Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

JensFeet

Happy Monday folks... GinMonster I 'blame' you for the Christmas pudding and custard I ate last night (thank you it was delicious!)... I just couldn't shake the craving once I had read it so as I have 'quite a few' YS xmas puds in the cupboard I opened a 'luxury' pud with nuts and cherries and all sorts of wonderful items and a box of cold ambrosia custard bought at xmas this year... The pudding itself had a 2014 best before date but was absolutely delicious. I also found one with a 2010 best before date and considered using it - would you use one that old?

Only DS and myself like xmas pud / cake / mince pie so we had a good bit each and there's still half the pud left over which DS will enjoy over the next few days with the remaining custard.

Got a miserable stinking head cold over the weekend and feeling massively sorry for myself... Made even worse as 'diet' starts today again... I'm sure my family will be sick of hearing me moan by the end of the day. I'm off to Cyprus with my mum next week and I've noticed my clothes have gotten tighter around the waist band so 11 days of eating properly will help. I has been tucking into some of my xmas presents that I wasn't previously able to eat - and although delicious and very tempting - I can't afford to be buying clothes in bigger sizes so I will cut back on the rubbish and enjoy more of the LCHF foods I enjoy (but which my pancreas hates and lets me know it). Chronic pancreatitis is absolute pants to live with but at least I AM alive!

NSD #8 yesterday and planning #9 today too. It's still blowing a hoolie here and I've got the stove burning and even have the central heating on low as kids aren't at school and it is a really cold day / house. I have always prioritised heat and comfort over moneysaving I'm afraid and although I minimise heating as much as possible I just can't be miserably cold. I do have 4 layers on at present and my granny blanket over my knees - known to wear hat and scarf inside too - but it's a compromise I'm happy to pay for at present. Although I'm desperate for my start date for my new job as having an actual income again will mean I don't worry so much about it!!!

I made a really lovely lasagne yesterday - used up lots of bendy veg from the freezer and most of the last of the xmas (non-brie) cheeses.

OUT: 200g beef mince (F), leftover sukuk from Saturday night tea chopped into the mix, cheeses, bendy veg, chopped tomatoes, pasta sheets, milk etc (all from stores); small xmas pud, carton of custard, angel delight (A!di version). For today: blaggis burger x4 (F), x3 sausage and x1 small black pudding (to make sausage and black pudding patties), brioche buns (not for me), last of the salad made up on Saturday. Cupboard items for lunch time.

IN: 4 portions of lo lasagne for freezer; lo xmas pud, lo custard, lo angel delight (will use up over next couple of days)

Oh and I unearthed a couple of very past their use by dates of pate from xmas too (in fridge). I was going to put out on to the bird table - have read that it's okay for birds in winter - BUT - sorry if this sounds daft - I wouldn't want the birds to get sick from it being so long past dates. It looks absolutely fine and no bad smell to it. Bin or birds?

Thanks everybody and I hope you all have a great week x

Suffolk_lass

JensFeet, If it passes the sniff and eye-test - we eat it, and we're still here!

Sorry to hear you have the rotten heavy cold - my DH has it too. He has been using the sooodafed blue nasal spray and it is marvellous for clearing the blocked nose (and stopping him snoring, so I can still sleep). He has also been taking old-fashioned Boots Pholcodeine cough linctus - marvellous stuff!

I'm also on a trial diet - reducing my sugar and carbohydrate intake as much as possible to see if I feel better (my joints creak and ache and I know I am too fat). Less than two weeks in and I do (though I have had thickened sauce twice and two tiny pieces of potato) but so far 12lbs in 12 days so happy to see positives. Good luck with yours.

SL

JensFeet

Awwwwww... Thank you SL... Although the rotten cold is pants I always think it's worse for everyone around us having to listen to the snottery, coughing, sniffling, moaning, snoring etc. Glad your hubby is finding relief with the nasal spray and cough medicine. I'm on paracetamol and sympathy at present although I know there's cold/flu tablets in the cupboard if I want them. My nose isn't too blocked at the minute but the sinus pressure is mounting and I always have the Boots own brand decongestant in - the branded ones have caffeine in which plays havoc with my sleeping.

Well done on your 12lb loss in just 2 weeks! That's tremendous. I also love how not eating the 'beige food' makes me feel better - less inflammation and my leg lymphoedema is always much reduced which in turn reduces pain. It's just the head part of me which misses the beige food (and it's much cheaper I suppose too). With my CP I suffer mad bloating from eating beige foods and although a carbohydrate diet is the recommended diet for my condition I just can't eat beige without piling weight on. So with my replacement enzyme medicine I take with food I'm much more able to have fat without the dire consequences of malabsorption and I eat so much less when I eat fat. I know the jury is out on the evidence for lchf eating but from the evidence I've seen I'm a huge fan and have lost an awful lot of weight (sadly on several different occasions) from following it as a way of eating.
Do you have a goal SL? Weight loss or clothes size or adventure you want to go on? I would just like to get back to clothes not feeling too tight again. Small steps. I do have a lot of weight to lose all together still but I have to be slowly slowly catche monkey... And I'm also NOT weighing myself until I know my clothes fit again as I just KNOW it will send me off the deep end into a binge! Oh it would make life easier - although dull - if there was just a pill instead of this whole food business.
Sorry I will stop rambling now but best of luck with your plan too!

I have had to spend £100+ on nutritional supplements the last few weeks as my GP wasn't able to prescribe the items I need to keep gaining wellness. I was left with malnourishment which is much improved but my blood results are still very unstable. So I invested in my health - which I absolutely don't mind at all - but fitting in these supplements alongside meals is difficult but worthwhile.

As for the eye and sniff test - I'm just not sure about the 6 weeks past use by on pate?! I might give it another coat of looking at. See how brave I'm feeling x

Ginmonster

Glad you enjoyed the Xmas pud Jensfeet! I did too. :-)

As for eating things past their dates - Xmas pud is pretty much everlasting in my opinion so I would happily eat years old pud. The alcohol preserves it and I don't there are any things in it that would be likely to make you sick. As for the pate, I'd be a little wary as I think the danger there is listeria which involves a lot of vomiting. :-( A few days past a use by date is usually fine as the producers play it very safe but if you were thinking of eating something lots of weeks past it then it might be worth heating to a high temp first. Or play it safe and bin it. No idea at all if it's ok for birds.

I had bottom-of-the-fridge soup for lunch with the last of the bread and I have mushroom and chestnut casserole waiting for tea. With mash I think. Getting control of the fresh veg stores at last and nothing is getting binned. Yay!

dannie

Still no food groceries purchased since my update on 8/2/2017. My online (food) grocery order is next week.

Jensfeet - thanks for your post regarding my two shopping experiences. Sorry for the delay in replying to your question as I have been thinking it over. In retrospect, in viewing food reductions, I question whether they really are "bargains". Whether there are similar priced/fresh(er) of these in the store anyway? Or, if there is anything at home that can be used first? My homemade "menu cards" (i.e. inventory) are useful in reminding me about my present food "stocks" too.

caronc

In: nothing
Out: 2 flatbreads
Use up: LOs from last night, end of a savoy cabbage

FurryBeastOz

Out - 2 x lasagne, 1 savoury muffin, 1 x chocolate brownie for tomorrow.

Franalamadingdong

Making soft goats cheese....

1. Mix 1 heaped TSP of citric acid into 50ml of cooled boiled water (room temp). Stir and allow to dissolve.
2. Pour 4 pints of goats milk into a pan. Drizzle citric acid solution into the milk, stirring thoroughly in an up and down motion.
3. Heat the milk on a medium heat to 180*F/82*C. Stir often to prevent scorching. When it reaches temp take pan off the heat.
4. Cover with pan lid and allow to set undisturbed, off the heat for 30 minutes.
5. Double up muslin and line a colander. Gently pour the curds in to drain away the whey.
6. When most of the whey has drained sprinkle in 1 TSP of salt and mix gently. Also add any other herbs you want now.
7 gather up the edges of the muslin to create a bag. Twist the bag and give it a very gentle squeeze to remove more of the whey.
8. Using the corners of the bag hang over a mixer tap or wooden spoon over a bowl for 30-60 minutes.
9. Shape into balls, logs or transfer into a dish.

Crumbly goats cheese is a little different. You heat it to 190*F/87*C. You can use 1-2 TSP of salt depending on how salty you want it. To drain in the muslin you gather the curds into a mound in the middle of the muslin, fold the corners over the cheese, place a plate on top and weight it. A bit like when making parmagiana. Leave the cheese to press for at least 1 hour. The longer you leave it, the firmer it will be.

JensFeet

Ginmonster wrote: »

Glad you enjoyed the Xmas pud Jensfeet! I did too. :-)

As for eating things past their dates - Xmas pud is pretty much everlasting in my opinion so I would happily eat years old pud. The alcohol preserves it and I don't there are any things in it that would be likely to make you sick. As for the pate, I'd be a little wary as I think the danger there is listeria which involves a lot of vomiting. :-( A few days past a use by date is usually fine as the producers play it very safe but if you were thinking of eating something lots of weeks past it then it might be worth heating to a high temp first. Or play it safe and bin it. No idea at all if it's ok for birds.

Glad you enjoyed yours too GinMonster!! We were sooooooo good using it up like that... I have to agree with you about the xmas pudding date logic - especially when it gets heated all the way through before eating... Have once eaten cold leftovers fried in butter which was SO good (oh no I must stop talking cake when I'm avoiding it!).

Yep it's listeria in pate that scares me too... I think I would feel too awful if anything bad happened to the garden birds - we have 2 wood pigeons who seemingly spend the day here and would definitely try the pate. But I think better safe than sorry and I am going to have to put into the bin and avoid the potential guilt. Lesson learned for next Christmas - there were 2 small half packs (individually sealed half portions) leftover so just buy 1 next year!

Sounds like you're winning the war with your stores too GM. Keep going x

dannie wrote: »

Still no food groceries purchased since my update on 8/2/2017. My online (food) grocery order is next week.

Jensfeet - thanks for your post regarding my two shopping experiences. Sorry for the delay in replying to your question as I have been thinking it over. In retrospect, in viewing food reductions, I question whether they really are "bargains". Whether there are similar priced/fresh(er) of these in the store anyway? Or, if there is anything at home that can be used first? My homemade "menu cards" (i.e. inventory) are useful in reminding me about my present food "stocks" too.

Dannie thanks ever so much for coming back to me about this and what you say makes perfect, rational sense and I suppose it's something that may take practice if it doesn't come 'naturally'? Only since taking part here have I stopped to consider whether better is available for less - or if we will use it in a reasonable timeframe which has been great for practice. Also having a written list has been great and having an actual identified budget which I had never really considered before too. Throw in my ompetitive nature and wanting to come in under that budget and we might be getting somewhere.

When you say your inventory cards - you take these with you when you shop? Or is it in your memory before you leave the house? This is also a new step I've taken - the inventory. This has meant I haven't had to buy any protein elements of our meals for quite some weeks now as I know what's in and what's not - and the meal plan is built around that.

Maybe I AM learning after all? Although it's very very early days obviously as I'm still finding the pull / lure of the shops distracting... But it's a lure I am so far avoiding. Honestly, thank you for coming back to me about how you manage this. So much to think about and conquer but I know I'm making progress. I hope you're seeing space appear in your stores and / or freezer x

February NSD #9 achieved. Beige food avoided. A successful day I think.

OUT: as planned for evening meal; 4 seperate lunch meals cooked but all using up bits and bobs - mine was bendy green veg (sprouts, green beans, lo cabbage), a rasher of bacon, mushrooms in an omelette with brie melted on top and was lush. Plus have half left for tomorrow too. Added shredded savoy cabbage to the lo salad to bulk it up a bit further so have a little leftover still (will go with my lunch).

IN: lo veg omelette, lo salad (fridge), lo chipolata sausages which we will use up for tomorrow's evening meal plan

Hoping that the milk will last us until Wednesday morning so I can avoid the shops for another day as still okay with everything else at present.

Sorry I do seem to have a lot to say but I think it's just been so eye-opening to see how you all work your shopping and budgets and I have so much to learn. It's fab thanks x

[Deleted User]

Picking away at the freezer

OUT

2 tubs of cabbage & potato soup
1 tub of Broccoli & spinach soup
Tomorrow I will be taking out a pack of Linda Mc sausages.