£29,303...Enough is enough!

WelshKitty85

DMP_Tiger wrote: »

Cookery lesson please - If you cook and freeze mashed potatoes, what do you do with them before you eat them?

Also, if you cook and freeze chicken, how do you heat it up?

We don't eat a lot of mash as DH is traumatised from being forced to eat it every day as a child :rotfl: . So I will probably defrost it then turn it into fish cakes, or use it to top another cottage pie.

With chicken I like to heat it in some kind of sauce so it doesn't dry out. I might add some to the curry sauce I have frozen, and probably heat some of the slices in gravy for a roast dinner.

Toni'sfriend

DMP_Tiger - Defrost the mash, put it in an oven proof dish, cover with foil and heat in the oven. You can add a bit of butter if you want.

Toni'sfriend

WelshKitty - Do you use cooked chicken for any of your chicken dishes.?I have a freezer full of left over chicken from our Sunday dinners and I'm at a loss as to what to do with it all.

WelshKitty85

We always have left over chicken from a roast dinner (I buy a big chicken so it does about 4 meals). This time of year I tend to make a pie and a stew with the left overs, but have also done wraps, quesadillas, stir fry, fried rice etc. I've just mastered a new oriental sauce that basically consists of stock, honey, soy sauce and garlic, throw in some chicken and serve with rice. It's lush!

LexieLou

Defrost Chicken - I leave my out or in the fridge, to defrost, use it in some dish with a sauce. Remember you can only reheat cooked (and defrosted) meat / chicken once. So if you make it into a curry, you cannot freeze the leftovers as the curry has already been warmed (assuming you have ate the curry!)

Don't freeze Mash - hate Potatoes...

I did the filling of chicken pie this weekend and a casserole. Its only me, so I froze portions in freezer bags and lay them flat in the freezer to save space. But must admit, it was a bit like the krypton factor getting all fitted in!

DMP_Tiger

WelshKitty85 wrote: »

heat some of the slices in gravy for a roast dinner.

I like that idea, how long does it take and at what temperature? I normally cook everything for 20 minutes at 180 degrees if there are no instructions.....

WelshKitty85

DMP_Tiger wrote: »

I like that idea, how long does it take and at what temperature? I normally cook everything for 20 minutes at 180 degrees if there are no instructions.....

I heat it in the pan. Make gravy from the veg water, add the chicken and let it simmer while I dish up everything else. I don't time it, just check its piping hot before serving.

WelshKitty85

Today I decided to shuffle our furniture around to make space for DC3s travel cot in the lounge. He's constantly on the go at the moment so need to be able to keep him in one place at times!! As we were moving the big unit we caught and snapped the filter thingy in the wall that connects the phone and internet, so lost both. Luckily FIL had a spare and has dropped it off as DC3 was traumatised at the thought of no internet :eek:

MIL also sent over a bag of frozen chips (the instructions say to deep fry, but we don't have a deep fat fryer so not sure of I can oven them?) and a big bag of grated cheese. She also sent LOADS of sweets for the children!

FIL helped DH to move the big furniture whilst he was here and my bad back is very grateful for that. Still have a bit of tidying up to do now, but I'm much happier with how the house is looking, and DC3 can use the travel cot as a play pen in the lounge now.

Very impressed today with Am@zon customer service. DH has a special sat nav for work for the size of his vehicle but it's stopped charging. Emailed them this morning but wasn't very hopeful as we bought it over a year ago. But within an hour we had a reply with a returns label and offer of a full refund. Very impressed!

WelshKitty85

Today I feel miserable as it is my last day of maternity leave (well the last 2 weeks were technically annual leave). I feel sad that I won't spend every day with my baby boy, worried about going back to a job that I'm still learning, stressed about how I'm going to get everything ready in the mornings and remember my lunch...

DMP_Tiger

Good luck! It will be hard at first but once you are in a routine, you will be fine