Store cupboard challenge

Primrose

Talking about your crate of "dodgy bananas" I'm wondering whether it would have been possible to dry them?. When I was a child during the war, a friend in the States sent my father a wooden crate of dried bananas. They were brown, sweet and sticky and looked like dog doolies but tasted delicious when fresh fruit and sugar was difficult to obtain. . It was a long time before I actually realised that real bananas had yellow skins and were white inside. Does anybody know how you can dry bananas without a dehydrator?.

Sublime_2

Primrose wrote: »

Talking about your crate of "dodgy bananas" I'm wondering whether it would have been possible to dry them?. When I was a child during the war, a friend in the States sent my father a wooden crate of dried bananas. They were brown, sweet and sticky and looked like dog doolies but tasted delicious when fresh fruit and sugar was difficult to obtain. . It was a long time before I actually realised that real bananas had yellow skins and were white inside. Does anybody know how you can dry bananas without a dehydrator?.

I stumbled upon this site which tells you how to dry fruit and veg:

www.allotment.org.uk/allotment_foods/drying-food/Drying-Fruit-Vegetables.php

Hope this helps. I found it useful!

queen_of_string

well this week we have used up 4 jars and 2 packets which i am really pleased about. A friend get really enthusiastic about receiving what ever is left so I have sent round 4 bags of stuff from the store cupboard we are never, ever going to get through in 12 weeks. The 4 bags are the first installment, next one when or near when we move. Have also sent half the booze cupboard to another friend, I barely drink and was never going to get near the 12 bottles I sent her. Did include some very dodgy " bought on holiday" bottles though :-).

So, slowly we are getting there i think.

Today's question is, how do i use up a whole bag of dried and frozen bread crumbs and several whole crusts when we dont like bread and butter pudding????

thanks in advance

SunnyGirl

queen_of_string wrote: »

Today's question is, how do i use up a whole bag of dried and frozen bread crumbs and several whole crusts when we dont like bread and butter pudding????

thanks in advance

How about Treacle Tart? I've always made it by putting pastry onto a pie plate then mixing breadcrumbs with golden syrup and a squirt of lemon juice together. Spread it over the pastry & cook in the oven, about gas mark 5, until the pastry is cooked and the filling is golden. Yummy!

Or my favourite quick pasta dish - Fry breadcrumbs in some butter/olive oil/whatever you prefer then add some lemon zest, garlic & pepper then stir through cooked spaghetti :drool:

If I think of any more I'll post them. HTH

queen_of_string

Thanks for those sunny girl, there is now a treacle tart sat in the fridge :-) used about half of the crumbs so might try the pasta for the rest!!. Wont be making any more treace tart here, bacause it also used up the last of the treacle, hurrah!

Today I have managed to use up: the syrup, a bag of flour, the last of the worcestershire sauce, a bread mix and some chocolate strands.

There are 2 HM rolls left, 20 iced and decorated fairy cakes and 8 cookies to go with the treacle tart too. Have used bits of lots of other things too, but not counting them used until theyre all gone.

Still seems like a lot of stuff yet to go, but posting what's been finished helps me see I am making progress.

kidcat

I am so bad, I got really close to emptying the chest freezer, which would have allowed me to swap one of the other freezers contents across and defrost them, but went into Asda yet and bought so much whoopsie stuff they are all full to bursting again!:o:o:o
Well off to start again then.

queen_of_string

today's leaving the buiding list is : 1 jar of jam, pack of tuna staks and some more sweet and sour sauce, 2 packs of noodles and 2 jars of beansprouts.

adding wednesdays to save another post and people dying of boredom, todays list is: the risotto rice and a can of borlotti beans, a chicken carcass and a frozen glass of white wine and some frozen chicken stock.


I know it's not thrilling to read, but writing it down like this is really helping me see that I am getting somewhere with my big, pre move clear out.

kidcat

I have managed to not anything else to mine today, so quite pleased with that.:o
Going to root thru freezer in minute and get more out for tomorrow too. At least its a start.

Now if the weather would just turn really warm I could get rid of loads by having a BBQ for my sons birthday party on Saturday instead of HM pizzas. There is so much stuff in the freezer ideal for BBQ that it would be great.

Shortie

Hiya

I have a few 'lurrkers' in my cupbaord.. does anyone have any ideas for these?

Instant Oats - We don't have time in the morning rush for porridge, and the childminder does weetabix for both boys at hers..

Advent calendar chocolate and odd bits floating around - any ideas what I can make with these?

I don't have tonnes of time as we both work full time so any ideas that don't need ages would be ideal please.

I realise Twicks Hobnobs are a no-go here as the porrige it always ground down very fine...

Thanks everyone! :beer:

Taye

Help!!!

Ok i've my spending was out of control and i needed serious damage control so i joined the grocery challenge last month, good new's i've managed to stick to the budget, well i have as long as i don't blow the £35 i have left in the next 6 days i have.

Thing is to be fair i really set my budget based on what im finances allow rather than what i needed for them month. While £250 is my normal monthly spend my cuboards where bursting going into the month so really i didn't need that much.

I seem incapable of not spending my whole budget it's like a little voice in my head says "it's budgeted for, go on buy it"

Unfortunatly/Fortunatly depending on how you look at it, as i've got better at the OS stuff i am finding my money is going further and further with each and every passing month.

So with 6 days left of this budget going into my next budget i've got heaving cuboards that are even fuller than they where at the end of last month!!! if that seems at all possible. The problem is Sooo bad i bought a load of shopping last night (alot of stuff i REALLY REALLY didn't need) and couldn't actually find anywhere to put it !!!!

Ok so this month im setting my target at £150 rather than my usual £250 for the grocery challenge and im going to Try and eat my way though the cuboards to keep me going.

Ive tried this before and it doens't usually work because i have a tendency to overspend even though i set my limit lower because "i know" i have the rest of the money in reserve, what i'm going to do is actually transfer this "un-needed" food money directly to my credit card on pay day thus eliminating its backup availablity.

Eeek .. ok any hints or tips .. because when i open my cuboards they are heaving and i REALLY REALLY have no idea where to start.