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

Cherryfudge

It turns out we are going away on Friday not Saturday (my error), not that that makes a huge difference in what there is to eat up. DH has to fast today for a medical procedure, so the using up is largely for me. I'm going to suggest we finish some chicken and sauce on Friday lunchtime before we go.

In the meantime, here's what I want to use and I'll pop back and amend this post as the day goes on and I either add forgotten things or allocate them somewhere:

broccoli
sprouts
milk
eggs
rice pudding
home made cakes (will probably take a couple for supper at the hotel on Friday)
home made biscuits (2 lots - probably won't keep, too moist to take through airport, wonder if they will freeze?)
8 easy peelers
banana
baked beans
mushrooms
grapes
blue cheese
sweetcorn
gravy
salad leaves
tomatoes
pasta sauce
custard
cheddar cheese - small bit, has been frozen so won't freeze again
red pepper

I think it will be pancakes for lunch…

And thanks to the helpful person on Fashion on the Ration who explained that we can still get single spacing between paragraphs under the new text rules by using shift/enter.

greent

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81889388#Comment_81889388

I originally tried the G00d F00d recipe but adapted it this time to use some things already in the house:

Coat 4 chicken breasts (I used 2 chunky and 2 regular sized) in flour (I used cornflour, as DS1's gf is coeliac) Pan fry in some oil taken from a jar of sundried tomatoes to brown all sides but not cook through. Remove from pan and add diced onion to pan, along with a little more oil (i think the recipe calls for 1 red onion, I used shallots from one of the many 5p bags bought in Dec... - I think I used about 5 or 6 good sized eschallion shallots) soften and add garlic (i used a good dollop (heaped tbsp?) of jarred garlic) and most of a jar of sun dried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces. I added some fresh thyme, because i had some hanging around, black pepper (only a bit) and a wee bit of chilli just to give taste without too much heat. I poured in a whole tub of (elmlea light) double cream and 2 mugs of stock (made with 1/2 stock cube) and a tub of baby mushrooms, stalks removed (saved for soup) and halved and the remains of a jar of sundried tomato pesto and a good dollop of green pesto. Add chicken back to pan, turn heat down, put a lid on and simmer until chicken cooked through. I also added in about 1/4 pack of garlic philly cheese spread, as it really needed using. From memory, i threw in a bit more water to loosen the sauce before serving. We had grano padano (hanging around since Nov) over it for those who like it.

We had sauce and Some chicken left, so I shredded the chicken, added a bit more stock and philly and boursin and half a pack of mushrooms chopped up and used that on the gnocchi. Last time I made it the sauce on the original day was thinner (more stock, possibly) and there was a good amount left and that was served another time with pasta (possibly with some roast chicken scraps or gammon scraps added)

It's rich, but very tasty. I'd use light creme fraiche instead of cream next time, as we always have a pot or two of that in - but the Elmlea was left from Xmas. It served 4 adults (3 with large appetites) on Sunday with rice/ potatoes, flatbreads and broccoli and then 3 good portions of the sauce/ gnocchi (1 pack of gnocchi but it was quite chicken heavy, so a good amount of protein in there with that and cheese)

My chicken breasts were YS from the freezer and several other things used needed using up - i didnt buy anything for it except another pack of mushrooms (because i love mushrooms) - i left them halved in the original dish so the 2 ppl who dont like them could easily see them 😁

DigForVictory

Thank you! And Cor.., Not to be undertaken lightly, carelessly, or selfishly, but rather reverently, responsibly, and with deliberate, serious thought! But then, whee-hee! Ponders how to coax Youngest into learning this, as Middleson is focused on the Bob Graham Round and would not put up with that depth of luscious flavour & calories until late September. (Pity, but there you go.)

Cherryfudge

Some progress made, thanks to salad and biscuits for lunch, pancakes for tea and rice pudding when I got in from work. The list now looks like this:

broccoli - in fridge

sprouts - in fridge

milk - one carton finished, and most of a 4 pt bottle, but a spare pint purchased to give some leeway. It's small enough to be frozen for our return.

eggs - one used, four remaining

rice pudding - eaten

home made cakes (will probably take a couple for supper at the hotel on Friday) - one eaten

home made biscuits (2 lots - probably won't keep, too moist to take through airport, wonder if they will freeze?) - one batch finished

8 easy peelers - 7 left

banana - still here

baked beans - still here

mushrooms - frozen

grapes - still here

blue cheese - still here

sweetcorn - composted as it looked off

gravy - in fridge

salad leaves - half gone

tomatoes - 2 left

pasta sauce - still in fridge

custard - still in fridge

cheddar cheese - small bit, has been frozen so won't freeze again

red pepper - half gone.

I'm thinking that tomorrow I could have an omelette with two of the eggs and some salad, make the rest of the eggs into pancakes which I can freeze and tell DH we are having pasta with the rest of the chicken, either tomorrow night or Friday lunch time. He can have the custard either with fruit or over a cake. I think the gravy will freeze.

LotsOfTea

I've been working my way through a tin of mango pulp from the ZA stores with my oats and yoghurt in the mornings. It was a massive tin so it's going to last me quite a few more days I think. I'm very nearly at the end of the OOD tins of fruit now, I'm pretty sure there's only one tin of mixed berries left after that which is a big win. I mean, I've still got a lot of other stuff to use up but it's definitely progress.

I also have some cream to use so I might check out 'marry me' recipes, I've seen a few veggie ones listed with chickpeas but I might also just stick to a vodka-chilli pasta recipe from an old student cookbook that I've used before loads and is very tasty.

Cherryfudge

You are doing well with your ZA stores, @LotsOfTea ! I wonder how many other ZA stores there are around the country and what's in them?

I still have most of the coffee mountain, but it's going down. I forgot to mention yesterday that I opened some very ancient coffee bags but actually, though probably not as good as they were, they are okay - so I'm having those now. A quicker win than the filter coffee I'd just started, which is going to take two or three months, I think.

I also have quite a lot of meringues: I got them in while on offer as they are good for an Eton Mess, should we have guests. However, everybody used to make EM for my sister due to her allergies, so she can't stand it now and there goes my main use for meringues!

greent

Dinner plans totally changed last night - DH and I were full from lunch with DD, so just had the lo pancake batter (made 7 medium pancakes between us) DS1's gf was here for the evening, so they had pizzas (1 from freezer, 1 bought YS in A5da yesterday)

On the subject of A5da, I had to go there yesterday to return some things to Amaz0n (well, technically I could have gone to the PO in the other direction, next to the large Tesc0) so I checked out their reduced cabinet (they do good reductions from the day before BB date) I got 2 huge (over 2.5kg) f/r corn fed chickens 30% off, 1kg of boneless chicken thighs for £4, 12 large beef meatballs for £2, a pizza 3xpress pizza for under £2 and a small pack of diced beef (under £2) The meatballs have been halved and will go in the oven shortly, alongside the thighs, which are currently marinating in peri peri sauces. I will use one of the chickens this weekend - which should leave a decent amount of leftovers for roast chicken sandwiches for Monday lunches (maybe Tuesday, too) and a risotto for a midweek dinner. I also bought DD a large pack of diced chicken breast and a 6pack of breaded chicken steaks (YS cost to me just under £5 and will do her and bf at least 5 main meals each) - always happy to pick something up for her if I see something - it helps their budget.

My lunch today has consisted of 4 falafels from the freezer, to finish off a box of them. They were a little desiccated, so I warmed them up and dipped them in lots of houmous :D (I had a scrambled egg and cheese wrap for a late breakfast, so wasn't particularly hungry)

Dinner tonight will either be kyivs or southern fried chicken & smashed crispy potatoes and salad and slaw - it depends what DH fancies.

This afternoon's job is squeezing the large chickens into the freezer…

Cherryfudge

Scrambled eggs and salad for lunch, followed by one of the small cakes and an easy-peeler. The list of things to sort before going on hols now looks like this:

broccoli
sprouts
milk
6 small home made cakes
home made biscuits
6 easy peelers
baked beans
grapes
blue cheese
gravy
tomatoes - 2 left - will donate to DS and family
pasta sauce
custard
cheddar cheese - small bit, has been frozen so won't freeze again

DigForVictory

vodka-chilli pasta recipe 

And again, please, details? As Middleson fearfully calorie aware (do I worry too much?) but does love his chilli…

Cherryfudge

Finished the cheddar, blanched and froze the sprouts… bought more stilton.

Looking forward to a) buying in a supermarket in another country (even though it will be L1dl again, oh small world! 😁) b) eating out on hols and c) being back home and doing normal meals again.