Gathering Fragments And Weekly Meal Plan



First I gathered fragments and then I made plans as I was gathering.  I'm going to list the leftovers I've planned for with the proposed meal plan following right behind.  One thing's for sure, this planning session convinced me we'll do quite all right without doing a big grocery shop this week!

leftovers: 1/2 head steamed broccoli

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/4 cups cooked chicken bits

1 cup cooked brown rice

Fragment: Potato Chip Crumbles  Why are there always so many crumbles?  I'm sick of throwing them away so I'm trying to repurpose them more often.  Ideas for you: Top casseroles, mix in with ground meat to stretch it instead of bread crumbs, or make chocolate chip cookies with them.

Meal plan #1:  I'm going to cook extra rice and will use the broth to do that.  I'll make Broccoli Cheese Rice with Chicken and top with the potato chip crumbles.  I'll serve this with mayonnaise muffins and Green Beans.


Leftover:  Chicken Tikka Masala with potatoes and peas

Meal Plan #2:  The potatoes and peas were a new to me addition that I found online for Tikka Masala.  I used Aldi's bottled Tikka Masala along with cooked Chicken.  It was really good but expanded the number of servings.  Since it was a fresh potato used, I won't freeze this.  I'll serve this  with Rice and homemade Naan and possibly Pineapple topped with toasted coconut.  I won't  have this meal  right behind the  Broccoli and Rice with Chicken meal though.

Leftovers: 1 baked potato

1 nice sized piece Venison backstrap

Peaches and Cream Pie

Meal Plan #3:  We'll split the backstrap and the potato.   Backstrap with twice baked potato (using French onion dip  and grated cheese), Pie for dessert. (This was our supper for Saturday night)

Leftover:  Half a  Pepperoni Pizza

Meal Plan #4:  Typically I'd serve this for a lunch menu but this week I'll move it to a supper menu for a busy day, add a big salad to go along side.  

Fragment:  Half a box of spaghetti

Meal Plan #5:  Spaghetti with uncooked Tomato Sauce (I'll use canned tomatoes), Big Salad with Boiled egg, diced bacon, onion, homemade croutons

I realize that is just five meals but everyone of them is being made with something I already have in my fridge or cupboard that needs to be used up.  I need to plan two more meals.

I do have a few more items to consider using this week:

Leftovers:  Waffles, Sausage Patties, Bacon Slices (1/2 pieces)

Meal:  Breakfast for Sunday morning before church

Expired Foods:  Roast Beef Spread  Finally used this to make Sunday lunch.  And it was good!  But I likely won't buy it again.  I recall it was pricey for no more than what it is.

Chocolate Pudding  I will make this and have it for dessert twice this week.

Can of table cream  I will see if this stuff can be whipped.  If yes, then I'll make a lemon pie and pop into the freezer for a future dessert.  I can use the last of those pricey graham bunny crumbs to make the crust.

Peaches.  Seriously.  I used three cans last week and thought  I was at the end of the expired peaches.  But no....as I was shifting stuff in the expired items box guess what I found?  Peaches!  John will eat these chilled as a dessert or side to a meal or as a salad so...

Powdered milk packets 

Lemon Curd

Chicken flavored Better than Bouillon

Other Fragments: A second portion of crushed potato chip crumbs, 3 taco shells, sprouting onions in the cabinet.  In the freezer, half a packet of Hawaiian Rolls and three or four hamburger buns bought early last month.  A quite ripe banana I forgot when looking over the fridge.

I guess those crumbs can go into chocolate chip cookies.

I'll chop the onions and put in the freezer.

 Make muffins with the banana which we can use for breakfast breads.  I think I can manage six muffins which would make three days of breakfast for us.   

I think I have some sliced smoked turkey breast in the deep freezer and I can make that into marinated sandwiches from the Hawaiian rolls.  I can freeze those to use as heat and eat sandwiches.  

Time to put my thinking cap on...

Meal Plan #6:  Taco burgers, Chips and Salsa, Avocado.   I'll crush the shells into fine bits and add to venison with taco seasoning and make taco flavored sliders.  At a restaurant not too long ago, I had something similar with Queso cheese sauce on top and I think that might be pretty tasty if I happen to go out to shop before I make this meal.   

Let me insert here that I tried an experiment last month that worked extremely well.  I bought several avocados about six weeks ago and put them in the fridge.  As I've wanted them I've brought them out to ripen at room temperature.  The two on the counter at present should be ripe by the time I make this meal.  I took this hint from Lisa at Farmhouse on Boone on Youtube and her sister (My Oily House).  I never dreamed I could have avocados last so long and I will continue to employ this method any time I found a good  on avocados!

Meal Plan #7:  ????

8 comments:

Louise said...

Have you ever tried freezing avocadoes?? I put one in the freezer awhile ago and I've never taken it out to try it.. LOL .. I'm scared to.. guess I'll take it out today and see what it tastes like. I had seen the idea on FB but I didn't keep the instructions as to how to defrost it.

Mable said...

NEVER thought of putting chip fragments into meat loaf. Perfect!

Lana said...

I'm with you on the potato chip crumbs. I have found they keep for several weeks in a jar during which time I will have most likely made a casserole to sprinkle them on. We had a ton of leftovers from having our son's family here but they are almost all eaten. All we have now is some chicken salad and some sugar cookies.

terricheney said...

Louise, I have frozen avocado that was ripe. It works lovely in guacamole and in a smoothie.

Lana, Yes, I need to start putting mine in a jar so I can see them instead of finding them at the back of a cupboard.
Good job using up all the leftovers!

Mabel, I really like it. Obviously they soften up but it's no different than adding oatmeal or potato flakes really.

Rhonda said...

I was going to suggest choc chip cookies for the potato chip crumbs - will have that sweet-salty combo that is so good.

Buy canned table cream, do you mean evaporated milk? If so, then yes it will whip if it is ice cold. It will whip like cream but is not so flavorful so I’d suggest adding sweetening and flavor like sugar and vanilla maybe.

Tammy said...

I have a recipe for enchilada casserole that uses crushed chips, so when the kids lived at home and we had tortilla chips regularly, I'd save the crumbs to use in this casserole.

Question - what are mayonnaise muffins?

terricheney said...

Tammy, https://www.food.com/recipe/mayonnaise-muffins-106156 They are quick and easy muffins. This recipe is similar to my mine.

terricheney said...

Rhonda, I ended using them all on the Broccoli/Rice/Chicken casserole. It made enough for two casseroles. Bonus: I have one in the freezer. But I'm holding onto that thought of chocolate chip cookies with chip crumbs...I am a sweet/salty sort of girl!
The table cream is called Creme De Leite by Nestle. It's sold in a market that traffics to Hispanics nearby. From what I can tell it's heavy cream that has been canned. I'm thinking it will whip but it's not going to happen this week. I've a long list and I'm way behind and that pie never made the list!

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