Clearing out the freezer & cupboards challenge

[jenduck]

So, I am having a very expensive month (car failed MOT, cat got in another fight, birthdays etc) & it has struck me that I have 2 freezers & an understairs cupboard full to bursting with food that needs to be eaten! So, I am challenging myself to see how long I can go without buying anything (other than basics)

Who would like to join me? We could perhaps give each other inspiration for recipes for the random ingredients that we find?

Tonight's dinner is Fray Bentos pie ( but yummy!) with mash, veg from freezer & gravy - warming, delicious & easy on a day like today!

You can use Paxo stuffing as a crunchy topping for pork chops or chicken breasts that have been coated with a little oil. Bake covered in foil and then remove foil to let it all get crisp for about 10 mins at the end of cooking time. Also can be used as a filler for meatballs.

Loving 'Beany Thing'.

We are having a crockpot chicken dish today with various dried fruits (apricots, dates, cranberries, raisins) to finish up several bags left after Christmas plus onion and garlic and lemon slices.

Thanks for the supercook.com tip. Fab site.

I did that today. DH started muttering about goiung out to Waitrose to buy food today, and we have an order coming tomorrow. He can't stop himself spending £30 on nothing and then we throw stuff away, so I said: No. We have food.

Am attempting now to make a goulash with freezer stewing beef and almost no veg except tinned toms and carrots...DC better be hungry!

This week I'm not buying stuff using up fridge/ freezer and cupboards.

MOnday - sauagae n mash and the last of our garden beans.
Today - ragu and pasta
wed - school dinners for most, jacket spud and tined tuna for me
Thursday omlette , chips and veg ( I will have to buy some eggs from nearest farm gate.)
Friday - Jacket spud for boy, DH and I are eating out
Saturday - stir fryed pork , veg and rice.

I have just looked in my freezer and was pleased to find 6 steaks from Waitrose. BUT the date on the front says August 12 and on the back it says eat within one month.

kaekae, it'll be fine!

I've been doing this for a while, because I've had stuff in the freezer that really needs using up. It's been a good way of extending my repertoire of recipes. I've also been taking note of frozen stuff I can keep in in future that lends itself to a variety of dishes.

If you're not veggie, a ham/gammon joint for boiling up can be used in all sorts of ways. I slice some for sandwiches and then the rest can be diced for use in risottos, pasta dishes, potato bakes, etc, etc.

Given how much food prices have risen, I've been re-assessing the other stuff I keep in, eg dried goods like pasta, fresh veg/fruit. It's amazing how much I've not been spending and I think I'll keep doing this.

I have some frozen fruit that I need to use up. Looks like crumbles aplenty.... just need custard. DP will be pleased

kaekae, they're in the freezer, they'll be fine!

Idea for shrivelly grapes: cut in half and use in fruit salad. Can use up any little bits of fruit, including tinned, add some (orange) juice. Flavours even better if left over night, but wouldn't put any banana in until last minute if using. Should help rehydrate the grapes and won't be so noticeable mixed with other fruit.

I also love bits of fruit in jelly, which I think would work with halved grapes.

Any good?

Steaks will be fine.

I'm super jealous that everyone seems to have such big freezers. I think 6 steaks would pretty much fill half of ours. They would certainly be pretty hard to forget. :)

Dd's not good with dairy so I've decided I'm going to make oat milk tomorrow so I can do savoury pancakes, with roast veg and a tomato sauce. Yum! Love pancakes :o

ooh getting into the spirit of things now. I found the two pots of cranberries DH picked up on sale after Christmas. Obviously they go with the turkey crown I'm making for dinner tonight. :)

Just cheekily marking my place as I haven't time to read all the thread now but I suspect it will be a good read and very useful.

Can I join in a little bit too? Not going to go completely freezer and cupboard, but do need to cut down on some shopping and use up my supplies so this will be ideal. Will try to do at least half my weekly meals from storecupboard.

Using my slow cooker for the first time today and have made lamb shanks in a casserole which should be yummy. Have a roast pork that needs to be cooked tomorrow. Think I might try some chicken and mushroom risotto the next day. Does anyone have any good recipes for it?

Will try to make a lamb stock overnight in the slow cooker.

I have no space at all in either of my two freezers. Can I join in too?

I should only need to buy bread milk and fresh fruit since I know there are loads of vegetables in there and tons of butter and cheese. We will however be eating a lot of spaghetti since I bought 32 packs when tesco changed their packaging and reduced each pack with the old branding to 9p

I've spent the last few weeks doing this,as work has been really quiet and the snow has put a stop to it completely.

I have been making flapjacks,using up broken biscuits left in the tin,and the little bits of cereal that always seem to get left at the bottom of the packet.Add some oats,cooking margarine and sugar or golden syrup,bake at 180 for 15 minutes.They have been very popular in this house.

What a great idea Mirage! Will have to start gathering them up instead of throwing them out.

I've managed about 10 days of no shopping before I cracked and had to get more loo roll.

Am loving the suggestions.

In return if anyone has any leftover roast pork (and they don't or can't stir fry it), slice it and bag it up to put in the freezer.

Defrost (which only takes a few hours, if that) and fry for a couple of mins in a lightly oiled frying pan until brown and crispy.

Stuff into pitta breads with salad and lashings of apple sauce.

They're known as "Hot Porky Pittas" :)

This is my kinda thread. I'm taking notes.

But is it just me who defrosts two take away containers of what looks like chilli con carne (the bit that's always left over) for supper, only to discover one of them is actually crumble topping from a failed attempt at making flapjack ?

I've just found 3 bottles of elderflower cordial in the bottom of the freezer - predates at least one of the children....

@hearmyroar I know, being able to discover things in my freezer is an aspirational dream!

We literally had to do this last week because of unforeseen expenses! Soup, pancakes, chilli, bubble and squeak....

We have beany thing in our house too! It's a recipe i got from blue peter when i was a child in the 80's!

3 tins of mixed pulses-it really doesn't matter what sweetcorn, kidney beans, haricot beans works well
tin of baked beans
tin of tomatoes
sprinkling of mixed herbs

saute onions and garlic add the tins to it. tip into an oven proof casserole, top with broken up slices of bread and heaps of grated cheese bake til the cheese is melted.

Tonight I bulked out ragu from the freezer with some veg from the fridge- the last few mushrooms and half a pepper, and a saggy celery stick, the last squirt of tomato puree.

Also - removed loaf of bread from freezer for tomorrows lunch/ tea and the last solitary chicken kiev ( for my tea).

Might have to re-think tomorrows meals if we end up with a snow day.. but lets cross that one when/if it comes.

I ran my cupboards down already and freezer almost caught short with this snow! I wouldn't recommend pork curry, not the way I did it anyway.