Monday, May 25, 2020

Meal Plans: Week 4 Update and Week 5

I started Week 4 with lots of leftovers in the fridge!  My plan was to incorporate them into this week's meal plan.  I think I was somewhat successful, but, things got changed around a bit, anyway!

Monday:
Brunch: Pasta with sauce; orange juice
Dinner: Salad, curry puffs (have to make; put the frozen puff pastry to thaw)

Tuesday:
Brunch: French toast  Curry puffs!
Dinner: Rice pilaf, green beans

Wednesday:
Brunch: the last of the pasta and sauce
Dinner: Vegetable soup with toast curry puffs

Thursday:
Brunch: Curry puffs, salad
Dinner: Rice pilaf, green beans, lentils

Friday:
Brunch: Uppuma (Indian style cream of wheat, made with semolina)
Breakfast:  The last curry puff
Lunch: Rice pilaf, green beans (finished the rice pilaf)
DinnerCoconut flat bread, Paratha (Indian flat bread), chicken curry (from the freezer)

Saturday:
Brunch:  Coconut flat bread, probably,  Paratha with chicken curry
Dinner:  Maybe fried potatoes and scrambled eggs (breakfast for dinner!) Potato salad; toast with peanut butter (no jelly)

Sunday:
Brunch: Waffles Paratha with chicken curry
Dinner: Rice with leftover chicken curry, green beans, lentils cashew curry

Snacks turned out to be mostly the banana muffins I made with the last ripe banana, fruits such as banana and grapes, and cereal, with or without milk (I was trying to finish the milk before it spoiled!)

Well, I've meal planned for four weeks, mostly in an attempt to not let any food go to waste, and this is what I have learned:
- I opt for easy over variety!  I've become an incredibly lazy cook!   I'd rather eat the same thing several days in a row if it means I don't have to cook!  Even if I do feel like cooking, I'd rather do something quick and easy than something more complicated and time consuming!

I wondered if it was even worth making meal plans for the upcoming week, but, this is going to be a week when I have to cook, because I don't have a lot of leftovers in the fridge and I have some things that need to be used up before they spoil!  For example, the last loaf of bread I bought has been sitting out too long (there was no room in the freezer to freeze it!) and I discovered a spot of mold on one of the end pieces!  I tossed that piece and the next couple of slices, froze some of the bread, a couple of slices per sandwich bag (managed to find a little space in the freezer) and kept the rest of the bread in a gallon sized zippered bag in the fridge!  I see lots of toast and maybe a bread pudding in my future!  So, with that in mind, I decided to make a meal plan for this week, too!  The items in bold print, below, are meant to indicate things I need to use up before they spoil!

Week 5 (Use it Up!) Meal Plan:

Monday:
Brunch: Milk rice and chicken curry - I had half a can of coconut milk in a jar in the fridge, that needed to be used up before it spoiled.  I used most of it for the milk rice and added the rest to the chicken curry I already had in the fridge to make more gravy.
Dinner: Scrambled egg on toast, with or without bacon (depends on how much I want to dig through the freezer!); maybe a salad

Tuesday:
Brunch: French toast
Dinner: Rice, chicken curry, the last serving of cooked green beans, curried sauteed cabbage. cucumber salad

Wednesday:
Brunch: French toast
Dinner: Rice, chicken curry (if there is any leftover) or curried garbanzo beans, curried sauteed cabbage, cucumber salad

Thursday:  
Breakfast: Scrambled egg on toast?
Lunch:  Salad
Dinner: Coconut flat bread and fish curry

Friday:
Brunch:  Coconut flat bread, fish curry
Dinner:  Salad, broiled chicken drumsticks (have to remember to take chicken out to thaw!)

Saturday:
Brunch:  Coconut flat bread, fish curry
Dinner: Salad, broiled chicken drumsticks

Sunday:
Brunch: Pancakes
Dinner:  Pasta with meat sauce, or, if I feel ambitious, then, lasagna!

Planned baking for the week: zucchini muffins, maybe bread pudding

I still have some salad stuff (lettuce, cucumber, carrots), fresh fruits (grapes, a tangerine, apples, fresh oranges from the tree), and frozen vegetables.   I won't be needing another fresh grocery pick up for at least another week.

How are your meal plans coming along? 

6 comments:

  1. Sounds super yummy, I love all types of curry,so aromatic☺ Stay safe and healthy ☺

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    1. Thank you, Natalia. I, too, like my curry, as you can see. :) Hope you and your loved ones are all staying safe and healthy, too. Take care!

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  2. I am like you and would gladly eat the same thing over and over if it meant not cooking. Unfortunately TheHub sees things a little differently. I am trying to cook just enough for our meals with enough left over for one lunch for me. Of course I have to actually cook instead of doing so much take out to make that work.

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    1. Yes, it is easier to eat the same thing if one lives alone. I was lucky that my daughter didn't mind having the same meal several days in a row, either. In fact, sometimes I'd offer to pick up some fast food on our way home from school/work, etc., and she'd ask, "Do we still have some of the chicken curry and rice? If so, I don't mind having that, again".

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  3. As you know, I don't do meal planning anymore. I just open the fridge door and forage inside. This way I see what needs to be used and I decide on the spot what I will do with it. For instance, this week I got my head of iceberg lettuce and two English cucumbers but NO tomatoes. I could still make salads with lettuce, cucumber and feta cheese, but I will probably use the lettuce in sandwiches with tuna or egg salad with cucumber spears. It will be whatever I am in the mood for. I would rather forage, than plan. And easy? Well that's a given.

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    Replies
    1. I like your way of doing things, too, Susan. Flexibility is the key! Actually, your tuna or egg salad sandwiches with lettuce and cucumber spears sound very good! I think I see some tuna salad sandwiches in my meal plan for tomorrow! :D

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