Store cupboard challenge

Olliebeak

Well, the sausages all defrosted overnight and are now in the SC (browned first and cut into chunks) with carrots, oniions, leeks, some broccoli stalks, lentils, mixed herbs, stock cubes, chopped toms and baked beans - poor cat thought some of it was for him

Have to admit to not having watched any of Nigella's programmes - but I did realise she uses a lot of alcohol in her recipes. My OH is a 'dry alcoholic' (dry for 11 years :T) so I don't think it's fair on him to put alcohol in any cooking at all. I know all the alcohol evaporates on cooking, but the taste is still there - so I avoid it completely.

I was considering making us a Christmas/Rich Fruit Cake, but as I'm really the only one who eats it, decided against it - I'll only end up eating it into February or something like that . I will do a small, but ordinary, fruit cake (probably a boil in the pan one) - but that can wait till Christmas Eve afternoon and be wrapped in greaseproof paper. Cherry cake goes down well here and OH will eat anything with chocolate in it - maybe one of those 'no-bake fridge cake things cut into squares. For the grandkids, I'll just whizz up some fairy cakes with plain icing on the top and topped with Christmassy Icing faces and Gingerbread men.

Almost forgot - definitely some mini Twinks - dipped in chocolate!

sharronej

Hi,
Hope you don't mind me posting but this seemed to be the place for ideas! I have bought two bulbs of Fennel for a penny each at Mr T's but I don't know what to do with them - there are five in my family so I did wonder about a soup but wouldn't know where to start. Any ideas would be appreciated, thanks

Beki

this is just what i need!

we're trying to live on as little as possible this month, so should hopefully only be buying yoghurts (dd's packed lunch), tinned goods (baked beans, tinned toms etc), and milk up until xmas. we're planning on spending around £25 on xmas-type foods (my mum and dad are putting £25 to it also, so will be £50 altogether) close to xmas though.

luckily in OH's job, he works at a kitchen where they make luxury ready-meals (we're talking £18 for a lasagne for 4! eeek!). he gets 30% off for staff discount, but it's still too expensive for us to buy. however, every few weeks they have a staff 'bargain-buy' (broken packaging on the meals usually), where they fill boxes with either...

* 4 x meals for four

* 6 x meals for two

* 10 x meals for one

and each BOX is only £2!!!

OH came home tonight with 3 boxes! one was filled with FIVE meals for four (not sure why he got an extra one thrown in?!), one of which was venison in redcurrant sauce - price label £19.85!!! -, and 4 other meals which altogether should have come to over £72. we paid £2 the lot

he also got 2 boxes of 10 meals for one. so another 20 meals for £4

we've got a normal freezer in the kitchen and a big chest freezer outside, both of which are busting to the seams. the cupboards are fairly full, but lacking in things like tinned toms and baked beans, sweetcorn etc. so might have to buy a few cans of these to see us through december.

i'm going to do an inventory tomorrow if i get the time, of everything we've got in the fridge, freezers, and cupboards, to see how many meals we can make up! from OH's stuff he brought home tonight there's 10 meals (there's 4 of us - 2 adults, 2 children), plus all the other stuff we've got lurking!

feeling all inspired now from reading through this thread (although not even got halfway through yet! lol) xxxx

Penelope_Penguin

sharronej wrote: »

I have bought two bulbs of Fennel for a penny each at Mr T's but I don't know what to do with them - there are five in my family so I did wonder about a soup but wouldn't know where to start. Any ideas would be appreciated, thanks

Try this - fennel - suggestions, please

Penny. x

Cat_Addict

Wow Beki! I've never heard of such expensive packaged meals - they sound lovely! But where do they sell them? Not seen those in Tesco LOL!

Beki

it's a company called 'cook'. he only started working there a few weeks ago as he was made redundant, so has only got a temping job with them right now we're hoping for a full time position to come up in the next couple of months though! fingers crossed eh!

Beki

Right, well this morning me and the OH decided to crack on and do an inventory. Took us ages, but we did it!!! :j

We did an inventory of the chest freezer, normal freezer, fridge and cupboards :eek: Here goes! (this is more so i can keep track and keep crossing off as i go than anything else).

S = 'meal for one'
M = 'meal for two'
L = 'meal for four'

FREEZER MEALS


READY MEALS FROM OH'S WORK

venison in redcurrant sauce (L)
3 x shepherds pie (L)
2 x smoked haddock and sweet potato gratin (L)
beef bourguinon (L)
pork dijon (L)
lasagne verde (L)
tarragon and orange chicken (L)
sausage and potato bake (L)
roasted vegetable lasagne (L)
chicken in tomato and sweet pepper sauce (S)
spicy meatballs in tomato sauce (S)
2 x morrocan harissa chicken (S)
beef in brandy with a mushroom sauce (S)
lamb moussaka (S)
vegetable and bean chilli (S)
beef goulash (S)
lasagne verde (S)
mushroom stroganoff (S)
shepherds pie (S)
pork stroganoff (S)
spinach and ricotta canneloni (S)
garlic chicken curry (S)
dauphinoise potatoes (S)
kids macaroni cheese (S)
kids chicken curry (S)
thai style rice (S)


FISH

4 X fish in butter sauce
5 x fish in parsley sauce
5 x breaded fish fillets
10 x salmon fishfingers
1 x icelandic char fillet
2 x 150g packs king prawns
4 x small portions salmon

VEGETARIAN/FRUIT/VEG STUFF

1/2 bag carrot and swede
1 bag sliced green beans
covent garden leek and potato soup
1/2 bag broccoli
3 x quorn cumberland sausages
asda macaroni cheese ready meal
1/2 bag diced swede
3 x quorn sausage rolls
1/2 bag brussel sprouts
1 bag quorn chicken pieces

HOME MADE / HOME GROWN STUFF

3 x vegetarian lasagne
1 x large ziplock bag of blackberries
1 x small ziplock bag of blackberries
2 x carrier bags cubed courgette
4 x small ziplock bags of chillies
5 x small ziplock bags of tomatoes
1 x large ziplock bag of plum syrup (drained from stewed plums)
3 x large ziplock bags of stewed plums
4 x small ziplock bags of stewed plums (1 of which i'm making crumble with tonight)
1 x small tub of pasta sauce
4 x scones
1 small ziplock bag of chicken soup

MEAT

350g beef mince
100g roast chicken
100g roast pork
5 chilli bbq chicken drumsticks

JUNK FOOD

beef in black bean sauce ready meal
2 x portions chips
1/2 bag potato croquets
1/2 bag aunt bessies dumplings (not bought by me may i add!!! i prefer mine! lol)
1 x microwave hamburger (again not bought by me! the OH is truly disgusting sometimes!!!)
asda organic beef lasagne ready meal
3 x beef burgers
cheese and tomato pizza
a few loaves of bread and some french sticks

FRIDGE

1 x cauliflower
2 x onions
3 x carrots
1 x large dish of veggie sausage/mince casserole (using as pie filling tonight)
1 x tomato
12 x eggs (plus get 1-2 a day from 9 chooks now they've gone off-lay)
flora margarine
1/2 jar extra light mayonnaise
1/2 pack of baking butter/margarine
1 x dairylea dunker
6 x yoghurts
50g cheddar
50g parmesan
5 x cauldron veggie sausages
100g new potatoes

CUPBOARDS

1 x tin sweetcorn
3 x value pasta sauce
1 x tin rice pudding
6 x tins baked beans
1 x tin leaf spinach
1ltr oil
1 x jar marmite
1/3rd bag oats
1 x tube tom puree
2 x cartons passata
3 x small tins tuna
4 x tins plum tomatoes
2 x small jars sweet and sour sauce
1 x sachet fajita spice mix
2 x savoury rice
1 x tin pineapple
1 x tin chopped asparagus
1 x tin new potatoes
1 x tin sardines in tomato sauce
1 x pouch seared tuna filets
1 x tin cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 x bags pasta
1 x super noodles
2 1/2 boxes lasagne sheets
1/2 pack dried potato flakes (bleughr! another OH buy!)
1 x sachet coriander and lime couscous
2/3 bag of long grain rice
1/2 bag red lentils
1/2 bag pudding rice
1/4 bag pearl barley
1 x box tapioca
1 1/2 bags bread flour
1 x bag plain flour
1/4 bag s/r flour
sugar
golden syrup
icing sugar
spices
baking powder
bicarb

Cat_Addict

Wow that was some inventory!! I sorted my freezer at the weekend and my storecupboard last night. It's great knowing what you've got. OH suggested writing freezer contents on freezer door with wipe clean marker pen. Do you think that would look ugly?

Oh and Beki, please can you tell me how you make your dumplings?

Beki

It's definitely an eye-opener realising what you've got isn't it! I knew the freezers were full, but i was in the mind-set of "hmmm i don't think there's actually anything in there i can make a meal of"... was i MAD?!!? lol

Ok.. my recipe for dumplings is just what my nan showed me, when she used to make dumplings (she doesn't make them anymore - she's almost 90 now!).

There's no measurements involved i'm afraid

i use about 6 heaped tblsp self raising flour

then add knobs of margarine which probably equal about 3 heaped tblsp? rub the margarine into the flour until breadcrumb-like (all i know is that you're supposed to keep adding margarine to the flour until once it's all rubbed together it's a pale yellow colour)

add a couple of pinches of salt, and i like to add a couple of twists of ground black pepper too

add cold water, a tblsp at a time, until you form a dough

roll into balls and 'plop' into the stew!

they're so yummy IMO thanks nan!

D&DD

I just can't do this :rotfl: :rotfl: I've just found Approved foods and after getting my first delivery today,I caved and did another order