Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

Flat_Eric · 22 July 2014 at 1:41PM

Hi everyone :wave:

I am determined to save some money and clear some space in my freezer(s) and cupboards. They are full to bursting and badly disorganised.

I have no idea what is in my chest freezer and my inside freezer is in desperate need of defrosting.

I had a shop delivered last night. My first in a few weeks and mostly I tried to be good and order just what I needed. No freezer items as no room and limited fridge bits but still not sure why I ordered tinned tomatoes and passata !

It would be good to pull everything out and have a good sort out. At the moment my main food cupboard resembles a game of jenga. Will save this for a rainy day and try to resist the shops in the meantime although there are always certain things I need and then "other bits" always creep in.

Hope everyone is having a good afternoon.

Older_But_Not_Wiser · 22 July 2014 at 7:48PM

Hi all

Welcome Flat Eric, it does sound like you've got a bit of a challenge on your hands to eat your way through your freezers, but maybe you'll surprise yourself with all the delicious meals you can make once you've done a bit of a stock-take. If you find spare cake or biscuit or anything vaguely chocolatey that is taking up valuable freezer space, you should feel free to send it on to me and I'll be glad to help you get rid of it. If it's all frozen veggies then you're on your own I'm afraid

Lunch today was the sweetcorn fritters I had leftover from yesterday with some salad, and supper just now was the seafood/tomato stew on bulgar wheat:
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Very tasty it was too which is fortunate as I'll be eating the leftovers tomorrow! Might add a bit more vinegar just to sharpen up my home-made tomato sauce though.

Craving chocolate now...

Kirri · 22 July 2014 at 10:28PM

Older, your sweetcorn fritters meal yesterday looked AMAZING!

Not sure I'd fancy today's meal lol, not that I eat fish but isn't fish and tomato sauce and bulgar a slightly unusual combo?!

Hello Flat Eric, weren't you on the old thread??

I've been busy so not posting much and still not really cooking either - my meals are based around what has grown so mainly broad beans or potatoes with herbs/onions/garlic.. (can't wait for the courgettes/beans to be ready!).

The last 3 days I've had the same meal as I accidentally made too much - bulgar wheat with broad beans, feta, garlic, onions, mint and parsley and I've been eating it in pitta to make it easy. Also craving chocolate - got none in - had two oranges tonight instead..

Frogletina · 23 July 2014 at 12:33PM

I live by myself so why do I find when I run my stocks down that I find things in my cupboard that I don't really fancy!

I've two tins of soup (I don't really like soup) but thought it would be healthy to try to see what these are like. Haven't got into the right mindset to try them yet.

Also I have red lentils which I never seem to be able to cook properly. They always seem to go split and the casings dry and separate out and taste awful. I know I'm doing something wrong, but haven't found out what yet. I love dahl, but never make a success of it. In the cupboard I have a packet tarka dahl. If that is good when I get round to try it, I might stick to that.

And why have I four jars of marmite? I do like it but don't use it that often. The answer is that I bought 2 jars of the extra strong stuff (like that much better than the original), a jar of morrisons yeast extract - bought before I found the extra strong, and a jar of gold marmite, not yet opened, so I have no idea what that one is like.

I've homemade marmalades and jams that I cannot resist buying, but hopefully they will last for ages.

I rarely throw food away, but I have taken to listing it in a book showing the months that the food should be eaten by. Food with best before dates get transferred at the end of the month to the 'Stores - check first' page. It now contains 50 items.

Flat_Eric · 23 July 2014 at 1:50PM

Older_But_Not_Wiser wrote: »

Hi all

Welcome Flat Eric, it does sound like you've got a bit of a challenge on your hands to eat your way through your freezers, but maybe you'll surprise yourself with all the delicious meals you can make once you've done a bit of a stock-take. If you find spare cake or biscuit or anything vaguely chocolatey that is taking up valuable freezer space, you should feel free to send it on to me and I'll be glad to help you get rid of it. If it's all frozen veggies then you're on your own I'm afraid

Yes my stash does include quite a bit of chocolate. I'll send some your way. I am terrible for buying more when its on offer!

I opened my cupboard this morning and thought I must take a picture so that when I've made a dent, I can see the difference!

I've persuaded the OH that we will have fish fingers for tea rather than buy fish on the way home. So a saving in the pocket and something will get used up

Older_But_Not_Wiser · 23 July 2014 at 7:06PM

Evening all

Kirri, could you send your surplus food to my house please?

Been painting the outside of the house today so I'm all hot and bothered and hayfever-ish and not in the mood to cook but I've got nothing 'snack-y' in the house (as usual no bread in and I've eaten all the crackers)

So, I've just ordered a vegetarian indian takeout

Not very MSE I know, but sometimes convenience wins out and there should be enough leftover for supper tomorrow as well (am out all day tomorrow so doubt I'll want to cook when I get home)

Frogletina, I'm with you on the Marmite thing, it makes EVERYTHING taste better! Except cake, possibly (although friend got me some posh Marmite chocolate from Paul A Young last year and it was lush so I'd give Marmite cake a go!)

MsNR, where are you? Hope you're OK. Do you get a summer break from college?

tootallulah · 26 July 2014 at 8:37AM

Out: strawberry compote, roast tomatoes, piece of cheddar. In 10 pints of skimmed milk (reduced to 10p a pint) need to do a double freezer tetris action to fit it all in.

Older_But_Not_Wiser · 30 July 2014 at 2:06PM

Hi all

Glad to see I'm not the only one who has been AWOL recently. I'm still in the midst of house maintenance and I'm doing the kitchen now, which means it is a total mess, and my meals have been cereal, salads and microwave ready meals as that's all I can manage inbetween bits of wood and plaster everywhere.

Looking forward to some home-cooked food again at some point, but it might be a while yet...

Kirri, I tried another Vivani chocolate bar last week: white chocolate with mango and coconut. It was without question the strangest flavour of chocolate I've ever tried (and I've tried a few, including tobacco and marmite flavours). Really couldn't say if I liked it or not, was too sidetracked by the strangeness of it!

Hope you're all OK and enjoying yourselves

Welsh_Poppy · 30 July 2014 at 4:34PM

Hello
I have been MIA been to Ireland for 4 weeks and will be eating out of freezer again:)

cheerfulness4 · 30 July 2014 at 8:03PM

I'm back to eating out of the cupboards and freezers for the month of August.

I'm on a mission to stash some big money away so I can enjoy some central heating this winter without worrying and now seems a good time to start.

Setting myself a budget of £80 for the month, exclusive of 1-3rd Aug when I'm away on a weekend break.

Absolutely love the pics of meals on this thread. Really gives me ideas.

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

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