Meal planning, being psychic and shortcuts

I meal plan waaaaaay in advance. Mostly because that's the only way to squeeze in all the recipes I want to try when I get a new Good Food mag, or have a read through a new cook book. Also because I'm a bit like that and need to have some things organised in order to cope with those things that aren't.

Anyway. For some reason I'd made this week a bit of a use up the freezer, easy week. I'm not sure if I just knew it was going to be a bit of an effort to do anything this week, or if it was luck more than judgement but I'm glad I did!

I have very full freezers. And inventories to go with them. Ahem. Organised, Anal or OCD, you decide.
Every now and then I feel the need to lose my security blanket of a stash of food and use some up. It doesn't last forever, after all.
Also, I like to fill my freezers with bulk cooking, bargainous whoopsies and other such things. Can't do that if they're full already!

This week then (excluding Monday which was Valentines day and therefore worthy of extra special nosh) we've had on
Tuesday - Speedy Meatball Stew, to use up some whoopsied meatballs that were in the freezer
Wednesday - Chicken en croute (Ready made. Whoopsied.) To combat the "it's a ready meal!"ness of that, in the end, I tarted up the veg that went with it. Carrots baked with wine, cumin and thyme, leeks in butter and a splish of wine and wine-less broccoli.. and then an impromptu apple and raspberry crumble using frozen crumble topping (homemade, natch!) and fruit that needed using up in the fridge.
Tonight - Chilli, rice and nachos. A combo of leftover veggie and meat chillies defrosted and nuked. Nom.
Tomorrow? Somerset stew with cheddar mash, made with sausages, from the freezer.

Thank goodness for shortcuts!