baking session..

NEgirl

ive just finished a mamonth baking session! Ive been following these threads and kept meaning to take part and something would come up but ive made a firm commitment (see signature) to do something about it this year!

I have just cleaned out the cupboards and listed all the contents and use by dates and was in a tizz when i found a bag of plain and a bag of self raising flour (use by end of dec 07!!) - ive just had a mammoth baking session and used almost all of it making sponge cakes and plain scones, plus tomorrow im making some shrewsbury biscuits and im batch freezing them all. Will they still be ok to keep for a month or so??

Ive boiled down my chicken carcas to make stock! I bought 4 cartons of whipping cream reduced to 6p a pot (use by tomorrow) and semi whipped it and frozen it already, sliced up the lemons i had left from christmas and frozen those plus ive chopped the big bag of onions i got and thats in the freezer - im on a mission now!! LOL Im really enjoying this and can see the benefits already as my kitchen is cleaner and my cupboards are all sorted!! :T

THANK YOU all so much for all the information on here!!

apple_mint

Well done! I found this site two and half years ago and it has completely changed my way of living! We even moved house and simplified our lives as a result.

I tend not to worry about 'use-by' dates now a days ... OH made some bread with some bread flour that was two months over the date the other day. It made a lovely loaf Just use your judgement (sniff, taste etc). Our parents and grandparents never had sell by dates on flour. We overstocked on an bread flour offer and couldn't keep up with the bread production :eek: I think we've also turned into one of Terry Wogen's TOG's

I find baking freezes well and often batch bake for the freezer. I often make cakes in loaf tins and then cut them half, freeze in foil and take them out as I need them. These are really useful for packed lunches. I also individually pack and freeze muffins and scones. You'll find that some things work and some things don't. You'll build up experience and your diet and your bank balance will be so much better :T

Jayar

Woohoo!
Well done NEgirl, what an inspiration you are. I'm now determined to do the same early in the new year.:T
Here's a page of advice about freezing/thawing cakes and biscuits
http://www.cakebaker.co.uk/HowToFreeze.html
Hope it helps

sunshine6650

Ive been mass cooking as well, general food as well as following the pizza dough recipe & freezing in balls & defrosting in a bowl covered in cling film so ready to roll out for home made pizza!

jcr16

i often ( prob once every month - 6 weeks ) ahve abig sort out i freezers and batch cook on alot of thing's. i love being organised.

Only prob i had last tiem was i used a roll of cheap sandwich bag's to wrap things in instead of the freezer bag's and alot of things got freezer burn. so i've out learnt not to do that again.

But i often decant things into smaller bag's. ie say i buy a bag of frozen peas. then i split the bag up into meal size portions of peas and i find it is easier to store like this. i also have a good supply of labels so i can clearly label thing's.

i feel like a big cooking session today i think.