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

carinjo

@Cherryfudge thank you so much for the effort in giving all this advice. I knew some, but not about the subtracting fridge time. I am doing my 15p veg today first thing, so as not too loose anything. Ms C was supposed to start, but she done a big clean yesterday instead, which included washing walls. Crazy woman. She did promise to peel and mash the potatoes though.
L1dl still doing the 15p offer, so if have more space after today, might get some more. 
@Frugalistamama, sorry to hear about your freezer mishap. What i do is have a dedicated space to flash freeze everything when i batch cook and then pack it afterwards. The added plus is that i almost always have a little corner free when i either need to play tetris or when i come across a special i just can't resist (half price pork fillets, i'm looking at you!)
The parsnip and swede in freezer already, next up is the cabbage. I have done frozen wedges before, but it takes up space, so just doing shredded cabbage this time.
My new years resolution is to label better, since i have taken out a mystery stew/soup for this afternoon...again. 

Cherryfudge

I know all about mystery freezer contents @carinjo! I once gave a friend stock for lunch insisting 'this soup is worth trying'! Thankfully I then tried some myself and snatched hers back - and we're still friends.  

I need to label better too.

Thanks for the tip that L!dl is still doing 15p veg - I will check our local one.

I had to do food hygiene for a previous job so I've had these things drilled into me, but I'd still recommend people check for themselves (the government site I linked to is useful). Also I've found different instructors give marginally different advice over things like home freezing, but the general principles for food safety hold good. If anyone wants to look those up, it's a thing called 'HACCP'.

Frugalistamama

@Cherryfudge thanks again for the advice. I took out the shelves that moved and covered them. I had two stacked on top that were not budging I was worried I'd break the drawers. The top one took about half an hour of giggling and lifting up the freezer bars before i was able to remove it.  Once I removed that I was able to do the same with the lower one. Nothing defrosted! Thank you very much! 

Cherryfudge

Frugalistamama said:

@Cherryfudge thanks again for the advice. I took out the shelves that moved and covered them. I had two stacked on top that were not budging I was worried I'd break the drawers. The top one took about half an hour of giggling and lifting up the freezer bars before i was able to remove it.  Once I removed that I was able to do the same with the lower one. Nothing defrosted! Thank you very much! 

Well done! I'm so leased nothing was wasted.

Glad it gave you a laugh, too. ;D

carinjo

Doing vegan dinner for friends tonight. I was surprised to realise that all i needed is vegan stock (since my vegetable stock not suitable), dried porchini mushrooms and some vegan custard. I can adapt with what i have for the rest, making a cottage pie and poached pears. 
Last night had some salmon pasta. We threw all the leftover pasta shapes together into a jar. Like alphabet soup, but with pasta shapes 

carinjo

Edit: don't know what i was thinking attempting getting the ingredients for tonight at the big supermarket near us. Not only so expensive (but only place that had what i needed), but full of mindless shoppers pushing trollies! I feel blessed having cheaper options to shop at near me.

Cherryfudge

Salmon pasta sounds delicious, @carinjo. Recipe please?

Our freezer is full again - the rest of the cooked gammon and chicken from Christmas, another couple of packets of sausages and some more corned beef. There are also two Christmas puddings from the sales set aside for next year.

JIL

I have just batch cooked a load of meals for the inlaws freezer. Used up loads of veg and made space in my freezer. Made chicken casserole, cottage pies, steak pies and irish stew.

While I was at it I made most of tomorrows dinner, so that's plated up for them as well.
Dont mind doing it, my mil looked after my children while I worked, so it's my turn to help. Unfortunately she now has dementia so doesn't cook. Father in law never learned so it's easy for him to just pop the container in the fridge to defrost and bake it and have with veg.

Frugalistamama

That's nice to hear @JIL I'm sure it's much appreciated.  

I spent a lot of the day prepping the Christmas veg for the freezer.  It's the first time I've done it and was spurred on by you lot!  Usually I'd buy a load and just try to use it up as quickly as possible. Crikey though...it is a labour or love. Hoping it will save me time later.

Also froze a loaf of bread which won't get used due to overbuying 🙄

Used up some chicken fillets from the freezer and working on a pack of brown rice that's been in the cupboard for far too long. 

Cherryfudge

I confess to hunting the shops for festive over buys for the second day in a row. Half price for ham slices, a mixed box of cheeses and two more boxes of those really nice mince pies form Iceland, six apples and two packs of smoked salmon. We've planned toad in the hole for tomorrow and chicken and chorizo pasta for Monday (or possibly the other way around) so as to use up a bit of our hoard. Well, I say hoard, but to me it's planning to get nice things while they are cheaper so we can still enjoy them despite not a lot of income at the moment.