I ended up doing a shop on the hop at the weekend and didn’t use a list. Tonight I had promised the children that they could have curry for tea. Nothing special, just chicken, a jar of tikka masala sauce, rice and naan breads all home cooked. I defrosted the chicken and started to cook it, put the rice on to cook and switched on the oven. I opened the cupboard only to find I had not bought a jar of sauce on the shop. Whoops!!!
I initially panicked and thought I would have to go down the shop to get a jar in the rain with 2 grumpy children……….and then I spied a carton of passata at the back of the cupboard. So I tried to search for a quick curry recipe. I couldn’t find one which I had all the ingredients for and so I made it up.
I fried a few chopped onions in some spray oil (I am on slimming world after all!) and then threw in the ‘balti mix’ I had in the spice drawer and mixed it all together. This was off the top of a jar of sauce we had a few weeks ago but it was too much with the spice and sauce for the children. Next was the passata. This went into a saucepan with the end of a jar of bolognese sauce from last night, some lemon juice (to counteract the sweetness) and some milk as we hadn’t got any plain yoghurt. I simmered this while the chicken finished cooking and then it all went in together.
It wasn’t a total failure which is all I could have hoped for to be honest. Jonah didnt eat all his sauce and Grace claimed she didnt like it but still ate a good chunk of it. What more could I have asked for?!
We have 3 echoes in our house so I have started to use them properly for the shopping list. They are amazing! Just shout at her what you want to go on the list and it gets added. You can cross it off by asking her too if you find you dont need it and if you dont use the app while you are shopping, you just ask her to clear your list when you get back and it’s done. Nice and easy! I have also set reminders in the morning to remind me of the things the children are doing that day – PE, before or after school clubs etc. And there is also something called ‘Routines’ which you can set to go off at a specific time or place. We have the radio coming on in the morning in our bedroom and Jonah’s room to wake us up. It has worked a treat and he is less grumpy when he gets up.
Moral of the story? Don’t do a big shop without planning unless you absolutely have to and never promise a meal without checking the cupboard first. But also plan more! I am big believer in lists and this would have saved my skin tonight but I have learned my lesson……..until next time!
The Busy Mommy UK 