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

Cherryfudge

I went into A*da looking for snacks for the grandchildren and came out with a bag of bargains, then into T and exactly the same thing happened. We all had some very good Hot Cross Buns to tuck into, but I also got my favourite sausages on discount (half eaten for tea and half now frozen) and a couple of small pies which are also now frozen. Tomorrow there's an avocado to divide up and freeze, and DH has some generous-sized oranges from the haul.

In using-up terms, that's a tin of ratatouille and some frozen cabbage used up, along with a couple of very nice baking potatoes. I'm really going into reverse with this using things up lark. 😐️

greent

Very little UU here achieved yesterday - I went out for dinner with 2 relatives (one of whom lives over an hour away but was in this county visiting another relative) - DH then decided he couldn't be bothered to figure out what to eat so bought him and 3xDS a takeaway! I had the last portion of scrap-veg soup for lunch with 3 crackers (still working our way through the last of the Xmas 'special' crackers (we have cream crackers and water biscuits in all year round))

Today I shall use some kyivs from the freezer for dinner. I shall have mine with mushrooms (need to buy some today) and broccoli - DH will have mash, broc and gravy (bleurgh) DS1 has gone to gf's to stay for a few days. DS2 will have fish and DS3 I suspect will have soup (current fave food)

Cherryfudge

I have done a little better at using up. We finished tikka leftovers for dinner yesterday, so that was a chunky container out of the freezer. I also have eggs and milk needing to be used, so I raided the freezer for breadcrusts and made a large spiced bread pudding, which we will have tonight and possibly another night too. Today I've taken custard out of the freezer to go with it.

Today I'm doing some baking for DGD3's birthday party, but mostly that's using things I already have.

Instead of fresh or frozen berries on my cereal, I'm using up some dried fruit that had gone OOD but is still nice (as well as good for me). I really need to check through the packs of nuts as I love them but they disappear into a corner of the cupboard and at least one lot is now past it's best.

Wraithlady

Went to the food festival in Chester - quite disappointing, about a tenth of the usual number of producers, if you liked cakes or sausage rolls you were well catered for, but very little of anything else, so apart from some balsamic-infused olives I didn't actually buy that much - if you don't count the vegan cupcakes, the cannoli and the bottle of powerful navy-style gin (but the latter is at least for the OH, well that's my excuse).

The lamb arrived - I'd forgotten I'd also ordered 2 lamb rumps, was also unaware that a lamb rump is not, as I thought, a few small chops, but a large lump of lamby rear-end. Freezer is now really full and I'm banned from any more food-related 'bargains' until next month (or we actually get some room in our freezer)

DigForVictory

 the bottle of powerful navy-style gin

I had to Google to find out what that might be, & 57% ABV or higher?! Ye gods, @Wraithlady is All Well at home, or will it be? And (forgive me, bewildered) what is it drunk With? Can the ordinary Indian Tonic Water of my childhood stand up to it, or do you just need a toast?

Cherryfudge

More freezer space due to cooking the lamb that's been in there since earlier this year. Sadly, the lamb was a bit disappointing: I tried slow cooking it (due to time constraints on the day) with Moroccan flavours. That's worked very well before but I must have used another recipe or something.

There's enough left to make a shepherd's pie and I'm trying to make a stock from the bone but that's just experimental.

DH has cooked up the remainder of a large carrier bag of apples given us by a neighbour. That will make puddings for him for a few days.

There's now a container of the spiced apricot and prune juices from the meat and I'm not sure how I'll use that. There's a small amount of cous cous which has helped use a few veg and will probably go towards a lunch some time.

rtandon27

Could you use the leftover liquids in a french onion soup? - caramelized onions go well with morocan style flavours!

Cherryfudge

Oh that's a lovely idea! Thanks @rtandon27

Wraithlady

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81951224#Comment_81951224

According to the label, 57.3% ABV.

Don't worry, if I had suddenly turned to drink I'd start on the cheap stuff first 😆- OH is an enthusiastic amateur cocktail-maker, so strange and interesting booze is not an uncommon acquisition.

And as regards accompaniments, tonic water should be fine, or even neat (in very small glasses) - although highly alcoholic, it has a very smooth finish.

Watty1

May need to shop soon but we are doing well with the eat up what we have. The last of the bag of green lentils is in the slow cooker with sausages, onions and a fennel bulb as a stew. I must admit to being sad to see the green lentils go as everything I've cooked with them I have absolutely loved so once the cupboard is thinned down a bit I will buy more. I now need to work through the red lentils and the many tins of beans.

Opened the freezer to get a bag of frozen chopped onions out and will admit to being rather worried by the number of non labelled boxes which I will have to get to eventually.