Store cupboard challenge

My freezer list:

Vegetables and fruit – spinach, peas, sweetcorn kernels, HG sweetcorn cobs, beetroot, parsnips, apples, plums (whole and stewed), rhubarb, damsons, cherries, blueberries, summer fruits, tomatoes (green and red), gooseberries, brambles, beans (French and runner), raspberries, aubergine, rhubarb

Fish – pollock, salmon (fillets and smaller pieces for fish pie), squid rings, prawns

Meat – braising steak, sausages, turkey and goose stocks, chicken pieces, rabbit, pigeon, sliced cooked turkey, chicken livers, leftover roast beef

Prepared meals - rissoles, meatballs, pizza, beef curry, chilli, bolognaise

Home Baking – apple pie, apple braid, rhubarb crumble slices, croissants (to make into a type of bread and butter pudding), tortillas, bread rolls, naan bread, mince pies, sultana muffins (bit stale to eat fresh - to make into a pudding), puff pastry, pitta, filo pastry, bagels

Dairy – yogurt (HM – to restart my HM yogurt as needed), ricotta, cream, cheese

Bajan seasoning (for jerk chicken – will keep until next summer), sliced bread (for children to prepare their own toasted sandwiches), Ben and Jerry’s, chickpeas (home cooked for use in casseroles, curries and hummous)



Cheese, milk, ham, Flora (the others have this for spreading, I use it for some baking), salami, parmesan cheese block, mozzarella, stilton, HM yoghurt

Fruit and Vegetables - we use a lot of these. At this time of year we supplement the garden produce with some things from the freezer.

Fresh we have: Broccoli, celery, cucumber, lettuce, tomatoes, squash, carrots, parsnip, sprouts, tomatoes

Satsumas, clementines, nuts, bananas, oranges, melon, pineapple, lemons, pears, apples

We have just had chicken and pea risotto for tea (that M & S chicken from the dine for 2 meal deal is proving good value btw 3 meals so far - roast on sunday, stirfry yesterday - and will have soup tomorrow) followed by baked Christmas apples (mincemeat and marzipan filling) in the slowcooker, we used up the tin of cream with this.

I am going back to my original list on a daily basis and striking through whatever I have used up. I will also update the list with any new items of food. The organic delivery tomorrow will make that list grow a bit

I second this! I'm new to it all but very keen. Can I ask you Olliebeak, when you cook this in the slow cooker, do the bones come out of the thighs and float in the liquid - do you have to fish them out? Or does it stay intact?

Shopping day today. I need very little in the way of basic essentials-just fruit, veg, milk and butter really.

However, that time of the year is approaching when I make my mincemeat, Christmas cake and pudding. I therefore need to buy more dried fruit and some candied fruit (cherries and peel), almonds, more dark sugar and a bottle of brandy;)

I'm finding it easy enough to plan meals around what we have, but I'm still getting distracted by cookbooks.

I'm also getting sidetracked by my constant battle with excess weight. I need to lose weight and find it really hard to reconcile that with my love of food, cooking, and reading about food and cooking. Each time I decide to have another bash at weight watchers I feel I need to restock my cupboards and throw out unsuitable foods. WWs does not seem to fit well with the frugal, creative foodie.

I know what I should do -just eat smaller portions, stop eating in the evenings and slow down. I'm sure that will create enough of a calorie defecit for me to lose weight. I keep forgetting though :rolleyes:

Anyway, enough digression, back on topic. We had spag bol last night thus using up a packet of mince. I've used up all the fish that was in the freezer apart from some North Atlantic prawns. We're down to tinned tuna now which the kids hate. I think I might be able to get away with fishcakes though.

Supper tonight will be pumpkin and parsnip risotto with bacon. I'm determined to use up the risotto rice. Tbh I prefer risottos made with barley. I like the chewy texture better than the creamy, starchy texture of rice. I have loads of barley, Uk grown too;)

Right off to make the kids some porridge.

I'm using up the 1/2 bag of quorn tonight, it's in the sc now with oddments of veg and tin of tomatoes, glug of wine, herbs etc., so bolognaise tonight for 2. If dd turns up I will have to make it stretch somehow, maybe by adding some soya mince.

Also making up a trifle so that will be another jelly, some banana bread, custard mix and tin of fruit gone:j and we all love trifle!

Off to make an apple crumble cake (a la Delia's cheat cook book (the old one) only I don't! ) might make 2 to use up the apples and take one to the MS centre.

I am loving this challenge! Will soon be able to get to the back of the larder!