A spring garden lunch imagined from Shopping List 1

I go food shopping several times a week, I've never been one to do a big weekly shop - I like to make my daily food depending on my mood and I'm often a bit wary of a full fridge.

While I'm at the supermarket or local shops I'm usually on the lookout for discarded shopping lists.  Sometimes there's a couple and sometimes none.  It can be embarrassing to be leaning into empty trolleys or picking things up from the floor, but needs must!  There's something so revealing about them and I find it really interesting to be able to look at a list and (usually) see straight away the purpose of the shopping - an Italian supper, a Thai curry or a summer lunch - a little secret glimpse into someone else life.

I have found that I suddenly have a decent sized collection of lists, so I have gathered them together and scanned them and want to share them with the regular blog posts I plan to make where I'll show a picture of the found list and I'll imagine a meal and/or an occasion from what's written.

Here's my first one:

It looks like it's a weekend lunch for quite a few people to me.  I can see it being out in the garden and hosted by an older couple (the writing reminds me of my grandmother's), from the items, I don't think that they are great gourmets or cooks, more the sorts to buy from the deli counter and with a preference to meat over vegetables and healthy thing.  I think there would be children present, grandchildren prehaps?  I hope they have some good early spring weather for their party!

Here's my interpretation of this list and what I'd do with it 'ready steady cook' style using the standard contents of a reasonably stocked larder and fridge for those essential extras.

New pototoes will be made into a salad with French dressing which I'd mix while the potatoes were still hot so that all of the delicious mustardy, herby garlicy flavours would work their way right it.

A nice simple salad with the lettuce and toms for any health concious guests with just a little olive oil and lemon dressing.

The eggs I'd hard boil, grate and mix with salt, pepper and some mayonnaise and serve on the buns which I'm interpreting as nice bread rolls - if there are children coming I'm sure these would go down well.  I know I don't exactly have much experience with kids, but I recall egg sandwiches being popular!

I'd make a nice platters with the pies and cold meats, I'd cook the crown turkey and thinly slice cold.

I'd make another nice big plate of the pizzas which I'd cut up into slices let everyone help themselves.

The chips I'd keep in the kitchen for emergencies in case any kids are irritatingly picky and won't eat anything else!

To finish with, the gatau's

The Bicardie Breezers would be served on ice......

Toilet/rolls will go into the guest loo and the flash and w up liq will go under the sink in the kitchen to clean up the mess when everyone has gone.