Family of 5 'shop from home'food storage challenge...

Yategirl

sounds yummy Kaz....... very OS..... !!

anyone had to chance to try freezing iced buns etc?? wondering whether to make some today and freeze a few... need to make flapjack too - promised I would take some with us to eat over christmas (along with mince pies and apple pies....) wonder what else I should make? probably don't need anything else but I take after my mum and like to make sure that there is no likelihood that anyone will go hungry!!!! :laugh:

cheerfulness4

I froze half my last lot of iced buns and they came out beautifully. Like you, I wanted to check they would be fine to make ahead, as needed them for a tea party at my mums next week.
I worried the icing would go be a bit wet and gunky but it was lovely and firm and completely dry when thawed. (my icing is very thick, so can't vouch for it if its thinner. )

Kaz2904

Lots to do today. I've been to lidl and got bread flour for 48p per 1.5k. I spent £16 odd and got loads of veggies, fruit a prawn ring some cocktail sausages, a nice bottle of baileys type stuff so that bumped it up.
Anyone know what a pomelo is? Cause I bought one!!
Lamb fajitas for tea tonight.
I've done the hoovering, wm is on, td is on, dw is on. Need to make a loaf or might try some rolls later? Got to have a tidy up and then a mass present wrapping bonanza later.
It's DS's birthday tomorrow so family will be descending, so we can send them home with all of their presents. Yay!
Lol about MiL surfing- she doesn't do the internet. She has dial up and never goes on. I dropped DS's ben10 watch at her house earlier on the way to Lidl so that I didn't have to have a confrontation with her! So I've sent her a text to tell her where it is.
I've decided that if she rings again to get more stuff I'll just tell her to do whatever. I just can't be doing with it now.
Don't know if I'll be on later- masses to do, TTFN, Kaz.

Yategirl

re: MIL - probably the best way Kaz... you have give her your advice and if she chooses not to listen then that is up to her... but if she does choose to spend more.. do not feel beholden to her for the rest of the year!

Pomelo http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/grapevine/feeling-fruity/pomelo_173.html is this helpful?

right.... double batch of iced bun dough in BM... double batch of flapjack made... one batch dairyfree flapjack made (hope it is nice!)... been to library... got more *string* to make more dishcloths.... now need to hoover with our broken hoover... that is next years job... buy a new hoover(!)

good luck with your jobs Kaz!

likabu_2

Hi, I fancy joining your food storage challenge (I never seem to be able to stick to things though!).

The freezer is full, the cupboards not too bad and the fridge nearly bare but I want to get by without buying unnecessary items on the run up to Christmas.

Family consists of myself, partner and 2 boys aged 3 and 5.

This morning hasn't gone to plan, today and tomorrow are booked as annual leave from work (work 25 hrs week in hospital o/p) but I have ds(5) off with a yucky face. Took him to doctors and he has impetigo, seems to be spreading over his face - bleugh. Needed bread and milk, don't drive and we had a long way to walk back from doctors so called into the Spar - blinking expensive isn't it?! Got his bedding the the washing machine on a hot wash and have just rang the school to let them know. I asked if anyone else had it recently and they said "No" was kind of hoping he had caught it off someone because he sounds like a right dirty one now!

I have a breadmaker that I rarely use because our kitchen is tiny and workspace and electric points are lacking. The slow cooker is on now with a sausage casserole in it. Nice sausages but a lots of veg that was "on the turn"! Think I have put too much water in so will probably put some rice in with it later today. Saves having to peel potatoes also.

The boys love cakes, last week I tried the yougurt cake recipe from this thread but my baking never seems to turn out right. They ate it but you could tell from their faces they would rather have a slice of something full of additives.

My plans always start ok but tend to dwindle off and I lose interest easily so I am hoping that if I keep up with the reading on here I may stick to it.

I want to do this to save money to throw at the debts , to stop buying things I don't need and then end up throwing away and for us all to eat healthier - help me please!!!!

Thanks for reading
Lisa

Yategirl

Hi Lisa... will be interesting to read what everyone else say's... but my pennorth is...

make a list of everything that is in your cupboards/fridge/freezer and work out exactly what meals you could eat from what you have... you may need to top up with veg or dairy stuff etc... but you should be able to eat quite well from what you have.. when you plan - plan breakfasts/lunches/dinner and snacks

hth, YG

kethry

Yategirl: thai prawn soup recipe - sorry its taken so long to get back to you..

900ml chicken or veg stock (i use marigold's boullion)
30g peeled thinly sliced fresh ginger
2 lemongrass stalks, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed (I always chuck in more)
1 tbsp crushed chilli or red pepper flakes
450g large raw (i use small frozen) prawns, peeled and deveined or the same amount of chicken, either raw or cooked, but if cooked i would shred it, if raw, cut it very thinly
120g rice vermicelli noodles (I use the cheap noodles you can buy from aldi/lidl, the prawn or chicken flavour, and chuck the flavoring packet in too!)
120g beansprouts
2 spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp rice vinegar
10g fresh coriander leaves.

1. Put stock in a large saucepan/stockpot/pressurecooker base. chuck in ginger, lemongrass, garlic and chilli. bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add prawns, noodles, beansprouts and spring onions, cook for 5 minutes or till prawns are cooked and noodles are tender.
2. serve each bowlful with a splash of vinegar and a sprinkling of coriander.

you will need a bowl to the side to fish out the ginger slices and lemongrass sticks, don't eat them. This is a clear soup, i like to add sliced onion and sliced pepper, sauted gently in some veg oil before i add the stock and the rest, i think it adds extra flavour (this recipe originally came from a low-fat book).
If you're using raw chicken then you will need to cook for longer, which is why i say to slice thinly. This is a soup that can really be adapted to whatever you have in the fridge. I've thrown in green beans and mange tout before now, peas.. whatever you like. i add more garlic than the single clove above but then we *like* garlic. lol. thats the beauty of this recipe.. !!

enjoy -

keth
xx

applemella

Kaz a pomelo is a chinese grapefruit. It is a lot sweeter than grapefruit though

applemella

Wondered if anyone can give any ideas on what I can cook with a pork hock? Picked one up from local butchers as it was only 49p and could vaguely remember my mum buying them. Mind has gone blank about what she did with it!!

bellaquidsin

I'm so jealous, I haven't seen a pork hock for years. I used to slow roast them in a covered tin with a little drop of water for 3 - 4 hours at gas 2.

They were delicious, served with apple sauce. I once gave pork hock to visitors, they thought it was lovely but hadn't a clue which bit of the pig they had just eaten, and she was a domestic science teacher!!

Only last week I asked the butcher in Morrisons if they ever had them and he said they mostly get cured nowadays and sold as gammon shanks.

Bella