What really happened with the meal plan and what happened using the freezer excess? Some but less than I had hoped for. Sometimes life just gets in the way of my plans!
Lunches
Monday: 2 Salmon burgers sans bread, coleslaw
Tuesday: Spaghetti sauce over cauli rice (Yep not great but it was just lunch)
Wednesday: Forgot to eat, but did have coffee and 2 keto cookies in the late afternoon
Thursday: leftovers so no freezer usage
Friday: Leftover pumpkin soup
Saturday: Not exactly sure, but something leftover
Sunday: Stopped on the way home from church and picked up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store
Dinners:
Monday:Taco salad
Tuesday: Pork tenderloin, squash casserole, coleslaw
Wednesday: Chicken in a broccoli and green bean cream sauce, coleslaw
Thursday: Pumpkin, sausage soup (OMG this was delicious and I am not a pumpkin fan.)
Friday: Take out Thai food. Oops!
Saturday: Chili
Sunday: Fend for yourself (Copying Sluggy) Son2 and DIL2 were here. Everyone ate something different from the available leftovers.
What actually disappeared from the freezer:
2 salmon burgers (If you have never tried these from Trader Joe's I highly recommend them for taste and convenience but they are a tad pricey)
1 frozen single serving spaghetti sauce
3/4 bag cauliflower rice
3 packs ground chuck
1 pork tenderloin
1 bag squash
the remaining bag of green beans
1 pack cooked and diced chicken
1 pack browned frozen sausage
1 pack frozen pumpkin puree
1 pack turkey broth
3/4 bag frozen spinach
1 bag frozen tomatoes
1 partially eaten quart of low carb ice cream, thanks to TheHub
And, am it an idiot who actually added food to the freezer this week? Yes, I added! I went to Trader Joe's and came out with 3 bags of cauliflower rice, a big bag of green beans (just as I finished the other TJ green beans) and a bag of broccoli.
I am going to continue my using the freezer for the week. My goal is at least 5 meals using previously frozen items, with minimal shopping for fresh produce.
Monday: Tuscan chicken, pasta for TheHub, cooked spaghetti squash for me, green beans
Tuesday: Pumpkin, sausage soup (It was so good I made another pot of it last night), keto cornbread
Wednesday: Pan seared scallops, salad, cauli "mashed" potatoes, asparagus
Thursday: Greek chicken, tossed salad. rice (TheHub) cauli rice (me), broccoli
Friday: Open faced keto sloppy Joe's, toast (TheHub) fake keto roll (me), tater tots (TheHub), coleslaw
Saturday: Keto spinach dip with keto rolls
Sunday: Christmas Party
Freezer stuff I should use
2 packs of chicken
1 pack frozen tomatoes
2 servings green beans from the bag I bought this week at Trader Joe's
1 pack ground beef
1 pound scallops
1 bag grilled asparagus
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 block mozzarella cheese
Again I reserve the right to change my mind. I am fickle and can't guarantee anything. Try is my operative word here.
Lunches
Monday: 2 Salmon burgers sans bread, coleslaw
Tuesday: Spaghetti sauce over cauli rice (Yep not great but it was just lunch)
Wednesday: Forgot to eat, but did have coffee and 2 keto cookies in the late afternoon
Thursday: leftovers so no freezer usage
Friday: Leftover pumpkin soup
Saturday: Not exactly sure, but something leftover
Sunday: Stopped on the way home from church and picked up a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store
Dinners:
Monday:Taco salad
Tuesday: Pork tenderloin, squash casserole, coleslaw
Wednesday: Chicken in a broccoli and green bean cream sauce, coleslaw
Thursday: Pumpkin, sausage soup (OMG this was delicious and I am not a pumpkin fan.)
Friday: Take out Thai food. Oops!
Saturday: Chili
Sunday: Fend for yourself (Copying Sluggy) Son2 and DIL2 were here. Everyone ate something different from the available leftovers.
What actually disappeared from the freezer:
2 salmon burgers (If you have never tried these from Trader Joe's I highly recommend them for taste and convenience but they are a tad pricey)
1 frozen single serving spaghetti sauce
3/4 bag cauliflower rice
3 packs ground chuck
1 pork tenderloin
1 bag squash
the remaining bag of green beans
1 pack cooked and diced chicken
1 pack browned frozen sausage
1 pack frozen pumpkin puree
1 pack turkey broth
3/4 bag frozen spinach
1 bag frozen tomatoes
1 partially eaten quart of low carb ice cream, thanks to TheHub
And, am it an idiot who actually added food to the freezer this week? Yes, I added! I went to Trader Joe's and came out with 3 bags of cauliflower rice, a big bag of green beans (just as I finished the other TJ green beans) and a bag of broccoli.
I am going to continue my using the freezer for the week. My goal is at least 5 meals using previously frozen items, with minimal shopping for fresh produce.
Monday: Tuscan chicken, pasta for TheHub, cooked spaghetti squash for me, green beans
Tuesday: Pumpkin, sausage soup (It was so good I made another pot of it last night), keto cornbread
Wednesday: Pan seared scallops, salad, cauli "mashed" potatoes, asparagus
Thursday: Greek chicken, tossed salad. rice (TheHub) cauli rice (me), broccoli
Friday: Open faced keto sloppy Joe's, toast (TheHub) fake keto roll (me), tater tots (TheHub), coleslaw
Saturday: Keto spinach dip with keto rolls
Sunday: Christmas Party
Freezer stuff I should use
2 packs of chicken
1 pack frozen tomatoes
2 servings green beans from the bag I bought this week at Trader Joe's
1 pack ground beef
1 pound scallops
1 bag grilled asparagus
1 bag frozen broccoli
1 block mozzarella cheese
Again I reserve the right to change my mind. I am fickle and can't guarantee anything. Try is my operative word here.
I think you did great. We need a bit of a freezer clean out here also. It's not stuffed full, but a lot of stuff is getting freezer burn. The problem I have when I try to use up things from the freezer is that the other members of the household keep buying new stuff.
ReplyDeleteI have the same issue here, but because I am the primary cook I can at least use the freezer for dinner meals. Does not mean other stuff won't come in and be put in the freezer though.
DeleteI do like fend for yourself nights. And wish there were more of them. Good luck with your whittling down this week.
ReplyDeleteI like fend for yourself too! It is extremely easy for me.
DeleteWould you mind posting the recipe for the pumpkin and sausage soup?
ReplyDeleteI will gladly post the soup, but I need to wait until the night we eat it, since I will not add the cream until right before we eat it. (It's a photo thing)
DeleteNo problem. After the holidays would be fine unless you eat it later.
DeleteI think you did very well with what you did use up. I decided to try your tactic! I thought about grocery shopping while I was out and about, today. I sat in the parking lot of the one store I had gone to (for yarn) and mentally went over the contents of my freezer and decided I had enough in there to make the rest of this week's meals! I might need to buy some bread, milk, and coffee creamer towards the end of the week, but I had more than enough of other items! So, I came home, instead! :D
ReplyDeleteI am trying to hold myself back. Sprouts near me is closing and this Wednesday the entire contents of the store will be 40 percent off. I am sure I will at least wander in and see what is there.
ReplyDeleteI am in serious trouble, desperately need to defrost my freezer (not frost free) but it is so hard not to stock up. We bought a bunch of Ukrainian sausage from Hubby's old home town which we can't buy here but that is the only thing I have added to the freezer for a while. I need to make blackberry jam as have many containers full in there - and at Christmas the turkey will go. We still have so much salmon from our fishing trip in the summer.....it really feels like I will never get that baby defrosted! I am a fickle one too - don't even try to meal plan except 1 day ahead :) I feel your pain
ReplyDeleteI try to defrost mine in August each year, but I simply repack everything that was in it to begin with. I am determined to use as much as possible through January. I have one shelf filled with fruits and I am either going to have to make jam or just toss them, since they are nearing the end of their shelf life
DeleteIm with Cheap Trick. Everything should just come out and I should start fresh. It probably will mean tossing a lot once I see hidden crap.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to keep from tossing stuff, but I know some will be headed for the garbage can. My aim right now is to consume as much as possible. I am glad I invested in a food saver a while back because the vacuum seal really does extend the freezer life.
ReplyDelete