Store cupboard challenge

Julimk

Firstly, thanks all for the welcome!

HM chilli con carne portion from freezer for dinner yesterday (DD ate at the childminder’s) & HM fish lasagne portion from the freezer today (DD at her Dad’s).

Both nights I wasn’t home until around 7pm & I don’t want to start cooking at that time, so I batch cook when I do have time & stash individual portions in the freezer. There are currently still another 39 individual dinner portions in there, plus 5 soup portions, as well as all the ingredients I mentioned before.

I realised I needed to think differently to do this challenge. Monday is payday & I would normally then spend up to £75 to stock up, which I am obviously not now going to do.

I am only in the office & need a pack up two days (work from home three) & never remember to make sandwiches, so I make little pots of pates that go in the freezer & then take one of them with some pittas or melba toasts or something to go with. So I would normally buy some smoked mackerel for pate. But now rather than buy more fish I am going to do this with some canned tuna:

http://www.cookitsimply.com/recipe-0010-0u15524.html

Tomorrow morning before I go & get DD from her Dad’s I will sit down with my cookbooks & get some inspiration based on what’s already in.

roguelawyer

Well I've just been through my freezer and made a list of everything in there (and reorganised it a little) Working out a few meals plans based purely on the freezer.

My freezer needs emptying and defrosting, maybe that's reason enough to go fill it up?!

lynzpower

Goooood morning all!

The ribs were absoilutely gorgous! Very pleased I used up that jar of marinade been there ages. A tupperware of mini spring rolls also used creating some space. Shame is we didnt have space for the noodle soup & Am slightly worried about re-freezing?

Fresh chicken - I froze- then defrosted and roasted- then left carcass in fridge for 2 days, then stripped and refroze, now been cooked in a soup again. Should this be going tgo the dog really?

NualaBuala

Morning everyone!

zippychick wrote: »

STAY AWAY FROM THE TINNED TOMATOES! :rotfl:

Buy something new - tin of butterbeans, tin of haricot beans to make hummous? Mixed bean salad for bean stew/curry?

Why notbuy some baking supplies since you are toying with that idea? x

Oh thanks! But my inspiration is mainly stolen from here ! I take no credit (well, a very small part):rotfl:

Well I'm pleased to report that nary a tin of tomatoes was bought! I already have a tin of mixed beans and have been wondering what to do with them so thanks for the curry idea, yum. NO BAKING! I've been scared off by trying to bake bread from a packet of bread mix that had been in my cupboard. It was a disaster! So I'm licking my wounds (as opposed to the bowl and spoon after baking) before I try again.

Despite feeling so rich with my €10.04, I managed to overspend by 46c. So I've got €4.54 for next weekend's shop. I got spuds, huge bag onions, frozen sweetcorn, ryvita, mushrooms, tomatoes (not tinned!:A), big block of mature cheddar, bread, milk, baked beans and .... a few bits of chocolate and crisps.:o A girl's got to have her treats!

I'm so happy to have edible bread after my unsuccessful foray into breadmaking - I've been craving cheese and onion sambos and may well live on them for the week.

lynzpower wrote: »

Goooood morning all!

The ribs were absoilutely gorgous! Very pleased I used up that jar of marinade been there ages. A tupperware of mini spring rolls also used creating some space. Shame is we didnt have space for the noodle soup & Am slightly worried about re-freezing?

Fresh chicken - I froze- then defrosted and roasted- then left carcass in fridge for 2 days, then stripped and refroze, now been cooked in a soup again. Should this be going tgo the dog really?

Not sure Lynz, I usually err on the side of caution with chicken - someone else will know for sure. Sounds like you had a gorgeous meal. Not to mention mulled wine!:beer:

fedupandskint

lynzpower wrote: »

I have made fish pie with white fish of all sorts ( pollock, plaice, cod, haddock etc)

I put the fish in a small saucepan and poach lightly with milk. Add any herbs to this. and a chopped onion and lightly bubble until the fish is cooked and falls apart. Add handful of frozen peas and creme fraiche or fromage frais to thicken. A HM white sauce is also fine to use, Im not that good at making it

For the topping of course you could have mash but I usually do scalloped potatoes, just boil sliced pots, spray with ooil, throw on a tray into the oven keep turning for about 25 mins .

Thanks lynz I am going make a version of this for tonight. Use the salmon and prawns peas and hardboiled egg, make a HM white sauce and stick some tatties ontop and hope there is enough for leftovers yummy scrummy

nicki_2

Well after finally being able to scrub my slowcooker clean (had it soaking in antibac stuff after putting the off pork in it and its sat there while everything else has been washed for days and days now ) I've got a chicken casserole in for tonight tea

I also seem to be having the problem of no matter what I cook the stores don't look any emptier I'm not even batch cooking! :eek::rotfl::rotfl: I think it may be time for a juggle of the cupboard around again. When I did my huge bread baking session last week I just dumped stuff anywhere in the cupboard and I think thats the problem. My freezer I give up on. :rotfl::rotfl:

CCP

lynzpower wrote: »

Goooood morning all!

The ribs were absoilutely gorgous! Very pleased I used up that jar of marinade been there ages. A tupperware of mini spring rolls also used creating some space. Shame is we didnt have space for the noodle soup & Am slightly worried about re-freezing?

Fresh chicken - I froze- then defrosted and roasted- then left carcass in fridge for 2 days, then stripped and refroze, now been cooked in a soup again. Should this be going tgo the dog really?

I'm with Nuala on this one - I think you can't be too careful with chicken. If you do decide to risk it, make the soup's really hot before you eat it, as boiling should destroy any nasty bugs that have developed.

zippychick - I've just spoken to my dad and he's more than happy to share the cider cake recipe. This is the first time I've tried it but my dad's cooked it loads of times and it always turns out well:

1¼ lb sultanas
½ pint cider
1lb prepared (peeled and cored) apples
1lb caster sugar
12oz butter
4 eggs
1¼ lb plain flour
3 level tsp baking powder
2 level tsp mixed spice

Put sultanas into cider and soak overnight. Brush a 12”x10” roasting tin with butter (or line with parchment). Roughly chop apples. Cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Beat eggs and add gradually. Sift flour, baking powder and spice and add to creamed mixture with apples, sultanas and any cider left from soaking the sultanas. (Add extra cide if it's too dry.) Mix well with a metal spoon and turn into the tin. Bake for 1½ - 1¾ hours at about gas mark 4. Leave to cool in tin.


Apparently all measurements are approximate - my dad cooks the same way I do in this respect. It's a very moist cake and doesn't keep particularly well (it has a tendency to grow a fur coat after a few days) but it does freeze well (I have to admit that this is only what I've been told - I've never had any that lasts long enough to need freezing!).

fedupandskint

Forgot to mention, I slacked off the storecupboard challenge after 2 or 3 weeks on it. Bought a couple of ready meals which were rubbish etc.

Back on the wagon this week and have meal planned for the week, should be ok for another week and then will probably have to buy a few bits for the freezer while leaving room for the Christmas meat delivery in a few weeks time - careful spatial awareness required!

ellemm

nicki wrote: »

I also seem to be having the problem of no matter what I cook the stores don't look any emptier I'm not even batch cooking! :eek::rotfl::rotfl: I think it may be time for a juggle of the cupboard around again. When I did my huge bread baking session last week I just dumped stuff anywhere in the cupboard and I think thats the problem. My freezer I give up on. :rotfl::rotfl:

Know what you mean nicki but my problem was the freezer, however I have just re-organised that and now can see exactly what I have.

Top drawer now all raw meat and fish, (includes 14 steaks and 8 packs of bacon )
middle one veggies, fruit, breads & cakes and bottom one has the cooked meals so much easier to find things

"Found" half bag of chicken breasts didn't know I still had and also have more cooked meals than I thought too.

Makes meal planning a lot easier methinks.

purpleivy

Taken out of the freezer...2 pks of YS pastry, one large side of salmon. Used good half jar of out of date YS mincemeat.

Also made a wholemeal loaf yesterday for the wrinklies, today have made a malted loaf and a doz burger rolls. Cherry and almond cake too for Xmas catering but guess what? The cherries have sunk!

Took the pack of Mr M cooking bacon to chop up and bag for the freezer yesterday, but the first piece out was like a bacon chop, so I gave that to ds for his tea with some eggs. he didn't want it all so put it in the fridge for breakfast!

Then didn't have time to finish doing the bacon, so got it out at lunchtime today. Decided to offer bacon butties with this as it was more or less sliced. So four of us had that. There is still enough for three small packs of bacon for quiche, carbonara etc for the freezer. It's one of my building blocks.

WE had some of the mince pies for lunch. DS said they were rather small, so said he could have 2. He was satisfied. I think I need a slightly larger cutter for that tray.

Veg in the freezer for with salmon today for dinner. End of jar or tartare sauce in fridge. DH would prefer parsley sauce but not sure if that is possible. Fresh ys pineapple has been prepped and some for pud tonight and DS will take some to school. Some for me for my breakfast or lunches. Getting there, but freezer is going to start filling up with Xmas stuff, so will have to be doubly careful to make sure that as many meals as poss come from the freezer. This will also help me to stay within my set budget.