I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Jellybaby

Well I can't believe I've still not been near a shop and spent any money on food!! Unheard of for me. Had a good chat with the boys and explained what I wanted to achieve and they're on board. Apart from paying his rent, I'm lucky that DS1 pays all his household bills and other outgoings himself. He's in the third year of his medical degree and as well as damned hard work its also an expensive five years until he will start to earn in his first year but luckily he has a good work ethic and this website is known to him!!! Now just to sort out DS2 who is a completely different kettle of fish!

Anyway, today I've made lentil soup from some manky veg lurking in the bottom of the fridge, taking some to work tomorrow and freezing 6 portions. Think we'll have lasagne and garlic bread for dinner tonight from the freezer which will free a wee space for the soup. I've been giving meal planning a lot of thought and think I'm going to trial just a few days planning ahead for the next month and see how it goes.

lynneee

Hi, hope everyone's having a good weekend? I can't believe the kids go back to school tomorrow, the house will be much quieter with just me and youngest son!
Anyway, made some progress on the freezer, we had breaded chicken in various forms last night (the odd nuggets left in the bottom of a bag, a small pack of pop corn chicken etc) so that tidied things up a bit!
Had part baked rolls for breakfast and crackers and cheese for lunch. Having pasta bake for tea, with some random sausages that were left in the freezer and a little bit of the Christmas turkey that I had frozen.
So all the odd bits of cheese have now been used to melt on top, and also a few spring onions which were looking a little sad in the fridge.
Done quite a good 'use up' of bits over the weekend!
Taken some ham out of the freezer for the kids lunches tomorrow, and there are a couple of wraps left.
Can't believe I have stretched the food so long, I havent done a proper shop since 23rd December!!!! Just a few bit of fruit and veg, and some milk!
Tomorrow is the day to visit Mr M's and restock on fresh stuff. Need very little meat as I still have plenty in the freezer, just need some mince to make lasagne, seem to have a lot of pasta sheets to use up!

Edwardia

Hi everyone..hope you are all well ! xx

Twelfth Night tonight so OH took all the tree baubles off and put it out to be recycled hopefully. The poinsettia is lasting so far - lasted to March one year.

OH is making kale,watercress and wild rocket soup at the moment, using YS watercress and kale that's about 2 weeks ago from an Ocado veg box. Tomorrow I'll be trying a New York Times video recipe and making some kale chips for the first time - got to use the stuff up somehow.

NSD here but tomorrow Abel & Cole is delivering eggs, milk plus cheese scones and rolls for OH.

Other than tomorrow I hope NSD all week until Friday when going to see my mother and she will want to go shopping.

zafiro1984

Edwardia wrote: »

I have to buy them from Abel & Cole, 3.55 each but they aren't as tough

If you live in the country, you get free food, not just people offering pheasants and brown trout but things like sorrel, chestnuts and blackberries. When we first lived here in a town, there was a patch of undeveloped land nearby and an elder growing which I could reach from the pavement. My townie neighbour walked past and asked what I was doing when I was collecting elderberries

£3.55 a bird, that's cheap compared to what I have seen them around here. True about the free food, on our own patch we have growing wild or in our hedges -hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts, blackberries, elderflowers, rugosa rose hips, horseradish, birch sap, apples, mushrooms. Sounds too good to be true, I know, but you have to remember the sizes are smaller than in the supermarkets, apples not as sweet, sometimes total crop failure and you have to beat the squirrels to the nuts. We also harvest pheasants, partridge, pigeon and rabbits, what is shot, is used, the first time I don't use something my husband stops shooting for that year - which I think is fair.

[Deleted User]

Well done everyone!!
Just cereal today as ate out for the other meals! Made casserole for us for tomorrow and fish out for day after.
Also got some bread (25p) which I cant fit in the freezer , 2 posh sundried tomato and herb focaccia (in freezer!) 69p each and 3 cupcakes for 90p!
Using up as much of the bread as poss for sandwhiches/toast for tomorrow and the next day and will probably also make some soup for later in the week!

I think I may have gone overboard with the bargain hunting over xmas as literally have no space for anything else ... need to keep on eating it up!!

Also as we are trying to eat healthier we are buying more fresh things too so hoping the budget still sticks!

Lynsey

Evening all, NSD here. Never went anywhere near a shop!!

genuineplacebo - welcome and good luck. Hope you save that fortune this year.

Welsh Poppy - well done on all the NSD's, well impressed and I'll be happy with 3 this week and only 2 to go. I wouldn't mind another NSD tomorrow, but might grab any bargains when shopping for Brother. I would like to wait until Tuesday before spending again. Onions are getting low, but I did give neighbour some of the 5kg Lidl sack (99p offer) and hope Lidl put that on again soon. Lidl have red onions on offer this week from Thursday (39p for 750g), so I'll get a few bags of them.

Had a ham sandwich at a friends and sausage in onion gravy with "tasty tatties" for main meal - Asda 30% lower fat sausages weren't that nice and still a pack in the freezer!!

Took out some home-made soup for tomorrow - roast veg soup left over from Xmas and an appreciated space.

Ikea have free breakfasts on at my store (check local offers), so free breakfast on Tuesday. Groupon meal on Wednesday if they confirm (booked via answer-machine). Not a great help clearing freezers, but great on budget.

I've enjoyed reading all the updated posts today, lots of snippets - thanks.

Lynsey

ms_night_ryder

Hey all

Wrote long post yesterday, before I could post my battery died!

Been eating junk today, was soon some house work and done my back in! So had the last of the chicken with potatoes, had a Chinese takeout yesterday, hoping my back is better tomorrow as i had difficulty taking the bins out.

Also thinking of throwing out a pack of doughnuts and some mini quiches, they have been in the freezer for ages and I have no desire to eat either, not even when i was running the freezer down! That will make space.for.the last.free.litre of gelato I need to claim, also more healthy eating tomorrow. Nsd today.

Edwardia

zafiro1984 my mother lives in the country and I used to get wild garlic from her garden - until the youngest of the gardeners chucked Roundup on it :mad: I'm not convinced that Roundup is either effective or human-friendly so won't be doing that anymore. I found seeds on the TCV website and was considering sowing some in a growbag or pots but the prices are :eek:12.91 for 20g.

Kirri

Edwardia wrote: »

zafiro1984 my mother lives in the country and I used to get wild garlic from her garden - until the youngest of the gardeners chucked Roundup on it :mad: I'm not convinced that Roundup is either effective or human-friendly so won't be doing that anymore. I found seeds on the TCV website and was considering sowing some in a growbag or pots but the prices are :eek:12.91 for 20g.

Farnell do wild garlic seeds (I buy my cobnuts from them). Bit cheaper:

http://www.farnellfarm.co.uk/wild_garlic.asp

Roundup, I think, was one of the problems contributing to decline of bees amongst other issues.

katskorner

Hi all,

Filled the freezer to the brim again after a few bargains in the freezer shop. 2 x M&S quiches for £1, huge bag smiley faces £1, 3 packs 12 x birds eye smoky bbq fish fingers £1 each. But all stuff we will use up fairly quickly.

Hubby made a beef and ale casserole this after for dinner using a can of guinness and it was yummy. The kids ate plenty of it!

Mince coming out for tomorrow so shall see what I fancy turning that into.

Prep for school tomorrow as they go back Tuesday. Ah the peace - been nearly two months since I had a child-free day!! I plan another decent run and then an appointment with a magazine... for half an hour....if I am lucky....