Every week I sit down and plan the evening dinner main course menus. I find it works well as I then know what to put on the supermarket shopping list and Neil who cooks alternately with me, knows what's what, so to speak.
I always offer him and Ray to suggest a meal and sometimes they do but I do most of the choosing. We usually have fish twice a week, vegetarian once a week, not too much red meat etc.
Puddings are a movable feast but there's almost always fruit, cake, ice-cream, yoghurt....
My dad's diary is in the background as I was also having a look through that to see if he made entries on dates in August during his years as a PoW. I've found a couple to post later in the month.
Keen eyes!!! I WAS going over to Hedge End to Sainsbury's for the groceries and to M&S for my fav 'grape' lipstick. In the end I ran out of enthusiasm for the big store and went to Sainsbury's smaller store instead. So lipstick is still on the shopping list! I started going this after I was last in hospital 12 years ago and it does give a feeling of stability and is one of my 'regular' strategies for keeping well.
A lovely b/w - great light and shadows - I simply steer clear of menu and meal planning for every day meals -- mainly beaause it would feel like an extention of my working life being a Home economics --later Food technology teacher - I now like to be as free as a bird and cook to whim except for special occasions !!- obviously good nutrition is the base to any meal but admire your dedication -- someone must have taught you well at some point !( sorry still sounds like a school ma' doesn't it !! )
p.s. Bery, my cooking/ household management skill are self taught (apart from having learnt how to make shortbread at school!) as is my self management of my bipolar, nobody having thought to tell me what it was! When I make comments like this I know that, deep down, I'm still a bit sore about that, apologies!
@quietpurplehaze smaller stores are always better - less stressful and less time consuming. we have a Booths which is a smaller one and is pleasurable too use and they are friendly. I can see what you mean about the feeling of stability and glad you are using coping strategies and continue to be on the road to wellness.
Thanks for your kind words. Yes, I can never understand in the big Sainsbury's why anybody needs a choice of about 500(seems like it!) pieces of pre-wrapped cheese. Ray also has taken a dislike to these huge stores. I come out feeling drained. Hence the problems of securing grape lipstick!!!!
@quietpurplehaze David hates them too, but take him to Screwfix and its a different story !!! I am sure you look gorgeous without the lipstick, I have two lists - a day shopping list and a running one for lipsticks etc and still forget stuff!
You put me to shame Hazel.....sometimes I don't even know half an hour before the evening meal what we are having & I'm routing around in cupboards & deep freeze foe ideas. I always love the feeling usually in winter when I cook more casseroles etc in the Aga .....putting them in at lunchtime.....a great feeling knowing a meal is all sorted...I must mend my ways! @pinkpaintpot I shop in Booths too Linda.....it's a pleasure & you can have a good chat on the way round! I use the Garstang one.
Such a good idea. I have done this too when I had a family. I used to choose one cook book for the week. So a Delia week followed by Readers Digest then Nigel Slater etc! I saw the lipstick too. Essential!
I'm like you Hazel and plan my meals for the week too. I usually do a batch cook every so often too and freeze the meals. When I don't particularly feel in a cooking mood I just bring out a frozen meal and all I have to do is heat it up.
Golly how organized! Living in a different country that only sells sesonl food I fInd pre planning a nightmare.
At the moment we are living on fresh fruit and veg from the garden with the odd sausage thrown in!
@pinkpaintpot I have Indeed but have never used it yet.....I usually shop on my own so never want to sit .....if I had a bit of company & I would stop for a coffee with pleasure! Free newspaper though although they have changed that now just to weekends & a minimum spend if £10.
That is a great idea, and my week is so much better when we plan it, and go shopping. But sometimes there just isn't enough time.
I am looking forward to the diary entries as well.
Babs - you are one step ahead of me with the batch cooking. I find it hard to estimate portions to freeze.. But I do use the freezer as a store for raw meat, fish, veg and bread - and a few naughty bits!
That's an interesting cookbook idea. Most of our recipes are taken from newspapers over the years of married life and kept in a file but we do have an Indian cookbook which Neil uses, also a stir-fry one.
Linda,I have to confess that in my organized way, I haven't quite run out of grape lipstick, just getting near the bottom. In fact I'm sure I had another one, but in a disorganized way I think I must have lost it in France!
What a lot of response this little post has generated and I think its a question of 'each to his own'! I'd be really fazed if I didn't know what was for dinner until just before dinner - fish and chips probably!!
Well Hazel now I find something we disagree with to the bones. I don`t want to know (never) what`s for dinner. Just surprise me when it`s on the table.
I try to plan sometimes and then its really good and helpful then I fall into the HELP....what is in the cupboard/fridge and look wonderingly into it to see what I can find.
Yes that's OK for you, Ferry, but SOMEBODY has to prepare it!!!! That's one of the pleasures of eating out for me - to just choose what I'd like from the menu!
August 3rd, 2014
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Keen eyes!!! I WAS going over to Hedge End to Sainsbury's for the groceries and to M&S for my fav 'grape' lipstick. In the end I ran out of enthusiasm for the big store and went to Sainsbury's smaller store instead. So lipstick is still on the shopping list! I started going this after I was last in hospital 12 years ago and it does give a feeling of stability and is one of my 'regular' strategies for keeping well.
Thanks for your kind words. Yes, I can never understand in the big Sainsbury's why anybody needs a choice of about 500(seems like it!) pieces of pre-wrapped cheese. Ray also has taken a dislike to these huge stores. I come out feeling drained. Hence the problems of securing grape lipstick!!!!
At the moment we are living on fresh fruit and veg from the garden with the odd sausage thrown in!
I am looking forward to the diary entries as well.
Babs - you are one step ahead of me with the batch cooking. I find it hard to estimate portions to freeze.. But I do use the freezer as a store for raw meat, fish, veg and bread - and a few naughty bits!
That's an interesting cookbook idea. Most of our recipes are taken from newspapers over the years of married life and kept in a file but we do have an Indian cookbook which Neil uses, also a stir-fry one.
Marilyn, it's the easiest thing, once you get started.
Linda,I have to confess that in my organized way, I haven't quite run out of grape lipstick, just getting near the bottom. In fact I'm sure I had another one, but in a disorganized way I think I must have lost it in France!
What a lot of response this little post has generated and I think its a question of 'each to his own'! I'd be really fazed if I didn't know what was for dinner until just before dinner - fish and chips probably!!
Yes that's OK for you, Ferry, but SOMEBODY has to prepare it!!!! That's one of the pleasures of eating out for me - to just choose what I'd like from the menu!