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

Cherryfudge

I'm sure a lot of us will know exactly where you're coming from @oceandreamer! Would it help you keep on track if you kept a tally of how much you save each time you eat out of the freezer? Just an idea...

There are about one and a half portions of chickpea tikka left and DH doesn't fancy it tonight so it's up to little me. (Not so little if I keep eating the muffins and making jam). I think I will check for alternatives for today then supplement it with spinach and peas, and see if we can finish it on Sunday as a sort of new dish. Tomorrow we are going for pizza with some of the family so that gives us a two day break from it.

The poor fridge needs another sort out: there's still a lot of melon so I'll have some at lunch today, and some crackers and cottage cheese that also needs to be used up. The most urgent job is to sort through the rest of the already-picked greengages and do something with them as they go over quite quickly.

JingsMyBucket

@Cherryfudge can you blitz the melon to make frozen pops?

Cherryfudge

JingsMyBucket said:

@Cherryfudge can you blitz the melon to make frozen pops?

Ooh what a fabulous idea! I must try that. Will need to find a bit more freezer space but I'd so enjoy those!

oceandreamer

Well I have made a freezer inventory and suffice to say it is quite long! I used up the rest of the lamb yesterday in a sort of soup/stew with veg rounded up from the fridge.  It was quite nice and there is enough for a meal today as well, which is good but isn't making much of an inroad into the freezer.  @Cherryfudge, I have had quite a lot of greengages too for the first time.  I have had a greengage tree for years and always thought it was rubbish as there never seemed to be more than a few greengages each year.  This year I discovered the culprit was a family of wood pigeons who were eating their way through all the tiny greengages!  I rescued the lower branches by wrapping a net around them and have had the best harvest ever (not hard!)  I've made jam, frozen quite a lot for crumbles etc and have a had a go making wine the the less than perfect ones.  Not sure how successful it will be but I couldn't think what else to do with them!

oceandreamer

A quick update on the greengage wine.  I've transferred it into a demijohn today and was waiting eagerly for the first bubble to appear in the airlock.  It has gone absolutely mad!! It smelled lovely when I was pouring it in so fingers crossed it ends up being drinkable.
Pack of mince out of the freezer yesterday to make a shepherds pie and today sausages and some cheesy hash browns for lunch and a piece of pork for tea roasted with a variety of veg from the fridge.  There was some pork left over so that has gone back in, sliced in some gravy for another tea, but a definite win for space gain.

Cherryfudge

Ooh, I bet greengage wine smells gorgeous, @oceandreamer! I've never made wine, just sloe gin. Gathering yet more greengages this evening, the area under the tree smelled of the fruit: light and sweet and not quite like anything else. I've been eating the jam (with or without spreading it on things) and DH is eating his way through blackberries.

I finished up some chicken and red pepper with pasta for dinner today and have sliced up the remains of a chorizo sausage and frozen it. We also got frozen salmon, some of which is in the freezer (it just fitted) and some more is defrosting overnight. I've finished up the banana muffins and I need to turn the rest of the banana into overnight oats before bed tonight, ready for tomorrow.

I didn't mention it on this thread but the family had a blow-out pizza feast the other day and I think I've gained about a stone in the two days since, so I need to restrict the jam eating and the baking. Thankfully we don't have a kitchen full of left-over pizza as it was a restaurant offer.

Watty1

oceandreamer said:

A quick update on the greengage wine.  I've transferred it into a demijohn today and was waiting eagerly for the first bubble to appear in the airlock.  It has gone absolutely mad!! It smelled lovely when I was pouring it in so fingers crossed it ends up being drinkable.

My mum used to make a lot of fruit wines all of which smelled and often tasted wonderful however just occasionally one did not work out as well as she hoped and being fond of a drink and not keen on waste she worked out that the un-drinkables could be made into liqueurs with the addition of some cheap vodka or gin and a little more steeping time.   

I'll just park that thought with you    (And mention that my sister and I were adapt at calling taxis and removing car keys from anyone who thought a gooseberry wine with ice and tonic water would be a nice summer garden drink as that particular batch was lethal - ahh what a happy memory)
 

Cherryfudge

How ingenious of your Mum, @Watty1! I must admit the gooseberry variety with ice and tonic sounds amazingly summery.

Isn't it funny how, whenever there's a conversation on home brewing, wine making etc, explosions eventually get mentioned? My Dad was a ginger beer maker, so I can join in cheerfully there... my own ambition, though, is to try making mead. Apparently it's not difficult.

t14cy_t

my grandmother whom i never knew was a great wine maker and drinker too!! my mum told me of tradespeople who would bring the family groceries and be given a tot of wine ,  forgetting to collect the cash before leaving on their tradesbike!!

LotsOfTea

I need to get back to using up the stores again as I've still got quite a few tins of things that have been in stores for 5+ years and 2 full freezers.

First up though is using the fresh stuff so today I made soup with all the bendy veg for lunch with a few red lentils and some mild curry powder to give it some interest. Amazingly DS happily ate a bowlful even though it was different from the soup I normally make for us all. I'm taking that as a win! Obviously I've ended up with soup leftovers but all I have to do is not put that in the freezer and eat it another day this week. DH & I will have some pies that we bought from a market for tea tonight and DS will have chicken, both with a selection of veg. I'm going to have a look in the freezer section of the fridge-freezer to plan what to use up next.