Monday, 30 January 2023

Moving on ... and Distracted by Mini Mince Pies


I think it's almost time to think of moving on from the freezer emptying challenge.  

This week will be the last week of the foods being mostly from the freezer, and then I should have made enough space to be able to put any excess portions that I make into the freezer as there should be at least one totally empty drawer.  What is left in there should be just additions to the meals that I can make from the food cupboard stash, the garlic, vegetables and any sauces that remain.

I opened the food cupboard on Saturday morning with the intention of stocktaking what I had in there, I made a little start and then realised that I simply didn't have the space or the inclination to empty it.  


What I did spy on my half-hearted effort to empty the top shelf was this box of mini mince pies leftover from Christmas.  If you look at the first photo they are on the top shelf, left hand side, between the cereals and the crisps and under the two packs of biscuits.

I slid them out and noticed that their Best Before date was literally that day ... it was imperative that I rescued them ... so leaving the cupboard to it's own devices I grabbed the squirty cream from the fridge, made a cup of coffee and retired to the comfy seats to have a very tasty little elevenses while I watched a couple of YouTube videos.


 The break did me the world of good, and I came up with the game plan that I will be executing today.  I am going to remove from the food cupboard anything that is dated 2024 and beyond.  Leaving in the cupboard just the things that are either out of date or dated with any date during 2023.

Now I need to set to and make this weeks Monday Menu plan ... while it is still Monday ... mostly from the freezer for the final time, and then move on to the Food Cupboard to see what delights await me in the lower cupboard too.  I have found a box and will take out all the longest dated foods and then clean and restock the cupboard ... making an inventory as I go.

Oh, and Alan helped me finish off the final seven mince pies, which we ate whilst watching my recording of Friday's Death in Paradise.  It was tough, but we buckled down and chomped our way through them all ... phew!!  😁



Sue xx



26 comments:

  1. Disaster averted - well done you and Alan! Also well done on the success of the freezer challenge. The cupboard doesn't look so bad really, does it. It can wait! xx

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    1. We stepped up to the mark. ;-) It's the bottom cupboard that is more of a problem, I took one look, grabbed the mince pies and ran!!

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  2. When faced with the daunting challenge of the seven mince pies your dedication in the line of duty is inspirational , there are at least seven after eight mints left in the box here , you have given me the courage to tackle them today :) x

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    1. I hope you survived. Gosh it's a good job there were only seven ... I used to be able to eat half a box in one sitting. It was only the queasiness that stopped me. :-)

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  3. Well it was a tough job but somebody had to do it 😂🤣 We recorded Death in Paradise too and watched it on Saturday night... very soothing and entertaining despite the murder! It must be the beautiful scenery....
    That's a great plan to date-order your supplies, Sue, then nothing will be missed.

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    1. Isn't it strange how murder in the sunshine seems somehow less murderous!! The scenery is gorgeous, and I could quite happily live out my days in that shack on the beach ... lizard included. :-)

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  4. What a great plan about removing everything that has a longer expiration date. Then you can clearly see what needs to be used first. And we loved Death in Paradise! One of our favorites :)

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    1. I know for a fact I have things dating back to 2020, this year they will be used!!

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  5. Love a bit of squirty cream - I kid myself that because it contains air it's less bad for me!
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. Well obviously ... haha. We are literally eating a smidge of cream and lots of air, and air is good for you right!!

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  6. That's a great idea about removing the longer dated stuff in your cupboards.
    Jon loves squirty cream, he'd happily eat a bowl of it on its own if I'd let him. I think he was a cat in a previous life! x

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    1. I was sooooo happy when they came up with a vegan squirty cream, I'm slightly sad that none of the shops in our town stock it but I get it whenever I can, a couple of cans at a time.

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  7. Lucky you found them just in time! Would you have eaten them if they were past the date?

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    1. I would. Unless they are moldy or texture changed, try them is my motto

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    2. Haha ... if you need to ask that you don't know me very well.

      Of course I would, I would eat them months out of date. I am being slightly more careful these days as I have no sense of smell since Covid. Of course I do use my eyes to check foods but if I'm in any doubt but I can always ask Alan to have a sniff.

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    3. Gosh yes, '50 and counting', you never throw food away without trying it do you. Best Before dates are just that, it's not a Use By is it. And as I don't eat meat or dairy, there are very few things that would actually kill me if I made a mistake.

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  8. Can't let something so scrumptious go to waste.

    God bless.

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    1. Exactly, and if anything they tasted even nicer than the other box did at Christmas, the flavour of the alcohol was much more pronounced.

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  9. You made me laugh at this post. And start craving mince pies.

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    1. It's funny I didn't even like mince pies until a couple of years ago, what a difference. :-)

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  10. This post gave me a chuckle...Good luck with your inventory.

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  11. I don’t think you were distracted at all. I think those mince pies deserved laser focus. Yum!

    Carol

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    1. Haha ... oh yes. And yes, very YUM. :-)

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  12. Well done on facing those mince pies, and eating your way through. Way to problem solve! Well done!

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    1. I am dedicated to finishing off the food, even if it is tough going at times. ;-)

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