Why do I never learn?

5 children and friends, that's me too kitty. Now it's just me and the old boy on a daily basis and I still can't get out of the habit of mass catering. But on the other hand when the family do descend it's gratifying to know I can still do it!

I try to avoid ready meals. It usually just DH and me, so I like to prepare everything fresh. I do use jars of sauce though.

DH was a great advocate of "cook two, freeze one", until it came to eating them. Then it was "Oh I really don't fancy that. Can we have something else?” And the something else did not usually figure amongst the things I had frozen. Like you, Kitty, I am usually disappointed with ready meals which often promise so much and deliver little.

It's daft really queen's, I currently have two pasta sauces (each enough to feed 6!) similar ok army chicken curry, lamb curry, chicken casserole, sausage casserole, chicken in cream sauce and chilli. I have stock, gravy, salsa, mash, rice and creamy potato stacks.

I think I can't get away from feeding 5 children and their friends years ago and now family visits!

I really should get a grip.

kitty sounds as if like me you suffer with "siege mentality", my freezer is ready for a nuclear war!

Get a take away. You don't have to do any cooking. That's my idea of a treat.

I have tons of frozen stuff monica but feel like a 'treat' on Saturday! And I really hate depleting my freezer stocks! I'm not sure what they are there for - emergencies i suppose!

Actually I rather like Mr Waitrose's 2 person portions of pork shoulder with garlic and rosemary as a freezer standby.
I also buy their "deboned chicken" with a tomato marinade again in the freezer.(feeds 3 or 4)
I don't enjoy doing creative things with leftovers the way I used to and with paw now preferring his main meal at lunchtime, these are useful and don't take up the whole morning yet are not "ready meals"

Yes, I have fallen for that one. Now I just overcook when cooking a variety of dishes at home and freeze the rest in 2 portion containers so that I always have a good selection of my own ready made meals when I need them; 1 chicken curry, 1 vegetable curry and 1 container of cooked rice.

Quick & cheap.