Living out of my store cupboard & freezer, how little can I spend to feed my family?

missymoo81

milasavesmoney wrote: »

Another out of the freezer-pantry dinner today...and in the crock pot!
Money saving me!
Taco Soup:
Freezer- sale hamburger I think you call this mince?
Pantry- canned white beans, chili beans and kidney beans dumped in with the juice and all. You can
use other types of beans.
Taco seasoning in pkt
Ranch dressing dry mix. ( is this something you guys use? I haven't seen it mentioned
anywhere)
Chopped onion
Hot chilies chopped:eek::eek: These could be left out and it will still taste great.
Canned diced tomatoes
Canned corn with it's juice
2 cups water
1 tsp each Cumin, salt, garlic powder (more to taste)
Cook on low 8 or so hrs. On high about 4 hrs.

I live in the desert SW of the US and we love our Mexican food!!

Amazing dinner, sounds scrumptious! Really healthy and filling! No we don't really use ranch dressing, I watch s lot of American cooking shows, love The Pioneer Woman, so see that a lot in her recipes.

Thanks so much for the ideas and encouragement FrugalWorker. Funnyyou say treat it as a challenge, that's exactly what I'm doing, it's the only way I can get through it, I love a challenge. And my day runs on caffeine too

Ok it is now DAY 3 and I still haven't spent any money. I will go to Tosco on Tuesday, I don't want to spend any more than £20 for the following 9 days. But I'm hoping it will be less than that, I will list what I buy on Tuesday.

Feeling pretty yukky with this awful cold, don't feel like doing too much, and littlies aren't really eating still, will see what I can put together later.

missymoo81

Ok...... Decided to make some leftover porridge pancakes this morning! Oh dear!!!! Firstly the porridge was too wet despite adding lots of flour and just stuck to everything!!! And fell Apart in the pan, so I took them out added lots of flour and an egg and reshaped and cooked and they're edible, just taste like ordinary plain pancakes really..... Not sure I'd bother again, May ate one, I think if I added banana they would be nicer, I wonder if left over porridge would make nicer cakes......

This using up and non buying is obviously going to take some time to get used to..... My kitchen looks like a bomb has hit it, from the soup/bread making yesterday and the porridge pancakes, there is flour and porridge everywhere!!!! Need to work on this!!!! Have also realised, I've just run out of hair mousse, I have really thick, longish curly hair so need something to tame it!! I can't live without it, and have just realised we have no washing up sponges left, so these will have to come out of the tiny shopping budget too. Right, more coffee!!!!!

Skint_yet_Again

Hi missy, I don't know which brand of hair mousse you use but Tesco do their own for £1. I haven't tried it myself - I used to use Asda's own value range for £1 until it was repackaged and went up to £2 ! and I have been using morresons own for £1 since then.

missymoo81

Skint_yet_Again wrote: »

Hi missy, I don't know which brand of hair mousse you use but Tesco do their own for £1. I haven't tried it myself - I used to use Asda's own value range for £1 until it was repackaged and went up to £2 ! and I have been using morresons own for £1 since then.

Ah thanks my dear, I've just had a look on line and seen it, I will give it a try, the value sponges are 40p too, will see how I get on on Tuesday!

maddiemay

Just found your diary and read up to date. You have had some great tips and recipes and are doing really well. I too have too much food in the cupboards and freezer. Since doing a written freezer inventory in an old notebook and religiously updating it with ins and outs, that is pretty much under control. The cupboards need to be done next!

A few things that I find useful:-

Grated courgette and carrot can be added to any mince or casserole type recipe for added health benefits/cutting down on waste and children mostly don't know it is in there if that is an issue.

Spinach, Kale and Parsley can be frozen in bags and when removed as much as needed can be crumbled into mince/casseroles and added to pizza toppings.

Muffins need to be mixed very lightly and so make quick, easy, portion controlled snacks/puddings. This recipe is for choc and courgette ones, great when gluts around cheaply in summer (my neighbour used to give me loads of them, so I needed to be inventive). http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/18816/chocolate-courgette-muffins.aspx The spices can be used as recipe/whatever you have or none at all.

Bread flour is great for HM pizza bases if breadmaking is not for you, lots of recipes on line using yeast and I sometimes just mix with yogurt for a quick result, again recipes on line. For a pizza topping I often just mix together tomato sauce and tomato puree and spread on, topping with what ever is around in the fridge.

If you have a slow cooker and find reduced price milk a vat of rice pudding is easy, we like it hot or cold and I often eat some for breakfast as I don't really like cereal. I cut back on the sugar a little and add some butter and nutmeg.

I know that quinoa is very healthy, but somehow I find the texture strange, but after checking the cooking times just mix it with and cook with rice.

Looking forward to following your journey:D

WantToBeSE

Morning Missy

Sorry to hear about the pancake disaster! And also the messy kitchen! The only thing i hate about always cooking from scratch (apart from the time it takes) is the mess it leaves the kitchen in, and the amount of dishes i have to do afterwards!

Dinner tonight is freezer surprise- in other words, a piece of meat that i froze months ago and didnt label..so i have no idea what it is! I think it's turkey or maybe pork? That'll teach me for not labelling! I always think I'll remember what it is, but never do!

missymoo81

Hey Maddiemay! Thank you so much for jumping aboard! Lots of lovely tips too! I'm going to give myself a good talking to in a bit, and make some biscuits, muffins and rolls. Need to make some yorkshires for dinner and a sponge pudding for after, to use up some of these eggs! Really want to be organised for the week ahead. With regards to the cauliflower and spinach, do I need to blanch them both first? I'm pretty sure I do for the cauli but not sure for the spinach, and any idea on mushrooms? Just don't want to waste anything!!! Going to freeze the ham I have in the fridge as will go off if not. Just need to find some get up and go, this cold is really knocking me out!

Ha ha ha wanttobese I do that a lot, many a time have I defrosted bolognese and it's actually been chilli!

Caterina

Hi, with regard to washing up sponges, can you repurpose old tatty clothes or any old fabric torn into pieces? If you need something scrubby, the netting bags that contain fruit, usually citrus but other veg and fruit too sometimes, are very good as pan scrubbers all scrunched up together and held by an elastic band (picked up from the street, those that the postmen drop regularly on their rounds).

If you can knit or crochet you can make your dishcloths and for scrubby ones you can use "yarn" made of strips of plastic carrier bags, although now that they have to be paid for it's not quite so economical.

missymoo81

Caterina wrote: »

Hi, with regard to washing up sponges, can you repurpose old tatty clothes or any old fabric torn into pieces? If you need something scrubby, the netting bags that contain fruit, usually citrus but other veg and fruit too sometimes, are very good as pan scrubbers all scrunched up together and held by an elastic band (picked up from the street, those that the postmen drop regularly on their rounds).

If you can knit or crochet you can make your dishcloths and for scrubby ones you can use "yarn" made of strips of plastic carrier bags, although now that they have to be paid for it's not quite so economical.

Oh thanks Caterina, how amazingly resourceful you are!

missymoo81

Nothing went to plan today, everyone has felt too ill, we've lived on sandwiches and pitta bread, I have baked some bread for sandwiches tomorrow at least. X