I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

katskorner

Just had some homemade turkey soup with all the leftovers from yesterday in and fresh homemade bread to go with it. Stunning. Kids think it is excellent.

Brekkie was omlette with leftover smoked salmon from yesterday with french bread and beans.

Dinner later will no doubt include turkey in some variation .

Florenceem

allym464 wrote: »

Afternoon all,
I am trying something new and did a month's work of online grocery shopping which was delivered today. I have planned enough meals to cover a month and my mission is not to buy anything else except for milk and if I need to top up vegetables if I run out before pay day... today I made some home made tomato soup which made four meals and tonight for dinner will be sausage casserole which will make another four or so meals... shall be interesting to see if I can do this or not as it will considerably bring down my shopping bill! Fingers and toes crossed! Went a little OCD and cleared out all my kitchen cupboards and re-organised to make everything more accessable and threw out things that were out of date... I found stuff that expired in 2009... I have only been in my current flat for two years! sorry for the waffle! :rotfl:

I don't bother with dates - they weren't in use years ago - folk used the smell/look test. Sms want us to chuck out stuff so we have to buy more.

Edwardia

Some pages back someone wanted my falafel recipe. In my late teens I was a nanny for a Jewish family and this is their recipe, found in my falling apart lever arch file.

175g/6 oz dried chick peas, soaked overnight or for at least 12 hrs
1 slice day old white bread with crust removed
1 medium onion, cut in quarters
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps salt
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander or one of each
4-5 garlic cloves, to taste
45g/1.5 oz bulgar, rinsed and drained
black pepper

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Sprinkle bread with 1 tbsp water and leave to soak, then squeeze dry.

In food processor (with metal blade in) process chick peas and bread to a semi-fine paste - you may need to do this in batches. Turn mixture into a large bowl. Process onions finely (use pulse action) add to bowl. Process garlic, coriander/parsley until finely chopped, add to bowl. Mix well together.

Mix ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, bit of black pepper and the baking powder together in a small bowl. Add to mixture and with clean hands mix mixture thoroughly.

Using wet clean hands shape mixture into balls the size of a walnut - each ball will use approx 1 tbsp mixture. Set balls on baking sheet.

In deep-fryer, wok or saucepan heat oil to 180C/350F. Slide falafel balls into oil, a few at a time and fry until a rich golden brown. Remove, drain, drain on kitchen towel and put in dish in oven to keep warm while you do next batch, ensuring oil is up to temperature. Either serve warm as nibbles or with salad and pitta bread.

Some people like to split pitta to form a pocket, add salad, then houmous and falafel on top. They are pronounced flaffel.

Hope that's useful xx

cheerfulness4

Thanks for that recipe, Edwardia. Printed it out straightaway and added to my cookery folder.

Lynsey

First spend of the week and picked up some bargains late on in Sainsbury's.

Chinese chicken curry - 99p from £3.50
Pack of organic mixed peppers - 10p from £2.80
Pack of radishes - 10p from 75p
Bag of iceberg lettuce - 10p from £1
2 packs of raspberries - 10p each from £2.50 each
2 x Warburton's crusty bread - 10p each from 85p each

4 pints of semi-skimmed milk - £1.18

Today's spend = £2.87

Loads and loads of asparagus for 10p also - don't like it though and plenty of salad stuff for 10p and all looked fresh!!
Some meat also, but walked away in case I was enticed. lol

***Who pays £2.50 for [STRIKE]250g[/STRIKE] 150g of raspberries?? Even the 3 organic peppers were well OTT!!

Just picked today and cleared a few oddments from the freezers and put back the curry and some bread (3 bags of 4 slices).

Weather is garbage tonight, been raining all afternoon.

Shopping for brother tomorrow and need a few things like noodles etc, but may try and wait until later in the week - need to check and see if any offers are on - Sainsbury's have Sharwood noodles for £1 (favourite choice), but want to better that if possible.

Kirri - I would love to grab some bargains from M&S, but never seem to see any!! Popping in on Thursday to see if any decent offers are on, if not it'll be swiftly out!!

***EDIT: Just checked the raspberries and they are only 150g pack!! :eek:
They are having a laugh aren't they?? I feel cheated now.

Lynsey

Edwardia

Lynsey hun, if anyone got any Easter baa-gains it's guaranteed to be you !!
In summer I would grab the green salad and liquidise with vinaigrette and olive oil for cold soup. And I'd have red peppers and tomatoes for gazpacho too.

Lynsey

Edwardia wrote: »

In summer I would grab the green salad and liquidise with vinaigrette and olive oil for cold soup.

Interesting??

Lynsey

VfM4meplse

allym464 wrote: »

threw out things that were out of date... I found stuff that expired in 2009...

:eek::eek::eek:

I admire your resolve around only buying milk and veggies for the next month but Florenceem was spot on - you should have kept your expired food! Every little bit helps you know .

Got down to my last 12 Weetabix earlier and decided not to open the last packet until I really fancy eating it, rather than it being a case of having to. I have a stack of Oats-so-Simple to clear, with expiry dates of 2006 so that's the next on the attack list. Also found a pack of a Jordan's gramola-type cereal, and plan to use this as crumble topping with a tiny bit of sugar to give a caramel taste. Crumbles will be made in 8 (GU) ramekins and frozen asap, ready for use in a sweet-tooth emergency.

Kirri - is it surgery tomorrow or pre-assessment? Either way, I've got my fingers crossed for you, please don't stress hun.

Lynsey - great bargains as per usual. I've now got 22 days left and before my next supermarket shop, still feeling confident it can be done....

Edwarda - thanks for the falafel recipe. I must say that I was so impressed with my disaster-turned-falafel loaf I will defiinitely serve it up the next time I have friends over to eat.

Lynsey

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I've now got 22 days left and before my next supermarket shop, still feeling confident it can be done....

I'm willing you on, go for it girl.

Kirri - you are in my thoughts also, take the advice from VfM4meplse and try and not to stress.

Lynsey

Kirri

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Kirri - is it surgery tomorrow or pre-assessment? Either way, I've got my fingers crossed for you, please don't stress hun.

Surgery :eek::eek::eek:
Thanks also Lynsey. I've lost quite a few lbs in fear already and spent more on food this past week than any other week this year despite my lack of eating proper meals!!
Am a bit chesty tonight though so not sure if they will still do it..

Had a couple more pittas this evening and about to have an orange.