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

oceandreamer

Disaster! Had to go and buy a beef joint for New Year as family round and arrived at the supermarket just as they were doing the second round of reductions! Came home with 8  butcher's beefburgers, 3 steaks and 2 seabass. Thought I'd start my inventory while I popped them in the freezer.  I managed to squeeze them in (just about) but there was no way I could start taking things out to see what there was as it would be totally impossible to get them back in.  So I've started a list of what I can remember is in there, plus what I've just put in, and will add to it as I take things out and can see what's there.  This is a totally ridiculous situation that I've got myself into and the only way I can see out of it is to only go to the shops first thing when there is no danger of any reductions.  I am totally banning myself from buying anything else that needs to go in the freezer for the whole of January.  There, I've written it down now so I am going to have to hold myself to it!

Changeyourlife25

I managed to squeeze them in (just about) but there was no way I could start taking things out to see what there was as it would be totally impossible to get them back 

Is it a deep freezer? Chest freezer?
I use bags in mine, just the shops bags for life and I just put the bags back in the freezer, meat bag, veg bag,  etc  

Id definitely give an inventory a go because maybe there’s a lot of ice in the freezer too? Get it all out, however daunting, you never know you might find bits to get rid of 😆😣

oceandreamer

It's one of those American style fridge freezers so tall, thin and goes back quite a bit. That's a good idea to have bags for different categories, or at least to put all the meat etc together in the same place. I will be taking a couple of bags of Yorkshire puddings out tomorrow so I might be able to see a little bit more.  I do really want to get an inventory done but everything is wedged in so tightly I really think I would have difficulty getting it all back in  What I am intending to do it start making a dent in it, then do the inventory once I can at least move things around a bit. 
Nothing out of the freezer today as we have eaten out and will just have a bit of cheese etc out of the fridge later but tomorrow the quest begins! 

Changeyourlife25

Just a bit of cheese out of the freezer today for mac n cheese, pasta out of the cupboard but not sure if that counts cos I took half a pack out and put half a packet of a different pack back in 🤣

suzeesu2000

Sausages out of freezer for DH along with 2 eggs and bread from cupboard
Fish fingers out of freezer for me with the last crust from bread
Going to be a cold night me thinks, brrr

Cherryfudge

Most of the gammon and chicken from Christmas, along with some vegetables, gravy and pastry, got turned into a pie, and various meals got rounded off with Christmas pudding and custard, so that now, all the Christmas food except veg, cake and a little bit of gammon is finished. Oh, and four jars of mincemeat that I made in about November and which I've not used at all. Their time will come... eventually.

We had salmon tonight, which is more our usual fare, and before that, chickpea tikka, which we also have often and which has three more meals' worth in the fridge.

I've also got a couple of blue cheeses and some cream cheese, though the smoked salmon is finished. I think the cheeses will be eaten with oatcakes for suppers.

Veg-wise, I made the carrot and ginger soup and accidentally put too much cider vinegar in (didn't quite finish an ancient bottle of the vinegar) but the recipe tip to add maple syrup worked well and helped counterbalance that. It also makes inroads into a bottle of maple syrup that's been unopened on the top shelf for years!

greent

Christmas leftovers (from 29th) consumed as sandwiches or bubble and squeak (all of the cooked sprouts and carrots have now gone!) and DD sent home with more leftovers. Pasta made with chicken and leftover gammon and some chicken thighs and legs cooked up ready to go in the freezer when space has been found. The cake has been cut into portions and put in individual tubs (takes up less room than the huge box it was in) and one tub of cream was finished today and one full one sent home with DD (only about another 6 or 7 to go...) One Xmas pudding finished- 2 more large ones still in cupboard (will happily eat those next month or so)

Cherryfudge

@greent, have you considered making butter with some of the cream? It will keep better with a pinch or so of salt and you can use the buttermilk to make scones (or freeze it till you need it).

greent

Cherryfudge said:

@greent, have you considered making butter with some of the cream? It will keep better with a pinch or so of salt and you can use the buttermilk to make scones (or freeze it till you need it).

I would if it were plain cream but all bar one pot is flavoured alcoholic cream (eg Baileys cream, vanilla liqueur cream, choc orange and drambuie cream, chocolate and kirsch cream....)

Cherryfudge

You could have some interesting breakfasts if you made butter with those, @greent!