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

ruby_eskimo

Hopping back into the thread as we need to make better use of what we have in the house and when I post here, I always end up doing better with that! 

Took a couple of Ostrich burgers out of the freezer along with some brioche buns that were lurking in there leftover from a BBQ back in August!  Will serve with some salad bits and pop the last of the small potatoes from the garden in the air fryer with some mixed herbs.  Lunch might be a cup soup with the last of the cheese and crackers from Christmas.  

Will have to make an effort to inventory the kitchen tomorrow to aid with meal planning for the next week or two.

LotsOfTea

Yesterday I made butternut squash soup with a spoonful of 'lazy chillis' added because I can't resist making everything spicy. I did stop myself adding anything chilli-related to the leek and potato soup I made the day before but I was tempted. I also made soda bread to go with the soup which was lovely. That's plenty of both left today so that's lunch sorted. Tea yesterday was some roasted cauliflower, 'shicken' tikka kebabs and flatbread. I've got quite a lot of the kebabs in the freezer as I did a bulk order with a discount a few months back and although they seemed to stay frozen when the freezer broke I'm trying to use everything up that was in there pretty swiftly just in case. 

Topher

Does anybody doing this (using up) get twitchy when they see the emptying storage spaces? I’m challenging -within myself - the idea that having an over stuffed pantry, fridge, freezer and cupboard, shores me up against want. I have in the past experienced serious want. I’m trying to adjust so I use the “dashing out for a stock-up shop” urge and channel it instead into batch cooking so I have a stack of meal bases or actual meals, gathering in the freezer. I’ve got an active audit going, recording using up, and becoming an audit of meal bases to be accessed. That explains what I’m doing, but that empty storage is really hard to settle with. 

Nelliegrace

I used the last Christmas 5p parsnips from the garage in a blitzed soup with onion, celery, red lentils and Marigold stock powder. Rib sticking stuff. 
There is a swede and enough potatoes left for swedey mashed potatoes with the haggis, with red cabbage on Burns Night. None wasted.

The freezer is well stocked with weekly portions of cheeses bought in the Christmas sales, and I made some butter from reduced price brandy cream. 

Cherryfudge

Topher said:

Does anybody doing this (using up) get twitchy when they see the emptying storage spaces? I’m challenging -within myself - the idea that having an over stuffed pantry, fridge, freezer and cupboard, shores me up against want. I have in the past experienced serious want. I’m trying to adjust so I use the “dashing out for a stock-up shop” urge and channel it instead into batch cooking so I have a stack of meal bases or actual meals, gathering in the freezer. I’ve got an active audit going, recording using up, and becoming an audit of meal bases to be accessed. That explains what I’m doing, but that empty storage is really hard to settle with. 

Would it work to fill the gaps with bread or similar that's bulky, or containers of water that will help keep the temperature low when frozen, but can be removed without being damaged?

Perhaps that could become a way of measuring available space? 'I have two x 1 litre bottles of water in my freezer.' 'Wow, I don't think I could fit one in mine.'

JIL

Topher said:

Does anybody doing this (using up) get twitchy when they see the emptying storage spaces? I’m challenging -within myself - the idea that having an over stuffed pantry, fridge, freezer and cupboard, shores me up against want. I have in the past experienced serious want. I’m trying to adjust so I use the “dashing out for a stock-up shop” urge and channel it instead into batch cooking so I have a stack of meal bases or actual meals, gathering in the freezer. I’ve got an active audit going, recording using up, and becoming an audit of meal bases to be accessed. That explains what I’m doing, but that empty storage is really hard to settle with. 

That's me,  clear spaces and fill them up.  Especially if I see bargains and I end up in the same place I was before. 
I had two freezers, now I have four. Its ridiculous. I regularly take everything out and reorganize.  Fish in one area, home made ready meals in another, vegetables in another, gluten free in another, dogs stuff.......
Then stuff gets shoved anywhere and it cant be found and gets replaced.  
My new years resolution is to clear stuff, donate a freezer and be more organised.  A work in progress, but I'm meal planning out of stocks.

 The small chest freezer I want to give away, has become the "use up next fortnight freezer"  So if I make a cottage pie or lasagna I make two.  (Helped getting the christmas potatoes and cheese down) One goes in there.  

Once I've created enough other space in other freezers, I will donate and apply the use up in the next fortnight to a couple of drawers.  No more buying because it's a bargain. That's the theory anyway.

Cherryfudge

Today the freezer is emptier to the extent of two sausages and a pack of fancy Christmas pork stuffing. The stuffing is not a healthy choice but was reasonably tasty and there is enough left to feed me a couple more times (DH doesn't like it). We were watching the Tim Sp3ctor program as we ate so I was glad he couldn't see the sausage meat through the TV screen!

I discovered that, aside from various veg in the shed, we still have about a bag of Christmas potatoes needing to be eaten.

Nelliegrace

I buy inexpensive frozen vegetables when there is space in the freezer, peas, sweetcorn, broad beans, and french beans. Things which will can be used up quickly.

LotsOfTea

Topher said:

Does anybody doing this (using up) get twitchy when they see the emptying storage spaces? I’m challenging -within myself - the idea that having an over stuffed pantry, fridge, freezer and cupboard, shores me up against want. I have in the past experienced serious want. I’m trying to adjust so I use the “dashing out for a stock-up shop” urge and channel it instead into batch cooking so I have a stack of meal bases or actual meals, gathering in the freezer. I’ve got an active audit going, recording using up, and becoming an audit of meal bases to be accessed. That explains what I’m doing, but that empty storage is really hard to settle with. 

I totally understand where you're coming from @Topher as I've recognised that my hoarding tendencies come from anxiety and trying to control my environment by preparing for possible disasters. Which is all well and good until having too much stuff becomes its own source of anxiety. I'm trying to get to a happy medium place where I've a few extra things in stock in case of bad weather/illness etc but not enough to survive a zombie apocalypse.

greent

2 footlong sausages used from freezer for brunch for DH and I (I needed 4 for Xmas brunch but ended up buying about 18 or so, as there was an offer on of you bought 3lb..🙄🤦🏻‍♀️ I am my own worst enemy! 🤣 There's still maybe 10 left in there.... Also used up some leftover mini crispy potatoes from dinner a week or so ago and a whole tub of mushrooms that were thinking of turning.

Did some food saves - 4 very, very brown bananas blitzed and frozen in little pots (to be banana 'ice cream'. 6 rolls and 2 baguettes (all from v early Jan (think the 3rd?) but have been living in a bag in the fridge waiting to be made into bread crumbs. Crusty bits bagged up to throw to the terns and gulls along the canal path when we go for a walk shortly.

Out for dinner tonight to a fancy restaurant with friends, so no more freezer emptying today (although DS1 is likely to cook himself and gf either curry or a stir fry, so some chicken will come out)

Tomorrow I'll do a roast - so the freezer will have a chicken removed, alongside some of the Xmas Red cabbage and a pack of pigs in blankets, a part tub of cranberry sauce and a Xmas tree shaped yorkie. The fridge still contains 5p sprouts, carrots, parsnips and potatoes, so some of that will also get used up. I will use some of the breadcrumbs in stuffing (will likely add some cheap sausages from the freezer) and may even make a small batch of bread sauce. If the chicken is on the smaller side (needs ro feed 6) there's also some beef brisket in gravy in the freezer, so that may also come out. There's a toffee bombe in the cupboard, so that can get warmed through for pud for 2/3 ppl and use some of the remaining cream. Then I might also make a rice pudding to use up some frozen clotted cream from the summer - undecided as yet.

Tomorrow I may actually end up creating a wee bit of space in the freezers!!