I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

[Deleted User]

lindseykim13 wrote: »

I need to have a go at those-got bacon out of the freezer too this morning which didn't defrost in time for luch so need another use for it.

re: defrosting bacon - if you have a microwave, use it on its defrost setting or put it on a low setting for about 5-10 mins or so (check it every so often to make sure it doesnt get too cooked).
Take a sharp knife when the bacon is peelable/dividable enough and separate off how many rashers you need. Cook those as desired immediately.

The remaining bacon, put back into the original packet or a dish, with a very light covering such as a piece of kitchen roll or a teatowel - DO NOT seal the edges, you have to allow the air to get to the food. When cold you can cover with baconfoil (with holes poked in it) and refrigerate, would recommend you use within a few days.

This is how my DM does it if bacon doesnt defrost enough and we've never been sick from it yet. x

lindseykim13

Deleted_User wrote: »

re: defrosting bacon - if you have a microwave, use it on its defrost setting or put it on a low setting for about 5-10 mins or so (check it every so often to make sure it doesnt get too cooked).
Take a sharp knife when the bacon is peelable/dividable enough and separate off how many rashers you need. Cook those as desired immediately.

The remaining bacon, put back into the original packet or a dish, with a very light covering such as a piece of kitchen roll or a teatowel - DO NOT seal the edges, you have to allow the air to get to the food. When cold you can cover with baconfoil (with holes poked in it) and refrigerate, would recommend you use within a few days.

This is how my DM does it if bacon doesnt defrost enough and we've never been sick from it yet. x

Thanks for taking the time to reply would be great but chucked the microwave a long time ago-although i don't regret getting rid of it there have been a few occasions when i wish we still had one!

[Deleted User]

lindseykim13 wrote: »

Thanks for taking the time to reply would be great but chucked the microwave a long time ago-although i don't regret getting rid of it there have been a few occasions when i wish we still had one!

No prob. Good chance it might help someone else

Couldnt imagine living without a microwave - esp. due to my night shifts!!

ms_night_ryder

Afternoon.

Satsuma for breakfast, jacket potato and cheese for lunch and chilli and rice for dinner today, snacking on a nature valley bar right now.

zafiro1984

Hi theatre girl,
Tried to do a quote but I'm not at the computer, just sitting in the kitchen waiting for tea to finish cooking.
Microwave.. I used to have an all singing and dancing one, cost a fortune, but now I've a £35 one from Argos. Does everything I need, mainly defrosting and reheating. There's no clock, no programmable lists(which I never used). Just plain and simple-much better.
I also have invested in a tabletop cooker. Runs at 1500kw, big enough for the two of us. The big electric range cooker just sits there, at least I don't have to clean it, my most favourite hate job. Also have a solid fuel Esse Ironheart which I use in the winter with wood so cooking costs are kept to a minimum. I'm trying to cook in advance at the moment so using the iron heart is brilliant-costs nothing to run. I'm trying really hard to cut the cost of living.

abby1234519

I need to get involved with just eating from the freezer and cupboards. I really have at least 3 months worth of food.

I have a costco membership so have enough rice to live on forever.

Meat wise I have chicken (OH hates chicken however), fish fingers, salmon fishcakes, sausages, mince ,turkey mince, meatballs, not sure what else but there will be something at the bottom of the freezer.

Cupboard wise: pasta, rice, rolled oats, lentils, cous cous, pudding rice, herbs and spices, baked beans, a million cans of tomatos and also sweetcorn tins as well. passata annnnd curry sauces although other half hates korma and I am not particularly fond of the sharwoods korma either. every type of flour, suet and stuffing mixes.

I sat down with the intention of trying my best to remember what is in the cupboard and freezer but I really cant. I know what is in the top half of the chest freezer but below that I have NO idea.

Rule is that we can buy milk and bread for my little one as and when it is needed. Also will need to buy squash as OH drinks a lot. As it happens he only eats with us three days a week as we don't live together so technically food should last even longer. I already have a freezer drawer full of food for my little one, most of his dinners are from the freezer.

I've just got to be careful as my OH is a very fussy eater.

Won't eat chicken but I have convinced him to try homemade chicken nuggets. Won't eat or be in the room with Salmon. He won't eat courgette.

Any ideas what I can do this week with the following foods that are in fridge.

I've got mushrooms, courgettes, carrots, tomatoes, a half cabbage, leeks and some celery. I do also have a leg joint (well not really a leg, its not big) of pork. I would like to make all of that do something different for the next 3 evenings as these are the evenings my OH is here. I have an electric oven, slow cooker and microwave, any ideas?

[Deleted User]

abby1234519 wrote: »

Won't eat chicken but I have convinced him to try homemade chicken nuggets. Won't eat or be in the room with Salmon. He won't eat courgette.

I've got mushrooms, courgettes, carrots, tomatoes, a half cabbage, leeks and some celery. I do also have a leg joint (well not really a leg, its not big) of pork. I would like to make all of that do something different for the next 3 evenings as these are the evenings my OH is here. I have an electric oven, slow cooker and microwave, any ideas?

I'm guessing that although your hubby doesnt like chicken but he liked chicken nuggets that you may be able to get away with disguising the chicken in something else, like a casserole or something. My Dad (God bless him) was the same with vegetables and fresh kidneys, but if they were in a pie or stew he didnt blink.

As to the pork dilemma (you dont mention if its pork only for the 3 days but I'm going to assume that is what you meant!) -

1) Sliced pork pieces with the cabbage, mushrooms, and some potatoes or rice - depends if you want a quick meal or a big meal with the trimmings.
2) I've seen many people on here making soup from carrot & leeks and also tomatoes. soup and pork sandwich may go down well?
3) I dont know because I dont make soup myself (cant stand it) but you could use the bones and stock etc and make soup from that too?
4) Cold salad meal - pork pieces/slices, plus chopped celery, tomatoes, carrots. You could add chopped hard boiled egg to the salad just to bulk it up a bit.

I've avoided the courgette as you say OH doesnt like it.

zafiro1984

abby1234519 wrote: »

Cupboard wise: pasta, rice, rolled oats, lentils, cous cous, pudding rice, herbs and spices, baked beans, a million cans of tomatos and also sweetcorn tins as well. passata annnnd curry sauces although other half hates korma and I am not particularly fond of the sharwoods korma either. every type of flour, suet and stuffing mixes.

I've got mushrooms, courgettes, carrots, tomatoes, a half cabbage, leeks and some celery. I do also have a leg joint (well not really a leg, its not big) of pork. I would like to make all of that do something different for the next 3 evenings as these are the evenings my OH is here. I have an electric oven, slow cooker and microwave, any ideas?

1)How about sweet and sour pork, you can stretch it with sweetcorn and mushrooms, served with rice.
2)Use the cooked pork with veg, pots and gravy but then put a suet crust on the top or dumplings - good in cold weather.
3)thinly sliced, heated through with gravy, with mash, (how about sautering/frying thinly sliced cabbage and adding mash to it, salt and pepper, a bit of cream or butter makes calcanon - not sure exactly what it is called/spelt but my OH really likes it as its very tasty) and vegs.
4) mince some pork, add one of the stuffing mixes, with enough water to make a sort of stiff paste salt,pepper shape it into sausages, if you have some bacon wrap that around them and make a variation on 'toad in the hole' with batter from flour. A really good batter is: break enough eggs to make 200ml, then make it up to 400ml with milk - I use semi skimmed- add 140gm plain flour, salt and pepper, no need to let it rest. oven really hot, metal dish with a bit of oil, it has to be very hot when you pour the batter in, this batter is great, it rises so much you don't put it on the top shelf or you will be scraping it off the roof of your cooker. I sometimes make individual giant yorkshire puddings and use them as a 'container' to put the meat and veg and gravy in. Thats another idea. Any batter left over can be frozen.

Becky_2

Morning all

Yesterday I defrosted a portion of smoked salmon that I will be eating later together with our own potatoes. Yesterday I did some gardening work and emptied 3 buckets of potatoes that we were meant to empty and eat during the summer but we never got round to it. To my surprise I found around a kilogramm in the buckets.

Yesterday I went to Mr S and bought dried fruit that was on offer to be used when making muffins. They had also buy one get one free (£2.50 per packet) on all their frozen Christmas food so we picked up 8 packets in total (4 packets of duck spring rolls, 2 packets of veg. spring rolls, brie with cranberry sacue and chicken satay).

OH made cornish pasties yesterday so will be eating that later as well.

donnajt

lindseykim13 wrote: »

Give me one .

Hurry over 5 left (silly hubby took DD's lunchbox this morning rather than his own - he will be fuming when he finds a peanut butter sarnie rather than 2 pasties)

Thanks for washing powder mix - remembered why I hadn't made it before couldn't find Borax but noticed last week a local chemist sells it - so will be popping out to buy some later

Would you care for a cuppa and a bit of HM breadpudding? used up my 6 rock hard/stale tiger rolls


Spent a tad more than my shopping list of £16.88 but they had my fav cheddar buy one get 2 free and crisps for kids buy one get 2 free, also managed to get 2x 3packs of flavoured hummous for 20p and finest potato salad 19p, total was just under £23 - but still a saving of £37


Have been up since five stocktaking the kitchen cupboards...four hours on and I am still at it and so flippin embarrassed:o