Reverse Meal Planning

Suffolk_lass

Mr Sl had some of the leftover curry for supper - I had an avocado salad with the rest of the cold potatoes, fried and salted. Then we had the rest of a jar of blackberry and apple stewed fruit, with a lump of chocolate chip penetone, some carton custard and some cream (we had/have to use up everything there except the custard before the diets resume! - and now the custard too!)

Suffolk_lass

Finished off the turkey soup for a light supper - served with a garlic naan. Not sure what happened but there is another single naan from a packet of two and I know I had half ( ). So today we are having a fridge veg casserole with sausagemeat from the freezer. A simple, warming stew to have with steamed greens. I love this time of year for this sort of food. We have just finished the chocolate chip panetone and there are 6 stollen bites left. That is it for the Christmas specific food, although cheese, grapes and celery need building in (maybe lunch if I move the casserole to a warm rather than simmering oven!).

I found a second bag of cat litter (the only thing that will necessitate a shop) so fingers crossed I won't need to shop this week at all

rtandon27

It's definately the time of year for stew!  I've just gathered together all the ingredients for a beef stew, from the freezer and stores, and will shortly assemble and put in a slow oven for 4 to 5 hours - added bonus is that the chilly house will also warm up!  I'm also thanking past me for having cut up the beef before freezing!

ETA - managed to use all the remaining carrots, parsnips, last giant onion (we are out of leeks), the last of a head of garlic & remaining jerusalem artichokes in the stew - also discovered that the celery was not redeemable - we now have a very empty produce drawer - a couple of lemons, a couple of limes and a knob of ginger is all that is remaining - 1st shop of the year will be some vary basic grocery replacement!

joedenise

It was a lamb stew for us last night done in the slow cooker.  4 more portions have made it into the freezer to have over the next few weeks.  I didn't think there would be as much left over so pleased to have got an extra meal for 2 of us!

Suffolk_lass

Some of the sausage casserole is left so Mr Sl can have that today as I am off to Auntie's funeral, so out for the day. I think we can have either pasta or baked potatoes with something simple like beans and cheese for supper. I'll get back to making soup for lunches from tomorrow. I'm hoping we have just caught the snow and it is not worse going south. The funeral is near Gatwick Airport. 

EssexHebridean

Ha - we finished a chocolate pannetone yesterday too! We have broken out a stashed Christmas pud from a few years ago to have as pudding for the next couple of evenings - it needed using (first portions were after lunch yesterday) and will stretch the usual after-tea yogurts for an extra few days.

There is to be a LOT of reverse planning going on around her for the next few weeks I think, as the bit is well and truly between my teeth on this frugal grocery month! 

This evening might see off the last of the first piece of ham I think, with a tub of home grown tomatoes from the freezer (roasted with garlic, the tub tells me), some mushrooms (bought for half price on NYE, and finally cooked yesterday when I remembered them again - they were absolutely fine!) and pasta. that will get a dollop of the remaining creme fraiche in it I think to make a creamy sauce.

A pal gave us a pack of chicken chipolatas that her OH had bought without realising they had cheese in - she is allergic to dairy! We often benefit from her wanting to avoid food waste! I threw those into the air fryer yesterday evening so they were cooked, and we'll likely use half with couscous tomorrow night - that will also use some more of the mushrooms, and I might do a freezer raid for some left over christmas veg as well. 

I'm keen to start making proper clearance in the freezers as I want to make a batch of curried parsnip soup at some stage - always a treat with the chap christmas parsnips! 

StickyTheStickInsect

I've created a meal plan for the month from our freezer and cupboards, I'll need to make (or have made) some small buys for things like tortilla's, guacamole, hot dog rolls, cucumber and peppers but otherwise we are good for the month. So far so good, all meals have been made from ingredients we already have. Although I forgot to add garlic bread this evening but no one noticed! DS1, DD and DS2 got to pick three meals each as their favourites, so that I have less complaints about "I don't like that". It's a bit kid friendly but I only cook one meal, so it has to be something that everyone will eat.

EssexHebridean

That's a very impressive plan Sticky - I've got meal plan envy! I did well with planning all the way through December, but I think I've got an overload of choice at the moment and I'm struggling to come up with anything coherent! 

I've just remembered about those sprouts I mentioned, so have asked MrEH to see if he can find those. Tonight will be couscous with those and some of the mushrooms stir fried together, and as planned, half the chiplolatas cut into chunks. Usual toasted seeds for crunch! 

Tomorrow is going to be a variation on mince & tatties I think - on the basis that I have lots of tatties to use! 

MrEH will likely be at home for tea on his own on Thursday so I'll have to have a think about what he can have at that stage - most likely "what needs using"! 

rtandon27

Unexpectedly working from home today so took the opportunity to defrost caul/mac/cheese from the freezer for lunch - two portions with veg ready to go!  The upside being that I now have 25% of a drawer empty - I didn't even bother to shuffle - just looked at the negative space and did an internal dance of joy! (I now have room for two pots of stew made on Sunday which will get shuffled out of the fridge when the groceries arrive this evening!)

Suffolk_lass

We have a cauliflower I need to use. It could be today but I need to cook the venison mince and have some salad to use up too. Hmm, I might add it to the soup instead and just save some to curry, with more of the mince. It was already frozen in a 1 kilo pack - normally I break these into four for us. I just have to be bothered to do it.