Monday 21 January 2013

Meal Planning Monday


Well this is my first 'meal planning Monday', as hosted by Mrs M.

Strictly speaking, I don't tend to plan my menu on a Monday ~ I'll sketch out a fortnightly dinner plan when it seems time to, based around when my weekly vegetable, fruit, milk meat and fish order is delivered from Abel and Cole, and when my supermarket order, which I tend to schedule for the 1st and 15th of the month, is ready to plan. But come Monday, I sit down and check that whatever I had in mind for the week is still doable (for example I moved this week around based on the best before date on the accompaniments in the fridge), and whether I need to pick up any extras, or change things around due to extracurricular activities, or whatever.

As of this Monday, our weekly menu looks like:

Monday: Vegetable Soups, Crusty Loaf & Cheddar Cheese Slices. I generally do a Meat Free Monday - I used to be vegan then vegetarian, so we also try to eat free range animals and some sustainable fish. I'll be getting homemade butternut squash soup out of the freezer, and I managed to put together a minestrone yesterday despite being full of cold (with a few mushrooms and broccoli in there too as well as extra garlic)

Tuesday: Chicken Tortilla Wraps. I roast a whole chicken every week, which does for at least 2 meals and often a lunch or leftovers besides. 'Wraps' is 2ndSister's favourite dinner ~ she liberally spreads a wrap with soured cream and grated cheese and relishes it. The rest of us might put in some meat, salsa, or whatever other accompaniments I make/buy (veg with chilli, guacamole, refried beans, salsa.)

Wednesday: Gammon steaks served with oven chips, egg, pineapple and tinned tomatoes. Nothing really to say about this! I count this as a 'processed' type of meal, even though we're using organic gammon & eggs. It's something quick, easy & warming to serve up. (Good in the snowy weather!)

Thursday: Roast chicken dinner. Depending on the weather, I'll do a weekly chicken salad or roast dinner. The roast includes pre-bought roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings from the freezer, another kind of potato, and a couple of veg (it will be cabbage this week because that's what's in the veg box), oh and of course gravy, cranberry sauce and mint sauce. I never get tired of a roast dinner. And although the Sisters don't eat every piece of it, it gives them a selection of different bits to choose from.

Friday- Eating out which is a rarity (especially as we usually have fish on a Friday and absolutely no dessert!)

Weekend - to be confirmed.

9 comments:

  1. We love wraps in our house too though youngest prefers mayo to soured cream!

    BNM

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  2. On a Monday I see people mentioning Gammon steak and think ohh we'll have them next week and when I do my shopping on a Saturday completely forget....lol Must remember for next week!!
    Great menu!

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  3. Welcome to the linky! Lots of lovely meals there, I hope you enjoy your meal out :) x

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  4. I'm planning gammon steaks too although need to get to the butcher's first. I do find it annoying that I can't just buy them from the supermarket. Mine don't have them at the counter, only gammon joints.

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  5. I'm really keen to make a whole roast chicken (which I have never done before, to my shame) and use the leftovers for lunches and also to make chicken stock with the bones.

    Enjoy your meals especially your night out! x

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    1. Lauren, I roast chickens often now, I tend to forget the time when I didn't, but it's not that long ago that even carving a cooked one was a mystery to me and now it's like being on autopilot to bung a quartered lemon inside the chicken, get it cooked and have it on a plate within a couple of hours :-) I have also made chicken stock many times (I have an OXO jug thingy which skims off the fat) but it depends whether I am more in favour of being frugal or avoiding faff as to whether I do this every week!

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  6. Thanks for joining us - great to have you on board. Your plan sounds fab.

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  7. Thanks for all your comments, it's lovely to be part of something like this. We've actually been away on a short family holiday since Friday (hence the meal out and unplanned weekend) so I haven't had chance to catch up with the whole blog thing, but I hope to post this week's meals and have a good look at everyone else's page's soon.

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