I was wondering if any of you plan meals for the week and/or cook in advance. I've been trying to do it for a while now, with much enthusiasm when I read about it, but a blank mind when I actually sit with pen and paper to make the plan! I still end up making exactly the same old boring stuff. Nevertheless, its definitely a lot less stressful staring into the fridge at 7 pm whilst my toddler says "mamam" (his word for food!).
I did quite well for a couple weeks, even managed to make a few dishes to freeze and absolutely loved not having to think of lunch whilst we were playing in the sun on saturday and sunday.
But the whole thing is fizzling down now :( I'd love any ideas that would get me going again.
cheers!
I don't plan the meals as such, but when I shop, I try to get whatever is in season and is looking at its best. I do this for vegetables, fruits and fish, meat etc., everything. Lunch is generally a salad, with some easy to cook thing on the side, like a freshly made soup with fresh bread, or a sandwich, or a pizza toast/chapatti pizza, or perhaps an Indian thing like a Chilla Pancake, or savoury vermicelli etc. etc., you get the drift.
For the evening meal, I usually take out the meat/fish from the freezer in the afternoon, unless I am cooking a vegetarian meal. Then peep into the vegetable section of the fridge for what fresh produce I have, and then cook accordingly. Sometimes I look at my website and look at the dishes involving my main ingredients, say fish or a particular vegetable. I check which one hasn't got a picture and then cook that.
I do plan a meal when someone is coming for dinner and shop accordingly, but sometimes change my mind about a dish and go with whatever else takes my mood. I know, not very methodical :-(!
Mamta
Funny you should ask this....
I don't tend to plan meals... (didn't was have topic post before?.. I will look after) What I do is keep the basics topped up each week (flour, pasta, cous-cous, rice, bulgar wheat, spices etc) Then when we go shopping I pick and choose things that I like the look of as we go along. Sometimes I will see something like lambs liver and decide sometime during this week I'm having liver and onions but not pick which day.
Other times I might go thinking we will have roast beef on Sunday when all the family are coming but get there and decide the meat doesn't look to good (or big enough, or way too expensive) but spot lamb shanks on special offer so change the plan again.
Then we might buy some bacon for bacon and eggs for Sunday breakfast but end up making carbonara instead....
They might have some nice big cauliflowers so I suddenly decide to make cauliflower cheese (one of my fav dishes... along with liver and onions and all the other things most people are big fans of!)
anyway .. the funny thing about you asking this is... today I've been trying to arrange meals for us all for the weekend. We are going to the caravan for a weekend of relaxing, letting the grandchildren play by the sea etc.. but as there will be a lot of us, its not a massive oven etc I thought it would help to know what meals we are going to need and what we can all eat (and cook easily on a small oven in a small kitchen).... what a nightmare...
I've made a list of things we really do need... (toilet rolls, pop for the children, tea and coffee, milk etc)..
and we know we are having a big cooked breakfast on Sunday so we need bacon/sausage/eggs/mushrooms/tomatoes etc...
but then the other meals become a bit blurred... so I think it will be a bit more playing it by ear.... planning seems to take far too much fun out of it...
and some of our best meals have come from a cupboard search... some flour... yeast... bit of cheese, a few soft tomatoes.. hang on lets make a pizza... etc
Steve
"but then the other meals become a bit blurred... so I think it will be a bit more playing it by ear.... planning seems to take far too much fun out of it... "
I know exactly what you mean! It does seem so not spontaneous, and doesn't seem to cater for moods. Right now I am making the plan, but when I am supposed to make fish, but feel like a stir fry, I go ahead and raid the store cupboard and make the stir fry.
What I am beginning to learn is that NOT planning is taking the fun out of having fun, and i am slowly getting converted. Perhaps for your caravan trip, considering the lack of the store cupboard, the list might actually help.
Do tell us how it goes when you are back! :)
Sangeetha
Plan 57b - BBQ ... saves kitchen space... just need the weather to hold ... so thats going to be sausage and burgers on buns.. in fact if it can be done might see if we can do it on the beach ..!... :-)
Actually there are things at the caravan (its my Parents) so odd tins of peas/beans new potatoes, corned beef etc should things need a rework...
Steve
I* shop for one meal, but buy more than I need/want as it is cheaper that way for me. I stick to recipes (and shop accordingly) but have fun with the ingredients that are left over. I can get most fruit and veg fresh, even Indian stuff, from a market which is open 5 days a week. I always have stocks of onions, garlic, ginger, chillies and herbs (coriander, mint and dill).
Necessity being the mother of invention, I have a play when I am running out of things and don't want to go to the market. I've made quite a few discoveries that way! Like how to make my own mayonnaise, quick naan and a whole range of 'curries', today was poached egg curry!