Meals during daughter's last week at home evolved around leftover Thai food (it lasted practically all week!) and some of daughter's favorite homecooked meals: chicken curry and parathas (Thursday dinner), salmon with rice and broccoli (Friday), shrimp curry, chard, and rice (Saturday). Leftover chicken curry, salmon, and shrimp curry were frozen and sent with daughter. On Sunday (yesterday), I finished the last of the Thai leftovers (fried rice), and had the fish, rice pilaf, and cabbage slaw that neighbor S brought over for my dinner.
Today, I cleaned the fridge; I am sorry to say that I had to toss out a few things including some produce that had spoiled before I could cook them, but the fridge is now nicely cleaned and organized. Then, I did my meal plan for this week, based on the leftovers I still have!
Monday:
Brunch - Leftovers from Easter dinner - rice pilaf, fried fish, cabbage slaw
Dinner - Leftover chicken curry with lavash bread (a bit of Sri Lankan/Armenian fusion cuisine!)
Tuesday:
Brunch - Egg salad sandwiches (using the Easter eggs)
Dinner - Leftover fried fish, corn, cabbage slaw
Wednesday:
Brunch - Egg salad sandwich
Dinner - Chicken fried rice (leftover sauteed chicken, leftover rice)
Thursday:
Brunch - Leftover fried rice
Dinner - Leftover shrimp curry with rice and sauteed vegetables
Friday:
Brunch - Pancakes
Dinner - Soup? According to the weather forecast, it is supposed to be cold and rainy!
Saturday:
Brunch - Leftover pancakes
Dinner - Leftover soup
Sunday:
Brunch - Parathas with seeni sambol
Dinner - Spaghetti with meat sauce (using ground turkey).
At least, that is the plan and plans are always subject to change!
Are you making a meal plan for this week? What's on your meal plan?
It's nice to have a lot of leftovers to use as you get back to life without your daughter. I am going to try recipes for some of the exotic dishes you make because they sound so interesting.
ReplyDeleteYes, leftovers are my friend! :D I am going to have to relearn how to cook for one! Or, cook and freeze in portions. Which "exotic" dish are you planning to try? Let me know if you need help with the recipes! :)
DeleteMeal plans went out of the window over Easter as family activities kept changing and we had to accommodate... But now they've gone back to London, and we can assess what's in the cupboard and make sensible menus. Lots of salad and NO chocolate!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to meal plan when family is visiting, isn't it? Good luck with the no chocolate part! :D
DeleteWe don't have a plan, but it would be really good if we got one. Some people don't like leftovers, but I love them. I see that you don't mind eating them either.
ReplyDeleteI've often gone for weeks without meal plans and done just fine, June. But, then, I sometimes end up with bits and pieces in little bowls at the back of the fridge, which I don't like! I don't mind leftovers at all, but, I must admit that after about the 3rd day, I get a bit tired of them! :D
DeleteIt happens occasionally that we can't quite use up foodstuffs in time before they go off. Our best laid plans are always subject to change. I have my grocery delivery due anytime in the next hour and have already been informed of short-dated chicken kievs so that's tonight's meal sorted with new potatoes.
ReplyDeleteI hate to waste food, but, it happens; it's better than getting an upset tummy! The fresh produce that spoiled will be composted so I can at least "salvage" some of it! I hope your food delivery arrived without any problems; it sounds like you have your dinner all nicely organized! :)
DeleteSnap ... I'm having paratha and seeni sambol this week as well. I'll be making my own paratha and hope they turn out better than last time ... very tasty but not pretty to look at! I've also got chicken fried rice and egg salad wraps this week as well. Great minds think alike!
ReplyDeleteI have a meal plan of sorts but will probably have to do a lot of changes. I didn't receive any of the frozen items in my last supermarket delivery so can't do some of the meals I was planning.
Oh, yes, great minds do think alike, it seems! :D Are you sure you didn't just copy my meal plan? :D Well done with making your own parathas! I cheat and buy frozen! I hope you are able to work around the lack of frozen items - maybe it will be possible to pick some up when you are out and about this week?
DeleteYou are so well organized and now you are all set to plan for meals for one again. We have some leftovers including the remains of the turkey, so I guess there will be soup among other things. We had such pleasant sunny weather Sunday and Monday for the family visit, so I won't complain about today's rain!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Bushlady. The fridge needed a good cleaning and sorting! Now I know what I have and what I need to finish first, as well as what I need to buy on my next grocery order (some fresh fruit!) Next up is organizing the freezer, but, that can wait for another week or so. :)
DeleteI'm glad you had nice weather for the family visit; hope today's rain will be followed by more pleasant weather during the rest of the week. :)
I love that you check the weather forecast before the meal plan. That's a great idea.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't mind having soup, year round, but, soup is especially good when the day is cold and wet! By the time Friday comes, I might not feel like having soup, after all, but, at least, it's in the plan! :D
DeleteYou are really good with your leftovers! I am terrible, if I put them in the fridge they stay there, its not that I mind them, I just seem to want something different from the days before - I solved that problem by freezing them and that way they will get consumed. Ive tried planning it seems that I am contrary, so I just write down possible dishes and choose on the day. I have my online grocery order arriving this morning, so I will have roast chicken and the trimmings. (Its a fresh chicken and it would be a shame to freeze it, though I will probably freeze the cooked meat, great for tacos etc.
ReplyDeleteFreezing leftovers is a great idea, Sharon, and I do that, sometimes. In fact, that's what I'm planning to do with the spaghetti sauce I plan to make on Sunday - I'll keep a couple of servings in the fridge and freeze the rest. :) Some weeks, I just list meal possibilities and pick and choose what to have on each day. But, this week, I will find it easier to have a set meal plan by day.
DeleteHope your groceries will be delivered without any problems; roast chicken sounds delicious! Having the cooked meat in the freezer will make it that much easier to make future meals, too. :)
Yes wasting food is what we aim not to do but it happens. It happens to me and I'm pretty good about monitoring it. It's not a weekly thing but several times a month I end up throwing things away. We do the best we can. Reading about your efforts,
ReplyDeleteI know you do :)
It must feel good to clean out the fridge and get a nice fresh start.
It sounds like you have a good plan for the week with a good variety.
I was so good about not wasting any food, but, then, buying all that food from out during the last couple of weeks when my daughter was home meant we didn't cook much (except on those last few days) and fresh produce didn't stay fresh for long! Anyway, I composted what I could and will forgive myself for the rest!
DeleteIt does feel good to have the fridge cleaned out! The next step is to take an inventory of the freezer and reorganize it!
I'm following this week's meal plan faithfully! So far, it's working out the way I planned it! :D
Looks like a nice meal plan. It was lovely that you were able to cook some of daughter's favourites before she went back. How are you doing? I suppose it must seem a little quiet without her.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sharon. Yes, I was glad to cook my daughter's favorite meals before she left and she has been enjoying them all this week! I am doing well, thank you for asking. The first night alone felt a little odd, but, after that, Dancer and I have been fine. Yes, the house does feel quiet, but, I'm getting used to it. :)
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