Store cupboard challenge

gizmomum

OK so am thinking along these lines. Buy a large chicken and a large portion of mince and some veg and do the following:
Meatloaf with gravy, veg and HM yorkies
Sausagment meatballs in spicy tomato sauce with pasta
HM pizza
Chicken curry (will have to buy a curry paste type thingy as well)
Chicken and some veg (peppers s/corn) in white sauce with potato in some form
meatloaf burgers
faggot soup
magic rice(the risotto suggestion reminded me of this, it's a bung it all in version of risotto that could be done with chicken or a tin of tuna...I used to live on the stuff!)
Chilli (bulked out with kidney beans and veg) served with wraps and grated cheese
Spag bol bulked out
Cottage pie

I think it's doable, maybe I'll have a big cooking session on Sunday (small people allowing)
The other thing is if I time going to asda well at the weekend I can pick up a couple of good whoopsies to extend my repartoire....what do you think?

CCP

I've come to this a bit late and it looks like you're pretty much sorted out now, but I'll just add - don't forget the barley and lentils for bulking things out. Either would be good in the soup, I think, and you could add some lentils to the chicken curry, as curried lentils are lovely.

If you use the chicken carcass to make stock you could then make chicken, veg and barley soup, which is one of my favourites. (Hmmm... that's the second time I've mentioned that on recent threads. I really must do a roast chicken and make myself some soup! )

NualaBuala

Hi everyone,

This forum has really helped me learn lots about money saving. Now thanks to OS I feel inspired to live off my bulging store cupboard and freezer till Christmas - there's so much in there that I've forgotten about! I'm allowing myself €5 a week for fresh stuff and top ups if they are needed. There's only me to cater for so that should be plenty. I'm sure I'll have lots of questions as I go along.

I'm hoping that doing this will:

• save money that can go towards the cost of Christmas and overpaying my loan
• make room in freezer and cupboards for the big shop I always do before Christmas (and leftovers from Christmas dinner - yum!)
• get me into good habits with meal planning
• get me back into the habit of cooking from scratch
• help me eat more healthily

I have meals for today and tomorrow already. For Sunday, I've got a punnet of mushrooms that are past their best but I think they'll be ok if I make a risotto with them. I don't have proper risotto rice but I don't mind it not being authentic - the aim is to use up what I've got. I'm not sure how many portions it will do. I might try to freeze some of it.

Please cross your fingers for me - I've never undertaken a challenge like this before!

Little_Vics

sounds like fun!! Keep us posted on how you get on.

I'd be interested to know what you have in your cupboard/freezer already.

dronid

I also have too much stored! Piles of pulses, tins of beans and tomatoes, pasta, pasta, pasta. A freezer full of food and I never quite get round to using it all up. I need to defrost the freezer (and demolish the kitchen - another day maybe) and wonder if I'm keeping it full so I don't have to do it!

NualaBuala

Little_Vics wrote: »

sounds like fun!! Keep us posted on how you get on.

I'd be interested to know what you have in your cupboard/freezer already.

Thanks for the encouragement! Part of the reason I posted here was to force myself to stick to it - my willpower is not the greatest.

I've started doing a proper inventory of what I've got so I'll post that when it's done - I'll welcome all advice and ideas.

NualaBuala

dronid wrote: »

I also have too much stored! Piles of pulses, tins of beans and tomatoes, pasta, pasta, pasta. A freezer full of food and I never quite get round to using it all up. I need to defrost the freezer (and demolish the kitchen - another day maybe) and wonder if I'm keeping it full so I don't have to do it!

Sounds like me - part of what prompted this was when a tin of tomatoes hurled itself out of the cupboard the other day. I realised I must have at least 10 crammed in. I just kept buying cos I didn't realise how much I had!

I detest defrosting the freezer so I wish you luck with that job - I'm delighted with my new one that does the job itself. But I'd forgotten what was lurking under the top layers. It's not huge - 4 drawers - but I seem to just use whatever is on the top. I found lots of meat and fish there that I'd forgotten about!

Barneysmom

What a brilliant idea! :cool:
I've just bought another pile of meat from Asda, as they are doing
'5 packs for £10' plus the rump steak is £4 a kilo at the moment, so I got 3 packs of it. I hope I can do something like this too, and save as much as possible.

The only thing I'm not sure I can do it for a fiver, it doesn't leave me enough for the bread, milk and fresh fruit/veg? Maybe I'll try for a tenner........

All the best in your quest,

NualaBuala

Barneysmom wrote: »

What a brilliant idea! :cool:
I've just bought another pile of meat from Asda, as they are doing
'5 packs for £10' plus the rump steak is £4 a kilo at the moment, so I got 3 packs of it. I hope I can do something like this too, and save as much as possible.

The only thing I'm not sure I can do it for a fiver, it doesn't leave me enough for the bread, milk and fresh fruit/veg? Maybe I'll try for a tenner........

All the best in your quest,

Thank you! I'm a divil for bargains and find it really hard to walk past special offers whether I need them or not.

Well a fiver only has to do one person and my food stores are full to bursting so I don't think it'll be a problem. I've even got milk in the freezer as well as some UHT in the cupboard. I'd say most of you MSers could live for 6 months on what I've got but I'll be happy to make it to Christmas! A tenner sounds great - good luck if you decide to do it!:T

meanmarie

Good luck with the fiver a week Nuala...I am sure that you will be fine, even in our over priced capital. I'm sure that you will have some interesting meals

Marie