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

LotsOfTea

I used up a couple of bendy carrots, the end of a butternut squash and a couple of sweet potatoes to make soup for lunch today. It's miserable and rainy and soup was exactly what we needed! I chucked in some red lentils and a can of cider that we were never going to drink as neither of us are fans and the soup was absolutely delicious! There's some left for another lunch as well so that's a win all round.

Whilst I was in a cooking mood I popped on a pan of veggie chilli using up a tub of cooked black beans from the freezer and some frozen mixed peppers which I found a bag of in the chest freezer. It's been there c.5 years so had a fair bit of ice in 😂 Anyway, I've made a start on the bag and will chuck some in anything I make over the next few weeks and finish it off.

Good to see everyone else making progress too. There will be celebrations when we get to defrost/replace the overburdened freezers 🎉

EasyToAssemble01

I'm in the fortunate position of having an entire full-height freezer to myself ATM. However, as a yellow-sticker fiend, I've ended up filling the entire thing, and decided it was now time to work through the entire lot (and benefit from the savings). It didn't help that Morrisons recently had a bunch of freezer products on clearance, which set my project back, lol.

Today, it's bacon sarnies (lunch) and sausage casserole (dinner - batch cooked, from the freezer)

Nelliegrace

Some chicken thighs and bacon out of the freezer, made room for a 400g bag of blueberries, £1.99 from Aldi. Much cheaper than fresh ones at present.

YorksLass

Have used a bag of frozen chopped celery and some bacon bits to make celery & bacon soup for the weekend.  We can have that with two p/b crusty rolls from the freezer  .   But have added a packet of 4 soft pittas bought ys on Monday.     Have also hoicked out two small baps that we'll have soon for lunch and fill them with the last slice of ham and some grated cheese from the fridge.

Tomorrow I'm going to make a list of what's still in the freezer and try to use up as much as I can when I do next week's meal plan.  I've seen a fridge/freezer that I'd like but don't want to order it until I've worked out when would be the best time to have it delivered and allow for it to settle before I do another shop.

Cherryfudge

Small victories here: finished up some pizza slices, houmous and crudities left over from my friends visiting. I'm also slowly getting through the rest of a packet of luscious white chocolate and cranberry biscuits that feel as though they are 500 kcals each despite being not too big.

I will be away over the weekend with friends so no fridge or freezer progress expected from me.

YorksLass

Out (freezer): Casserole beef for a stew for the weekend - it will probably make 4 portions.  One soft pitta, to be filled  with salad and cheese for lunch today.

Out (pantry): Tin of sardines that we had mashed on toast this morning.

Out (fridge): Two cod fillets for tonight's tea.

Later this afternoon I'll be using up some not-so-nice teacakes for a bread & butter pudding.  That will also use up the last of my sultanas that are now soaking in alcohol (boozy pudding!).  I've also used last night's leftover mash, carrots and swede for potato cakes.

LotsOfTea

Yesterday I found a bag of SR flour at the back of the cupboard which was best before 2018! I checked and it smelt ok and had no additional wildlife so I made some naan bread with some of it and it was absolutely fine. I'm not going to use the rest of it on cake as I feel the raising agent will probably have dulled by now but I make naan breads often enough that it'll get used up on those.

I also made a boiled fruit cake yesterday which hadn't cooled down enough to eat by teatime so we'll have some after dinner today. 

I had some success in finishing off a bag of freezer stuff yesterday too as I'd consolidated a load of odd veggie burgers & sausages into one freezer bag and have gradually using them up over the last few weeks. Yesterday I chopped up the last few "chorizo style" sausages into some veggie chilli and the bag is empty. Small victories!

There is definite space now in both the freezer part of the fridge-freezer and in the chest freezer (which is the one that really needs a defrost!). I can see the progress which is a great incentive to keep going.

ruby_eskimo

Yesterday I made a veggie chilli in the slow cooker that's left enough leftovers to feed an army!  Used up the random carrots and a couple of tomatoes in addition to the chopped tomatoes and various beans and lentils that the recipe calls for.  Now have a bit more space in the fridge and less space in the freezer though.

Speaking of the freezer, dinner tonight is thai chicken meatballs from the freezer with rice and broccoli. 

LotsOfTea

Lunch today used up the last of a bag of falafels from the freezer (best before 2022 so only 2 years OOD - not bad for me!) in wraps with hummus, shredded cabbage, peppers and olives and was delicious and filling.

Tea tonight will be everyone having something different as we have assorted single portions of leftovers in the fridge. I'll have veggie chilli, DH will have macaroni cheese and DS will have veg tagine with naan bread. Nice and easy.

Cherryfudge

Finished up some soup and curry, frozen a pack of sausage meat and some salad leaves. The salad leaves will be an experimental addition to a casserole or curry - waste not, want not. Dh is working his way through tons of cooking apples with sugar, sultanas and almonds and tomorrow's dinner will be salmon from the freezer.

I need to get my act together to make the Christmas cake. I know I could do it later but I have time this week.