Eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge - part two

carinjo

@zafiro1984 regarding the freezer, even though it just 2 of you, you do use it to it's full potential. I got a small front open freezer for allotment veg couple of years ago. Last year hardly harvested anything, this year loads of stuff for winter stews etc. I have no space for any slow cooker meals or even chicken thighs (jealous @joedenise). I wish i invested in a bigger one. So if you able to, think you should get a big one.

Out: yesterday, sausagemeat for rough meatballs and spaghetti tonight.
In: 0

joedenise

@carinjo there wasn't quite as many thighs as I thought as they were a little bigger than usual so only ended up with 4 bags - just wish they'd been a little bigger and then I could have got away with 3 thighs between the 2 of us (I usually use them chopped so doesn't matter if not an even number!) but only 1 bag had 3 large thighs in the others needed 4 - so 15 thighs in total.

I'm glad I've got my chest freezer but sometimes I wish I had 2 under counter sized uprights instead as so much easier to organise but I can't find any that are suitable for outside use that will fit in my garden cupboard!  The only ones I can find are about 2" too deep.  My chest freezer has some plastic boxes and loads of carrier bags to try and organise it - it's the best I can do at the moment!

Nothing going in or coming out today!

zafiro1984

carinjo said:

@zafiro1984 regarding the freezer, even though it just 2 of you, you do use it to it's full potential. I got a small front open freezer for allotment veg couple of years ago. Last year hardly harvested anything, this year loads of stuff for winter stews etc. 

Hi carinio, point taken but I think the panic is over DH put his testers across plug and socket and it was the plug, not sure what he did but it now works. I have a feeling it was my fault - but I'm not going to admit it - the dyson hangs next to this freezer to recharge and I must have bashed the adjoining plug/socket on many an occasion.
The upside is that the freezer is defrosted and clean so that's one job less to do. Also, I needed some milk out of the adjoining chest freezer (which is where I put all the contents of the so called 'dead' freezer) I struggled to fine a 1L milk so had to reorganise this 500L plus chest freezer to find the milk which of course was near the bottom, so now that freezer is all organised as well.

On reflection I think I will turn the offending freezer off for a while. Does anyone do this and do you have problems when you come to use it again? The reason is 1) I have spare capacity at the moment  2) it will save on electric 3) I don't really need it until I do my bulk meat buying in the winter/spring.

Today:-
In 3 x 1L carton of HM turkey soup, 4 labelled steamed puddings.
Out:- 2 portions salmon
My daily mystery 'unlabelled package' which turned out to be crab apple and clove jam, which was made into steamed puddings.

joedenise

I often turn my chest freezer off when Ingonaway for a month or so.  No problem when I turn it back on.  Planning on doing it again towards the end of the year as long as Incan use up,most of what is in there and get the rest into the fridge/freezer.

carinjo

Out: chicken and veg soup
On: 0

zafiro1984

Thanks joedenise, I've turned it off but left the door ajar. It's tempting to use the shelves to store all my plastic containers which I collect. I find the1L icecream tubs good,  

In: 1 x 2 person portion of pheasant casserole
some spiced ginger cake
Out: 1 x uncooked turkey carcass to make into yet more soup, some bacon bits to go with green pea, mint and bacon soup. 

carinjo

In: whole chicken, chicken thighs.
Out: later, shortcrust pastry for tart tomorrow

zafiro1984

In:- most of a tray bake of lemon drizzle cake, 1L green pea soup, bread rolls
Out:- portion of puff pastry, ice-cream

carinjo

In: hm sloe gin, hm pickled cucumber.
Out: frozen sloes, tin anchovies, ingredients for pickles and tart.

The recipe says to freeze the sloes to break the cells. They looked pretty whole to me. Assuming once they defrost and get a bit of a shake every now and again, the juice will release. 

My sister got a promotion. She coming over today so making extra gin and pickles as a present. And yes, pickles and gin 2 of her favourite things!

joedenise

In:  0
Out:  lamb & chickpea curry (yesterday - was supposed to be for dinner but we were late having lunch so didn't have it so will be dinner tonight instead); chicken and chorizo - for dinner tomorrow night - will only use some of the chicken the rest will be used to make jerk chicken for another night's dinner; bacon for weekend breakfasts