Store cupboard challenge

tomterm8

Well, if you have roast chicken, remember to keep the carcus and make chicken soup http://www.realcajunrecipes.com/recipes/cajun/carcus-chicken-soup/320.rcr .

zippychick

tomterm8 wrote: »

Well, if you have roast chicken, remember to keep the carcus and make chicken soup http://www.realcajunrecipes.com/recipes/cajun/carcus-chicken-soup/320.rcr .

For sure! I made my first ever carcass soup and it was amazing, so much taste. Also can be bulked up with pulses (do they sell soup veg pulses across water? Barley , lentils etc?) Was never sure if it was an irish thing

tomterm8

Yeah, you can get them either in cans or packets. They are good at adding bulk to a meal. I don't think a carcass soup is just an irish thing - it seems universal, have a look for the jewish recipy it is famous

greenbee

Leiela - you've got a tough job, but I'm sure you'll manage.You may have to be quite creative with your cooking towards the end! However, it looks as if you've got plenty of treats in there (frozen cakes, popcorn etc), so I suggest that apart from petfood and loo roll you don't go out and buy ANYTHING else until you are absolutely sure you can't put a meal together without it.

The loo roll, petfood and cat litter should be the essentials.

Work out what needs using up within:

a. the next two days - make sure your weekend menu includes this lot, and don't dip into your stores too much, except to make it stretch

b. the following 5 days - plan the children's packed lunches first, again focusing on what needs using up when. Don't use anything for meals at home that they would be happy with as a packed lunch, as you can be more flexible with your main meals!

What are the dates on your eggs? If these will last a while, when the wraps etc have run out, would the kids be happy with something like spanish omelette or a pot of pasta with veggies for lunch.

Don't forget to check the rubber chicken thread. If you don't want to eat chicken all week, and don't have room in the freezer, take something out to give you variety and replace it with a chicken dish. Make sure you use the bones for stock, as you have plenty of ingredients for some nice filling soups for lunches.

Make sure you ration the puddings/cakes/treats so that you have enough to see you through, and that way if some of the meals are a bit bland towards the end you can liven them up with a treat.

And you're going to have to speak to OH and make clear to him that he needs to support you in this and hand over his cards for you to look after until you're back on your feet financially.

Good luck!

kunekune

Hmmm. If I'm right, you eat low carb, is that right? So the reason you don't have bread and potatoes and that kind of thing is that you don't eat those things. I'm curious, because it affects what ideas we come up with. I can see some yummy meals like barley risotto, nut & lentil loaf, egg & veg curry, brown rice & bean risotto with toasted cashew nuts. There are some fantastic ideas on sites like veg box and abel & cole. If you need mashy things, perhaps you could stock up on frozen cauliflower and lots of beans.

We're rooting for you, it doesn't sound easy.

leiela

haha thanks for the idea's i already do ration things, i often buy a big box of crisp's and just put a few packs in the cuboard and stash the rest underneath my bed haha. hiding stuff is also the reason for the cakes/flapjacks and frubes in the freezer hehe.

We can do meatless nights thats not a problem i can make lentil curry etc everyone WILL eat it ... either that or they will starve

Did a chicken dinner tonight, 1 large sweet potato, half the savoy cabbage, a couple of carrots and of course some chicken / gravy.

I used under half the chicken (broke up hubby's breast so he didn't notice it wasn't a full one ), the rest i have stashed away where i can't be found ... well it's in a tub under the sink while it cools then it WILL BE labeled and hidden behind the salad in the fridge where my hubby won't find it haha.

Im thinking of making up a big chicken curry with it for tommorrow?? loads of veggys try and make enough for 2 days and freeze half what do you think?

Next question i saved the carcass, now i cooked it in the slow cooker so loads of juice came off the chicken, normally i throw it away but can it be used as stock??? Im thinking of making a soup maybe with some of the chicken? i can make stock with the carcass but i thoughts maybe the juice in the SC would be just as good to use??

I also want to make a leek and celeriac soup, ive never made it before but someone pasted a recipe the other day and it looked nice and as i have all the ingredients it sounded like a plan??? esp as ive never done celeriac before it came in my veg box and i have no idea what less to do with it me and the hubby could take it to work for lunches next week for a couple of days.

Ermm... i've also stewed up the rubarb as it was looking alittle sorry for it's self, but there was only 3 sticks so just enough for a tiny crumble for the kids, or can i padd it out with anything?? rasberry's? apple?? i dunno just try and make it feed all of us for a nice treat one night make us feel like we arn't flat broke haha.

Lastly ... tommorrow lunch im thinking Bacon and Avocado salad with couscous, gets rid of some salad and the avocado i took a slice out of yesterday, hubby's not a big fan of salad but i can do that warm with pinenuts maybe?? he'll undoubtedly moan regardless but hey im trying. Maybe make enough for 2 days and have it sunday too as i have LOADS of salad and a fair bit of bacon that needs cooking/eating.

greenbee

leiela wrote: »

Next question i saved the carcass, now i cooked it in the slow cooker so loads of juice came off the chicken, normally i throw it away but can it be used as stock??? Im thinking of making a soup maybe with some of the chicken? i can make stock with the carcass but i thoughts maybe the juice in the SC would be just as good to use??

I usually boil my chickens, which gives me two lots of stock, one from boiling it and the second from the bones, so yes, I'm sure you can use this.

leiela wrote: »

I also want to make a leek and celeriac soup, ive never made it before but someone pasted a recipe the other day and it looked nice and as i have all the ingredients it sounded like a plan??? esp as ive never done celeriac before it came in my veg box and i have no idea what less to do with it me and the hubby could take it to work for lunches next week for a couple of days.

You can also grate celeriac into salads (maybe use a little for this before you make the soup), and boil and mash it with potatoes to liven up your mash!

leiela wrote: »

Ermm... i've also stewed up the rubarb as it was looking alittle sorry for it's self, but there was only 3 sticks so just enough for a tiny crumble for the kids, or can i padd it out with anything?? rasberry's? apple?? i dunno just try and make it feed all of us for a nice treat one night make us feel like we arn't flat broke haha.

Well you could just keep it as a treat for yourself , but it should work OK with some apples. Personally I like a spoonful of rhubarb on my porridge for breakfast if you feel like having a special breakfast as a treat.

leiela wrote: »

Lastly ... tommorrow lunch im thinking Bacon and Avocado salad with couscous, gets rid of some salad and the avocado i took a slice out of yesterday, hubby's not a big fan of salad but i can do that warm with pinenuts maybe?? he'll undoubtedly moan regardless but hey im trying. Maybe make enough for 2 days and have it sunday too as i have LOADS of salad and a fair bit of bacon that needs cooking/eating.

That sounds great - a warm salad is a very different proposition to a cold one, so I'm sure he'll be fine. Bacon & pine nuts (and the bacon fat) chucked into a big mixed salad at the last minute is delicious!

... and if he moans... you can eat his, and he can go without!

Have you looked at weezl's 50p a day thread, and the storecupboard challenge? There might be some ideas on there to help you out when you're feeling stuck

tomterm8

leiela wrote: »

haha thanks for the idea's i already do ration things, i often buy a big box of crisp's and just put a few packs in the cuboard and stash the rest underneath my bed haha. hiding stuff is also the reason for the cakes/flapjacks and frubes in the freezer hehe.

We can do meatless nights thats not a problem i can make lentil curry etc everyone WILL eat it ... either that or they will starve

Did a chicken dinner tonight, 1 large sweet potato, half the savoy cabbage, a couple of carrots and of course some chicken / gravy.

I used under half the chicken (broke up hubby's breast so he didn't notice it wasn't a full one ), the rest i have stashed away where i can't be found ... well it's in a tub under the sink while it cools then it WILL BE labeled and hidden behind the salad in the fridge where my hubby won't find it haha.

Im thinking of making up a big chicken curry with it for tommorrow?? loads of veggys try and make enough for 2 days and freeze half what do you think?

Good

Next question i saved the carcass, now i cooked it in the slow cooker so loads of juice came off the chicken, normally i throw it away but can it be used as stock??? Im thinking of making a soup maybe with some of the chicken? i can make stock with the carcass but i thoughts maybe the juice in the SC would be just as good to use??

I think if you throw it into the stock with the carcass it would be fine to use.

Ermm... i've also stewed up the rubarb as it was looking alittle sorry for it's self, but there was only 3 sticks so just enough for a tiny crumble for the kids, or can i padd it out with anything?? rasberry's? apple?? i dunno just try and make it feed all of us for a nice treat one night make us feel like we arn't flat broke haha.

I think rhubarb and strawberry is a classic combination, as is rhubarb and apple http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/586947 .

Lastly ... tommorrow lunch im thinking Bacon and Avocado salad with couscous, gets rid of some salad and the avocado i took a slice out of yesterday, hubby's not a big fan of salad but i can do that warm with pinenuts maybe?? he'll undoubtedly moan regardless but hey im trying. Maybe make enough for 2 days and have it sunday too as i have LOADS of salad and a fair bit of bacon that needs cooking/eating.

I'm not a particular fan of salad, if I have it I tend to need a baked potato with it.

lynzpower

That sounds really good, I too would love to see the leek & celeriac soup sounds lovely!

I often cook based on whats going off first, and this is good because I can go to markets, buy whatevers going cheap then fashion it into new stuff. Keeps cooking quite live.

Apple is good with rhubarb yes, if you have any oats you can make a crumble topping out of that ?

csarina

I regularly make up crumbles with apples rhubarb, raspberries, backcurrants and various other fruit we have in the freezer, I also add porridge oats to the crumble and a large one lasts the two of us for at least 3 days.....another thing I do if I want to 'stretch' mince is to add sage and onion stuffing to it, its undectable oonce the mince is cooked, add a splodge of brown sauce or Worcester sauce.....it tastes terrific........a friend and I once wrote a cookery book, 100 ways to use mince!!! I had 4 children and she had a husband who was training to be a teacher and they were living on a grant!!