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

Cherryfudge

London_1 said:

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  

It's a big ask, giving up your morning cuppa (and all the other cuppas) for forty days.

We will of course be wanting reports back from the IOW.

It's nice that any left over stores can benefit your neighbour and her family, too.

My breakfast this morning was hummus with a celery dip so that's another tub finished up! Maybe an unusual breakfast, but probably as healthy as any.  

LotsOfTea

I've carried on using up the stores over the last few days. On Friday I made pizza and used some grated mozzarella and pepperoni from the freezer. I have lots of half packets of grated mozzarella that have been shoved in after making pizza and not using it all. Then I forget and buy some more for the next pizza and so it continues. I will not be buying any more until I've used it all up!

Next up was spaghetti squash Dal from the freezer for lunch with naan bread yesterday and pasta with sauteed leeks and a tub of cheese sauce hoiked from the freezer for tea.

I brought out a pack of sausages last night we can have for lunch today (and there's veggie ones that can be cooked from frozen for me). We've got loads of potatoes to use so I think some chips/wedges will go with them. 

London_1

Using up the bits from the fridge today as I'm off tomorrow house hunting on the IoW. Got 16 viewings lined up this week  DD has sorted them all out and we will be very busy I think
Its nice we managed to get a week at our holiday house in Bembridge as well, hopefully the weather will be kind, although as long as its dry I'm quite happy. The dogs will love running on the beach especially Stan the greyhound.

Off to dinner at DDs later this afternoon .Two of my grandsons turned up yesterday at my door bearing flowers and nice biscuits as they said "well you're Mums Mu so you get a treat from us as well Nanny" they are such kindhearted lads and came home from their jobs for the weekend to see their Mum One of them Jack even bought a lovely candle for his penniless student brother to give to their Mum, as Mikey  is always broke bless him But he too managed to get back from Uni for a couple of days and will go back to Uni tonight. Her four boys are so kind ,even to each other bless them. Our 'gentle jack didn't want his little brother feeling bad because he couldn't afford to buy their Mum anything Jack remembers being that broke when he was at Uni and struggled on his grant
I'm so pleased they have all grown up to be nice young men who care about their family and each other.

Right time for another coffee only just over a couple of weeks to go before I can resume my tea drinking again  

So hope all you Mums have a great day today and your children remember you

   JackieO xx

Cherryfudge

What a lovely bunch of grandsons you have, @London_1!

I am down to the last couple of lemon and blueberry muffins, and there's still most of a plain yogurt cake... and everything else. We made chick pea tikka on Sunday and there are two portions left, and cooked a large chicken today so there are several meals' worth there. I also did a sort of vegetable melee to make inroads into the peppers, carrots and onions, but we've bought more tinned tomatoes and chickpeas due to using most of the stock up. I suspect there are still lemons and eggs to use. DH has just started on a jar of lemon curd and I don't want him to get fed up of it.

The freezer is mysteriously choc-a-block again, though I finished the bits of pizza before heading to work today, and DH had some more blackberries with his tinned apples. Oh, and I made a plum crumble using a big jar of plums from stores but it wasn't inspiring so I might find an alternative for 'emergency desserts' when we are feeding other people.

So it's the usual story: one item out, two or three in.

Possible meals for the next few days: chicken and chorizo pasta (anything chicken really), chicken and ham pie, corned beef hash, fish pie, chick pea tikka, tuna pasta.

Cairnpapple

I've not been using up stores much because I've been on a bland diet while figuring out my gut problem which turns out to be an ulcer, ugh! However, spouse cooked up the big bag of spinach into spinach and tomato sauce and has been having that with the odds and ends of pasta so there's still some cupboard progress.

We air fried a chicken at the weekend and the carcass got turned into stock yesterday. The last of the chicken will become rice and chicken for my lunch and chicken quesadilla for spouse's lunch.  

The stock is probably going to go into some sort of casserole. I have pork mince in the freezer that needs using so maybe a keema curry that is just spiced for flavour with no heat.

number_23

We are currently using up what we have in our cupboards and freezer (chest freezer so plenty to go at). We are just buying what we need for now but could I please ask… what foods cannot be frozen from fresh if we’re not going to use it up? Are there any that don’t taste as nice when defrosted? I’m trying to stop as much waste as possible. TIA 23

Cairnpapple

number_23 said:

We are currently using up what we have in our cupboards and freezer (chest freezer so plenty to go at). We are just buying what we need for now but could I please ask… what foods cannot be frozen from fresh if we’re not going to use it up? Are there any that don’t taste as nice when defrosted? I’m trying to stop as much waste as possible. TIA 23

Where things are not as nice after being defrosted it's usually about texture I think, so most things can be frozen if you're going to cook them when they come out of the freezer. Obviously there are other things like bread that defrost fine without cooking. Are you thinking about anything specific?

As a matter of food hygiene you shouldn't freeze raw meat/fish that has already been frozen before you bought it (it will say on the packet),  but you could cook it then freeze it. 

number_23

Thank you @Cairnpapple. I was just thinking in general as I saw someone had frozen cheese… I had never thought of freezing cheese and wondered why other food could be frozen. Thank you again 

Cherryfudge

Cheese freezes okay, though it can be useful to grate it first so you don't have to defrost the lot. Or cut into portions.

Off the top of my head, I wouldn't want to eat frozen cucumber because it would go mushy. In fact things things where there's a cell structure that breaks down in freezing, these things don't freeze well. However, you can cook them then freeze them (like potatoes) or freeze them ready chopped to add to sauces or casseroles (liked celery or tomatoes).

I am often surprised at what people successfully freeze. It was probably here that I saw someone had defrosted cheese sauce, but I'm sure it would separate if I tried it. Wine will freeze, as will egg, but there's a technique to egg. I have to admit the one time I froze egg, I ended up chucking it as I really didn't want to eat it, but perhaps I should do my homework on how best to do it and try again.

I've never frozen yogurt, either, apart from as ice lollies, but I think it can be thawed for use.

Cairnpapple

Banana pancakes in progress which are using up some bananas that are on the turn,  plus the end of a jar of 'meat tinsel' spice mix.  The spice mix is supposed to be for meat but it's amazing in baking or with stewed fruit.