is it possible to get a weeks worth of shopping with NOTHING to go in the freezer??

[lucysmam]

Pretty much what it says above really!

Until insurance people actually come to my address instead of constantly going to the wrong one in next village (they can get the street right just not the place), I'm stuck without a freezer which is new to me!

I'd like to know if anyone thinks its possible to shop for a week with nothing that needs to be frozen in there and if so, what you would buy as I'm stumped at the mo. We generally eat a lot of mince or chicken or frozen seafood dishes (I buy seafood selection pack thingys from asda) and I really don't know what to get for the next week!

[OverMyDeadBody]

yes

I used to quite often before I had a freezer. Just never bought any frozen goods.

[Kif]

sure - you'll save money too. Lots of thinkgs with kidney beans and lentils etc.

Milk is the only thing

[OverMyDeadBody]

actually I lie, I most certainly did smaller shops to top up on bread and milk.

Hardly ever eat meat or chicken though, maybe twice a month max, so it wasn't really a problem. Lots of meals where based on store cupboard ingredients.

[lucysmam]

What did you buy though??? I'm baffled really, haven't a clue what to get for us, never not had a freezer for leftover stuff or fresh stuff to go in

[OverMyDeadBody]

yes lots of pulses and lentils, rice, pasta, pasatta, eggs, veg, cheese, mince and chicken will keep for three or four days in the fridge.

[lucysmam]

kif, the fridge is fine (don't ask me i dont know why but just freezer was killed in flood the other week)

[lucysmam]

i only ever keep chicken or mince in there 2 days, u sure it'd be ok for that bit longer?

[OverMyDeadBody]

pretty much everything I needed to make the meals we eat, which are usually pasta or rice based. Lots of veg, root veg, tins, etc.

What kind of meals do you eat now? A week isn't too long really, have the meat based meals first and leave the cupboard based meals till the end of the week.

[palaver]

bacon and gammon usually have long use by dates on them

[OverMyDeadBody]

yes. If you buy the supermarket packaged stuff, it will have been packed ina a protective atmosphere. Just make sure the plastic covering at the top is hard and slightly puffed out, if it is dipping in it has turned.

[Kif]

I always find milk won't keep for a whole week in the fridge - might be my fridge

[OverMyDeadBody]

buy the meat with the longest sell by date you can find (usually at the back of the shelf). They have quite a long shelf-life. 4 days will be fine.

[OverMyDeadBody]

milk never keeps for a week in my fridge either, it doesn't lat that long!

I buy it two or three times a week, along with bread.

[Kif]

day 1 - fish meal
day 2- chicken meal
day 3 - red meat meal
day 4 - day 3 left over
day 5 - vegetable meal
day 6 - lentil/bean based meal
day 7 - pasta w/ tomato sauce

I f yu're really worried about meat keeping - stick a midweek tinned tuna or egg thing - like spanish omelette, or salad nicoise.

[DarrellRivers]

My milk lasts a week in the fridge
Eat lots of eggs, pulses and vegetables

[palaver]

corned beef hash?

parma ham also has a long use by date - you can make nice pasta dishes with that

[palaver]

tinned mackeral/tuna/sardines/anchovies/pilchards?

[palaver]

we didn't have a freezer when I was a child.

Can you not get to teh shops at all in the week to buy bread/milk etc?

[Kif]

chorizo lasts longer than meat

[lucysmam]

bread n milk shopping not a problem palaver, i just tend to find i buy extras if i go so send oh.

i'm off with a list of the suggestions ive got here to write my weeks ahopping. . . wish me luck!

not used to having to do one weeks shopping either, usually do either a fortnight oor month as i get paid fortnightly and oh monthly so its a new experience

thanks for the puffed out lid on meats info overmydeadbody, i didnt know about that so can still get some meat in there too