The Vicar's Wife's Cookbook

This is a build-up confidence week and a time to make some stuff you won't actually use for a week or so, but which needs time for flavours to develop.  And I hope it's a varied set of meals. Menu Saturday    shopping and preparation day Lunch      ploughman's platter Dinner      cheese flan, new potatoes, tomato salad                chocolate cup cake Sunday       lunch       pork chop, apple sauce, stir fry veg               apple pie and cream/ custard tea          baguette pizzas, salad (if you're feeling virtuous) Monday lunch       vegetable soup and crusty bread dinner      cheese and onion pasty, salads               alcoholic bananas Tuesday lunch      bread and butter pick...

Print off the list then check your cupboards , freezer etc before you head out to Asda and cross off what you don't need to buy.   Fresh stuff bag mixed peppers,   head celery,    1 x cucumber,    4 x onions,      4 x lemons,     cherry tomatoes, 2 x large tomatoes (not beef toms),   iceberg lettuce,  spring onions,  radish,   new potatoes,  2 x baking potatoes,  1 x sweet potato,   1 x courgette,  2 x bananas,  3 x large cooking apples,  1 kg carrots,   eating apples,  green beans,  shallots,  fresh chillis,  1 x cooked beetroot (not essential!) pork chop (if it's a pack of several you can freeze the others individually for later in the month), smoked mackerel  (ditto)  Dairy 6 x eggs,  butter,  cheese........at least 1 large block of cheddar and 2 or 3 others that you like, pate,  cream or custard or both,  milk, pac...

Hi Chad, this blog is for you.  I'm assuming that you have no knowledge of cookery though there will be lots of things you do know, but this way I can try to make it foolproof. The way I organise my cooking and shopping is to plan a menu, check what's in the freezer/cupboards and then write a shopping list.  That's not to say that things don't get altered if there's a good offer or something which isn't always available, but when you have a  very busy and, occasionally, disorganised, life then this method can help.  It's the way I've done it for years.   The other thing which has developed over the years is to spend a long session in the kitchen preparing and cooking so meals for several days are sorted and you don't have the often dispiriting task of cooking a meal for 1 from scratch when you've had a long day.   So, here goes. I can't remember what's in your cupboard so I'll assume there's nothing!!!!