Hi there Yogis,
Here I am again. I know you are probably sick of me telling you this BUT, in these unusual times, to save money, get the most out of the day and most out of meal times I recommend something you may not have done in an age. MEAL PLANNING! Meal planning. Yes, For me, as you know, planning is a way of life. I meal plan even though my kids have flown the coop, and I work from home. I am not the person (or the mum) who went shopping every day.
How I work fits well with what is happening around us. We are supposed only to go out for essential things and this requires more thought. And that taken to its appropriate conclusion has moved me to a more relaxed, smarter way of cooking. As you have seen from my blog, I definitely have a THRIFTY KITCHEN. Here’s what I have learned…
I cook every day, often twice because I am at home, have the time, and use it as a break between other things (I am even considering a dish washer). We can’t pop out to a cafe for coffee and a snack. Now, lunch is where I get rid of left overs.
Friday is the day I plan, and Saturday the day I shop. I am still foraging and developing still developing recipes for the blog site as usual, so I plan on working through one or two new dishes each week. If everything goes according to plan I don’t have to remake them – but that is the challenge of the blog.
How do I plan? I look at the weather — gloomy means stew or something from the freezer, sunny means salad and foraged greens — the season, what vegetables are likely to be good right now, what herbs and vegetables I have ready in my garden (lots of celery and celery greens, parsley, chives, radish tops, sorrel, horseradish, and so on and I noticed my garlic poking its head through the mulch). Plus what I can forage. Do I have any cooked proteins in the freezer? Which grains and beans should I cook this time?
All that goes into the plan. It is surprisingly fun.
One of my favourites, and a favourite of my children was GARBAGE SOUP. To make it you use the odds and ends of starchy vegetables, bits of stew, left overs. If you don’t have any stock in the freezer or can’t jazz up something, a packet of soup is a good standby – for children, alphabet soup helps. You wouldn’t eat it on its own, but as background noise, it is terrific. Throw in greens, stems and peelings of vegetables you have in the freezer you have kept, onions including the skins for colour. I like putting in a scoop of peanut butter. Don’t forget hemp oil, seeds and meal. All add to the omega 3 and protein. If you have more soup than you can use, use it the next day for lunch with curry or chilli. Float a piece of toast on the top sprinkle with cheese and pop under the griller before you serve. By the way add eggs in their shells into the soup and whilst it is cooking you will have hard boiled the eggs – another meal solved.
Keep watching the blog, www.wildnweedy.blogspot.com I have doubled my efforts to make it look beautiful for you. Today I made SPICED LIME VODKA, and I have to say, it was wonderful….and it is not even matured yet. It’s on the blog.