Use it up! Don't throw it in the bin!

catznine

Just thinking today that it might be a good idea to have a thread where we could list all our triumphs over the leftovers. It could be like a diary with us listing what we have used each day. I know many of you do this already but I find I am still learning new ways of doing things and with every meal I make, that includes leftovers, I can bank some more pennies towards financial freedom.

To start the ball rolling today I used up a bread mix (garlic and rosemary) that had just gone out of date and would have made terrible bread (I know I once tried this with an out of date bag of tomato and cheese bread) but popped it into the breadmaker on pizza programme and now have 2 lovely pizzas (1 for the freezer and 1 for tonight). I also sliced and froze half a loaf of hm fruit bread before it went stale, for use later(only 2 of us).

Other things I try to do on a regular basis are:-
Using up the nearly stale wholemeal loaf by whizzing up into breadcrumbs and popping into a freezer bag to use when making hm stuffing or treacle tart (ds's favourite).

Popping the leftover vegetables into a pot in the freezer to make up a batch of surprise soup at a later date.

Chopping up fast ripening fruit, that I know we won't get through before it will go bad, and freezing it ready to make a fruit salad or add to smoothies.

Freezing any leftovers of wine (on the rare occasions that this happens;) ) into ice cube trays to add to stews etc!

Using up any milk that is "on the turn" to make lovely fluffy scones (really does work!)

Leftover stew (not enought to make one portion) can be extended to make into a soup.

This could also be true of many household objects like towels which can be cut down to make floor cloths. Sheets into pillow cases.

What have you used up today?

GardenMillie

Didn't know you could freeze wine - although there's never any left over at mine anyway;)

Great idea for a thread - my mum whizzes stale bread in the food processor and freezes the breadcrumbs to use in a variety of dishes.

BarmyCow

We don't have any left overs in our house....not because we are soooo efficient or anything but because we have a couple of walking garbage disposal units in the form of St Bernards. :j
A phrase which has developed into just one word is "dogsllhaveit" which applies to virtually anything and as we cook their dinner (not feed from tins), anything which they initially turn their nose up at, goes into the dog pan !:D

BTW, I don't give them anything which is bad for them - just wanted to clear that up;)

Pink.

A bit similar to one of your suggestions catznine......save any left over bits of veg you are preparing eg the stalks on brocolli or the ends of carrots etc. Keep them in a container in the freezer until you have enough to make stock.

Pink

Penelope_Penguin

Nothing today, but last week a couple of soft bananas made a batch of delicious choc chip muffins. I've tried to use them in banana loaf, but have never had success.

Penny. x

Horasio

Not a lot we don't get a lot of waste here!

I roasted some potato skins after peeling for mash - they don't like skin in their mash.

culpepper

I freeze the ends of loaf, sliced for toast. Whenever I make a new loaf they all start of on that one and leave the end from yesterday:(
So now I just do 6 loaves in a week and if they want toast I say take it from the freezer.

Horasio

I did make a sweet potato pie using cottage cheese and half a sweet potato. I called it my mystery American dessert as it is Thanksgiving - our son liked it till I told him what it was, my husband loved it.

thriftlady_2

Recent leftover triumphs;
Made a beef stew - froze the leftover juice/gravy
Made braised oxtail, added some wine but it needed more liquid so I used the leftover juice.
Still had leftover juice from the finished oxtail dish so used it as the stock part of parsnip risotto.
Had leftover risotto, so made risotto cakes (egged and breadcrumbed-using leftover bread obviously).
Mashed potato leftovers made into potato cakes for kid's breakfast.
Made stock with the green tops of leeks which I usually throw away.
Roast lamb - leftover lamb made into lamb pilaff cooked in lamb stock made from the bone. Gravy frozen for future use.
Roast chicken - leftovers made into little pies with the leftover gravy and veg.
Stock made with the carcase.

susank

The left over sprouts, sweetcorn, carrots, parsnips etc from Xmas day get used up on boxing day as I make a cheese souffle and put in the veg chopped up when I make the cheese sauce = its magic and nice and light on boxing day.

jessicamb

after Sunday dinner I make the leftover mash and carrots into corned beef and potato pie for the freezer