Monday, May 4, 2020

Meal Plan Update

Last week, I made a tentative plan for meals for the week and I stated that it was subject to change, of course!  Because I know that every time I make a meal plan, it gets changed!  It wasn't any different this time, either!  Here's what happened - I've crossed out the planned items where changes were made:

Monday:
Brunch - Egg salad sandwich
Tea - Peanut butter - no jelly - sandwich
Dinner - Rice, Pasta, smoked sausages with bell pepper, dhal (lentil curry)

Tuesday:
Brunch - Pancakes with lentil curry
Dinner - Parathas with chicken curry (if thawed), or leftover pancakes with lentil curry, again, or something!  Maybe I'll make a cabbage salad to accompany it (need to eat some vegetables!)
Dinner provided by friend S: Piece of rotisserie chicken, piece of a favorite type of bread eaten with onion sambol and ground coconut sambol, savory fried lentil flour snacks (murukku), and cream buns for dessert!

Wednesday:
Brunch - Egg salad sandwich Savory lentil flour "doughnuts" (ulundu vadai) with ground coconut sambol
Dinner - Parathas with chicken curry, if I didn't have it on Tuesday, or pasta with smoked sausage
The rest of the favorite bread, with lentil curry and beef curry (what I thought was chicken curry turned out to be beef curry!  It would help if I label the different packages I freeze!), tangerine for dessert

Thursday:
Brunch - Leftover pancakes (if not eaten for dinner on Tuesday, or make more pancakes!) with ground coconut sambol caramelized apples (if feeling ambitious) or homemade strawberry jam and/or pancake syrup (one of my friends said she had pancakes with orange marmalade and sour cherry jam and maple syrup, the other day, and that sounded so delicious!)

Tea: Egg salad sandwich

Dinner - Um...depends on what leftovers I have in the fridge or what I feel like pulling out of the freezer!  Maybe I'll make some coconut flat bread (roti) to eat with chicken curry (the package contains enough chicken curry for at least two servings, maybe three)
Paratha (Indian flat bread) and beef curry; tangerine.

Friday:
Brunch - Milk rice with caramelized spicy onions (seeni sambol)
Dinner - Coconut flat bread Paratha with leftover chicken beef curry and/or spicy onion sambol (katta seeni sambol)

Saturday:
Brunch - Probably leftover milk rice as I usually make enough for two meals
Dinner - Probably leftover coconut flat bread apple and carrot "salad"; cereal (wasn't very hungry)
Late Night Snack - Paratha with seeni sambol!

Sunday:
Brunch - French toast, maybe?  The last of the milk rice and some seeni sambol; freshly picked orange
Dinner - Chicken pot pies, perhaps?  I have half a roasted chicken breast in the freezer and puff pastry squares!  Add some carrots, celery, and onions, and there'll be enough for a couple of meals for next week, as well!  Tuna sandwich, carrot sticks, cookies that cousin P gave
Late Night Snack - Paratha with seeni sambol!


Well, that didn't work out quite as planned, did it?  LOL!

But, is that going to prevent me from trying to make a meal plan for this week?  Of course, not!  With grocery shopping at an almost complete stop (although, I am considering ordering some to be delivered) and prices going up, I want to make sure that I make the best possible use of the food I do have on hand and not waste anything.

So, here's the plan for this week:

Monday:
Brunch:  Spicy garbanzo beans (from the freezer); fresh lemonade
Dinner:  Rice, leftover lentil curry, leftover sausage and bell peppers 

Tuesday:
Brunch: Pancakes, with leftover ground coconut sambol and any leftover lentil curry
Dinner: Rice, with fish curry, sauteed cabbage, tomato chutney, pappadum (fried lentil wafers)

Wednesday:
Brunch: French toast
Dinner: Rice with leftover fish curry and cabbage, etc.

Thursday:
Brunch: Indian style cream of wheat
Dinner: Fried rice (if there is any leftover rice); if not, scrambled egg on toast, perhaps

Friday:
Brunch: Leftover cream of wheat, if any; if not, toast and peanut butter
Dinner: Coconut flat bread or paratha with fish curry

Saturday:
Brunch: Waffles with stewed apples (if I feel ambitious); leftover coconut flat bread or paratha (if I don't)
Dinner:  Chicken pot pie or tomato soup

Sunday:
Brunch: Milk rice with leftover fish curry or onion sambol
Dinner: Leftover chicken pot pie or tomato soup

I haven't listed snacks and desserts, but, I have fresh fruits, carrots to make carrot sticks, cereal, granola bars, crackers, popcorn, cake mixes, apple pie filling, flavored gelatin, a banana bread in the freezer, etc., for snacks and desserts.

What do you think?  Do you think I'll make it through this week with minimal menu plan changes?  Do you meal plan for the week? 

18 comments:

  1. Love, love, LOVE me some garbanzo bean!

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    Replies
    1. You'll have to make yourself some, soon! :D

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  2. That's interesting that you plan your meals. I eat so much of the same thing each day. Nuts, fruit, salad, and vegetables. I vary it with chicken, meat and casseroles. You eat more carbs than I do. Desserts are my favorite! I bought some sorbet at Costco today. (that I can't wait to try.)

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    1. I've tried to meal plan, but, often end up cooking one or two things which I eat all week! These days, I am trying to be better about eating everything I cook (or freezing it) so that nothing goes to waste. Yes, I probably eat too many carbs! Which is why I weigh what I do, which is too much! I did try to eat low carb at one time and it worked out well enough, but, I found it hard to maintain it! I love desserts, but, I am trying to avoid them!

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  3. Much like yourself, although I work out a menu for the week I'm finding it quite difficult sticking to an exact meal plan at the moment.
    It's great how you are able to utilise what you have and adapt to suit your needs. X

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    1. One of the reasons why I am trying to meal plan is to make sure I make the best use of what I have. I don't want to leave a little bit of something languishing in the corner of the fridge until it becomes a science experiment or a health hazard! :)

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  4. No, I think you're going to be making lots of changes 😂

    I'm attempting a meal plan again but doubt I will stick to it either! It does remind me of things I need to use up and helps when I draw up the shopping list, but that's about it!

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    1. Ha, ha, Eileen, I think you are going to be right! Especially since I put in a big grocery stock up order, last night! We shall see!

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  5. I think it's smart that you are being careful to plan your use of the foods you have especially during this time.
    You always seem really good at staying on top of eating what you have made and not making another main meal before you've finished with the older food.
    I am like you and don't mind eating leftovers or remaking them a bit to change it up.

    It will be interesting to see how your week goes as far as your plan.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Debra. I gave in, yesterday, and ordered a bunch of groceries for curb-side pick up, today! If everything I ordered will be available, I'll be well stocked. I am not sure how that might change my meal plan, but, I did order some salad ingredients, so lunches might change around a bit. :)

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    2. That's exciting. I can't wait to hear all about your experience.

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    3. It worked out really well! They did text me to say that some of the items I wanted weren't available, but, they had most of what I wanted. They did overcharge me for one item (charged me regular price, rather than the advertised special for the strawberries), but, I am not going to complain. :)

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  6. It doesn't really matter if you don't keep to the exact meal plan, does it? I wonder how many people actually do have exactly what they planned for the entire week? I find I sometimes feel too tired to cook and that is when I will fetch out a commercial chicken pie if there is one in the freezer. Of course it would be better to make my own and stock up with them!
    The temperatures are really much cooler now and forecast that way for a week. DH is happy as it is better for working outdoors.

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    Replies
    1. No, it really doesn't matter if I don't keep to the meal plan. I just want to make sure I eat everything I make and there is at least some variety.

      I'm glad your husband is having cooler weather for working outdoors. We are basking in the 90s, this week, and cooling down to the 80s over the weekend. :)

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  7. I don’t do meal planning. I am too lazy. 😁

    Today I made garbanzo beans for breakfast. Without sautéing with onions etc, I added leek and an egg. It was not bad. 😁

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like an interesting way to have them - the egg would have increased the protein! :)

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  8. I chuckled reading this, Bless xxx But it's so good that you are so froward thinking. And of course I'd love to know how to make Indian cream of wheat xxx

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    Replies
    1. Ha, ha, I try!

      I posted how I make the cream of wheat (Uppuma or also spelled upma) here:

      https://bless2cents.blogspot.com/2017/01/saturday-more-grocery-shopping-and.html

      Again, it is a more of a "how to" than an exact recipe. That time, I used boxed cream of wheat. But, this week, I will probably make them with regular bulk bought semolina, because that is what I have.

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