I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Lynsey

Welcome picnmix, good mix there and more than 2-3 weeks.

WOW Kirri, well organised and great selection. I take it you are a veggie??
Posting really about the ginger, do you freeze fresh ginger?? We normally buy this when visiting son in London (cheap on markets) as hubby loves it - never thought of freezing it.
Also, onion bhajis?? Do you make your own and if yes do you have an easy recipe?? I've tried a few times and failed badly (got some Natco chickpea flour).

Lynsey

Frogletina

Hi Kirri

I was going to ask about ginger, but the crystallised ginger.

I have just been given some as I love ginger, but not used it in this form. What do you usually make with it please?

Kirri

Lynsey wrote: »

Welcome picnmix, good mix there and more than 2-3 weeks.

WOW Kirri, well organised and great selection. I take it you are a veggie??
Posting really about the ginger, do you freeze fresh ginger?? We normally buy this when visiting son in London (cheap on markets) as hubby loves it - never thought of freezing it.
Also, onion bhajis?? Do you make your own and if yes do you have an easy recipe?? I've tried a few times and failed badly (got some Natco chickpea flour).

Lynsey

It shows I have way too much food, there's only me! I do a lot of baking/cooking though and like to share with friends/family.

I have it all on an Excel spreadsheet with sell by dates on and portions/amounts as well! I only did this after my job ended before Christmas as I was wasting food before and that couldn't continue and I was curious to see how much I had! Yes, am veggie, it makes it harder to find quick meals! I usually have much more Quorn/tofu in for ease..

I usually buy fresh ginger as it now seems cheap again (it went very expensive at one point) but I bought a pack of ready frozen ginger in from Waitrose ages ago just to try. Presume it's just chopped fresh ginger so could probably do the same with freshly bought? I will try!

Onion bhajis are home made, I used the recipe on the gram flour packet but they were a bit stodgy - my mum made the recipe in the Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall book and they came out really well though so I will try those next time and report back!

Kirri

Frogletina wrote: »

Hi Kirri

I was going to ask about ginger, but the crystallised ginger.

I have just been given some as I love ginger, but not used it in this form. What do you usually make with it please?

Hi, I was going to make biscuits/cookies with it! I take ginger biscuits if travelling anywhere, have not tried it yet though but think it should work well

Lynsey

Kirri wrote: »

Yes, am veggie, it makes it harder to find quick meals! I usually have much more Quorn/tofu in for ease..

I think it's probably harder (less choice anyway) finding the big "whoopsies" being a veggie, my son is a veggie and I do buy some stuff when it's reduced, like Quorn mince. I actually use Quorn mince myself sometimes now when making lagagnes and spag bol and actually really like it - but only buy reduced (30p - 59p per bag) and freeze.
I'll have to look at the HFW recipe, can't get it right at all!!

Just toast with coffee for breakfast and spag bol half made, finish off when cooking pasta. Out most of day visiting brother and hopefully NSD.

Lynsey

Kirri

Lynsey wrote: »

I think it's probably harder (less choice anyway) finding the big "whoopsies" being a veggie, my son is a veggie and I do buy some stuff when it's reduced, like Quorn mince. I actually use Quorn mince myself sometimes now when making lagagnes and spag bol and actually really like it - but only buy reduced (30p - 59p per bag) and freeze.
I'll have to look at the HFW recipe, can't get it right at all!!

Just toast with coffee for breakfast and spag bol half made, finish off when cooking pasta. Out most of day visiting brother and hopefully NSD.

Lynsey

Yes definitely harder to get bargains and the more I make from scratch the less there is to buy - I've never seen any Quorn stuff reduced apart from the ready meals in my nearest supermarket but Morrisons never seem great for reduced stuff. The cheapest I get the Quorn mince is when it's on offer but never less than £1. Which supermarket do you see it reduced in?

Here's the HFW recipe, let me know how you get on if you try it, I will have a go in the next week or so:

http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/onion-bhaji/

Today: No breakfast as got up late.. so think I will make pancakes again for an early lunch as I still have some of the free eggs left and maybe get a Quorn Roast out the freezer for dinner (forgot to put that on the list!) and use some of the remaining batter for yorkshires with some of the frozen allotment parsnips and some store cupboard potatoes. Will give me enough Quorn roast left over for sandwiches for lunch the rest of the week.

quintwins

i'm not doing alist it would take too long and i think it's harder with a chest freezer

today we had toast bananas and rasins for breakfast, lunch is a cheese sandwich for ds i'm having a spag, cheese and mayo pitta (or maybe 2 there yummy) and we're having sheperds pie for tea, i need to nip to teh shop before lunch for butter/marge hopefully therell be something on offer cause i'm just going to the filling station on teh way to school, will be cheaper than te$co in the long run

Skint_Catt

Well freezer surprise is looking like beef/mushroom stroganoff - must have been in there sometime.... that's tonight sorted with rice.
For lunch I'm using up some party food which was taking up freezer space. I've also taken out two part-baked baguettes for whatever I fancy them for plus a tiny chicken breast that was randomly found wrapped in the freezer and some sausages for tomorrow's dinner.
Also defrosted a bag of milk as it doesn't look like I need to keep snow stores now
C xx

lynnysinger

Kirri wrote: »

My stash... approx 3 months of meals for me as lots of these are in multiples, especially freezer stuff..

FREEZER (most stuff hm or from allotment)
Onion bhajis
Tortillas
Moroccan Stew
Quiche
Linda McCartney sausages
Butternut squash soup
Borlotti beans
Broad beans
Beans runner/french/flat (sliced)
Peas
Onion
Leeks
Parsnips
Ginger
Chilli
Parmesan grated
Parmesan cubed
Pesto basil
Blackcurrant sauce (plastic pots)
Blackcurrant lollies
Fruit sauce (glass jars)
Blackcurrant sauce (bags)
Strawberry sauce (bags)
Strawberries (whole)
Blackcurrants (whole)

FRIDGE
Lemons
Rocket
Eggs
Filo pastry
Brandy butter
Mincemeat
Stilton
Oak smoked cheese
Halloumi
Cheddar
Parmesan
YV spreadable
Butter
Pure spread
Coke 2l
Orange juice
Squash
Water small
Sparkling water
Red Bull
Mixed drink tins
Lager
Vodka
Lemon curd
Peanut butter
Caramalised onions
Pickled onions
Pickled shallots
Cake decorations
White wine vinegar
Soya milk
Tomato puree
Maple syrup
Stem ginger
French mustard
Strawberry jam
Chocolate

FRESH VEG
Celeriac
Potatoes
Mini pumpkin
Pumpkin
Butternut
Apples
Shelled nuts
Chestnuts
Onions
Shallots
Garlic
Sage/Bay/thyme
Artichokes
Parsnips

TINS
Pineapple chunks
Coconut cream
Evaporated milk
Condensed milk
Tomato sauce
Chestnuts

JARS & BOTTLES
Goan paste
Madras paste
Choc hazel spread
Thai paste
Garlic mayo
Mustard wholegrain
Pickled shallots
Mango chutney
Pesto
Jar peppers
Jar tomatoes
Olive oil
Rapeseed oil
Sunflower oil
Hot choc
Brandy
Ale
Vodka

PACKETS
Paella rice
Split peas
Carnaroli rice
Quinoa
Crispbread
Red lentils
Bulghar wheat
Puy lentils
White beans
Borlotti beans
Pearl barley
Brown basmati
Couscous
Brown pasta
Choc cereal
Kettle crisps
Protein powder
Pistachio nuts

SPICES
Veg stock
Chilli sauce
Cardomen x 2
Turmeric x 2
Baharat
Coriander ground/whole
Cumin ground/seed
Cayenne
Chilli flakes
Mace
Fennel
Cinnamon ground/sticks
Mixed spice
Mustard powder
Spanish paprika
Ras el hanout
Mulled spices
Herbes de provence
Black onion seed
Dukkah
Szechuan pepper
Himalayan salt
Smoked salt
Salt ordinary
Ginger
Cloves
Mustard seed
Thyme
Tabasco
Soy sauce
Vinegar
Tahini
Marmite
5 spice
Peppercorns
Bay leaves

BAKING
Brazil nuts
Red skin peanuts
Whole almonds
Ground almonds
Flaked almonds 200g
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Pine nuts
Dessicated coconut
Cocoa powder
Sesame seeds
Poppy seeds
Flax seed
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Sultanas 375g
Cranberries
Graze boxes x 5
Dates
Peel
Crystallised ginger 200g
Demerara 500g
Icing sugar
Splenda
Muscovado
Caster sugar
Almond extract
Vanilla pod
Amaretti
Rose water
Vanilla extract
Orange blossom water
Sugar stars
Gold balls
Fudge chunks
Food colour
Choc flakes
Bicarb of soda
FLOUR:
Bacheldre oak
Malted
Strong white
Plain white
Plain wholemeal
SR brown
Bran
Yeast
Cornflour
Gram flour
Polenta
Semolina

Apricot jam
Malt extract
Honey
Golden syrup
Veg jelly
Popcorn
Ginger biscuits

WOWEEEE!!! you could open a little shop lol!!!

i thought i was bad/ or should i say good!
i have a utility room and its full to the brim with food that ive bought from places like approved foods/ offers etc.
last week had a nice delivery from approved foods.
i have really severe arthritis, but my kitchen has been designed so that i can sit at my island which has water and electric to it, and i use my kenwood mixer for baking and processor for breadmaking etc. my chair (which is a swivel chair the height of a bar stool) turns and i can turn to use the cooker so i dont have to get up. its fab, and i have my wonderful colin to thank for it...Well, i suppose he had to do something, because he cant cook. However, he is the Johnny to my Fanny Craddock...! Chops, whips and does all the physical stuff! it keeps me sane. we eat only from scratch and i usually have enough to freeze loads.
Have you had any interesting 'finds' when you do a freezer surprise night!!!?

We recently took out a large container which i thought was beef curry, and it turned out to be beef stifado, which is a great favourite in our house. luckily i discovered it in the afternoon, and i always make a nice foccaccia bread to go with it....AMAZING! so we had that with greek potatoes and corn on the cob!!! not bad for a mid week meal!! and everything in the cupboards! so no spend!! even better!!
anyway, i diversify.... going back to my approved foods delivery last week.
they are currently selling doctor oetker catering size bags of pizza base/ cheesecake base / soft bap mixes..massively reduced. i woorked it out that it was even cheaper than buying the lidl bread flour/yeast etc.

i made cheesecake using the philadelphia cheeses that i bought using my 2 x 1 pound off coupons just before christmas. (Tesco had them on offer 2 for 1.40) so i got four for 80p!!!
I used the utterly butterly which i had stocked up from morrisons before christmas, and had the other bits and bobs around.
so, i made one big batch of the basic cheesecake
1 batch of the base using the pre mix ( bought it because it was cheaper than buying the biscuits, and dont have to use the food processor)
then got 8 ramekins, and divided the mixture into 3.
added 3 big spoons of chocolate spread to the butter before melting.

made 3 raspberry, using the chambordier rasperries in liquer from approved foods and raspberry concentrate.
made 2 using Baileys caramel
Made 3 pear and dissaronno. (sliced pear on base/ crushed amarettir biscuits in cheesecake mix with a good plop of dissaronno( had it for ages (Lidl doing a cheaper version now) I HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS IS THE BEST CHEESECAKE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
topped them all with grated chocolate, and hey presto, top notch desserts all cling wrapped in the fridge!! thought they'd ladst a week, but DIL took 2, and the rest disappeared!!

Those of us who are avid fans of cooking from scratch/saving money etc have a lot more fun than those who buy ready meals, which not only cost more, but are never as good as home made, and near as nutricious..
now.....thats put me in the mood to make pizzas for tea tonight..........
...of course using all of my bargain buys!!!!

:T:T:T

Lip_Stick

Well I'm back to doing this challenge as I'm going to Disneyland Paris in just over 9 weeks, so reallyyyyyyyyyy need to start saving for spending money. I plan on buying fresh produce and the odd tin of soup in that time. Hopefully I'll have enough out of my cupboards and freezer to keep me going, but I certainly don't have a stash like that long list posted lol.

I really need to use up things that have been hanging around for a bit, that I keep bypassing over for something else I fancy better.