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

LotsOfTea

DH is away for work for a couple of weeks so it's just DS and me trying to eat up the supplies at the moment. 

I've used up a pack of veggie "Italian style"sausages, which had been in the freezer a couple of years I reckon, making a pasta dish with red pesto and cabbage. It was delicious and did several meals. 

I'm still working my way through the black bean and veg soup I made the other day and varying it by adding different flavours each time I have a bowl. Yesterday was sriracha and today might be a bit of curry paste. 

I had to throw another tin of tomatoes out yesterday as the can had gone all bulgy. I'm annoyed with myself as I use so many tomatoes that it was just due to not doing good stock rotation and letting things fester at the back of the ZA stores. I'm learning my lesson now and not buying any more until I've used up all of the old stuff. 

I'm resisting the urge to get any supermarket deliveries for now and just buying what I really need and carrying it home which is helping a lot. It's too easy to add stuff to an order to "make it worthwhile" and I'm restricted by what I can physically carry so I'm being much more thoughtful. Eventually I'll run out of a load of really heavy stuff and then I'll do another order but right now it's definitely a case of use up what you've got first.

Cherryfudge

Today I'm making a lentil and chorizo soup (from stores): it's a hefty main meal in itself.

The last few days, an Unwelcome Smell has invaded our larder. Neither of us can find the source so tomorrow, when DH is off work, we're going to pull out the fridge freezer that uses most of the larder space, and deep clean. Meanwhile I've cleared and cleaned two of the deep larder shelves so I know those are safe zones.

For years I've had a set of airtight storage containers for flour, pasta etc, but now I have reduced the number of flours I use, some have come free and would make good cereal containers, so that's a job for today.

I've also rediscovered dates, cranberries and prunes to use up. Some dates went in my porridge as sweetener yesterday and I sometimes put cranberries in overnight oats. I do like prunes - but can only eat so many at once! None of them are on DH's radar so it's up to me to remember to eat them.

We also have a Victoria sponge and some banana muffins left over from last week's mammoth baking, so they are slowly reducing. The muffins have some chocolate drops in and really they are a waste of calories: I fell for the marketing. I'll try to make my own using good chocolate another time.

Pollie

Cherry Fudge, there are quite a few prune recipes on the Good Food website both sweet and savoury.

LotsOfTea

I totally agree about chocolate drops @Cherryfudge, I usually take a rolling pin to a bar of chocolate and think of anyone who's annoyed me recently to create my own. They vary in size quite a bit but that adds to the rustic charm I think 😁

I've got more black bean soup to finish up today and DS is just having some toast for tea as apparently he had a great big curry at school for lunch and half a cheese toastie at break time. He's enjoying the freedom of the secondary school canteen a bit too much if you ask me! 

Cherryfudge

Pollie said:

Cherry Fudge, there are quite a few prune recipes on the Good Food website both sweet and savoury.

Thanks @Pollie! The first one that came up began 'steep the prunes in brandy...' - quite a grown up dish! There are some luscious-looking ones.

LotsOfTea said:

I totally agree about chocolate drops @Cherryfudge, I usually take a rolling pin to a bar of chocolate and think of anyone who's annoyed me recently to create my own.

 

I used up some oats today making stove-top porridge. I couldn't get the consistency right so I kept adding more, and now I have enough for another couple of days. There's one portion of today's soup for someone another day and I picked up some more windfall apples (I cooked up the previous ones and DH has demolished them, saving about £1.10 which is what a tin of apples costs now).

Your DS will be costing you a fortune!

Frugalistamama

AHH I've been so busy at work, my grip on the food spend and using things up has been lost! Hopefully next week will be a bit more normal and I'll have more time with the kitchen!

I have a bunch of spring greens that's been in the fridge a bit too long. I have no idea how to cook them, any ideas?

LotsOfTea

Frugalistamama said:

AHH I've been so busy at work, my grip on the food spend and using things up has been lost! Hopefully next week will be a bit more normal and I'll have more time with the kitchen!

I have a bunch of spring greens that's been in the fridge a bit too long. I have no idea how to cook them, any ideas?

If it was me with the spring greens I'd saute them in a load of olive oil with onion and garlic and then toss through some pasta with plenty of salt & pepper and maybe a sprinkle of chilli flakes. Probably top with copious amounts of cheese as well. Now I'm hungry!

Watty1

I tidied my cupboards and freezer and reviewed my finances.  I started to see the stored stuff as cash just sitting there and that really focused my mind on using up what is in the freezer and the cupboard so joining in. I'm ok with having a full freezer, if  it is full of meals i have cooked but the freezer is far from that, it is a collection of random stuff I thought was a "good idea at the time".   The food cupboards are pretty much the same. So fresh veg, milk, cheese and eggs can be bought but I need to use up what I have and fill the freezer with instant meals ready for winter ( sometimes I get cut off because I hate driving in the snow).

So  I am joining in    I've found in the past threads like this really help me get focused and stay on track.

Cherryfudge

Welcome @Watty1, and as a regular reader of your diary, I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with! (I've never 'needed' chestnut flour before, and have resisted so far but it's definitely on my radar since reading about yours).

No major incursions into my larder today as I have porridge to reheat and DH is doing salmon for us tonight. However, we are pulling the freezer out for cleaning, so who knows what may come about.

Cherryfudge

Freezer and larder are both cleaned: the drainage tray at the back of the freezer was the culprit. Slight losses have occurred: a container of tuna shot out of the fridge and smashed, and a jar of desiccated coconut threw itself down the back of the freezer and also smashed. We don't know quite how it got there in the first place.