The all new using what you have from your Freezer, Cupboard or Shed (Barn)

London_1

Had a lasagne from the freezer for dinner tonight and it was rather tasty  

RHemmings

Having finished the house move, but nowhere near sorting out the new house, I declare today the day I start trying to use up food again. There are some fresh vegetables in my fridge that have gone to waste, but not a huge amount. I'll replace them (courgettes, mushrooms, tomato, and lettuce), and then get down to the job of reducing food. I want to do so to avoid waste, but also reduce dry food ingredients so that I fit into the new, smaller, kitchen better. 

Over the last month I fell out of taking cooked lunches to work. Partially this is because I've been doing other stuff, and partially because the packet curries I've been taking (with packet rice from Aldi) are delicious and cheap. 

LotsOfTea

Last night's tea was pasta with 3 things from the freezer added - a small pot of veggie Bolognese sauce, a ball of smoked mozzarella and most of a packet of veggie sausages cut into chunks. I also added onion, kale and chilli flakes and it was delicious and very filling. Sadly due to having a bottle of wine with our tea we forgot to put the big load of leftovers in the fridge and they sat in the pan all night. ☹️

Anyway, moving on to today I've got curry for lunch. There a pot of spicy carrot Dal in the freezer I'll use and I'll check the chest freezer in the basement for a child friendly curry or knock up a quick peach and chickpea curry for DS and I'll be making some naan bread to go with it. 

Tea will probably be something in toast.

LotsOfTea

Tea last night was made by OH and he's on board with the mission as he used up a tub of cheese sauce from the freezer to make cauliflower cheese. Delicious! Lunch today will be mystery veg soup (again from the freezer) with some bread and for tea I've brought out some sausage rolls and vegetable rolls which I'll heat up and serve with some roasted veg (whatever needs using most from the fridge).

I'm really enjoying not cooking and just reheating all this stuff I've previously made the effort to cook. It's almost as if that's the whole point of batch cooking and freezing leftovers! I seem to have been making all the effort but not enjoying the benefits up until now and I'm having a real moment of revelation.

Cairnpapple

Back on the using-up wagon today

Spouse was away Friday to Monday so I was eating a combination of leftovers and nice supermarket deli food that I could eat straight from the fridge, very glad I'd planned that as my fatigue is always worse when I'm on my own. Spouse cooked some of the pasta backlog last night with the end of a packet of smoked salmon, some cream cheese and some fresh spinach. I failed to realise how big the spinach bag was when I ordered it,l so the rest of that will probably be cooked and frozen as tomato and spinach sauce. 

Muffins currently in the oven to use up some slightly questionable milk (I don't use milk but we forgot to cancel a milk delivery) and some frozen summer fruits. 

Two packs of casserole pork defrosting to make a large batch of pork, orange and star anise casserole for the freezer, which will also use up the oranges that have been sitting in the fruit bowl. 

Cherryfudge

I had an emergency clear-out of a few fridge items today: it's not good that I completely lost track of what was in there. Too much, especially as I've now added the remnants of pizza and salad, most of a bowl of cous cous that's too spicy for me, some hummous and there's still ham and coleslaw left from the other day.

I've been baking so there are half a dozen fairy cakes in a tin and yet more lemons (why can't I buy individual lemons like a normal person)? I think tomorrow might be another lemon curd making day, as DH is down to the last half jar. We also have lots of onions, peppers and baking potatoes. I'd be making Spanish omelette if there weren't so many other things to use up and hardly any freezer space

London_1

Having got an accepted an offer on my house I am off with my DD and son-in=law next Monday, house hunting on the IoW. This means as my buyer is a first time buyer and DDs house is also going through I will definitely be virtually eating as much as I can from the cupboards and freezer to not only less the amount of stuff when I move but to increase the cash in my monthly budget as hopefully I will be buying a lot less food. 

As I have still got some chicken in the freezer to use up plus a kilo of minced beef I can see a fair amount of batch cooking coming up when I get back at the end of next week hopefully having found a place to buy.

Today I used up a jacket spud from the veg box plus a chicken and mushroom pasty from the freezer for lunch, and tonight I will use up a cottage pie from the freezer for dinner with some broccoli also from the freezer.

I popped into my local big Tescos on the way home this morning from an appointment and there were some excellent veg bargains so I got two boxes of mushrooms that I have peeled and frozen to use in the batch cooking, at 42p a box, which works out at 84p for 800 gms, plus a couple of large leeks which will be transformed into Leek and potato soup tomorrow, that will be frozen once cooled into soup bags, they were only 33p which was a real bargain as leeks seem to be a bit on the pricy side at the moment
 I asked the assistant why they were reduced as they looked very good, and she said they had been over ordered and probably because they were at £1.35 no one was buying them (People power )Sometimes the big supermarkets shoot themselves in the foot being a bit greedy and over estimating how much people will spend .

 I also got a box of their 'finest mini peppers with about 8 peppers, red and yellow which were diced up and frozen by me as they were only 45p, and one large peppers would have cost me 55p and there is a lot more in the smaller sweet peppers than one big one and I got a decent bagful, again to be used in my batch cooking so I'm pretty pleased as along with some potatoes and 4 large Portobello mushrooms. which are on special offer

 (I like them stuffed with a small  mix of sage and onion stuffing and roasted) makes a nice different sort of meal at lunchtime or at tea time I do eat meat but I also enjoy veggie meals as well

My eldest DD is going for a natter before work tomorrow, so I will cook her one sliced up with cheese in an omelette for breakfast. My whole bill came to £4.99 and Ive snaffled a good few veggies for building blocks for other meals and will not need any shopping now for around 10 days at least as I have enough milk and bread to last until Monday when we go away for a week. 

Really pleased with my haul today, my food purse is firmly closed now for awhile  

  JackieO xx

Cherryfudge

Congratulations both on getting a buyer and on a great haul, @London_1! I'm excited for you going to the IOW.

Are you still managing without tea?  

I didn't get as far as making lemon curd today as I decided to use some of the excess yogurt and make a cake, which ended up with lemon and blueberries in. DH kindly took some to a meeting this evening so I won't be eating it forever. I've also put excess pizza in the freezer and finished a few bits from the salad I made yesterday.

London_1

Cherryfudge Oh yes but its been hard as I really miss my cuppa ,but not long to go now, only a few weeks then it will be about 10 cups in a row I think  

We have five viewings booked for next week already. It does help having a daughter who is an estate agent so she has been dealing with it all. We have a list of things we want in order to find the right house, and there are at the moment 5 possibles,

One of them is actually in the same road my late OH was brought up in and only 10 houses down from my late Ma-in-laws:) 4 of them have no chain either which is good as it speeds up a sale a bit Hopefully we shall be moved by June/July before the summer season really gets started .

We're staying at our usual holiday house next week which is nice as its right almost on the beach at Bembridge so fingers crossed its dry and bright at least 

I've spoken to my little neighbour next door and what I can't eat up she will happily use for her and the two children so nothing will go to waste.

Right off to brew a pot of coffee I like coffee but I do miss my first cuppa in the morning 
   JackieO xx

LotsOfTea

After reading your linked post @Cherryfudge I understand why you needed to share the cake out! Lemon and blueberries sounds a great combo though. My OH has made some delicious scones with lemon & blueberries a few times and they're so good.

We managed to use up another tub of random veg stew from the freezer yesterday for lunch and had it with garlic and coriander pittas (also from the freezer). We've got lots of fresh stuff that needs using now so I think the freezer clearance will have to go on hold for a few days. We've got lots of potatoes so I might do veggie shepherd's pie, patatas bravas & baked spuds over the next few days to clear the backlog.

Good luck finding your new home @London_1!