Don't Throw Food Away Challenge 2012

Wellyboots6

I have just found a lump of pastry in the fridge that is about a week old. Is it still useable? I also found a rock hard lump of marzipan! I think I have some mincemeat somewhere so was going to make some mince pies or something with lumps of marzipan in them. Unless anyone has any other ideas?

cat_smith

Doing well so far. Last night I turned some very soft tomatoes and wilting spring onions into a spicy seafood pasta with some chilli flakes. Today I am slow cooking beef brisket with some very out of date celery and carrots. Leftover gravy and roasted veg. I haven't thrown anything out so far, and I haven't been shopping. Yay.

miss_emmajane

Using up leftover pesto, Christmas cheeses and passata to make a nice HM three cheese & pesto pizza ... smells lovely in the oven now!

ALIBOBSY

Want to give this ago myself.
Realised I have shed loads of meat in the freezer-portions of chickens I bought on offer whole and portioned up myself, gammon joints/beef joints/whole chicken/ a duck?/a phesant etc etc most yellow sticked or on offer so starting to incorperate these into meals.
Defrosted a portion of chicken thighs and stripped the bigger chunks of meat for yesterdays homemade chinese "takeaway"-thanks to the recipes on here we had s & s and a sir fry/chowmein thing, was yummy and fed us 6 and DD1's 2 friends who loved getting the chopsticks out lol.
The bones would normally have gone to the bin, but there is quite a bit of meat left on them so will cook them up today. At the least will get some nice chicken stock and if there is enough meat on the bones maybe some soup or pie filling .
Do I count the leftover bones as wasted or is that unavoidable throw aways?
I assume stuff that goes to the cats/chickens/hamster/compost heap isn't "thrown away" as such and it just the stuff that actually end in the bin.
I tned not to put onion on the compost and the chicks won't eat them. If I use the peelings etc in stocks (the rest of the cooked veg ending on the compost) do I count the onion thrown away as waste?

Or is it a case of setting my our rules? Personally I reckon if it has had all its usefulness/goodness taken out of it even if it gets thrown it has not been wasted surely. Also I assume if something is bought on a really reduced price any waste is also at the reduced price. EG OH brought home some 9p dips the other night. We ate some with crips/veg/sticks over that night and the following day, but the rest ended in the bin-unless anyone can think of a way to use up garlic and onion type dips?

Not food but also had a sort and found enough bubble bath/shampoo/bathroom type items to pretty much keep us going till next year lol-I kept buying things on "offer" and stashing them away so will stop for a long while so saving money.

Looking for a slicer so I can cook up some of those joints from the freezer and slice some thinly for sandwiches as well as get into making my own bread-seem to have a stock of various flours stored in a cool cupboard in sealed boxes so they seem not to have any beasties in so can be used up-last week used a "pizza base mix" with a tim of toms and some fridge leftover plus some pretty old frozen grated mozzerella from the bottom of the freezer for HM pizzas and the kids loved it lol.

Given the above going to aim for £20 in Jan and see how it goes-I simply don't know what we waste.

Ali x

wannabee_in_credit

katy721 wrote: »

I have just found a lump of pastry in the fridge that is about a week old. Is it still useable? I also found a rock hard lump of marzipan! I think I have some mincemeat somewhere so was going to make some mince pies or something with lumps of marzipan in them. Unless anyone has any other ideas?

I made apple pie with leftover pastry that was in the fridge since Christmas, and nobody has keeled over (yet).

I love marzipan and mince pies so think your idea is fantastic.

Wellyboots6

Thanks Wannabee, I have 2 apples sat in the fruit bowl that are looking a little sad now so I may try making an apple and mince pie with marzipan! Not sure how edible it will be though. I'm thinking if I put enough cinnamon etc in then it should taste pretty festive.

Also, I just found some root ginger, quite a lot of! I made a mistake with an online A order and ended up being delivered a huuuuge amount of ginger! Any ideas??

Mags_cat

katy721 wrote: »

Also, I just found some root ginger, quite a lot of! I made a mistake with an online A order and ended up being delivered a huuuuge amount of ginger! Any ideas??

Ginger freezes - and you can grate it from frozen. I always keep mine in the freezer

Mumof2_2

How long does lamb keep in the fridge? I did a joint on Thursday and there's still some left - can't use it today but will it be alright to keep a bit longer? Also got some pesto with a date of 5.1 on it - how long over can that go? Thanks, sorry to be a numpty

Wellyboots6

Thanks Mags, just put it in now!

Can I freeze a Christmas cake? I made 2 and have only just finished eating the first one. The second hasnt even been iced yet! It is full of booze so no furry bits just yet...

Trying_really_hard

Ooo, the board is so inspiring today. :T

Not only have I been decluttering after reading the same titled thread, I have also just cut up some rather battered bramleys and some eating apples and popped them in the oven for baked apples (would have been more economical if I had done them when I had the oven on for my fruit and nut bars earlier but hey ho )

Will go and have a shufty in the fridge again - maybe a cabbage that needs using but hoping to save them to make more soup on Tuesday.....

Thanks all! Determined not to throw anything away when we restock the fridge tomorrow.