This is why I don’t ask him! He usually gets home a bit earlier than I do, and he’'ll text me at 4-ish, do we have a plan? Then I try to remember what we’ve got in the fridge and try to make up a recipe on the spot and text him what to make. He’s a good cook, but he can’t meal plan / invent recipes. I see veggies, a protein and I know we’ve got a can of tomatoes in the pantry and think ‘pasta dish’ or ‘chili’ , he needs instructions.
On days I’ve planned ahead it’s easy, I just put the dinner in our diary. When I haven’t planned anything and I don’t have time to come up with something ahead of time… those are the dangerous days. I would happily eat dried tortellini on all of those days but Mr Imma isn’t a huge pasta fan. Chili sin carne from pantry staples and fridge leftovers is another favourite for no-plan days.
I don’t mean to make it sound like I never vary from my meal plan. Random days pop up when I just am tired, and don’t feel like cooking the complicated new recipe that sounded so great back on Saturday morning. Maybe I swap tonight’s planned meal with tomorrow night’s, or make something else entirely, like chicken tenders, and whatever cut up veggies we have on hand. Or maybe Jim comes downstairs and says he’s really craving Chinese, so I push a meal back.
Most weeks I plan 6 out of 7 meals, with a few random ideas for things I could make for the 7th day in case I need to come up with something. But often I’ll have leftovers from something I already made that I want to use up, or I plan all 7 nights, with one of them being something I froze a few weeks ago. Then it’s easy to take that off the list when Jim suddenly wants pizza. But having the plan gives me peace of mind, that I have everything on hand to make something healthy and delicious.
I wish I was this organized. It could save me from myself some nights.
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AIMR
(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
177
I just think you really make exciting and tasty things! Plus, your canning and freezing foods in advance is like watching a field commander take charge! I’ve learned a lot about spices and baking as well…I have no idea how you do it with a toddler in tow…your meals might be planned, but you also are a whiz at putting things together that would take me forever to figure out…you make it look easy…ha ha ha!
Plain for the kids, sausage for Mr. Road, and eggplant for me.
I plan about 4 meals/week. We do leftovers one night and usually do takeout one night (usually also leads to a leftover night). We also frequently have to restock some things once a week so sometimes I grab something for a quick dinner or two while I’m at it. Cheerleading is about to start which means quick dinners and fend for yourself nights!
I try to use ingredients in more than one meal/week. The sausage and eggplant in tonight’s pizza were leftover from pasta with vodka sauce night earlier this week!
I forgot to get a picture on Friday night when I made it, but this was AWESOME! I used the white beans I had made from scratch and froze. They were truly velvety. Since the ‘stew’ sounded a little thin on it’s own (broth, beans, shrimp, leeks), I added about half a box of baby spinach I wanted to use up, and since I have a toddler, some Halloween shaped pasta (purple and orange pumpkins, bats, etc). Also, I had onions on hand, so I used those instead of the leeks. Jim liked it, I loved it, and Ada ate some of all the components, just disassembled on her little plate. She was a big fan of the pasta shapes, but also ate all her beans. It was great that night, but even better the next day. Next time I make it, I’m doubling the recipe, so I can have more leftovers for lunch for the week.
And in case the NY Times recipe won’t let you read it behind a firewall, here’s another exact copy.
That looks great! Rob’s not a shrimp fan but they’re actually on the recommended foods list for diabetes prevention/reversal. I’d eat that!
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AIMR
(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
187
Guess what I am making for dinner tonight!! Fresh shrimp was $10.95/lb today! I got 2 lbs but will freeze some for later use. I also got scallops and crabcakes for later meals. Wednesday are the best days for me at the fish market because the new catches come in on Thursday.
AIMR
(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
188
Dinner is served…easy, quick and yummy! Thanks, @MistressJennie ! Jim says this can go into our regular rotation! The only thing I did differently was add a couple spoons of instant mashed potatoes to thicken it up a bit. I also think this would be delicious over grit cakes and served with collards!
That looks really good, I sent the link to Rob. I am avoiding starchy carbs so cauliflower crust would be a great alternative. I would still mix a little ground meat in with the lentils though, we are a family of chronic low iron over here.
That’s true, but the heme iron in beef is more readily absorbed (15-35%) and used by the body than the non-heme iron in plants. And the polyphenols and phytic acid in lentils reduces the iron absorption even more (less than 5%).
