Reverse Meal Planning

Suffolk_lass

Hello and welcome @jennypennysaver - to answer your question; I prepare the fruit

• I peel and core apples and as they are usually Bramley cooking apples, and put the quarters in water with lemon squeezed in to stop it going brown - then I chop them smaller as I put them in the pan so they cook more quickly
• I halve and stone everything in the plum family
• I top and tail gooseberries

Then I wash it and pop it in an ordinary medium saucepan with a dribble of lemon water and sprinkle on 2-3 teaspoons of sugar (I use granulated because it is next to the stove-top ready to put in the gardener's tea!). The pan is up to 2/3 full (more sugar for more fruit - this is for half a dozen windfall apples, and the dribble of water is to stop it catching and make steam to cook it more quickly).
Bring the fruit to a slow bubble over a low heat, and stir it as the first bit bubbles so there is no sticking. You can continue to stir, or turn the heat lower and put a lid on, stir every couple of minutes as sticking fruit will spoil until the fruit is soft - I like the apples (Bramleys) to break down to apple sauce consistency (because that sort do). If you are doing eating apples, or many other varieties, they may keep their shape so chopping the apples up a bit more makes sure nobody gets a huge lump, and they cook more quickly. I like to stop just before plums completely break down, and the same with gooseberries

If you intend storing it in your pantry, you need to think about the jars

• While you are cooking the fruit, put some clean jars and pop-top lids in the oven and warm them from cold to 120C and keep them at that temperature for 10 minutes (which will make sure they are sterile). Don't use the lids once you can see brown marks after washing, the little band inside breaks down over time and your fruit will not preserve well
• or use jars and lids straight out of the dishwasher while almost too hot to hold. Before I got the wide-mouth kilner jars I liked re-using Bonne Maman jars or jars with smaller tops with a jam funnel (Kilner and Tula make them - stainless steel is better than non-stick).
• Once the jars are sterile and the fruit is soft, I spoon it straight into hot jars (I arrange maybe 3 jars at a time on a bread board that I turn, like a lazy Susan, so there is no delay), then wipe any spills from the neck and top on as tight as you can. As the jar contents cool, they suck the pop top down. If they don't pop, you need to use them within a week (I put any in the fridge). Successful jars will keep for a few months. 

You can just use the stewed fruit, without jarring it up, in which case, my cooked fruit goes into a clean takeaway box and in the fridge, and we have it spooned onto porridge (him) or yoghurt (me). I find it much easier to do this little and often. I do have preserving pans but this is so simple, just to give you fruit that tastes amazing, when not in season and free to store.

I don't usually bottle rhubarb but I might do so with strawberries as it makes lovely compote and jam. Normally I chop it, wash and dry and freeze it.

Blackcurrants I remove the stalks and freeze until I need them - I still have four jars of jelly-jam and have recently made three 250ml bottles of cordial concentrate (hm ribena) from frozen blackcurrants.

Do give it a go and sorry if I have over explained it, but I don't know what your knowledge level is. I hope it helps you

Primrose

That is a really helpful explanation  especially for anybody without a lot of experience. Thank you

redofromstart

I notice that L1dl have the part baked pretzels in from Thursday 8th May - although they have gone up to £2.99.  Sure they used to be £2.49.  Anyway that means I need to be making as much space as I can in the freezer as the One Who Doesn't Eat needs the calories and will happily have two a day.  I can now do a reasonable job of making my own but I haven't quite got part baked right yet (too crispy apparently).

jennypennysaver

Suffolk_lass said:

Hello and welcome @jennypennysaver - to answer your question; I prepare the fruit

• I peel and core apples and as they are usually Bramley cooking apples, and put the quarters in water with lemon squeezed in to stop it going brown - then I chop them smaller as I put them in the pan so they cook more quickly
• I halve and stone everything in the plum family
• I top and tail gooseberries

Then I wash it and pop it in an ordinary medium saucepan with a dribble of lemon water and sprinkle on 2-3 teaspoons of sugar (I use granulated because it is next to the stove-top ready to put in the gardener's tea!). The pan is up to 2/3 full (more sugar for more fruit - this is for half a dozen windfall apples, and the dribble of water is to stop it catching and make steam to cook it more quickly).
Bring the fruit to a slow bubble over a low heat, and stir it as the first bit bubbles so there is no sticking. You can continue to stir, or turn the heat lower and put a lid on, stir every couple of minutes as sticking fruit will spoil until the fruit is soft - I like the apples (Bramleys) to break down to apple sauce consistency (because that sort do). If you are doing eating apples, or many other varieties, they may keep their shape so chopping the apples up a bit more makes sure nobody gets a huge lump, and they cook more quickly. I like to stop just before plums completely break down, and the same with gooseberries

If you intend storing it in your pantry, you need to think about the jars

• While you are cooking the fruit, put some clean jars and pop-top lids in the oven and warm them from cold to 120C and keep them at that temperature for 10 minutes (which will make sure they are sterile). Don't use the lids once you can see brown marks after washing, the little band inside breaks down over time and your fruit will not preserve well
• or use jars and lids straight out of the dishwasher while almost too hot to hold. Before I got the wide-mouth kilner jars I liked re-using Bonne Maman jars or jars with smaller tops with a jam funnel (Kilner and Tula make them - stainless steel is better than non-stick).
• Once the jars are sterile and the fruit is soft, I spoon it straight into hot jars (I arrange maybe 3 jars at a time on a bread board that I turn, like a lazy Susan, so there is no delay), then wipe any spills from the neck and top on as tight as you can. As the jar contents cool, they suck the pop top down. If they don't pop, you need to use them within a week (I put any in the fridge). Successful jars will keep for a few months. 

You can just use the stewed fruit, without jarring it up, in which case, my cooked fruit goes into a clean takeaway box and in the fridge, and we have it spooned onto porridge (him) or yoghurt (me). I find it much easier to do this little and often. I do have preserving pans but this is so simple, just to give you fruit that tastes amazing, when not in season and free to store.

I don't usually bottle rhubarb but I might do so with strawberries as it makes lovely compote and jam. Normally I chop it, wash and dry and freeze it.

Blackcurrants I remove the stalks and freeze until I need them - I still have four jars of jelly-jam and have recently made three 250ml bottles of cordial concentrate (hm ribena) from frozen blackcurrants.

Do give it a go and sorry if I have over explained it, but I don't know what your knowledge level is. I hope it helps you

This is brilliant, thank you @ Suffolk_lass !! 😊
And thank you for the welcome 🤗

EssexHebridean

The legendary tinned sprouts was Hypno! Ahhh - good old days, eh?! (Actually I believe we have a tin lurking now - donated with a pile of other foody bits from a pal who wasn't going to use stuff and would otherwise have thrown it out...needless to say they have not been eaten by us, either, but made me laugh too much to get rid!)

Suffolk_lass

We are not planning our eating properly as both on different diets. Mr Sl has his operation on Tuesday. He has lost just a smidge under two stone so far - I have lost 15.4lbs - I prefer stones and pounds as it feels faster!

Anyway, the weather was cold and grim yesterday so I made a small pot of ragu and we had stuffed peppers for supper at a sensible time. At least I am shopping from home and not trudging back and forth to the shops. That said, our spend for May is likely to lip over £250. He is fast running out of fat free yoghurt and all the berries have been eaten. Can you tell what our go-to pud is?

EssexHebridean

If you’ve not tried it and you both prefer Greek yogurt then the Aldi 0% fat one is - for my money - both thicker and tastier than the full fat one. It’s a proper Greek rather than Greek style - those are never thick enough for my taste.

Garden rhubarb for tea last night with some of a small pot of crème fraiche and a Y/S’d small waffle each - a really tasty pud and there is still some rhubarb and some crème fraiche left. 

Today’s tea is very much reverse planned - in a bid to stave off shopping until Sunday when I can go to A’s and use a reward voucher we’ve opted for a fry-up using up the bacon and mushrooms in the fridge, black,,white and fruit puddings plus tattie scones from the freezer and some of the duck eggs that came back from the Hebrides with us. I while in the freezer I also checked bread levels for weekend breakfasts - fine for this end of the weekend at least. 

With bread levels in mind we opted for porridge for breakfast too rather than toast. 

Still need to put together a meal plan… 

Suffolk_lass

Oh my, I have been all over the place and not updating here. I have been using lots more meat and fresh veg or salads to get Mr Sl back up to some sort of normal functioning level. In there somewhere I did make chicken stock and add it to the homemade soup I intend finishing today, and just in time for the predicted storms I shall be whizzing up a batch of gazpatcho. I like to add plenty of chilli and bought a bag of mixed peppers and some nice looking tomatoes to add to the cucumber, peeled celery and finely diced onion. I might add a tin of chopped tomatoes for the juice too. Mmmn, the taste of a hot summer day!

rtandon27

@Suffolk_lass - you've reminded me to post here!  - I've been meal planning even though we had to shift the meals around for various reasons!  We had a whole week with no emergency eating out & no at home lazy grazing!

so last week's Meal plan was...

Monday - Veggie Day - Tomato & Ricotta stuffed Pasta with leek & cheese topping

Tuesday - Fish Day - not this week (no sales) - eggplant & pepper & tofu stir-fry with steamed rice

Wednesday - Chicken Meat Day - Beef burgers with melted blue cheese & oven wedges & cooked spinach side

Thursday - Meat Day #2 - gifted pork ribs & ham+salad rolls (to hot to be bothered with cooking!)

Friday - Pizza & Wedges Meat Day #3- 7-spice kebabs with pan-fried asparagus & peppers & onions

Saturday - Bao & Gyoza & Noodles & bubble tea Meat Day #4 - Pork chop & greens mash & carrots with redcurrant+parsley gravy

Sunday - Roast Poultry Day - shredded confit turkey & chinese pancakes & cucumber & hoisin tendersten

Lunches were also planned to make use of coupons & freebies
Monday - c0sta - sandwich & sweet treat
Tuesday - c@fe ner0 - sandwich & free coffee & free sweet treat
Wednesday - wfh - ham+salad rolls & salad veggies
Thursday - ham+salad rolls & salad veggies
Friday - - ham+salad rolls & salad veggies

Last week was all about minimal cooking or stove top where necessary! We also found a few too many meat deals for our own good.

This week's menu DONE!

Monday - Veggie Day - Pesto pasta with veggies

Tuesday - Fish Day - white fish with leek & prawn white sauce with potatoes & courgettes

Wednesday - Chicken Day - Simple Chicken Korma & rice & side of swiss chard

Thursday - Meat Day Chicken Day #2 - Chicken Burgers & Wedges with a side of peppers & onions

Friday - Fakeaway Day - Caesar-style salad & Pizza

Saturday - Easy Eating Day - Brunch - Toast & eggs & avo - Dinner - Bao & Gyoza & Noodles

Sunday -  Pre-Canada Day Festivities - Wings & Ribs & Corn & Potato Salad

Lunches planned to make use of coupons & freebies
Monday - meal deal using points
Tuesday - meal deal using points
Wednesday - wfh - tuna sandwiches for me & ham rolls for the mr.
Thursday - chicken rolls for me & ham rolls for the mr.
Friday - not sure yet! - might have to go out after a chiro appt

EssexHebridean

More reverse planning than actual meal planning with us recently, partly due to the hot weather where I have really been struggling to get my head round what we might fancy several days hence!

Friday lunchtime we really needed rolls  made, but didn't want to put on the oven, so instead opted to finish up the salad stuff from the fridge -MrEH had a tin of tuna with his, and I had some of the feta that was languishing, plus some black olives. That pretty much got repeated for tea last night, albeit with newly purchased salady bits. Gorgeous dressing made for it too - yogurt, sundried tomato oil, tahini and lemon juice, I will be repeating that! 

I'm going to go with couscous for this evening as it will enable us to use up some of the mushrooms I bought YS'd at the weekend, some more of the home grown peas and we have plenty of halloumi available for topping it off.

Tomorrow is going to be the remainder of the broccoli orzo bake that I made yesterday when the oven was on for the negative priced electric - need to give consideration to what the protein element there can be (we had chicken yesterday) but actually we may just have the treat of some more of the holiday smoked salmon with it, I'll see. 

Wednesday I will probably be just prepping something for myself so it will almost certainly be a bitsa-plate with various things that need using - I'm earmarking the final few bits of sundried toms in the jar for that, and the last small piece of feta too.