Idiot proof, convenient meal plan but not too expensive/processed - is this actually possible?!

[fuzzpig]

Seem to be starting threads all over the place lately - did ask this question on a longer food budget thread but it understandably got lost in the many posts.

Anyway, bit of background here (yes that's a shameless plug but no obligation obviously!) but basically things are really really shit and difficult ATM, both of us are exhausted/depressed/in pain in varying degrees. We have been following a 2wk meal plan and it had been going well but even that is too much right now, and it definitely will be when DH has surgery.

So I want to make a 1 week meal plan so I am getting basically the same stuff every time I shop (online). I would love to be the clever organised mum who nips out at closing time to grab yellow sticker bargains, who goes to the market or the various ethnic food stores, who cooks in bulk and freezes, etc... but for now it just can't happen.

I want really stupidly simple stuff that we can sort out even when we feel dead on our feet and that don't create too much washing up!

I can't think of much apart from jacket potatoes, pasta and sauce, beans on toast etc, would love some more ideas so we don't end up giving the DCs fish fingers and chips every night! I am quite off my food right now (VERY unusual for me as my weight indicates ) and would quite happily live on rice and grated cheese but I want the DCs to eat as well as possible.

Help! Please x

chuck in frozen

Yes, chuck in frozen. I love the stuff, makes cooking from scratch that much easier, I wouldn't buy 'normal' onion ever again LOL

Will be trying them! (not garlic though as we use purée... no more garlic fingers!)

Love most frozen veg, actually found a nice mix that can be microwaved in bagged portions that was good value, will be using that in the pasta bake somebody described above :o

BTW truthsweet - doctor has given us the forms for DS to have a coeliac test so will hopefully find out in a month or 2.

Good luck to DS with the test - really hoping he has escaped it!

DD3 got given DD2's wheat crackers today (totally my fault - sleep deprived and distracted) within 2 hours she had 'evacuated' them. Poor darling .

ooh no poor girl :( it is amazing how quickly the reactions take place, though I suppose in a way it's a good thing as it can alert you to any cross contamination etc.

we've got the numbing cream stuff for his arm, annoyingly as the bus takes so damn long to get to ESHosp we have to put it on him and wrap it in clingfilm halfway through the journey! (got some right funny looks when I did that with DD ) he's got a pediatrician/SALT assessment and an audiology test soon, what with that and the usual dermatology stuff he's being poked and prodded from all angles at the moment! still, he's quite a chilled out lad so hopefully it won't be a problem

Has DS had EMLA cream before? DD2 had blood tests for her arthritis and the EMAL cream made her arm swell so they couldn't take any blood the cold spray skittles works well though (Ask for the strawberry bubbles DD2 loved them!)

oh dear hadn't even thought of that! he's never had any sort of needle before so am just hoping he'll deal with it ok.

Oh DD3 just had Audiology (they are ref. to ENT as she has hearing loss - cos we need more things wrong with her!)

I'm joining you on the front

Simple coronation chicken.

Left over chicken and chopped spring onion.

Warm a saucepan and then take of the heat and add a spoonful of any curry paste you like.

Once the oil starts to separate add value mayo and then the chicken and spring onion.

Stir, eat or store in the fridge.

audiology is nice! you get to sit down and play games.

and it's really quiet

anyone else got an appt on July 4th? that's when we'll be there lol

ok i've said this at least twice on threads to day already but try slow cooking dahl! unlikely to be a traditional recipe but it's easy, hot and filling. ;)

if you have frozen onions and ginger you really can just chuck it all in the pot (well aside from rinsing the lentils) and it freezes well.

Ha, no it's not the 4th I don't think but all the appointments are around then. Shame, could've had a little hospital partay :o

Yay for coronation chicken recipe! Thank you. And yum @ dahl, not tried anything it in a slow cooker but I can make it quite easily in a saucepan.

What is it about us lot and SALT/audiology/derm/paeds?? We seem to have collared the whole appts bookings for us. I seem to spend my life at CH/ESH.....

Hatti your first link is a really good site. Do you know of any uk meal planner sites by chance?

this one might fit the bill.....its credit crunch meal planner.

Have got a rough meal plan now, and have also simplified what I take to work. I like writing lists, they calm me down :o

Have got loads of other stuff to use up and also bits I got to try out some of the things mentions on here so will be using them up first hopefully...

one of my easiest meals

get a pack of chicken drumsticks / thighs and put in a ceramic dish thing

chop some carrot and / or celery and / or leek and / or mushrooms and / or onions (or whatever you think)

sprinkle chopped veg around the raw chicken

open a tub of passata, add some moxed herbs / worcester sauce / balsamic vingear / season give it a stir with a spoon then pour whole tub over the chicken / veg

cook at 180ish for about an hour

serve with couscous

That sounds delicious. I am a recent passata convert, I had no idea until reading on another thread that it's actually cheaper than chopped tons (I'd assumed the opposite) and it is so much tastier. Will definitely try that thanks.

Truthsweet, just remembered something really random that sets off DS' facial eczema is pva glue!

Potato bake: layer slices of potatoes, slices of onions and chopped tomatoes, repeat until your dish is full and cook for approx 1.5hrs-2hrs on 180 or 1.5hrs on 200.

Do you have a slow cooker, you could really utilise it and just bung some veg in and some chicken in the morning and then have chicken casserole by the evening. If you make loads you could freeze some. I know you say you don't have the time for this but think how easy it will be to pull a frozen meal out of the freezer one day when you really can't face cooking.

Stir fry: leftover veg or a pack from the supermarket with some chicken and some noodles or rice.

Soup is very easy. Leek & Potato: 2 x leeks, 1lb potatoes, 2 x onions, 2 x sticks celery, salt and pepper (saute the lot using chicken stock) and then when cooked blitz down and add a pint of milk. I love this with a french stick, feels like a treat. Sweetcorn soup: bag of frozen sweetcorn (defrost), blitz in blender with 15g semolina & 1 onion or bunch of spring onions, transfer to saucepan and add 1 pint of chicken stock and cook. Done!

Roast chicken and roasted new potatoes. Get a chicken and bung it in a tin, bung in some new potatoes too (same pan), cook for normal length of time to cook chicken. If you have some thyme to hand then add that in too, if not don't worry. Every now and then give the lot of it a shake. You could use chicken legs instead of a whole chicken but then you won't have leftovers. Will be delicious and you can use leftover chicken for all sorts. Serve with salad or veg. (Leftover chicken could be served with roasted veg and cous cous)

Meatballs, spaghetti and sweetcorn. My mum used to give us this when we were kids (was our favourite), she used the tins of meatballs you can get in tomato sauce.

Fish fingers, boiled potatoes and veg.

Lizzywig sausages (I made it up one day when I was about 17 and it's stuck). Pack of sausages chopped up, slice 2 onions, crumble in pork stock cube, sprinkle of dried thyme or oregano, if you have red wine add in a splash (I usually don't bother these days to keep cost down), add in a tsp of cornflour and done. Serve with mash and peas.

Faggots and mash and peas.

thought of another one, might have already been mentioned on here but anyway

tortilla pizzas

pack of tortillas (corn ones may be gluten free?) top with some passata, grated cheese and toppings of your choice. bake in very hot oven til cheese melted and bubbly
serve with salad/potato wedges/coleslaw/anything you like

Have you got a slow cooker? You just chuck stuff in and then it's ready later, makes any meat lovely and tender.