Using Up the Food Stash, Making Good Use of Leftovers ... and the Pantry Challenge
As well as using up the contents of the freezer I am slowly but surely working my way through all of my food stash over the coming weeks.
It makes sense to use up all those things that might go off or go wildly out of date first, especially as while my freezer is full I can't add things to that to stop them from going bad. The other day I saw just how wrinkly the apples in the fridge were ... far too wrinkly to be eaten just as they were ... so I peeled, sliced and slightly stewed them.
I also used up one of my two rolls of pastry that had been bought well before Christmas. It was out of date but not horrifyingly so. The other pack of pastry had been squeezed into the freezer last week but there was literally no room for this one.
Out of one roll of pastry I got the two apple tarts, two little cheese, onion and potato pies and the one little end piece after rolling out was simply cooked as a thin cracker and eaten as soon as it was properly cooked ... chef's perks. 😀
Not a soggy bottom in sight. 😁
I ate one of the Cheese and Onion pies for my tea the night they were made with some garden peas and gravy and the other one I had for lunch the next day, warmed through in the Remoska and served with just a dollop of mayo.
The apple pies were shared, one for me and one for Alan ... which he enjoyed while it was still warm from the oven with some salted caramel ice-cream.
I am determined not to waste anything as I work my way through all the food stash, no matter whether it's a fridge, freezer or cupboard item. To keep me on the straight and narrow and for meal ideas and inspiration I have been watching Jessica over at Three Rivers Homestead regularly. It's this time every year that she does her pantry challenge, working her way through her enormous stash of home-canned and preserved foods and all those things that sneak into a busy home over the course of a few months. With a family of ten, including one gorgeous new born baby, she's doing it on a whole different level to my own little challenge.
Here's her first video of this year's Pantry Challenge.
Are you starting this year by going through your cupboards or freezers while keeping your spending low? And do you follow any other bloggers or vloggers that are doing something similar that I might be interested in finding out about and taking inspiration from?
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/dec/10/black-pudding-recipe-nigel-slater. I had half each of red and white cabbage in the fridge, and some creme fraiche. I found this Nigel slater recipe in a book on Saturday evening. I realised I'd got all the ingredients to had. It made a lovely lunch. There's lots of stock in freezer from the ham, and turkey, waiting to become soup. Half a pack of jusrol will make a few "hand Pies" like yours later. Creative use of leftovers is one of the delights of the season imho.
It really is the best time of year for experimenting with all those bits and bobs that are left in the fridge isn't it and I find this sort of cooking much more fun than just 'normal' meals. I find that Nigel Slater is great for inspiration for meals, and it's always a bonus when you look at a tasty recipe and find that you have all the right ingredients ... or near enough ... in the house.
I’m working my way through fridge and freezer and making meals that are definitely being enjoyed even if they may seem odd. Last night husband had crushed potatoes and carrots (from Sunday) with half a packet of pigs in blankets and some beans-childhood dinner revisited. Mine was with veggie sausages. I made a jelly with half a tub of yoghurt and that will last three nights with (still hard) pears cooked in the Remoska. Takes me back 51 years to the early days of marriage when we were living from month to month. Happy birthday to Alan-I was 73 on Sunday. Catriona
It would seem that 8th January is a good day for a birthday, there are so many people celebrating ... ooh and two 73's too!! It was also Elvis Presley's birthday and that of Stephen Hawking and David Bowie. AND it is also the anniversary of the day that rationing began in the UK at start of WW2
We tend to concentrate on using up the contents of the Lidl veg box every week and only raid the freezer when we're down to onions and a stray carrot! xxx
I would love to have something like that to work through each week, you do find it makes you think more and find new recipes when you have a random selection of foods to choose from don't you. I used to love the teatime television show called Ready Steady Cook when it was on in the 1980's, I'm not as keen on the new revamped version though, they seem to make use of far too many 'store cupboard' items.
We're doing the Iceland shop today with our vouchers. Now you've made me want to buy pastry because I've got loads of our cooking apples in the freezer! Your tarts look absolutely delicious. Did you cook them at 180 degrees Sue? I'm always a bit hit and miss with cooking pastry :0( Happy birthday Alan!
I can't wait to see the photos of what you buy, and what G decides you HAVE to have. :-)
Virtually everything goes in my fan oven at 180 degrees these days ... gosh I miss the AGA when I didn't have to worry about temperatures, just top oven or bottom oven or a mixture of the two!
I envy you being able to eat pastry dishes as your little tarts look delicious - I find as I get older I just don't digest it well and only use pastry for an occasional quiche or homity pie. I had a good clean out of my pantry and red stickered the stuff I need to use quickly - which isn't a lot. I am tempted to run my pantry right down before restocking to both save money and make sure we eat everything that is stored there. I have two pots of blackcurrant jam from when DH had bread and jam for breakfast all the time and I bought the jam when on offer - he has now moved on to muesli and we never seem to eat jam - it is unopened but just out of date so cannot take to a food bank - but don't want to waste it. Dilema!! I feel sure you would have some good ideas. x
A quiche or a homity pie is a good compromise when pastry sits heavy isn't it, just the one layer instead of a bottom and a lid makes it much lighter ... and healthier too.
I am envious of your two jars of jam, I have about 20 to work my way through, plus all the miniatures from my Advent calendar. You could use some of yours as a sauce for ice-cream by warming slightly and adding a tiny bit of water to thin it out, or use some to sandwich a cake together, otherwise it's jam tarts ... and there we are back to pastry!!
We are in the use up everything zone too. Plenty still in the freezer but the fridge is looking a little bare, a restrained trip to Aldi tomorrow for a small amount of fresh - I'll be trying to keep it under £50......£30 would be even better! I enjoy your frugal posts, encourages me to take care with the pennies too. Alison in Wales x
I do still have some sort of 'fresh' foods in the fridge, I think I will make an effort to clear them from the fridge next week and then have a shop to replace necessities ... if there are any.
To be honest I stock up far too much, it comes from years of living so far away from the shops and then years before of not having much in the cupboards at all due to financial constraints. It's amazing how old memories affect current situations.
Definitely going through cupboards, fridge and freezers using up items. I have so many bits and bobs to get through that hopefully shopping will not cost an arm and a leg (though the first shop this year did so).
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/dec/10/black-pudding-recipe-nigel-slater. I had half each of red and white cabbage in the fridge, and some creme fraiche. I found this Nigel slater recipe in a book on Saturday evening. I realised I'd got all the ingredients to had. It made a lovely lunch. There's lots of stock in freezer from the ham, and turkey, waiting to become soup. Half a pack of jusrol will make a few "hand Pies" like yours later. Creative use of leftovers is one of the delights of the season imho.
ReplyDeleteIt really is the best time of year for experimenting with all those bits and bobs that are left in the fridge isn't it and I find this sort of cooking much more fun than just 'normal' meals. I find that Nigel Slater is great for inspiration for meals, and it's always a bonus when you look at a tasty recipe and find that you have all the right ingredients ... or near enough ... in the house.
DeleteI’m working my way through fridge and freezer and making meals that are definitely being enjoyed even if they may seem odd. Last night husband had crushed potatoes and carrots (from Sunday) with half a packet of pigs in blankets and some beans-childhood dinner revisited. Mine was with veggie sausages. I made a jelly with half a tub of yoghurt and that will last three nights with (still hard) pears cooked in the Remoska. Takes me back 51 years to the early days of marriage when we were living from month to month. Happy birthday to Alan-I was 73 on Sunday. Catriona
ReplyDeleteBelated happy birthday Catriona. My hubby was also 73 yesterday!
DeleteHappy belated Birthday Catriona. xx
DeleteIt would seem that 8th January is a good day for a birthday, there are so many people celebrating ... ooh and two 73's too!! It was also Elvis Presley's birthday and that of Stephen Hawking and David Bowie. AND it is also the anniversary of the day that rationing began in the UK at start of WW2
Wow...I didn't know that!
DeleteWe tend to concentrate on using up the contents of the Lidl veg box every week and only raid the freezer when we're down to onions and a stray carrot! xxx
ReplyDeleteI would love to have something like that to work through each week, you do find it makes you think more and find new recipes when you have a random selection of foods to choose from don't you. I used to love the teatime television show called Ready Steady Cook when it was on in the 1980's, I'm not as keen on the new revamped version though, they seem to make use of far too many 'store cupboard' items.
DeleteWe're doing the Iceland shop today with our vouchers. Now you've made me want to buy pastry because I've got loads of our cooking apples in the freezer! Your tarts look absolutely delicious. Did you cook them at 180 degrees Sue? I'm always a bit hit and miss with cooking pastry :0(
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Alan!
I can't wait to see the photos of what you buy, and what G decides you HAVE to have. :-)
DeleteVirtually everything goes in my fan oven at 180 degrees these days ... gosh I miss the AGA when I didn't have to worry about temperatures, just top oven or bottom oven or a mixture of the two!
I envy you being able to eat pastry dishes as your little tarts look delicious - I find as I get older I just don't digest it well and only use pastry for an occasional quiche or homity pie. I had a good clean out of my pantry and red stickered the stuff I need to use quickly - which isn't a lot. I am tempted to run my pantry right down before restocking to both save money and make sure we eat everything that is stored there. I have two pots of blackcurrant jam from when DH had bread and jam for breakfast all the time and I bought the jam when on offer - he has now moved on to muesli and we never seem to eat jam - it is unopened but just out of date so cannot take to a food bank - but don't want to waste it. Dilema!! I feel sure you would have some good ideas. x
ReplyDeleteA quiche or a homity pie is a good compromise when pastry sits heavy isn't it, just the one layer instead of a bottom and a lid makes it much lighter ... and healthier too.
DeleteI am envious of your two jars of jam, I have about 20 to work my way through, plus all the miniatures from my Advent calendar. You could use some of yours as a sauce for ice-cream by warming slightly and adding a tiny bit of water to thin it out, or use some to sandwich a cake together, otherwise it's jam tarts ... and there we are back to pastry!!
We are in the use up everything zone too. Plenty still in the freezer but the fridge is looking a little bare, a restrained trip to Aldi tomorrow for a small amount of fresh - I'll be trying to keep it under £50......£30 would be even better! I enjoy your frugal posts, encourages me to take care with the pennies too.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
I do still have some sort of 'fresh' foods in the fridge, I think I will make an effort to clear them from the fridge next week and then have a shop to replace necessities ... if there are any.
DeleteI just don't stock up as much as you do. Of course, you probably do better on the bargains but I just buy what we need and don't waste much.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest I stock up far too much, it comes from years of living so far away from the shops and then years before of not having much in the cupboards at all due to financial constraints. It's amazing how old memories affect current situations.
DeleteDefinitely going through cupboards, fridge and freezers using up items. I have so many bits and bobs to get through that hopefully shopping will not cost an arm and a leg (though the first shop this year did so).
ReplyDeleteI need to bookmark her site so very interesting.
God bless.
Jessica seems to be a lovely lady and her family are being brought up so well.
DeleteThanks for the Youtube suggestion. I'm 30miles out of town so I definitely like to keep a well stocked pantry.
ReplyDelete