Food Planning : Large Scale

suki1964

Happy_Sloth said:

Thank you so much for all your help. 

I just look at the lists and get overwhelmed. I know where are no-where near starvation i can blatantly see it's quite a lot of food but i have no idea how long it will last.  I guess i'm just trying to set my mind at ease by knowing i'm going to make it last as long as possible and make the best of it. 
  
Right now im worrying myself to death.. i'm not sleeping and im having frequent panic attacks... i've tried to get help and support but i keep getting treated like a tax dodging scumbag. I know i have let my family down by my choices of career. We would not be in this boat if i had stayed in full time employment or if i'd realised what my accountant was suggesting wasn't the only option. I can't even seem to get a job ... any job i'm applying for loads but keep getting told i'm over qualified or don't even get a phone call back, i'm honestly feeling useless right now. 

Will you step back a bit and take a breath?

You haven't let your family down in any way shape or form. We have one shot at life and we have to make the choices we make at the time we are in with the information we have. That is what you have done

Useless? Not at all. You are the keeper of the stores, at least you are going to be able to feed your family through this, because of your previous choices

We are all worried to some extent but taking on the responsibility of the world onto your own shoulders is going to help no one, least of all you and your family. You can not change what is out of your control, so let it go

I got furloughed yesterday and the worry is my boss may not be able to survive until the hospitality trade reopens, and if he survives till then, he may still only require the skeleton staff he is down to. Husband just got his 3 months grant, thats all hes going to get, he too is waiting on hospitality to get back to work. We are also living on fresh air and water, and if I don't get my job back we will be on fresh air and dust, but thats tomorrow. Today is what I need to concern myself with. Every day I have to deal with what's happening that day.

So as we say in AA, get off the cross as we need the wood

Now so far you have come and asked for help, thats brilliant . Secondly, you have done an inventory, thats fantastic, esp if even having to admit to yourself the size of your stores has triggered feelings, now you need to keep posting on here, reading what help people are offering and keeping in touch with us all. Sounds daft but really sharing something like this with complete strangers who make no judgements will help you find your way through

You might also think about making an appointment with the doctor. They are well versed in seeing people who are struggling through this and whilst they cant wave a magic wand, they can help. Right now I couldn't survive without my sertraline. Its keeping the panic at bay, leaving me able to sleep ( well sometimes ) and able to cope day to day.

I have promised to take a look through what you have and I promise I will. So far from what Ive seen you have enough carbs there to possibly stop the spuds and bread buys for a while leaving a bit more wriggle room for fresh veg to supplement the stores you have. You also have lots of protein in the form of the dried pulses as well as the meat in the freezer and tins. As for the milk, you could possibly do what I do, buy full fat and add water, esp when cooking. If it says a pint, I do half and half, no one notices

fairy3

Hello have been reading along and have to say well done so far on completing your inventory - you have been given some great advice so far on using your perishables. We are a family of four as you are with three young adults in the house, bit older than yours and all working. It has taken weeks with lots of tweaks to get to the stage of revised ways of meal planning, cooking with no waste and on a reasonable budget and still work in progress with a lot less to work with.
Only a suggestion but as you are finding it hard to find the £100 per month for supplementary shopping would it be worth dropping one of the fruit and veg boxes a month or getting x 2 smaller ones and using from fridge/freezer and tins for a couple of months? Reason being that tinned and packet veg are fairly cheap to replace and also that your veggie patch should be coming into it's own. Same for the milk or half the amount and if you make some bread/flatbread using your flour this could free up about 60% of the budget.
Last point - not sure how your inventory is listed - would it help to make a spreadsheet which would give you the amounts/allow you to subtract when used with an added column giving portion amounts e.g using 35g per portion as suggested by Greenbee  1kg rice yields 28 portions - you have 28kg so the yield would be 800 portions. Might be an interesting task for one of your sons or the OH?
Take care of yourself

t14cy_t

happy sloth please dont beat yourself up. as previous posters have said delegate, you are not in your home alone!!! these are trying times for everyone and we must all pull together. there is help available to you so take it, that's what its put in place for.

Mummy2cheekymonkeys

fairy3 said:

Hello have been reading along and have to say well done so far on completing your inventory - you have been given some great advice so far on using your perishables. We are a family of four as you are with three young adults in the house, bit older than yours and all working. It has taken weeks with lots of tweaks to get to the stage of revised ways of meal planning, cooking with no waste and on a reasonable budget and still work in progress with a lot less to work with.
Only a suggestion but as you are finding it hard to find the £100 per month for supplementary shopping would it be worth dropping one of the fruit and veg boxes a month or getting x 2 smaller ones and using from fridge/freezer and tins for a couple of months? Reason being that tinned and packet veg are fairly cheap to replace and also that your veggie patch should be coming into it's own. Same for the milk or half the amount and if you make some bread/flatbread using your flour this could free up about 60% of the budget.
Last point - not sure how your inventory is listed - would it help to make a spreadsheet which would give you the amounts/allow you to subtract when used with an added column giving portion amounts e.g using 35g per portion as suggested by Greenbee  1kg rice yields 28 portions - you have 28kg so the yield would be 800 portions. Might be an interesting task for one of your sons or the OH?
Take care of yourself

I was going to say pretty much this. I think you are worried about using your stockpile as you see it as a safety net and are worried about what will happen when its gone (I have been guilty of this) but you need to realise that you bought all of it with a situation like this is mind. Whats the use of having it all sat there and not using it but buying more stuff each month whilst eating into your savings. You cant pay your mortgage with UHT milk so use the milk you have in store and don't buy any fresh for a while. The same with the bread in the freezer. Try and drop one veg box until you have used up what you already have. It might not be much but it will all add up. 
Try and go easy on yourself too. You have done amazingly to build up the stores that you have and its now time to dip into them. You can build them up again when we are all in a better situation. 
Take care x

Happy_Sloth

Trying to work out how to best list it so i can work with it easier i'm going to add it to a spreadsheet, it's just overwhelming. trying to break it into portions but different meals take different amounts. I know i'm over thinking it. 

The main challenges i think i have is that the 3 boys in the house won't fill in a spreadsheet when they take food. On the up side, most meals are cooked by me and my husband and he tends to tell me what he's using as we are both trying to lose weight and he tells me the ingredients so i can work out how many calories are in it. 

So i guess i won't know day to day what is used, but i'll have a good clue.. i know what people tend to eat for breakfast/lunches and now the lads have helped organise the shelves i should be able to go and do a weekly stock update without it taking hours. 

greenbee

If they you and your husband are trying to lose weight, and are weighing the food, then meal plan with portions in mind in advance. And then separate out the stuff your kids can help themselves to without asking, but warn them how many days you expect it to last for, pointing out that when it's gone, it's gone. 

Happy_Sloth

greenbee said:

If they you and your husband are trying to lose weight, and are weighing the food, then meal plan with portions in mind in advance. And then separate out the stuff your kids can help themselves to without asking, but warn them how many days you expect it to last for, pointing out that when it's gone, it's gone. 

That wouldn't be too hard, my husband tends to ask for ideas on what to cook and the boys really don't over eat, they usually have a tin each at lunch, cereal or toast for breakfast the only food i really struggle to control is the sweet stuff and thats because my eldest will just eat anything he can find.  So i sort of ration it anyway as he doesn't go the basement for snacks.. only eats what is in the cupboard and when its gone he waits for me to top it up.  I learned a long time ago that putting 10 packs of biscuits in the cupboard was a bad move so they live in the basement and get rationed. 

Should i be trying to plan all this food out or just a few weeks at a time, i feel like i should do it all.. so i know what i have and how long it will last,,. but thats a massive job just putting this spreadsheet together has almost beaten me. 

Islandmaid

When my 3 where young I had an ‘eat me’ box in the fridge, I put things like fruit that needed eating in it, Cheese snack etc, I also had ‘me first’ labels on cereal, and my eldest had a habit of opening a new box of cereal, when there was already one open 🙄

little things help too 😊

helensbiggestfan

Mummy2cheekymonkeys said:

fairy3 said:

Hello have been reading along and have to say well done so far on completing your inventory - you have been given some great advice so far on using your perishables. We are a family of four as you are with three young adults in the house, bit older than yours and all working. It has taken weeks with lots of tweaks to get to the stage of revised ways of meal planning, cooking with no waste and on a reasonable budget and still work in progress with a lot less to work with.
Only a suggestion but as you are finding it hard to find the £100 per month for supplementary shopping would it be worth dropping one of the fruit and veg boxes a month or getting x 2 smaller ones and using from fridge/freezer and tins for a couple of months? Reason being that tinned and packet veg are fairly cheap to replace and also that your veggie patch should be coming into it's own. Same for the milk or half the amount and if you make some bread/flatbread using your flour this could free up about 60% of the budget.
Last point - not sure how your inventory is listed - would it help to make a spreadsheet which would give you the amounts/allow you to subtract when used with an added column giving portion amounts e.g using 35g per portion as suggested by Greenbee  1kg rice yields 28 portions - you have 28kg so the yield would be 800 portions. Might be an interesting task for one of your sons or the OH?
Take care of yourself

I was going to say pretty much this. I think you are worried about using your stockpile as you see it as a safety net and are worried about what will happen when its gone (I have been guilty of this) but you need to realise that you bought all of it with a situation like this is mind. Whats the use of having it all sat there and not using it but buying more stuff each month whilst eating into your savings. You cant pay your mortgage with UHT milk so use the milk you have in store and don't buy any fresh for a while. The same with the bread in the freezer. Try and drop one veg box until you have used up what you already have. It might not be much but it will all add up. 
Try and go easy on yourself too. You have done amazingly to build up the stores that you have and its now time to dip into them. You can build them up again when we are all in a better situation. 
Take care x

I was going to suggest this.  Use up what you have and hang onto your cash. Go down to one veg box until your own produce is ready. 

Live off your stocks as much as you can and start stockpiling your cash.

You say you have a glut of potatoes .....you can use them up as various potato bakes.  There are some great recipes.  Here’s a couple that were firm favourites with my boys.  Both substantial meals for lads with hollow legs.  

I noticed your have chorizo rings.  

Fry up some sliced cooked potatoes with onions and sliced chorizo. You can add a fried egg on top for extra protein.  Serve with vegetables or baked beans. 

sausage and potato bake. Layer sliced potatoes, carrots, onion, celery if you like it, cover with stock and finish with potatoes, dot with butter or oil, cover with foil and bake for around 1hr. Remove foil, arrange sausage on top and cook for around 30 to 40 mins. Serve with green vegetables. 

Then of course there’s good old corned beef hash, moussaka, shepherds pie, bubble and squeak and just about any variation of potato bakes using up leftover meat and/or vegetables. 

You have masses of food so no need to panic.  Just make a start on using up the perishables first. 

Good luck. 

slummymummyof3

We had a large sack of potatoes that were going past their best. I turned half of them into mashed potato (using UHT milk) and froze it in freezer bags. The other half, I washed the potatoes and sliced them into wedges, blanched them for three minutes, popped them on baking trays and let them freeze individually overnight before putting them into portions in freezer bags. I also blanched carrots and cauliflower florets and froze them. Have also made large batches of ratatouille (bulked out with red lentils) and frozen it in portions large enough for spag bol/chilli etc.