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

Cherryfudge

It's back to work day (this evening) so DH and I are back to eating separately. I've the last bit of the Moroccan-style veggie stew to finish and I'm thinking of using some more of the Christmas veg to make another batch. The recipe helpfully has all sort of variations so instead of lentils I used chickpeas. This time I'm thinking of going with lentils and using the remaining swede, but there's also a butternut squash and lots of carrots to finish.

Of course I would like to do a low-spend January - use up stuff - and we've agree on a couple of vegan meals a week, but I think we'll need to stock up on some bits for DH's main meals when I'm not there. Just had a thought - I got a ready meal reduced last week, so that's in the freezer if he wants it tonight.

Cherryfudge

I finished the stew (loved it) and one of the two remaining frozen baked potatoes which I had mashed with a lot of margarine as it was the wrong sort of potato to bake but I didn't want to waste it. We've had to throw out a couple of bits of fruit that went over faster than their contemporaries, which I don't like doing. I didn't manage any more cooking but did use up the bananas for lunch.

I confess to going in M&S looking for discounts and finding several - chestnuts, panetonne, hazelnuts, avocados and banoffee sauce, all reduced. We both eat nuts but don't remember to have them as nibbles so I've put the hazelnuts in a bowl with the nutcrackers and the chestnuts in the freezer. I don't know how well they will freeze but it's worth a  try as I won't get through them soon. I've also got a dozen eggs, reduced, in case the ones I already have aren't okay.

LotsOfTea

I managed to finish off a bag of kale and quinoa burgers from the freezer for lunch today which we had with roasted sweet potato and parsnips, toasted pitta bread, steamed broccoli and greek-style butter beans. Especially pleased that the tin of butter beans came from the ZA stores and was dated BB 2020.  I have a bit of the butter bean mixture leftover in the fridge but that should be easy to use up. 
Lots still to use up but I'm very much on a mission now so I will have a think about what I can factor into the food plan for the next few days.

YorksLass

Out from the freezer: A large chicken breast that has made a curry for tonight's tea and naan bread to have with said curry.  Some slices of cooked beef for tomorrow's dinner.

Out from the fridge: Leftover baked beans for breakfast on toast with a poached egg.  The 15p Xmas parsnips for a spiced parsnip and potato soup for lunches during the week.

Out from the pantry: A tin of chickpeas, half used for the curry and half now in the freezer, a jar of Madras sauce for the curry.

YorksLass

Half a tin of tomatoes, half a red pepper and chopped onion from the fridge sweated down and blitzed for a tomato based sauce to use with pasta or on pizza bases.

Some of the 15p carrots have gone into making a carrot cake, with all other ingredients coming from existing stores.  I've baked it in a square tin and will cut it up into squares when it's cooled, then freeze most of the squares so it's not a daily temptation under my nose!

Indulged in an individual sticky toffee pudding last night, one of those small long life microwave pots that come in a pack of two.

oceandreamer

Oh dear.  Can I return please with my tail between my legs?  I have just done a freezer inventory and it's quite frankly ridiculous.  I'm going to cut right down on spending this month and try to just eat from what I have as much as possible.  Yesterday I used up some truffle cheese in macaroni cheese with the last couple of rashers of bacon chopped in it.  Today I have used the lamb bone from new year's day to make some soup with lentils, carrots and swede  - very little meat left on the bone but the soup tastes ok.

LotsOfTea

Welcome @oceandreamer, you're in good company here if you've got too much stuff in the freezer! 

Since last posting I've managed to use a tub of cheese sauce from the freezer with some leeks and mushrooms for a fancy macaroni cheese. I've also made some banana and chocolate cake with some mushy bananas and an oaty ginger tray bake so as to fill up the oven while it was baking. 

Tonight I'm going to use the double cream that's in the fridge for vodka chilli spaghetti for myself and DH as the last treaty meal of the Christmas season before we get back to more day-to-day fare. Tomorrow's task will be a fridge stocktake and soup and stew making session to feed us for the next few days. 

Cherryfudge

We've taken another box of mince pies out of the freezer and had a couple with custard but the main meal is a very large pan of the Moroccan-style veggie stew that was such a hit last week. I wanted to try some of the variations on the recipe but DH wanted it just as it had been and I gave in, using a big jar of chick peas from store, the other Christmas swede and an extra helping of Christmas carrots among other things. There are possibly three (generous) or four (moderate) portions for easy meals during the week. I will put two in the fridge and two in the freezer.

We still have broccoli and parsnips to use and I'm not sure the broc is still okay but I don't think it would have worked in recent meals. There's also a butternut squash but those last ages. Oh, and I bought another panettone, and discovered a forgotten packet of lebkuchen...

oceandreamer

Retrieved what I thought was a pork steak from the freezer and defrosted to have for tea with the end of a bag of frozen chips (my pet hate but I wanted them gone).  Turned out to be four bacon medalions instead so abandoned the pepper sauce idea and had a fried egg and some frozen peas instead. Lesson learned - am going to start labelling things!

rtandon27

oceandreamer said:

Retrieved what I thought was a pork steak from the freezer and defrosted to have for tea with the end of a bag of frozen chips (my pet hate but I wanted them gone).  Turned out to be four bacon medalions instead so abandoned the pepper sauce idea and had a fried egg and some frozen peas instead. Lesson learned - am going to start labelling things!

Haha - the infamous freezer dive! - we've all been there (several times over if truth be told!)