2023 Vegan Storecupboard Challenge

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Dinner tonight will be spaghetti squash (homegrown) with walnut & mushroom 'meat' and mixed grains, leaves and french beans (also homegrown). 

I have made the mushroom & walnut 'meat' this afternoon - it's absolutely gorgeous and dh & I have been dipping into it every time we have been into the kitchen so I'm hoping there will be enough left for dinner!! 😳😂 I'll post a piccie once we serve up 😉

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Dinner almost as described above - omitted the french beans though and added black grapes, raspberries, strawberries and cannellini bean & almond butter dressing 😋 

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After checking the finances yesterday and squaring everything up after our city break, I have a large hole in our savings/slush fund account that needs to be filled!! 😳🙄 

No surprises tbh, but it makes me uncomfortable being below my minimum target in that account so for the next few months I really need to minimise the grocery spends so I can redirect the funds. 

I'm setting myself a mini challenge for our November budget - I want to keep to £100 for this 5 week month. I've already spent £34!! 😳🤦‍♀️ admittedly, I spent that yesterday before I checked the finances and made the decision on the challenge but it is going to make life a little more tricky!! 🤔😂 This storecupboard challenge really is going to be full on!! 

A freezer inventory is on the cards later today so that I can utilise its contents as much as possible over the next few weeks too - once it's completed I'll post it here.

I've got enough grains, pulses and tins along with household cleaners/toiletries etc to see us through so I'm reasonably confident that with careful planning and absolutely no food waste I can complete this challenge - the variety in my diet may not be as good until its done but that won't cause any major problems- I've got plenty of cavolo nero in the garden along with cabbages, parsnips, leeks and some salads so I'll be getting fresh veg daily - I'm also going to check out the community fridge that I've discovered locally (although it won't be too often as I'd need to drive there as a special trip) 

I made a 'sausage' casserole last night from the freezer and served it with horseradish mash- there is enough left for today too so no cooking will be required 😉 

The main expenses this month should just be fruit - I bought some yesterday and have plenty of dehydrated apples from last year so I will rehydrate some of those in water and spices in the instant pot every week and make apple oatmeal for breakfast most of the time as opposed to my smoothies.

I've got some frozen berries too so can chuck those in along with flaxseeds, nuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds and other dried fruits to keep it varied. I want to keep to meeting the 'daily dozen' as much as possible - no point in saving as much money as possible to benefit my peace of mind if it negatively affects my physical health!! 

Anyway, waffling done - I'll post the freezer inventory later and then from tomorrow, I'll post everything I eat daily for the next 5 weeks (ending 22nd November inclusive) 😳

Brie

I'm sure you might have posted something previously but wondering what you would advise for dealing with a mountain of tinned chickpeas.  Other than simply dumping them into some casserole.

Local foodbank group has been gifted crates of these and lots of people simply look at them with confusion in their eyes.  I'd love to be able to put together a A5 handout of simple tips.  I've heard of using the water from the tins for meringues but am thinking more about cooking ideas.

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Brie said:

I'm sure you might have posted something previously but wondering what you would advise for dealing with a mountain of tinned chickpeas.  Other than simply dumping them into some casserole.

Local foodbank group has been gifted crates of these and lots of people simply look at them with confusion in their eyes.  I'd love to be able to put together a A5 handout of simple tips.  I've heard of using the water from the tins for meringues but am thinking more about cooking ideas.

So many options!! 

Falafel and hommous are the main ones that come to my mind (mainly because I love them!!); spicy chickpea snacks; potato and chickpea curry; Mexican chickpea wraps; chickpea bolognese; chickpea 'tuna' sandwich filling; 'coronation' chickpea sarnie filling; chickpea and veggie soup etc...if you google chickpea recipes you'll find so many options you'll be there all day!! 😳😉😂 

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Freezer inventory done! Contents listed below..

GENERAL
11 UFO's (unidentified freezer objects! 😳)
1 box parsnip soup
16 bags tomato and courgette stuff
1 box tomato, courgette and jackfruit 
4 blocks roasted veg stock
3 blocks light veg stock
2 blocks tofu
1/2 bag tofu
3 boxes uncooked okara
1/4 bag uncooked, soaked soya beans
1/4 bag sweet potato fries
1 1/3 bags chips
3/4 bag peas
3/4 bag green beans 
3/4 bag spinach 
3/4 bag butternut squash chunks
1/8 bag sweet potato chunks
1/2 bag cauliflower 
1 bag carrot slices
1 bag broad beans
1 bag brussel sprouts 
1 1/2 bags berries 
10 okara meatballs 
1 tomato and basil okara loaf
1 large berebere okara loaf
2 small berebere okara loaves
2 haggis burgers
6 haggis bites
3 bags 'bready' seitan 
1 box stewed apple
1 box stewed rhubarb 
1 bag banana chunks
Turmeric root
Ginger root

HOMEGROWN VEG 
1/4 bag yellow french beans 
1/2 bag broad beans
1 bag green beans 
1 bag purple beans 
1 bag broccoli stalks 
1 bag mixed chillis 
1 bag red chillis 

UPF'S 
1/2 box 'chicken' dippers
1 pk 'salmon' 
3 pks burgers
1/2 pk 'meatballs'
1 1/2 bags various fake meats
12 'fish' fingers
8 hot dogs
1 pk 'chorizo' sausages
1 pk 'chicken' pieces 
17x6 pks chinese pancakes

I've also done a 'tins' inventory:

1 tin potato 
4 small tins marrowfat peas
1 tin pease pudding 
1 tin coconut milk
8 tins banana blossom 
4 tins pineapple chunks
3 tins jackfruit 
3 tins artichoke hearts 
4 tins sweetcorn 
1 tin chickpeas 
9 tins chopped tomatoes 
1 jar baked beans
1 jar olive & caper pasta sauce
1 block creamed coconut 
1 pouch salsa


My grains, pulses, condiments etc are not being inventoried - suffice to say I have mountains of all of them and I'm unlikely to need any more grains, pulses or lentils for at least 6-12 months even if I eat them several times a day! 

I've also got boxes of dried apples, a variety of other dried fruit, nuts, seeds etc - I will use up everything I have before buying any more of these so it may mean a bit of substituting here and there 😉 

I've obviously got the veg in the garden as well as the freezer stuff so I'm buying very little veg until all the freezer stuff is used - onions and garlic plus salad stuff where necessary are the obvious exceptions ...

Today is going to be fridge raiding - we've got bits and pieces of the last couple of meals I've made that need using up so we'll repurpose those today 😁

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We did a lunchtime fridge raid (well, 2pm actually!) and finished most of the leftovers  - we still have a couple of spoonfuls of mixed grains and some remaining cannellini bean and almond butter dressing. 

I've got a UFO out to join the leftovers and it looks like it may be a bready seitan casserole (I accidentally used bread flour as opposed to wheat gluten 🤦‍♀️) so I shall serve it with the leftover grains, toss some additional new potatoes in the remaining dressing and steam some green beans from the freezer 😋 

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Not a lot of time tonight to update - I had berebere okara loaf with a variety of veg, mint sauce and a rocket and black grape salad with balsamic - dh omitted the salad and had gravy with his! 

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Tonight was a use it up night - I made curry with an onion, some frozen veg, leftover lentils and leftover berebere okara loaf. Dh will take the remaining curry for lunch tomorrow and for tomorrow's dinner I am cooking walnut and mushroom mince, fried rice, and a side of cauliflower and cavolo nero in a dijon and maple sauce. 

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Not much going on here as I have been unwell for a few days so dh has been making stuff from the freezer for himself- no money spent other than 70p on onions though and lots of veg from the freezer - I should be able to eat again today so I'll get a UFO out 😁