Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

MallyGirl

I finally got around to doing a freezer audit and have told OH and DD that we will be eating from it for some time. They were up for the challenge of meal planning and I have left the notepad on the table so that we can discuss dinner plans at breakfast and get things out to defrost.
I think there might be some interesting combos towards the end but it was good to do - we have enough onion bagels to last a lifetime so I now know not to buy them again even if on offer. There were 10.5 bagels in the freezer in various packets along with 5 I have fresh in the cupboard!
Tonight will be a chicken stir fry as I found 13 individual chicken breasts in there!

OH took HM tomato soup to work for lunch. Amazing!

[Deleted User]

These dieticians have a lot to answer for, which is why I still got stuff in freezer but refuse to throw out, not just 6 wks but perm. weight loss thing, still, I sneak a treat out every now and then. Glad you listed Out Of Date stuff. I haver lots, even meat, in my freezer - nothing wrong with using out of date frozen. Can sometimes not be as tasty but not gonna kill me, ditto tinned and dry packets as long as not dented or got wriggly things in dry goods. I think a lot of younger folks use these sites so do not know that when as a newly wed, we did not have sell by/use by dates, nor did my mum etc etc. She lived until 90 and I am 72, still hanging on. When I was young I asked a lady in shop ideas for dinner, she suggested Brains Faggots and I said no, I do not eat inners, she laughingly had to explain to me (innocent young bride) that that was the brand name, they have put Mr in front now a days, so I know how difficult it can be for young new cooks. Experience needed.

Cheapskate

Not shopped since Thursday, except for milk last night and coffees at DS' football match (grand total of £4.10). We had fish fingers last night, made into butties with teacakes from the freezer. I've had fried egg sandwiches for lunch, and DH will have a cheese omelette for tea, and I might have cupasoup of grilled cheese on toast (at uni today so littlies will eat at the childminder's).

Going to bake tonight or tomorrow - plenty of eggs, flour, etc, plus some over the hill bananas and various dried fruit, etc., cooking apples (will become crumble for after tea) - if I do loads, then I can freeze some for later in the week, and I'll only have to have the oven on once. Also have a few tins of chickpeas, that I will use for a cake recipe I found online; sounds bizarre, but works well!

DH is quite on board with all this - he sees it as part of his new year resolution to massively declutter the house!! :rotfl:

A xo

phizzimum

Very motivating to read how you are all doing
I've done an audit of the freezer in the shed but not properly gone through the kitchen one yet.
We have so many gooseberries! (DH has an allotment)

Not my favourite fruit but thought I'd make a pie next Sunday and some jam at some point. Still trying to get my stamina back after not being well so might be a while before I can be bothered with the jam...but when I do I was thinking of adding elderflower cordial

celyn90

Franalamadingdong wrote: »

9 jars!!!! I bought some of that biscuit spread stuff. Far too easy to eat! Very nice on ice cream wafers.... Which explains the half pack I have in the cupboard...

I know, it's crazy. It was on offer so he bulk bought. I'm gradually getting through it though, mainly baking with it.

I am working at using up the random boxes of fruit tea we have at the moment - I have sorted the basket and combined boxes. It looks a little better now.

Not made much of a dent on the main cupboard today though, although I did combine some jars and packets where there were two of the same thing open (mainly baking ingredients - partly a result of me being too short to see what's on the top shelf of the cupboard )

Off-loaded some wine and bottles of spirits onto a work colleague (accumulated from when people come to visit and we very rarely drink so it does stack up), she was very happy and I can now actually shut that cupboard door properly.

I'm on a mission :rotfl: :rotfl:

jintyb

Today I made a dent in the chickpea mountain, I made chickpea & spinach curry. It used up 2 tins of Chickpeas, 2 tins of tomatoes and a huge bag of spinach. Also tastes amazing and will do lunches for the rest of the week! ��

GreenFairy

Out today
Another pack of marrowfats
Lingering veg into roast veg - two spuds, two bendy carrots and half a giant sweet potato.
Two limes
Half a bag of fresh mint

Franalamadingdong

Chickpea mountain!:rotfl:

I love gooseberry fool and gooseberry crumble. I'm planning on planting a bush this year. I've prepared a plot for a little fruit bush area. I planted a plum, pear and apple tree the summer before last. No pears yet, but a couple of apples and loads of lovely plums - I only really like Victoria. I made gooseberry and strawberry jam last summer, it was not nice. Still loathed to bin it.

Managed to use the overflow pasta, used the sausages from out the freezer, nearly finished the yellowing broccoli. I've got pasta, basmati rice, arborio rice, red split lentils, green lentils and oats all in glass jars. They were just making a mess in the plastic packets and they'd get lost in the mass of crap. Hence overflow jar.

Celyn, do you use tongs to get packets off the top shelf? I'm sure the people fitting this kitchen thought giants were moving in!

Sunflower1227

jintyb wrote: »

Today I made a dent in the chickpea mountain, I made chickpea & spinach curry. It used up 2 tins of Chickpeas, 2 tins of tomatoes and a huge bag of spinach. Also tastes amazing and will do lunches for the rest of the week! ��

Sounds nice, could you post the recipe, or the link to it. Thanks

jintyb

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2141649/spinach-and-chickpea-curry

Recipe for the chickpea curry - I used two tins of tomatoes as I felt it cd do with more liquid. I also ignored the fact that it asks for tinned "cherry" tomatoes as I didnt have them and dont plan to ever buy them! Bunged a bit of fresh coriander in at the end cos I had some hanging about in the fridge.