Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

*Jellie*

Yesterday We batch cooked some beef stroganoff and froze it for future use. All ingredients were from freezer or storecupboard. Once again increased amount of onions and mushrooms compared to meat so stretched a recipe for 2 portions into 8 portions (4 meals for us).
Have soured cream, apples, blueberries and bananas to use up in next couple of days and tons of cheese and meats from Christmas.
I also need to redo my inventory of batch cooked food that is in freezer.

Soworried

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.

Pop it in the oven on a baking sheet after you have used it and turned it off, this will dry it then you can use it for months in anything you like. I do this all the time with fresh herbs that I see for pennies reduced.

Soworried

I don't know what to make to eat today yet, It will involve a pkt of stir fry that needs used up. I got 3 for 20p each on nye and there is still half a bag.

Still have 3 OOD eggs to use & a mountain of cheese. I might do a crustless cheese and onion quiche at lunch time with them.

I always meal plan but with so many left overs I'm having to check daily which fresh stuff looks the least likely to last and think of a way to use them up first. I have a small space in the freezer now so will grate some of the cheese today.

We used up quite a few of the open bread sticks and crackers yesterday lunch time with cheese.

Veg and cheese is still my main concern and no freezer space. I do have fridge space now so I'm thinking do I defrost some thing big like a full chicken & roast it to use over the next 3 days so that I can prep and freeze all the veg? But then I already have chicken/turkey breast cooked and sliced in the freezer

As New shadow pointed out to me a few days ago, 3rd world problems :A

meg72

Out of freezer today, pack of YS chicken breast and pack of bacon. Will do for next two days, Bacon wrapped chicken and chips today and chicken curry tomorrow.

meg72

Soworried wrote: »

I don't know what to make to eat today yet, It will involve a pkt of stir fry that needs used up. I got 3 for 20p each on nye and there is still half a bag.

Still have 3 OOD eggs to use & a mountain of cheese. I might do a crustless cheese and onion quiche at lunch time with them.

I always meal plan but with so many left overs I'm having to check daily which fresh stuff looks the least likely to last and think of a way to use them up first. I have a small space in the freezer now so will grate some of the cheese today.

We used up quite a few of the open bread sticks and crackers yesterday lunch time with cheese.

Veg and cheese is still my main concern and no freezer space. I do have fridge space now so I'm thinking do I defrost some thing big like a full chicken & roast it to use over the next 3 days so that I can prep and freeze all the veg? But then I already have chicken/turkey breast cooked and sliced in the freezer

As New shadow pointed out to me a few days ago, 3rd world problems :A

Good idea to take out the chicken, takes up a lot of space the already cooked and sliced will keep for another time.

oceanspirit

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

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

I would start with going through fridge and using up as much of this as possible over the next few days.

Then go through the freezers, write a list of everything that's there and move things around in the 3 freezers so that one contains the oldest things, the second the next and the third the newest. Once each freezer empties, switch it off so you are not tempted to fill it again.

Whilst doing this, throw away anything which you know for certain you will not eat. Be honest with yourself and be ruthless.

Then once the freezers are done, do the same with storecupboards including herbs and spices. Anything which has a long date which you know you won't use can go to a foodbank or passed on to friends or family for them to use. Getting rid of the clutter will really help to spur you on.

Start with doing just a section at a time - I started several days ago but so far just have a list of herbs and spices, been working through my fridge and have taken a couple of items out of the storecupboard to use as soon as appropriate. Will look at the next shelf in the cupboard tomorrow.

Maiden_Mum

Used up some sausage meat & pastry to make some sausage rolls which was great but what was not so great was having to throw out a full packet of chicken drumsticks that were a few days out of date. Annoyingly they must have had a very short use by date when I bought them but hadn't noticed. 2 portions of left over beef casserole also added to the freezer.

milasavesmoney

I normally label meals with freezer tape and a magic marker but tonight's dinner slipped by...or some one else put it in there. Turns out to be yummy chicken enchiladas. DH will be very happy.

I also found some cubed up leftover roast in there while I was perusing contents. (Sometimes I'm amazed at how frugal I am becoming :cool: but it doesn't do any good if I lose it in the freezer ) I'll make beef stew for tomorrow night.

milasavesmoney

Meg you might also make some croutons to use up some of the bread. They will keep a couple of days in an air tight container. Then you could use them in a salad with some of the raw veg, cooked chicken and grated cheese lettuce etc. A nice dressing or O&V.
I freeze them and they do well for those of you with more freezer space.

Purple_kitten

For the freezer today, I took 3 pureed meals I had made from the freezer to take over to DF, and dug out 2 burgers I had made back in Aug but I found them immediately when I wanted them to cook up tonight.

We did go to Lidl to get a few bits and pieces and it let us down or it let us save depending how you look at it. For the first time it’s like someone had announced snow and we had missed it but we did get rolls and milk, the rest is from stock.