Save like Nana did. The meal plan.

All my mémoires of meals at my Grandparents place are of delicious cooking!  Nana also baked for every event and get together and sent jars of biscuits away with us on holidays.   Nans cooking was part of life into my thirties.   She had so many family gatherings,  Sunday roasts and celebrations featuring things like giant sponge cakes, cream kisses,  cream puffs, slices and cakes.    It was all amazing.   Thinking  about this I have realised that she had a repertoire of meals she made which we ate over and over on rotation and we never tired of them.   

She never asked what does everyone feel like for dinner as she had it planned,  probably started in some way,  well ahead.   Some things would vary depending on what was in season, in the garden or a good deal but a roast of some sort with lots of vegetables was always Sunday lunch.   Everyone loved it.   Most times during my teenage years her big kitchen table had eight or nine of us sitting around it.  

Other regulars were soup especially one she made with a lamb bone and I have never successfully replicated!

And Pasty slice.  Instead of making a heap of pasties she made one giant rectangle pasty in a huge dish.   It was then cut into slices.  That was delicious.   

Mum also had her repertoire which also included roasts and the subsequent fritters,  tuna mornay,  fried rice,  beautiful soups,  ham cheese and pineapple toasties,  pancakes and probably a million things I have forgotten but I loved those so I remember! 

The thing is that having tried and tested,  reliable meals (that your family like) is a help in itself.  You are not left wondering what on earth to make.   Over time as we learn and try new things our list grows.  

A really good and worthy place on my rotation list has extra points if it provides another meal to use later in the week (or to freeze) and comes from ingredients I always have on hand.

I have noticed even favourites now and then get forgotten about.   Two Bluebirds mentioned Apricot Chicken last week and I wondered why on earth I have not made that in a couple of years?   I just forgot about it.    I have decided to write a list of all the meals I know are always a success and put this list inside a cupboard door.    I am still working on it but my list includes:

Any kind of roast and veggies (Like Nana and Mum.)

Pumpkin soup.

Chicken soup.

Tomato soup.

Apricot chicken.

Chicken Enchiladas.

Beef stroganoff.

Chicken and vegetable casserole or pies.

Lasagne/ Spaghetti bolognese with various vegetable variations.  Also variations on noodles like Zoodles.

Chicken Mondiali Pasta.

Hilde's creamy pasta.

Pasta carbonara.

Chicken Schnitzels and veg.

Warm chicken salad.

Cold meats and salads.

Hamburgers.

Steak sandwiches.

Fried rice.

Tuna mornay.

Pizza.

Meatloaf.

Lamb, Haloumi and Hummus. (and salad)

Pasties.

Sausage rolls.

Chicken and Tzatziki wraps. 

Meat pies.

Butter chicken,  

Tikka Masala. 

Sausages with brown onion gravy and veggies.  

Lamb shanks.  

Quiche.

Impossible pie.

Spinach pie.

Frittata. 

Baked ham and salads.

Baked meatballs and cherry tomatoes. 

Baked chicken in tomato sauce.

Grilled Chicken topped with avocado and cheese.   

Toasties.   My emergency meal.

There are various cheat things ie things I buy from the butcher that only need cooking and a side of veggies.   No doubt as I think about it I will remember more things to add to my list.  Some things like Tuna Mornay can be made entirely of pantry ingredients.  

Having a list helps when you are just short of ideas, inspiration or ingredients.   We all have times where thinking and making a decision just seems too hard!   Planning ahead means a meal is often at least partly started ie ingredients thawing,  slow cooker started,  some steps taken.

This means that if you often get take away you can reduce that by a lot. 

It means you probably have meals in the freezer for emergencies.

This gives you something to give someone else in a crisis as well as saving dinner when you have your own crisis.

My list will hopefully keep the rotation going and stop me forgetting old time favourites.

If you would share your regular meals it would give us all ideas and maybe remind us of things to include on our own list.   But remember we do not have to be fancy to be good.  Nana cared about nutrition and her budget and all I can remember is beautiful times and good food.  She showed an enormous amount of love and care for us with the incredible amount she cooked over the years.   Memories that last a lifetime and as I make things  I think of Nan...  how would she do it?   What Nana fed us influences what I cook for my Grandchildren.   

PS. My photos are of my own cooking that I think best represents things I have copied from Nan. xxx