Reverse Meal Planning

rtandon27

So the actual day (+2) is done, but another 9 days of Christmastide to go!  So far we've managed to avoid unintentionally adding to the food stores, instead slowly making inroads into what we have in the house with a small amount of seasonal foods added for good measure. 

We had a wander into town today to visit MrL and were seriously underwhelmed by what was actually on the shelf and the complete lack of bargains to be had!  We did a little top-up of some of the items we had planned to buy, and left without a few as the shelves were giving out post-apocalyptical vibes!  The main covered shopping area of town was equally unimpressive, with many stores sporting signs that said closed until January 6th or 13th.

On the reverse-planning front, we have large amounts of veg to get through before I return to the office in January, notably 2 enormous red cabbages, 6 assorted squash and large amounts of both regular and sweet potatoes.  We also seem to have a full freezer so a stock-take is in order!

For January, I'm aiming to spend 50% less than usual and make inroads into what is already prepared in the freezer!  Wondering if anyone would like to join me in this small challenge?  I do remember someone stating on here (or another similar thread) that stores were tied up money, so if I can free any up, this would help some of the savings pots I have going and "keep the Ch'i flowing" in money matters!

Tonight's dinner will be oven roasted brussels & oven roasted wedges along with some minute steak we picked up at MrL earlier - we've had a who lot of simple carbs in our diet recently, and need to pick up on the intake of protein and complex carbs!

fionaandphil

I'll join for the challenge as we also have a full freezer! We are working through the fridge using up leftovers and some of the bargains from Christmas eve. Today's meal was leftover chicken drumsticks, salad, coleslaw, smoked salmon etc. Los of cheese so will be having that over the next few days, or if it's still cold we have a big pot of soup and some crusty bread from the freezer. Will be aiming to spend as little as possible in January and clear some space in the freezer

EssexHebridean

I am absolutely in for a pared down January RT - I want to start stashing funds in that grocery account ready to bolster holiday spends later in the year - and allowing that we now have two well filled freezers, we really ought to be able to get through a month ok! 

The turkey has been stripped down - 4 tubs of slices with gravy ready for microwave reheating for Sunday lunches, 4 tubs of chunks for curries and similar, and 2 tubs of smaller bits for risottos, plus some slices left for sandwiches tomorrow too. Tubs all stashed in the freezer, and the bones are back in the fridge in the hope of some cheap overnight electric for stock-making in the next few days. Must remember I have giblets and a chicken carcass in the freezer to throw in with that too.  

Suffolk_lass

Ooh, me too for January. I have sorted out the ham and turkey carcass but there are still three foil packages of meat in the fridge. I am gifting sandwich turkey breast and sausage meat (along with some mince pies) to DS if he and his GF come round today. 

I have two plastic containers of 4/5 portions of soup in the fridge that consumed all the leftover cooked veg, and the double strength turkey stock. Two turkey and ham pies are in the freezer and more pastry is made. 

I have more visitors who are staying several days, due from Monday and must make my New Yer's Eve curries before that - I am thinking of trying the Hairy Bikers' Curried Beef Hotpot for a change. I always make a chicken curry, left to myself. I will make a veg curry too, to use up some squash, onions, spinach and chick peas, but I also want to curry some cauliflower, sprouts and potato.

And yes, my freezers are full and my fridge could be confused with that of the night before Christmas, never mind three days after! Talk about a cheese mountain. One of our guests also bought us a block of Cornish cheese with Port and crackers as a gift! The store-cupboard is frankly stuffed to the gunnels. Apart from a fresh veg top-up, and with a milk and eggs run (the fox decimated the chickens of our egg supplier and he is stopping), we should be good for at least a month, maybe more!

We are still working our way through the plate of (4!) pates our Christmas Day guests brought with them (along with two platters of nibbles). Fortunately I stopped my own preparations when I stopped for a coffee and saw the photos she posted before they left. So I only did pigs in blankets and left my prawns and smoked salmon for another day. I loved that when our two late afternoon guests arrived, both eat. DS's partner had been working all day, so she was up for a full Christmas dinner. Cousin had enjoyed some quiet time to herself, but asked if she could have some trifle as soon as she arrived, lol! I do love that people enjoy the food I cook

Turkey and sweetcorn pie today (and I may foist the leftovers on to DS & GF).

EssexHebridean

I’m going to do some more shredded sprouts with chestnuts and bacon later, but have got some salmon out to defrost as a slightly lighter option for tea this evening. Haven’t decided what additional veg will go with those, but may do baby roasties with more of our HG tatties as those are proving such a favourite. Might even push the boat and and do those in the main oven rather than the air fryer too as they definitely crisp more like that. 

Lunch is going to be Christmas dinner sarnies again I think - not least as although I had one on Boxing Day (with sourdough bread cut wonderfully thick - did I struggle to get my jaws around the resulting sandwich? Yes, yes I did!)  MrEH has not yet had that particular delight this year. No more sourdough sadly for him though! 

I do need to get some milk at some stage, but don’t need anything else at the moment so may well get that via a walk to the co-op to use the 20p off coupon in the app. I have a 2 pint bottle I can wash out so should be able to get a 4-Pinter and freeze - a habit I am keen to get back into as a small money saver for the new year. 

redofromstart

I'd like to join you for your January challenge. Major fail of outside electrics on Christmas Eve means I am running the freezer (garage) on an extension lead from the house but that means having a door or window slightly open. There isn't a fast fix, and the freezer won't fit round the bends if I try to bring it in. The simplest solution was to replace the elderly overheating fridge with a new fridge freezer (inside) - this arrives tomorrow. Trouble is to fit in the gap it is half the volume of the garage freezer. 

The turkey is still in the fridge, needs using or freezing today (which would just add to the problem!) 

we need to focus on eating the freezer down enough to fit it in the new one. 

I've never been so glad that I did not find any major bargains on Christmas Eve! 

JingsMyBucket

Please definitely count me in for a pantry and fridge/freezer challenge in January. I’d like to run down what we have and just use up all these disparate packets lurking around. 

I need to convince Mr. Jings to help me do a proper stock take of the freezer (and pantries/cupboards?) so we know what’s available instead of falling back on the regular standbys. 

A menu plan is also in order as well. I think I may aim for doing just 3 obviously planned meals per week starting from January 1 with room for flexibility in the other 4 meals a week depending on what we feel like and our schedules. I don’t usually plan that far ahead but doing it 50% may feel unrestricted enough that I don’t mentally crash out? IYSWIM?

redofromstart

Onion, garlic and ginger,  and coconut milk out of the freezer used for turkey curry. 

Anything out of the freezer is good. Nothing went in as I measured the rice and fed the animals a lot of turkey scraps. 

I want dry roasted peanuts (jigsaw) but I've made do with crisps.  I could see roasted chickpeas working as an alternative later in the week. 

EssexHebridean

It could be said that having added a loaf of bread, 2 packs of crumpets, a barbecue chicken pizza,  and a pack of cooked chicken to the freezer today, plus a pack of fruit bagels which will do breakfast tomorrow before the remainder are also frozen was not perhaps the ideal start to this challenge - however as the lot together cost me £2.46 I’m happy with the decision to buy them. It’s not often I happen on bargains quite that good, the bread was cheaper than we could have made it ourselves for a start! 

I think my next task needs to be to begin a master list of all the different meal options we have currently, probably divided up into weeknight and weekend, and then see how that looks in terms of how it will fit in with the month. 

This evening did see off some 8p sprouts and parsnips, anyway! 

Primrose

DH has just done a complete spreadsheet inventory of our two freezers which have become rwther "straggly" in recent months as he's now my carer and has to manage all domestic issues.  Everything is now being managed to produce easy "already prepared" meals which will hopefully reduce all the odds and ends over time.

 We,ve never done a calculation of how much energy  batch cooking saves but certainly remembering to get frozen stuff out the night before and let it thaw naturally instead of last minute microwave defrosting saves some electricity.