I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

Welsh_Poppy

Morning

Florenceen

The Kitchen sounds really nice, when we had our new kitchen 14 months ago I planned to keep it organised we ended up with more space and I have filled the pantry and floor to ceiling larder.
I have similar problem trying to make space in freezers but I make more and more portions of the meal goes back in!!

I treated us to the Marks dine in meal well OH as I will only drinbk the wine and eat new potatoes OH had place in breadcrumbs and rhubarb and strawberry tart.
I also b ought a marks chicken so I can take some meat for holiday and sandwiches for OH and he loves it.
Nothing in as yet(maybe chicken and some tart)
Out some veggie sausage veggie bacon, sausage and bacon to cook and take with us.
We leave at 4.30am so may not have chance to post so see you on our return no wifi where we are.
We are looking forward to it snuggling up in a log cabin and visiting all our old haunts:-)

recovering_spendaholic

Hi all - really rainy day here on Merseyside!

Florenceem - kitchen sounds nice - I would LOVE a utility area but there just sin't room for one without building an extension which I can't afford and don't honestly need.

Lip_stick - hope you are feeling better - there seems to be a lot of colds and coughs going round by us too - I seem to spend half my day washing my hands!

Yesterday I went to Home and Bargain - I went to one that is not my usual HB and there is an traditional greengrocers next door to it. I went in and was gobsmacked at how much cheaper the stuff was than the supermarket and it all looked lovely. I got:
half a dozen free range extra large eggs (£1.20)
two punnets of strawberries (99p for both)
a huge carton of vine tomatoes (99p)
large punnet of seedless Thompson grapes (99p)
small punnet of blueberries (£1.10)
bag of oranges (99p)
a HUGE cucumber (50p)
The whole lot was really nice quality and seemed to be very fresh - the cucumber, tomatoes and eggs were local.

I will definitely go again!

Had two small slices of toast with Yum cheese spread on for brunch. Took two slices of rump steak out the freezer for dinner tonight - will have it with onions, peppers, tomatoes and hm sweet potato and normal potato wedges. DD1 is home from University so there will be three of us, but I will make the steak stretch by slicing and stif frying it with the onions etc.

I have some mince left over from the other night so think I might make a little bit of pastry and make a few pasties for the freezer. Would you freeze them raw or cooked?

Hope you are all having a nice Sunday. I have masses of work to prepare for a meeting tomorrow but think I will put it off for a couple of hours and watch some catch up telly!!

[Deleted User]

Made risotto this afternoon turned out really well, first time I ever made it, couldnt believe how easy it was! Had enough to make three portions so letting it cool before I freeze it.

Neighbour was asking DM if I was planning on baking again anytime soon :rotfl: so making a coconut and raspberry sandwich sponge this afternoon - main cake is in the oven right now, waiting for that to finish and then will slice it through the middle and put the jam in the centre Have a pack of that red gel mix stuff l/o from the back of the cupboard that I got ages ago, so might add that into the sandwich bit too so it isnt lying around anymore.

Going to nip to T's before they shut to see if there are any y/s bargains to be had. Need some veg and bottled drinks plus eggs now due to cake making.

Kirri

^ I was surprised the first time I made risotto too! Always imagined it would be difficult but it's so simple and really useful for using up most types of veg.. I only do a very basic one though, garlic, onion, stock, rice, veg.

WP - Have a good holiday!
Lip_stick, good luck for the i/v
JB - thanks for the recipe! It's a very useful food protein wise, so I need to eat it somehow..
RS - good haul there, nice to get local too, it's well worth venturing outside supermarkets, I was surprised that I can get organic stuff delivered cheaper or equivalent to supermarkets and with far superior customer service.

Disaster here this morning, burnt through the toaster cable by accident :eek: so that was an expensive mistake... I used it before realising what happened too :eek: so it is still working but won't risk using it again, will need to get that replaced, could have done without the expense..

Toast and fried egg for breakfast.
Was having the last of the frozen hm tortillas for lunch but they wouldn't roll out, to be fair they weren't good when I made them as the wholemeal flour made them too crumbly - so I binned them.. Will just do them with white flour in future. Had a griddled haloumi and courgette sandwich instead.

Dinner will be tofu stir fry, already prepped it whilst making lunch so it's all ready to stick in the wok later. Will end up freezing a couple of the tofu portions for later in the week.

Given I can't eat after midnight I might also have a late night snack...

[Deleted User]

Kirri - can I recommend this toaster?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001S2PIHY/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We bought one back in Dec '12 when ours stopped working - DM wasnt sure about it but I insisted, and we've pretty much fallen in love with it!


Didnt get much in T's by way of the y/s stuff as I think they were late doing reductions. Did manage to grab three packets of deli ham/beef reduced to 25p-40p each, deli onion bhaji's x 4 for 24p and a bag of salad for 49p (the sort DM loves!)
Not bad but think I will go even later next time I try it lol.

recovering_spendaholic

Kirri - where about on the cable have you burned through? If it is quite near the plug end you can just cut off the plug and then reattach it. I did this with my iron and it works fine.

Where do you get your organic veg delivered from? I would like to get into organic veg but there isn't anywhere round here which does it.

Deleted_User - that cocunut and raspberry cake sounds lovely - if I had any coconut in I would make one! I feel olike baking something.

Nipped out to Sainsbobs before and there was quite a bit of ys (half price) meat and fish. I got a pack of fish pie mix for £1.49 and a pack of corn fed chicken thighs and drumsticks for £1.49 too. They also had Black Farmer sausages for half price so I got those as well. Could have got more but the Freezer is pretty well full to bursting.

I got some cold meats, savoury rice, noodles, bagels and stuff for DD1 to take back to University. I will be glad when she does go back later because she has been in the WORST mood - shouting and screaming at me for no reason and getting in a right strop.

Have just eaten two little bags of Walkers crisps for no reason - Must be stress;)

Kirri

Deleted_User wrote: »

Kirri - can I recommend this toaster?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001S2PIHY/ref=oh_details_o07_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We bought one back in Dec '12 when ours stopped working - DM wasnt sure about it but I insisted, and we've pretty much fallen in love with it!

Ooh I like that one, great reviews too! Better than the one I was looking at and cheaper too (K Mix). I hate making decisions, far too much choice these days, I can't even decide on the colour let alone the brand.

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

Kirri - where about on the cable have you burned through? If it is quite near the plug end you can just cut off the plug and then reattach it. I did this with my iron and it works fine.

Where do you get your organic veg delivered from? I would like to get into organic veg but there isn't anywhere round here which does it.

Good point! It's near the plug end - maybe I should see if my dad wants to fix it lol. I have wired a plug but so long ago I'm not sure I'd be up to fixing it myself. Glad I'm not the only one who has done this!

I'm using Abel & Cole mainly and also Riverford, both seem to cover a lot of the UK these days. Riverford is free delivery and A&C is 99p delivery and minimum order value is only £12 ish hence great for me as I can get a weekly delivery. Prefer Riverford's ethics/own farms etc but A&C have a really wide range of other food and household items from brands I use and like as well as the veg etc and are a bit more flexible on dislikes/skipped items so I've been using them a bit more. Has been lovely veg and salad and is making me eat far more than I did when I was buying just what I fancied each week. Have a look at Edwardia's organic shopping thread if you get time as there's a few reviews and discussions on them that might be of interest A&C often add in randomly free food items too and there are usually offers for new customers (ie free box or free cookbook etc).

Sounds like you've had a bit of a testing day, not sure I'd have the patience for that sort of strop!

ms_night_ryder

Afternoon all.

Kirri I hope you took advantage of the bhs glitch for your toaster.

Lipstick good luck with your interview!

I just had a fruit smoothie for lunch along with some phileas bubble chips, only 5 coupons left lol, went to Bricklane on the way back from the party last night, had 2 buttered for breakfast, I have 2 turkey wings in the oven, going to have that for dinner, with the last of.the spinach and mixed veg, I have a pack of 8 pittas that i want to use up, after accidently opening it while cutting the multipack, thinking about it, might just put some in freezer, still have 4 bagels to use, I have a little bit of smoothie left and not much fruit, I will get some Tesco tinned stuff at the big one near my grandmas tomorrow, try and stock up a bit.

Need veg as well, will start my £25 budget tomorrow and see how long I can last, unsure about.tomorrow's dinner, I'm hoping that I will be eating at my grandmas lol, will take out some sweet chilli sausages to turn into meatballs with pasta tomorrow, I have everything to make it, I've taken to putting spinach in the.tomato sauce it is yum.

Enjoy your sunday all

[Deleted User]

rs - thanks! Cake came out quite well, at least the sponge did anyway. The gel mix didnt set as well as I'd like, but I know I wont be buying it again, I only did it because of the Greens vouchers last year!
We had some dessicated coconut in the cupboard, think DM bought it originally intending to make something else with it but I cant remember what. Anyway it's gone into my cakes instead and still have some left over! So maybe another sponge cake in a week or two!

If you dont fancy making a big cake though the recipe works just as well in fairy cakes, just put the jam on the top with a sprinkle of coconut instead of cutting it open. I also put the coconut into the sponge mixture to give it a bit of flavour depth.

Kirri

MNR - no, didn't see anything about a BHS glitch


Just waiting for dinner to finish, did baked tofu from a Waitrose recipe except my slices must have been thinner so I've over cooked it :mad: but looks a promising way of cooking tofu I'd not seen before - slices are marinated in sesame oil and chinese five spice and then baked in the oven for 45 minutes (except 25 mins would have been more like it...). Adding it to wok fried veg and cashews and having brown rice with it as well for once.

Oh and used up some chinese five spice which had a best before of April 2010..