Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

caronc

In: nothing
Out: nothing
Use up: OOD eggs, made bubble & squeak (loads so some for the freezer tomorrow)

kboss2010

Out: garlic baguette, 2x portions of spag bol., 1/2 tub of vanilla ice cream, 1/2 tin of beans.
In: fajita/taco filling leftovers

kboss2010

I'm trying to spend less and part of that is not buying "junk" food for evenings in watching tv or on my way home.

So I'm using up my store cupboard of flour, raisins, spices & chocolate chips to make scones to take to work with me for the walk home so I stop popping into co-op for reduced pasties or sandwiches. And I'm making myself use up my loose leaf teas every time I start getting peckish in the evenings.

My cupboard is looking very bare, I'm trying to reduce it to nothing to make myself use up the stuff I avoid using before re-stocking with only store cupboard essentials as required and whatever we need for that week.

Ginmonster

I'm gradually reducing the piles of ancient stuff in my store-cupboards but that has meant a lot of leftovers going into the freezer which is now completely stuffed to the gills. I have to open the door carefully in case anything falls out!


I'm leaving the cupboard stuff for a while to try and reduce the freezer stores again. Good progress in the last couple of days : 2 tubs of ice cream finished off (they only had small bits in each) and some leftover hm pizza. Today I've brought in some soup and a pitta bread from the freezer for my lunch. I just need to ensure that any dinners we cook in the evening from the fresh bits and bobs don't generate any further leftovers to go back in the freezer!


I've also brought in the rest of a cake to work that my husband and son made on Sunday for Mothers' Day as we'll never eat it before it goes stale and there's no room in the freezer! My colleagues will have no problems polishing it off. :-)

kboss2010

purpleybat wrote: »

i don't often pop into this thread but for the last year ive been trying to run my freezer down.
the thing is I keep taking stuff out to use up but the subsequent leftovers get put back in.

I'm finding that too! I made fajita filling last week intended for 2 meals but I ran out of tortillas before it was finished so it's frozen to stop it going off. OH wanted to make a curry so I made him use up the veg in the fridge, 4 small onions & chickpeas in the cupboard... which has resulted in 6 very generous portions of curry!

So that's my brown rice almost used up (one portion left), a box of blue jell-o made up to have for dessert this week, two portions of curry used, a portion of bacon, pea & tomato pasta & almost all of my raisins.

Lunch tomorrow will be brown rice, a soy sauce/honey/5 spice sauce & a few handfuls of freezer veg.

I think I might make apple, raisin & coconut scones for Friday to use up a couple of apples.

I'm enjoying this using up stuff, the emptying space in my cupboards is great!

caronc

In: portion of bubble & squeak
Out: 2 sausages, slice of bread, deli roll and a tin of plum tomatoes
Use up: portion of bubble & squeak, slice of beef and a boiled egg

oldtractor

OUT of freezer, bread,sausages,peas,broccolli,fish
IN bacon

zafiro1984

I'm doing a lot of batch cooking at the moment due to the central heating boiler needing replacing and having to light the woodburner/cooker to keep the house warm. I thought I'd make use of the heat as it costs nothing to run to do as much batch cooking as possible. All I've been doing is casseroling meat and cooking fruit, refreezing it in portions so I can turn it into different things at a later date.

OUT and then IN again
3kg venison mince
4kg venison pieces
5 turkey legs, 4 thighs, 4 drumsticks
4 back carcasses, and 5 carcasses where the breasts are. I took the meat off these before re freezing, It made some really good stock to use later.
Today I've taken all the turkey necks (14) out to cook, I'll refreeze and use the meat in soup.
Also cooked about 6kg plums, cooked in 2 bottles white wine, refrozen in portions to be made into something at a later date.
Apples similar to above but no wine
Pears same as the plums but in red wine

In many ways I use more space in the freezer when things are cooked and refrozen but on the plus side I have loads of 'almost ready' meals and it didn't cost me a penny.

New central boiler has arrived - just needs putting in. If this doesn't happen for a few days I'll tackle some pork shoulder to make sausages/burgers but I fancy tackling the offal (livers mainly of pork, turkey, venison) and make pate to freeze, great over the summer - just missing one very important ingredient, so I'll need to buy a bottle of brandy!!

caronc

In: nothing
Out: 2 slices of bread, 1 turkey breast steak
Use up: 1/2 tin plum tomatoes

FurryBeastOz

Slowly moving through the freezer still. But also packing it with more. Only however with stuff made from store cupboard basics. I can actually see some shelves.

Guests on Saturday. 1 vegan. I'm going to use up old spices and rice along with chicken breasts from the freezer and a tandoori paste from the fridge. Will only need vegetables. The naan and chapatti are also from the cupboards.

I'm slowly using up the buckwheat flakes in Breakfast bakes. I'll use the last of the 2014 popping corn as snacks too.