitchen!

I do love the plenty of autumn harvests

rtandon27

@Suffolk_lass - Wow SL - I'm always amazed how much you manage to process and put away! 

I'm nowhere near my usual bounty storage this year which is a tiny haul by comparison!  I've got one large zippy of apples from our tree - the rest went to the birds and squirrels - no raspberries as the slugs, snails and birds feasted on these and we didn't go blackberry picking at all!

The stock drawer is currently full & we have several containers of soup ready as well - 'no cream' chicken, gingery parsnip, and smooth mixed roast root veg.  So we do not need to buy a single tin in this autumn until those tubs are finished!

Last week, we played it by ear but managed to eat down what we had in house, reverse planning on the fly!  This week, I'm back at work so we have our usual themed days meal plan (reverse of course).

Monday - Vegetable - Leek and spinach pesto pasta
Tuesday - Fish - Salmon, pak choi, king mushrooms & steamed baby potatoes
Wednesday - Chicken - Korean noodle stir-fry with veggies & chicken
Thursday - Meat - Steak pie & roasted brussels and steamed or mashed potatoes
Friday - Pizza - toppings from the freezer and stores
Saturday - Hog Roast at the Brewery
Sunday - Roast Chicken & root veggies

Let's see how close we can stick to the plan!

zafiro1984

Just made a meal plan for lunch and tea this coming week, and then a list of items needed. I juggled things around so everything in the fridge should be used plus quite a lot from the small freezer under the fridge in which I keep open packets of food, peas being an example, and leftovers. I only need four items plus fruit and vegetables. 

Today (Monday) Lunch:- squash and parsnip soup, Tea:- fish, salad for me chips for Dh, followed by apple with mincemeat topped by puff pastry for DH,  I had cooked apple with a rhubarb and ginger sauce - all from the freezer. 

Tuesday:- sticking to the plan, lunch was bits of cheese with a few water biscuits and LO pate from the weekend - one piece of toast, HM biscuits and fruit from the bowl. Tea:- now cooking/reheating, DH is having LO venison casserole from the weekend. I thought about putting it in a pastry crust but I've fun out of flour (must put that on the list) so topped it with anya potatoes sliced, parboiled and now waiting for them brown and crisp up. I've done myself a sort of salad, fridge stuff and bits from the cupboards like nuts and raisons. 

rtandon27

This week has been pretty good for following our plan - we will have to switch Sunday's meal with today's planned pizza as I just noticed the date on the chicken that was delivered on Tuesday!  A bit miffed that it was so short dated, but at least it's workable as I'm wfh today, so can pop it in the oven during my afternoon tea break!

I've done November's budget and there is enough in the coffers to cover us for the month! - very happy as this is prior to this month's payday!  I will wait until actual payday before budgeting for December!  Am very pleased that we have pinched enough coppers to be able to budget two months in advance.  Currently I've not got anything budgeted towards December's food needs but we do have enough in the stores to survive the month if we had to & I've already got a few xmas treats & obligatory gifts hidden away in preparation for that expensive time of year!  I'm feeling very grateful to have found MSE all those years ago & picked up ticks and tricks that allow us to live within our means!