Ok so I think I have a 'slight' problem...help

Pitlanepiglet

Errm we have 5 freezers, including a large chest freezer...1 is though mainly dog food.

2 cans of tomatoes :rotfl: I've got two cases

In my defence, I bulk buy and do work through most of the stash and I bulk buy meat for the freezers when it's cheap.....I like having full cupboards though it's a nice safety net to know that I don't need to shop for a month or two if the wheels come off the financial wagon.

sooty&sweep

Hi
My stash would probably be similar if not bigger & I've never had the courage to face it. I enjoy cooking & trying new things so I have a bad habit of buying new ingredients & not using them or not finishing things off.
I think my new year resolution may be to face my stash & try & bring it under control !
Looking at your list I'd suggest that you allocate everything into subsections to make it easier for you to see what you've got and devise a meal. eg pasta/rice, cookin sauce, cereals, tinned veg, tin beans etc

Then if you take a main ingredient you can then see what you've got to go with it in the appropriate subsection rather than trawling through a long list of things and missing what you're looking for.
How do other's keep track of whats in your kitchen cupboards ?
Jen

chirpycheap

Apart from the fact that the food is actually hard cash just sitting on your shelves I don't think that having a large food store is necessarily a bad thing. It all depends on how you manage your store and what you put in your store. If it isn't saving you money then it isn't working.

My own store cupboard is very full but I only add to the stock pile if the items are i) at a very good, (preferably reduced/bogof) price ii) I will definitely use it. If a recipe requires something pricey that I know I will never use again I will substitute it.

You do have to rotate/check your store cupboard every few months so that food doesn't go out of date. I would be looking through your list at the use by/best before dates. Anything that is close to date make a list of and look for recipes to fit them. Having said that I do use stuff past its best before date!

Don't be overwhelmed, start off small, maybe one or two storecupboard meals a week. Choose one item and find a recipe for that ingredient. If a recipe works out stick it in a notebook and use it again.

We eat lots of red lentils, make a Lentil loaf or just use them to add to soups and stews. Lots of lovely recipes for bean stews or bean salads to use the tinned beans. You could make some ice cream cone cupcakes and use up some of the Betty crocker icing and cones. You have lots of potential meals ready to be eaten.

I think it all depends upon how much time we have. If you haven't time for a lot of planning and cooking keep it simple. I think we all get carried away by magazines and cooking shows and feel that every meal has to be like it is on the television and we have to be domestic godesses. Sometimes the best meals are the simplest ones and don't need a whole lot of fancy ingredients.

Keep us posted with what you decide to cook and how your stock pile is decreasing!:D

savetosave

HenrysMummy wrote: »

Dry Cupboard
2 x Pilaurice (2min micro kind)
1 x 8 pack poppadums’
2 x cansKindney beans
1 x canchickpeas
2 x canchopped tomatoes
1 xVegetable soup can
4 x bakedbeans
5 x tomatosoup
1 x tinpotatoes
1 x tincarrots
450gwholegrain brown rice
500g driedkidney beans
200g driedborlotti beans
350g driedchickpeas
300g pearlbarley
280grisotto rice
300g redsplit lentils
400gsultanas
1kg whiterice
250g driedapricots
250g smallpasta shells
125graisins
1 packdried lasagne sheets
400gpudding rice
1 jar goosefat
1 xciabatta loaf
4 x whitebaguettes
1 x tubmild curry powder Schwartz
12 xchicken stock cubes
170g clearrunny honey
Smalltagine spice mix tub
3 x fishstock pot (knorr)
1 x beefstock cube
15 x vegstock cubes
1kgspaghetti pasta
1kg passata
1 x reddolmio and 1 x white domiio lasagne sauce
2 x hoisinand garlic stir fry sauce
1 x periperi medium rub for chicken
1 x longgrain rice microwave sachet
1 x slowcooker chicken curry packet mix
3 x roastedveg couscous Ainsley harriot mix
1 x vegflavour instant noodles
1 x hollandaisesauce mix
1 x kidscheese and tom rice micro packet
1 x chickencasserole mix
3 x shepherdpie mix packets
1 x beefcasserole packet mix
1 x chickenand chorizo gratin packet mix
190g suet
2 x packetsstuffing mix
1 xsomerset pork packet mix
1.3kgcouscous
1 x chillicon carne mix packet
½ jarpataks tandoori paste
1 jar leviroots reggae reggae cooking sauce
1 x spagbol sauce
2 x goldensyrup jars
42 x icecream cones (1x choc, 1 x strawb sauce)
2 x Betty Crockerchoc fudge icing
Vanilla essence
Mini marshmallowsabout 100g
16 x 7gdried yeast sachets
6 x sachetsbicarb soda + 180g pot
160g bakingpowder
14 xmeringue nests
2kgporridge oats
1kg cornflakes
10 Weetabix
1kg catersugar
1.3kg self-raisingwhite flour
2.5kg plainflour
1.5kg stonegroundwholemeal bread flour
1.5kgstrong white bread flour
Chickengravy granules
Beef gravygranules
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Groundnut oil
Chilli vinegar
Light soysauce
Sunflower oil
2 x sweetchilli dipping sauce jars
1 x cancondensed milk
1 xchocolate spread
Worcestershiresauce
1 x Bournevillecocoa powder

Herbs andspices: oregano, cumin, mild chilli powder, ginger, crushed chillies, parsley, cinnamon,mixed herbs, ground coriander, black pepper, star anise fruits, turmeric,ground cloves, bouquet garni, thyme, tarragon, cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg,whole cumin seeds, paprika, garam masala.

1kg goldengranulate sugar
1.3kg Demerarasugar
500g lightbrown soft sugar
200g icingsugar

Freezer
20 fishfingers
48 minihomemade mince pies
1kg choppedonion
600g wintervegetable mix
Herbs and spices in freezer – garlic, ginger, mint, jalapenos,coriander, parsley.
1 x sainscod and chorizo potatos bravas (ys –thankfully)
1 packroasted butter parsnips (ys)
800g petitepois
1.4kgsweetcorn
1 x beef inblack bean sauce ready meal
1 x Thai redchicken curry ready meal
500g mince
8 x chickenbreasts
2 x pizzassloppy Giuseppe (ys)
16 x minisausages in bacon (ys)
1 x cheeseand garlic bread pizza bread
450g roastpotatoes (home made)
8 x pork sausages
6 meat freesoya sausages
20 meatfree soya sausage rolls
2 ½ garlicbread baguettes
4 x Yorkshirepuddings (homemade)
2 x plainnaan breads
1kgsouthern fries
3 x focacciabread
4 x Pollackfishcakes
Packet ofking prawns
1 ½ blockspuff pastry
2 skinlessand boneless haddock fillets

Fridge
1 x tubphilladelphia
100gpancetta
1 x backbacon pack
1 x pizzaexpress salad dressing
1 x squirtycream
Butter
Eggs
Milk
Red chillies
Red +yellow peppers (3)
4 lemons +4 limes
Garlic bulbs(3)
Chatennay carrots
4 x bakingpotatoes
Seafood sauce(6 weeks until no good)
Mayo (1month)
200gcranberry sauce (homemade)
½ jarstrawberry jam
½ jar mangochutney
Jar ofwholegrain mustard
Jar Dijonmustard
1 x roll shortcrust pastry
Maple syrup
Hot peppersauce

I'm just off to hide at that omission of food volume. The other reason I find it so bizarre is in every other room of the house Im a nightmare for throwing things out / charity shop / regifting - my hubby moans about the fact he can never find things as I have found new homes for them. Im the same at work too, if it isn't used in 12 months it goes. So why do I feel the need to hoard food?

Hi
This really doesn't seem bad to me, just a bit of using up and then menu planning around what you have in stock. But, I would stop buying the packet mixes. What could be in a shepherds pie mix? Surely it's just gravy.

New Year's Day you could use up your parsnips and Yorkshire puds and maybe the cranberry sauce.

Use the puff pastry to make something like cranberry, Brie and bacon or pancetta bakes, or even just with jam to make turnovers for pudding one day.

Each day pick something out of the fridge or freezer and match with something from the cupboard and then don't replace it until you actually need to use it again.

Good luck, let us know how you are getting on x

moments_of_sanity

I have 3 large freezers full of food from Milk, butter, bread to pork chops, stewing steak etc, I have a large floor to ceiling larder cupboard that is full and I have a rack system in the garage that is fit to burst!

Very embarrassed to say that DD asked for a flan tonight, I bought the cake type base before Christmas but 'found' 2 tins of mandarin pieces (dated use by 11/03/2012) and a packet of gelatine type mix in the cupboard (dated 01/07/2010)! Flan was nice but can't believe I still had these items knocking about. I think I may need to list my stash!

catshark88

I get quite fretful when I get to my last tin or 2 of chopped tomatoes..... Isn't that crazy, lol?!

maman

That list is so mammoth that I think you should attack it in stages. :T on writing it all down, that's a good start.

Before you buy another thing, I'd suggest you make a meal plan for just a week adding in only the absolute minimum of fresh food (you may need nothing) and using up fridge food first. I'd work through like that until you make a big dent.

P.S. I must make some fishcakes from the tin of salmon that's been luring in my cupboard for years:o

HenrysMummy

Thanks everyone, early night for me last night. Today I need to pop out to take a few things to the charity shop, get a few DIy bits and then nip into Al*I to get some fruit and bucks fizz for tonight. The challenge will be not to buy anything else.

After that I'm going to come back and following your good advice try to think of a meal plan to see us through this week without needing to buy anything else. After that is where I will get stuck - I'm not very imaginative with what to do with things unless I see a recipe that catches my eye. So that's where the hard work will be.

Thanks for all the advice so far. Hope you all have a good day.:)

[Deleted User]

:o:oI have a large lock'n'lock box crammed full of packets of dried sauce mixes that I have collected over the past year when I have seen them reduced or on special offer.Its one of my resolutions that I WILL not buy any more packet mixes :) but then I suppose we all have our foibles when it comes to shopping I bought two jars of mincemeat reduced to 30p each yesterday in Sainsbobs and realised when I got home I still have a jar from last Christmas at the back of the cupboard.I think its sometimes you see a bargain and think "that will come in handy" trouble is you shove it in the cupboard and forget you've got it.I live alone and yet I have enough food in my cupboards and f/freezer to feed half the street.Daft really as its hard cash sitting in the cupboards.As its NYE I have decided enough is enough and NO more shopping for me until the stash is reduced .I have even given both of my DDs free rein in my cupboards to help themselves yet I still have stack of stuff left .So NO more, its gotta go and this time I am going to make sure it does .
I am at DDs at the moment but when I get home tomorrow I shall be writing out and listing things along with menu's to use this stuff up.I am hoping that by doing so I will reduce my January food budget by quite a large amount :):) I normally have £60.00 in my seperate food purse for the month I am going to see how much I can get through before having to use any hard cash in the shops
Good luck with the rest of you and Have a Happy New Year
JackieO xx

Living_proof

I am with you Jackie - I have a ridiculous amount of foodstuff for just me and only the occasional visitor. I am going to have a month of almost no food spending - just the occasional pint of milk, F & V, etc. I cannot resist rtc and ys goodies. Even yesterday I bought diced pork, chicken breasts and cumberland sausage with 30% reduction from Lidl, still within date for around £5.50 but the reality is that this would feed me for 12 or so meals. I am cooking a large roast for friends tomorrow so that will be more leftovers, and then there's the whole smoked salmon in the 'fridge..... In fact that's almost January seen to never mind the two freezers, the pantry and the fridge! I'm beginning to see it all as an illness all this food hoarding - I security blanket somehow. 2014 will be the year when I beat it and get it all within manageable proportions.

Good luck to you all for the New Year!