Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

Frogletina

I am part way through a food inventory, just the fridge freezer to go now. Other food is stored in two deep drawers, and just a little is stocked elsewhere.

As usual I am putting the details of my inventory into a book. The first page is all the food that is past its best before date and needs to be eaten first and that is on the left hand side of the top drawer.

Next in the book is a page for each month of 2017. Most of this food is on the right of the top drawer.

Then there is a page for 2018 and 2019 - most of this food is in the bottom drawer along with teabags, coffee and baking stores - and a small amount stocked in my bedroom - just a few packets of rice, cartons of rice milk and tins of coconut milk. My plan is to get these into the drawers as soon as I can. I also have a fruit bowl out, a small spice and herb collection and oils in a little drawer by the oven and some potatoes in another cupboard.

I will endeavour today to sort out my freezer. Top shelf for opened boxes, packets - including bread. Middle for food that is past the best before dates, and the bottom one for food that has yet to reach its best before date.

I bought 3 jars of marmite one year - two were the XO version which I love, and the other had gold flecks in it which is the last one to be opened and I am currently using. I think it is dated 2014! But I read it never goes off, and it still tastes fine to me.

After the inventory is completed, I will be able to know what needs eating by its location in the house as well as in the inventory. My long term plan is to end the year without carrying food over that needs eating up.

frogletina

Edited to add that I have too many biscuits and chocolate which I have had to put elsewhere. I told my daughter she shouldn't buy me chocolate. I get lots as my birthday is just before Christmas as well. She said, but you like it and can just have a bit each day. The problem is, I can't stick to one bit and end up far eating too much.

Frogletina

Below is a list of items that I need to eat up.

I've included homemade items in freezer - I never know what date I should consider them ok to eat. However, my youngest told me that she had the rest of the Christmas nut roast I made for her last year, for this year's dinner.

Foods in the freezer past the bb date

vegetable fingers
vegetarian sausages
vegetarian sausage rolls
chopped ginger
green beans
cheesy mash
vegetarian chicken style strips
Jus rol pastry
2 part used loaves of bread
1 part used gluten free loaf
1 loaf of bread
1 part used loaf of cheesy bread
1 packet of rolls
Home made vegetable curry
Home made quorn curry
2 Home made rissoles and 7 slices of cashew nut roast

In my fridge

4 coconut yoghourts
1 goat's milk yoghourt
carrots - nearing end of life
cucumber - nearing end of life
milk
lime juice
lemon juice
mayonnaise
alpro desserts
gruyere cheese

In my cupboards

flax seeds
tarka dall
gravy
vermicelli
sultanas
yeast
stuffing mix
18 small boxes of raisins
Golden breadcumbs - one still unopened
peanut butter
almond flour
millet
walnuts
marmite
peppermint and nettle tea

I will try to update this at least once a week

frogletina

ALIBOBSY

OK bought loads of food for crimbo (although less than previous years) but due to Dad sadly going into hospital on the 22nd and still in, not eaten all the stuff we expected. Frozen what I could and working hard to clear the fridge before use by dates. But realise I have both kitchen cupboards and a store room full of food on top of 3 freezers.

Really need to get on top of eating from the stores rather than buying more, not a bill thing more a want to save more and get stuff done in the house thing. We have lived on a very tight budget in the past and would like to again to enable us to save the spare cash for other things.

So any tips on where to start would be great, I am a bit of a buy in bulk when on offer and stack it up when it comes to food, and don't get me started on the stack of shampoos et al in the bathroom lol.

Ali x

Soworried

We are having separate meals tonight to use bits and pieces up.

Boys are having home made pizzas to use up some ham and some of the slowly decreasing cheese mountain.

I'm having egg foo yung to use up some left over stir fry veg and a few eggs that went out of date on the 16/12. I'll put some left over turkey in it also.

meg72

Would like to join please, two freezers rammed, aim to start today using three pork chops.

Would really like to do a proper inventory but just to much to go through so will be going through one drawer at a time, there are five so will take a while really want to get rid of this freezer as want a fridge freezer instead.

Techno

Delighted that our digestive systems have managed to cope as I kept finding things in the fridge with the conversation going oh this is 2 days out of date - it smells ok let's eat it. Never like to put anything that has gone out of date in the freezer so we have had some 'unusual' meals over the last few days :rotfl:

GreenFairy

Techno wrote: »

Delighted that our digestive systems have managed to cope as I kept finding things in the fridge with the conversation going oh this is 2 days out of date - it smells ok let's eat it. Never like to put anything that has gone out of date in the freezer so we have had some 'unusual' meals over the last few days :rotfl:

Most of our dinners in the last week have been made of things I bought in for Christmas and were about to go off :rotfl:

Used up between yesterday and today:
Bag of pasta
Box of eggs
( Turned into cheats carbonara with some of the New Years baked ham leftovers and the end of a tub of cream cheese from the fridge. Yum!)

2 bags of crisps
Bag of mozzarella
Packet of olives
Tin of anchovies
Bottle of lemonade

I also brought half each of a homemade cake and a chocolate tart to my sister in laws. Three teenagers made short work of them!

Any ideas what to do with a huge bunch of flat leafed parsley? I'd rather not compost it, but it only has a day or two before it goes funny.

JIL

GreenFairy wrote: »

Any ideas what to do with a huge bunch of flat leafed parsley? I'd rather not compost it, but it only has a day or two before it goes funny.

Tabouleh, English pesto, parsley sauce and freezing it?

JIL

I am trying very hard to sort out my stash this year. My freezer is leaking, it needs repairing, but it's so full I can't move it. Instead the leak has continued to drip and has ruined the wooden flooring underneath.
The fridge freezer is really old anyway, so if I can use up what's in there I can make a decision on what to do.

So, I am meal planning and I won't be spending any more than £20 in Aldi each weekend of January. I am sure there's enough food to last until May but small steps.

I announced it to my daughter, who rolled her eyes and said something along the lines of not again, so that's made me even more determined.

Chrystal

Hi everyone, hope it's OK to join in as I've decided that I must stop wasting food/money this year. I'm ashamed of the stuff I throw in the bin:o

I've got 2 large upright freezers, one in kitchen one in shed, and have no idea what's in the shed one as it's normally my son who takes the 'overflow' out there for me, but I DO intend to venture into the dark realm and take an inventory. :rotfl:

Had a stocktake of the kitchen one today and wrote everything down and stuck it on the door so I know what's in there and what's being used. ( it felt a bit like finding the treasure in King Tuts tomb) There are 2 of us and I honestly think we could live very well spending money only on fresh essentials for at least 3 months with what's in the cupboards and freezers!
I made a start yesterday and used up veg that I would normally have thrown out to make 2 pans of stew, kept some out to use and bagged up 6 portions and froze them. Problem arose when DGS who has been staying over the holidays said ' Ohh Nana that smells like pasta bake, as it's my last day here will you make me some':D Soooo I've got Pasta bake that I now have to sort out for the freezer:rotfl:

I look forward to sharing this journey with you all and picking up tips from the experienced