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

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  • rceebear
    rceebear Posts: 2,271 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    MikeyPGT said:

     This power outage in Spain and Portugal is making me think about how practical my stores are - I know I need to get more liquids in. If the electricity went out, we could at least cook on the top of the woodburning stove but I couldn't cope long without water.
    I'm not sure how reliant our water supply in the UK is on electricity - I'm guessing some areas there may be a need for pumps but I suspect most is gravity fed ...
    Going by experience of last winters storms a lot of UK water supply relies on pumps. They do have back up generators but I’m not sure how long they would last. We lost power and water due to a storm. There was a problem with something blowing when they switched from the generators. I work with a guy that used to work for the water board and still has lots of friends working there. 
    Best wins; GoPro, £2K, Brittany week, festival tix twice, Bath break, Sweden spa break, iPhone x2, £250 Amazon x2, tech bundle, 55" TV, Haven break, £1K, Smeg mixer, 3 night spa break, Greenhouse, posh tent, house plants, 2 pairs boots, posh mattress, year tailored supps, £250 lingerie, £150 buyagift, £250 hotel
  • Cherryfudge
    Cherryfudge Posts: 13,204 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    It's an interesting question and I've been unable to find specifically whether our supply is dependent on electricity, but I suspect somewhere along the line, electricity is needed. What about the processes that clean water to put back into the system after it's been used, I wonder? I'm sure I've seen sewage treatment in tanks of some sort with a series of filters: surely it has to be pumped in or out?
    I think a bit of sunshine is good for frugal living. (Cranky40)
    The sun's been out and I think I’m solar powered (Onebrokelady)

    Fashion on the Ration 2025: Fabric 2, men's socks 3, Duvet 7.5, 2 t-shirts 10, men's socks 3, uniform top 0, hat 0, shoes 5 = 30.5/68
    2024: Trainers 5, dress 7, slippers 5, 2 prs socks (gift) 2, 3 prs white socks 3, t-shirts x 2 10, 6 prs socks: mostly gifts 6, duvet set 7.5 = 45.5/68 coupons
    20.5 coupons used in 2020. 62.5 used in 2021. 94.5 remaining as of 21/3/22
  • LotsOfTea
    LotsOfTea Posts: 275 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    I've mostly been putting things into the freezer rather than taking them out over the last few days as we had family staying and guests round for food over the bank holiday and as always we bought too much. 
    I've got to cook some chicken thighs we didn't get round to using and freeze those today and see what else needs urgently using up. I need to finish off the coleslaw and tzatziki over the next couple of days and I won't get any help as neither of my menfolk like them. I've also got quite a bit of salsa and a few corn cobs to use in the same timescale. I guess I can add the salsa to a tomato sauce for pasta and make some sweetcorn soup. I'll just have to add an extra serving of coleslaw and tzatziki to every meal for me! 😂

    I also got back into using up old tins from the Zombie Apocalypse stores and opened a tin of mixed berries to go with my yoghurt and oats this morning. It was nice enough but I was outraged at how little fruit there was in the tin. It was mostly 'light syrup' in the tin. I can really take it back and complain though since it's been in my cupboard under the stairs for about 5 years!
  • Cherryfudge
    Cherryfudge Posts: 13,204 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    LotsOfTea said:
    I also got back into using up old tins from the Zombie Apocalypse stores and opened a tin of mixed berries to go with my yoghurt and oats this morning. It was nice enough but I was outraged at how little fruit there was in the tin. It was mostly 'light syrup' in the tin. I can really take it back and complain though since it's been in my cupboard under the stairs for about 5 years!
    When I was a teenager I worked in a shop and noticed the weight of a tin of beans didn't feel right. The shop keeper returned it to the supplier as it was probably from the end of a production line and was short measure. So I think in theory you might have a case though after five years (and eating the evidence!) there might be some hitches! But it happens and I think there must be some sort of rights involved.

    We are away for a few days and already we have two cups of sweetcorn to use up, and lots of things like scones left by the hosts, but unfortunately we may not get through them as DH can't have the ones with milk in and I'm limited in how much wheat I can have. Well, I can have as much as I want but I pay for it afterwards. I do like scones though so perhaps a little bit... In other excesses, why do we have so many grapes? I might take some out as a snack when we have a day out.

    And rice cakes: I've discovered sweet chilli rice cakes and can't stop at one. At least that reduces the potential for excess stock.
    I think a bit of sunshine is good for frugal living. (Cranky40)
    The sun's been out and I think I’m solar powered (Onebrokelady)

    Fashion on the Ration 2025: Fabric 2, men's socks 3, Duvet 7.5, 2 t-shirts 10, men's socks 3, uniform top 0, hat 0, shoes 5 = 30.5/68
    2024: Trainers 5, dress 7, slippers 5, 2 prs socks (gift) 2, 3 prs white socks 3, t-shirts x 2 10, 6 prs socks: mostly gifts 6, duvet set 7.5 = 45.5/68 coupons
    20.5 coupons used in 2020. 62.5 used in 2021. 94.5 remaining as of 21/3/22
  • Cherryfudge
    Cherryfudge Posts: 13,204 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    We're home again - managed to finish up most of the fridge stuff while we were away so there wasn't much to bring home. I was pleased to find the yogurt I made before leaving has lasted very well.

    We had to buy a few groceries on Sunday morning but just a top-up shop really. We had sausages from the freezer on Sunday and today I made chickpea tikka which uses a lot of tins and spices but didn't require shopping. That makes enough for several meals.

    I had a look in the emergency food cupboard and as usual, it's all out of balance. Jam, coffee, tea, oatcakes, crispbreads, bread sticks, baked beans, lentils... not horrendous but I need to look out for tuna on discount and top up the breakfast cereal and some other bits.
    I think a bit of sunshine is good for frugal living. (Cranky40)
    The sun's been out and I think I’m solar powered (Onebrokelady)

    Fashion on the Ration 2025: Fabric 2, men's socks 3, Duvet 7.5, 2 t-shirts 10, men's socks 3, uniform top 0, hat 0, shoes 5 = 30.5/68
    2024: Trainers 5, dress 7, slippers 5, 2 prs socks (gift) 2, 3 prs white socks 3, t-shirts x 2 10, 6 prs socks: mostly gifts 6, duvet set 7.5 = 45.5/68 coupons
    20.5 coupons used in 2020. 62.5 used in 2021. 94.5 remaining as of 21/3/22
  • Nelliegrace
    Nelliegrace Posts: 1,059 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    The last of the hedgerow foraged apples from September which have been stored in the garage. They are a little wrinkled but still tasty. We have had an apple a day and apple in baked puddings and cakes. Very few were wasted and there were hardly any grubs, it must have been a bad year for codlin moths.



  • Cherryfudge
    Cherryfudge Posts: 13,204 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I remember my parents storing apples like this. Who cares about the wrinkles, they are sweet and they have the natural waxy feel that you don't get on shop-bought!
    I think a bit of sunshine is good for frugal living. (Cranky40)
    The sun's been out and I think I’m solar powered (Onebrokelady)

    Fashion on the Ration 2025: Fabric 2, men's socks 3, Duvet 7.5, 2 t-shirts 10, men's socks 3, uniform top 0, hat 0, shoes 5 = 30.5/68
    2024: Trainers 5, dress 7, slippers 5, 2 prs socks (gift) 2, 3 prs white socks 3, t-shirts x 2 10, 6 prs socks: mostly gifts 6, duvet set 7.5 = 45.5/68 coupons
    20.5 coupons used in 2020. 62.5 used in 2021. 94.5 remaining as of 21/3/22
  • LotsOfTea
    LotsOfTea Posts: 275 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    I feel a minor sense of achievement as I finally finished off the last of the self raising flour that was 4 years out of date by making some naan bread to go with butternut squash and chickpea curry for lunch today. I've never used it for cakes as it might not have risen as well as it should but it was absolutely fine for naan bread. I also used 3 days OOD yoghurt in the making of said naan bread. No ill effects suffered by anyone so far! 

    This week I also finally finished off the last of an enormous stash of supposedly spicy noodles that I bought several years ago from approved food at a very cheap price but which turned out to not be especially tasty. I've been ploughing through them with lots of added stir-fried veg and chilli oil to make them a bit more interesting but they're all gone now 🎉

    DH has done good work eating most of the excess tins of tuna from the Zombie Apocalypse stores as he's discovered that he likes a tuna salad for his lunch when I'm at work. 

    I think I need to do an audit of the booze we have next as we seem to have a lot of bottles of weird stuff that we've been given as gifts or that have ended up leftover after parties that I don't know what to do with. I've been putting a splash of port in gravy every time I make it but there's still a lot in the bottle. Maybe it's time I got sophisticated and start having a glass of port after dinner (which would also give me a good excuse to have cheese!). It's either that or a 'cheeky vimto' which is a truly terrible cocktail of port and blue wkd which does indeed taste like vimto. Don't ask me how I know this 😂
  • LotsOfTea
    LotsOfTea Posts: 275 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    I'm still intermittently ploughing through the tinned fruit supplies with yoghurt and oats for my breakfast and this week it's been lychees which has been a treat! I did have to throw out a tin of mango which was bulging at the ends so that's a good incentive to crack on and use up the old stuff. 

    I made a nice curry with paneer from the freezer and a whole load of green stuff from the fridge - spinach, Cauliflower leaves, coriander and a few mint leaves. It was tasty and made enough for 2 meals which is always a win.

    I think I'll make some pizza for tea tonight as it's Friday and it always feels like a treat.
  • Cherryfudge
    Cherryfudge Posts: 13,204 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Your sense of achievement really shines through @LotsOfTea! And your 'cheeky vimto' made me smile! I have I think three little bottles of port which were on offer at some point - I think it was going to make posh gravy or some other sauce but it's still sitting on the shelf (taking up space and entirely failing, in the face of evidence to the contrary, to make us look sophisticated).

    I haven't made brilliant progress recently. We had friends to stay over the bank holiday weekend so we had a dinner meal out one day and a lunch another day but I made a chickpea and spinach dish for another dinner and a buffet lunch the other day. We're still eating our way through cheese and cheese biscuits and there are a few sweet biscuits left but the cake has just about gone. I had one of the frozen pizzas on a day when I needed enough calories and was short of inspiration - but it was inspired in that pizzas take up freezer space and it was yummy (sweet chilli chicken).

    The yogurt I made before going on holiday lasted till afterwards and all got eaten, then I used the last of some I bought on hols as a starter for a new batch. Last night I fished a random tub out of the freezer that had lost its lid, but which turned out to be a sort of butterbean casserole with coconut milk and cranberries. Nice, but I don't know what it was called. There are more soups in there so I'll defrost one for tea tonight.

    I've also stocked up on soda water as L1dl has an offer and it's cheaper there even without the offer. Less space, more nice cold drinks.
    I think a bit of sunshine is good for frugal living. (Cranky40)
    The sun's been out and I think I’m solar powered (Onebrokelady)

    Fashion on the Ration 2025: Fabric 2, men's socks 3, Duvet 7.5, 2 t-shirts 10, men's socks 3, uniform top 0, hat 0, shoes 5 = 30.5/68
    2024: Trainers 5, dress 7, slippers 5, 2 prs socks (gift) 2, 3 prs white socks 3, t-shirts x 2 10, 6 prs socks: mostly gifts 6, duvet set 7.5 = 45.5/68 coupons
    20.5 coupons used in 2020. 62.5 used in 2021. 94.5 remaining as of 21/3/22
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