If you DIDN'T cook from scratch what did you have for dinner?

[listsandbudgets]

Feeling tired of seeing all the amazing meals cooked every day on mumsnet. I often cook from scratch but I've been so stressed and run down this week.

If you've been taking short cuts / been lazy cooking for whatever reason come and tell me what you did

Last night we had fish fingers, chips and beans and today Ikea meatballs, frozen mixed veg, mashed potatoes (made a batch a while ago and froze) and a jug of bisto

A bit short on greenery so I suppose I'd better just feed them broccoli and sprouts with a good splodge of cabbage tomorrow

Tomorrow is Duck a l'orange, (Lidl, cook in tray) roast potatoes (frozen) tenderstem broccoli (ok that was fresh, I steamed in microwave steamer), roasted carrot batons (again fresh)

Not completely cheating but some serious short cuts.

Tonight we are eating cucumber, pitta and tzatziki, crisps, nuts ... healthy not really because we had such a late lunch of ... McDonald's (at service station)

Enchiladas and tikka pasties that my neighbour sent round. They’re observing ramadan and always send something round to me at least twice a week. It’s greatly appreciated and makes me breathe a sigh of relief that I don’t have to cook!

Defrosted fish fillet in one of those Thai kits with spice and coconut milk. Took 6 minutes. I had Pak Choi and spinach in it as they needed to be eaten.

Some chilli from the freezer circa 2022. Jazzed it up with sour cream and guacamole, rolled up in wraps. Was fine!

Chicken curry, aldi jar of sauce, the ones with the spices in the top, absolutely delicious. Served with micro rice, though we don’t have a microwave so I heat it in the pan, practically Nigella me.
Put some peppers, onion and peas in the curry for the health. Served with yoghurt and cucumber, naan and an unholy amount of lime pickle.

Tin of minestrone soup followed by defrosted frozen blueberries and a big splodge of kefir.

I'm afraid that I ordered fillet steak from a local restaurant. Can't do that every day. I need to get cooking again. Doesn't seem worth it, cos I'm on my own.

DH died over 3 yrs ago. Not unexpected, given his age and health, but still left me reeling. I initially lost 2 stone. Put it all back on again when I started eating. Lost another stone (deliberately).

I need to lose more weight, but also need to increase my iron intake. (Tired, post-meno gynae problems and lost hair through stress, etc.) Iron tablets don't agree with me.

The only 'cooking' I've been doing for a while has been just about anything you can do with an egg. I need to extract the digit.

I'm afraid Saturday is one of my 2 cook totally from scratch days- so we had Cathy's wild mushroom stew with parsley dumplings -(it's online and fab) I'm not veggie but this is totally delicious - I've made it multiple times

An easy gnocchi bake with the sauce made from passata and light coconut milk (a few herbs and spices added). Topped with light mozzarella and some pesto. Microwaved and finished off in the air fryer. Very tasty.

Pasta, jar of sauce, capers, parmesan

I’ve just returned home and teen ds has an oven pizza in the oven.

Sausage, mash and beans

Pigs in blankets, hash browns and baked beans. Yum!

Tonight we stopped in the chippy on the way home, grabbed a large chips to share between us both.

Had them with left over chicken from the fridge and bread an butter!

It was bloody marvellous!!

Tortelloni/ravioli from the supermarket. With extra parmesan and rocket.

It cooks in 3 mins, it's cheap, it contains vegetable and my 3yo will consent to eat some = win win. Bonus that it has a long fridge life, so we always have some in.

mackerel put in oven, bag of salad and packet golden rice.

King prawns from local fish van - fried in some olive oil, pesto mixed in and then chucked in some cherry tomatoes and a microwaved pack of lime and coriander rice. Took less than 10 mins and was delicious 😋

I opened a lidl tuna salad, added a bit more salad, shop bought coleslaw and some more tuna. And shop bought mayo.

DS and I split 2 packets of tempura prawns which I’d slung in the air fryer. Then we had (too many)pan fried itsu gyoza, and a bit of chopped raw veg on the side. Ate on the sofa too. Much cheaper than a take away, which is what we would have done before prices went mad.

Takeaway pizza

Last night I had cheese and crackers. For the 3rd time this week.

So tonight was an actual cooked from scratch meal - lamb knuckle roasted with wine, diced roasted potato chunks and roasted carrot sticks (that were supposed to be for dunking in hummus ...but I was not interested in the end).

And as I had a load of tomatoes going over, I roasted some with garlic and balsamic vinegar, then blitzed to make a tomato sauce for tomorrow with leftover roasted veggies (defrosted) and a Toulouse sausage (also defrosted - I'll fry as small meatballs) with pasta tmrw.

Ham sandwiches with a side of grapes and cheese in our House tonight!

Since I moved to a solo apartment in a European city, I can't get staples I am used to so rice is boil in the bag but also instant mash is a big thing. And I don't have a microwave so ready meals aren't an option.

Breaded fish, oven chips and beans.
Tiger bread baguette with cheese, coleslaw and a bag of crisps for lunch.
Peanut butter on white toast for breakfast.
Scone with jam and clotted cream.
Half a packet of Jaffa cakes (so far)
A 100g bar of mint aero.

No cooking from scratch here today! Just a lovely day full of beige UPF. Zero shits given.

BiddyPop, you and me both! Last night was home made Katsu chicken curry. DH not feeling well (mental health issues) didn't want anything,so I had cheese, crackers, pickle,glass of wine. Was going to get a chicken out to thaw for tomorrow. He doesn't want it,so M & S 4 cheese ravioli.