14 days of NSD can it be done?

Agentmomo

I have put the few slices left from my open loaf of bread and the remaining crumpets from my open packet into the freezer as these were drying up a bit. These will be toasted from frozen.

Day 3 meals
Breakfast; Pancakes with orange and sugar
Lunch; Tuna and sweetcorn pasta salad
Dinner; Turkey curry with rice

Planning; I have 3 little chicken thighs currently roasting in the oven, these will form the base of planned chicken and leek pie for dinner tomorrow. Shortcrust pastry removed from freezer for said pie.
I have a honey dew melon which I will slice up into chunks and pop in the fridge for fruit to snack on over the next couple of days. Still got some other fresh fruit left, Bananas and Oranges and then we will be onto the freezer and tinned varieties from around day 7 I predict

greenbee

My last supermarket delivery was on Dec 15th... although I have to admit I've had veg box deliveries most weeks, and milk/eggs/yogurt via the milkman. But that's all on direct debit. And means that I don't need to shop spontaneously. I'm still running down the freezer, so don't think I'll need a delivery until next month at this rate... although I might crack before then!

Agentmomo

greenbee said:

My last supermarket delivery was on Dec 15th... although I have to admit I've had veg box deliveries most weeks, and milk/eggs/yogurt via the milkman. But that's all on direct debit. And means that I don't need to shop spontaneously. I'm still running down the freezer, so don't think I'll need a delivery until next month at this rate... although I might crack before then!

Wow that's fantastic @greenbee.
I must say that as I am only a few days into my own 14 NSD challenge, it has already taught me that we really do need to change our shopping habits.

I've done Click and Collects since the Pandemic began last year and top up shops at the local shop and butchers and tbh it all gets a bit "samey." It was the freezers that prompted me to do this challenge, they were fit to burst (still are!)

It would be good, going forward to do a weekly shop just on the fresh stuff. Guess I have fallen into the trap of being reminded on the online shops of things I've ordered in the past and the special offers!

greenbee

I learned my lesson in the first lockdown - I came back from a 2 week work trip and went straight into isolation. As I'd expected to be home for 4 days and then off again on a two week trip I didn't have any fresh food in the house. Both the milkman and the veg box scheme struggled. Luckily a friend made an emergency delivery (when supermarkets were restricting purchases, and shelves were pretty empty) of a few fresh bits in exchange for loo paper from my bulk order. After that I had a couple of small shops (under £10) done by local volunteers - when someone else is doing your shopping you have to be focused on exactly what you need. As a result I planned meticulously and made every calorie count (I lost the travel weight), and there are some things (mostly shelf-stable carbs) that I still haven't used up completely or replaced. 

I think I had my first delivery after a couple of months, and it gradually got easier (although not particularly predictable). I also realised that there is only so much I can deal with in a single delivery given the need to sanitise and process it all (long covid doesn't help here) so I think very carefully about what I need to supplement the milk/eggs/yogurt and veg box. If I can get the odd extra from the milkman (tomatoes & courgettes this week) or veg box (sauerkraut and occasional meat/cheese) I find that I can easily put off the supermarket order. I've just moved my planned order to 24th (latest available date) but that will depend on what comes in tomorrow's veg box (I skipped last week's, and it isn't quite finished yet as I've been using stuff from the freezer), and what's on offer in the next one. My order includes things I want to keep a good stock of like olive oil and butter, and I'll also order things that aren't so easy to get from my regular deliveries - stuff like olives, which I know will last. 

Agentmomo

Day 4 meals
Breakfast; Me, Avocado and tomato toasted tortilla wrap, OH, Egg on toast, we also had freshly squeezed orange juice.
Lunch; Macaroni cheese with spinach
Dinner; Chicken Pie with Oven Chips, Broccoli and Gravy.

I am determined not to use up the remaining potatoes until Sunday as we love a traditional Sunday Dinner.
Taking some mince out of the freezer for tomorrow's dinner, maybe do a Spag bol, might do spicy mince with tortilla wraps. undecided as yet.

[Deleted User]

This is a great thread, and I wanted to add my support to what you are doing. I regularly go 7-10 days without food shopping, and I have two small children. Tinned fruit and frozen veg help enormously, plus all the fruit foraged and frozen in summer. I’m still working through the blackberries! 

We have hens which helps hugely for egg supply. Also I use a milkman, so we get milk delivered twice a week, as well as butter and yoghurt- stops me nipping to the shop for ‘just’ milk (which it never ends up being), and he bills at month end only so it really helps the NSD count! I see you’re WFH but when you do leave the house, eg for a walk, leave your purse at home 😊

Best of luck x

ETA make some huge Yorkshire puddings to go with your Sunday roast, very filling and you’ll need less spuds. We used to have them as a starter to fill us up more as kids x

Agentmomo

Well, we are a 3rd of the way through this and I have to say that the fridge has never looked so uninspiring, on a positive note, still got plenty of veg left, the hardy ones, carrots, swede, parsnips, cabbage, onions, here is day 5 meals;

Day 5
Breakfast; Me Crumpets with honey, OH, Egg on toast
Lunch; Scampi with salad, well I say salad, the cucumber that remained was looking a bit dodgy a couple of days ago had now completely collapsed, so the salad was lettuce, spring onion, diced tomato and a small amount of diced pepper.
Dinner; Spicy mince wraps, delicious topped with grated cheese, yum!

Agentmomo

An early up date on Day 6 as we know what we are having for Supper even though we haven't had it yet!

We love weekends and usually have just what the hell we fancy, little bit restricted due to Day 6 NSD but I am very proud at how this weekend is looking. The left over cream was still fine yey! So I have made in advance a dauphinoise for tomorrow's roast dinner (albeit a mix of sweet and ordinary potatoes). I do have a pork joint in the freezer but thought this may be too fatty to have with the dauphinoise so instead I have taken some skinless, boneless chicken thighs out of the freezer which I will stuff with breadcrumbs and herbs. I would usually wrap these in bacon, but I have no bacon so instead will skewer them and hope for the best!

I have also pre blanched the remaining broccoli as this was about to turn, chucked it in icy cold water when it was nearly done and that will just need to be reheated tomorrow.

Day 6 meals;
Brunch; Cooked breakfast - Sausages, hash browns, fried eggs, tinned tomatoes
Afternoon snack; Celery with cream cheese
Supper; Not had yet but will be lots of dirty fries topped with left over spicy mince from yesterday

Agentmomo

A spanner in the works today as I was reminded by OH that he is working more hours next week, will not be here for lunch, can't leave site so requires food to be taken in. Only cooking facility is a microwave! Any ideas would be welcome folks please. Prefer not bread related as we only have a few slices of "fresh" left (not fresh now and only using for toast, remaining slices will probably head to the freezer tomorrow). Tomorrow he has cous cous with added roasted peppers and onion with sliced left over chicken for lunch. Only 4 days of ideas needed!

On a positive note, loads of dauphinoise left over from today's dinner so will use that up as a topping for tomorrow's planned dinner of a cottage style pie.
Took some peppered mackerel fillets out of the freezer last night and made a mackerel pate this morning.

Day 7 meals
Brunch; Mackerel pate on toast, the left overs of the fresh melon chunks and Pain au chocolat's
Lunch; (ish) Mackerel pate with crackers, celery and cheese
Dinner; Stuffed chicken thighs, dauphinoise potatoes, broccoli, carrots and swede and gravy

[Deleted User]

Do you have a soup flask? If so can you make a batch of veg/lentil/potato (basically whatever’s in your fridge/cupboards still) soup and he can take that in? Very filling and takes a while to eat so feels like a proper meal rather than ‘just’ soup. Throw some tinned tomato in, herbs & spices etc x