Evening meal

[Kab30]

I need inspiration...it drives me mad having to think about tea everyday ...what to have all the time ...grrrrrrrr....what we all having?? Does it drive you potty too lol xx

We're having my homemade veg curry tonight. I always cook liads so there is some in the freezer for nights i cant be arsed to think about dinner.

Chicken thighs in a traybake with sweet potatoes, broccoli, courgette, garlic and lemon. First time I've made it but smells divine!

We're having roast loin of pork, mashed potato and broccoli.
I dont normally do a roast mid week but trying to use up stuff out of my freezer

All this 'it's easy just plan once a week is fine', except I do that and then decide I don't want any of the things I've planned so I waste time planning at the weekend and then waste time deciding each day.

It's not a perfect system tbh.

DS will be having a ready meal (spaghetti with meatballs.) I'm skipping tea because it's dance class tonight.

I don't really 'meal plan; because what we eat depends a lot on what is available from the reduced shelf. Though I try to have 2/3 potential meals in the freezer at any given time, especially for weeks when there's no spare money.

After 43 years it drives me insane. Hav thrown several tantrums because he refused to do any. Resorted to HelloFresh for a while which helps. He has finally taken on a bit, some stuff from Jamie Oliver 5 ingredients, Hairy Bikers, and Nigel Slater. My go-to now is Donal Skelan Meals in 15 mins, some lovely recipes for new ideas, all quick prep, some slow cook. Also, BBCgoodRecipes food can be pretty good. For quick curries Spice Taylor are good if you add extra veg, The spice mixes are better than usual curry sauce rubbish

I try and plan but it doesn't always work. Chilli and rice tonight, Dublin Coddle in the slow cooker tomorrow as I will be late home.

plan meals weekly.

Keep the plans.

Rotate

Yesterday was chicken kievs, with mash & salad. Today we're having a tofu and beans rice bowl, with avocado, halloumi and peppers. I find that we often have repeat meals, so following wth interest!

We had Hairy Dieters Spanish Chicken tray bake on Monday, Beef Stroganof yesterday, Meatballs with pasta and tomato and marscapone sauce today, I've got chicken pie on the list for tomorrow, shepherds pie for friday and a chicken for Sunday - no idea yet for Saturday though I have fish in the freezer so will likely be that.

I haven't got that far... ermmm... opens freezer.

I shall lower the tone. We are having Cook vegetable lasagne with broccoli. Tomorrow is smoked salmon frittata and salad.

Now it just dh and I we plan much less and I frequently forage in the freezer for ideas.

Tonight'll be leftovers from yesterday - paprika chicken, new potatos, and whatever veg I can find in the freezer.

We've had pork chops, jacket potato, cheese and beans twice this week already (am pregnant, one of the only foods I've fancied eating ) but tonight am trying Aquanatal for the first time so DH is in charge of tea. Expecting to come out of the pool to a million texts asking how I do my spag bol as he can never get it right

Tonight is an Ella's Kitchen recipe -- meatballs in gravy, with mashed potatoes,green beans and carrots. All cooked during DS's nap, just waiting for DP to get home at 6 then can all tuck in.

Also this week:
Bean burgers (with lettuce, tomato + cheese) wedges and some kind of veg on the side
Cottage pie with runner beans and broccoli
Lasagne and salad
Homemade pizza (I'll have ham and mushroom; DP will have ham and pineapple and the Toddler will have ham and tomato)
Pasta with tomato and basil sauce, garlic bread, salad

Tonight was chicken, broccoli and noodle stirfry in hoisin sauce. Easy peasy and takes about 15 min.

I meal plan once a week and tend to rotate them. Boring yes. Functional and easy with minimal thought, absolutely!

Until recently we didnt decide what to have for more than a day or so. OH is happy to shop everyday. We now sometimes have tp plan for 4 days and we have to rack our brains

Tonight we have lamb cutlets, mashed potato, carrotts and cabbage

We are having meatballs tonight as it is my turn to cook and I found them in the freezer!

We usually plan for the week ahead and I shop accordingly. Dc and dh all have to cook once a week so they need to choose what they are cooking. All are learning so I need to help dc but as they have chosen the recipe it is easy. Dh will choose what he wants to cook and tends to buy it all on the day. He spent months serving fish fingers but has recently become very creative and says he is enjoying it 😊. As dc are learning to cook I thought he should learn too.

Martin Lewis on MSE said that for good budgeting one meal should be beans and cheese on jacket potato so we do stick to that too.

I have a 3 week meal plan as I’m just sooooo sick of thinking what to cook everyone every day. This year, everyone is eating the same dinner at 5pm and DH can warm his up when he gets home! The children (3 and 1) eat soooooo much better if I 1) eat with them and 2) put everything on a serving platter and they can help themselves. (On the weekends when me and DH eat together after kids’ bedtime).

The meal plan has a rice day, pasta day, 2x meat&2veg type meal, slow cooker day, etc. Then can vary within the theme depending what we have in etc.

Tonight it’s vegetarian curry, last night was fish burritos with spiced beans and rice. Dh can not eat meat (but can eat some fish) tomorrow it’s spaghetti with mushroom, cream and brandy sauce. Lots of mushrooms.

Hope I’ve inspired you, and yes, I do know what you mean about trying to think of inspiration.

salmom baked in soy sauce with roasted new potatoes carrots and green beans.

*dekete the ‘when’ from that weekend sentence 😄

Meal planning is the thing that drives me mad the most... i have a few go to recipes but by the afternoon when i think about them its too late to get things out of the freezer and ending up spending money buying fresh and wasting time shopping after work.

I try and meal plan but then i don't fancy what on the menu for that day!

Tonight is a M&S microwave meal!

the ven diagram section of meals all of us will eat consists basically of stirfry veg and tofu with noodles. Me and DD are vegetarian, I am squeamish about dairy and eggs (I am not generally fussy but at nearly 50 I reckon I can decide what I want to eat, or not, and I have always had vegan tendencies) , DS2 is massively picky and DH and DS 1 like most things but not pasta or anything too lentilly

so it is pure hell

tonight I will do macaroni cheese which I will make myself a vegan portion with chickpea pasta and DS2 will have the pasta with pesto and brocolli.

UUURGHHH

Tonight the teenagers are having bolognaise and adults are on omelettes (back at SlimmingWorld!). Dh makes a great omelette which is nice for me not to have to cook as it's usually up to me.

Other meals this week are salmon with wedges and salad, teriyaki chicken with noodles, Mexican (basically fajitas but all cooked in one pan), and cod in green sauce (made with peas and coriander).