I get asked a lot why I have so much food in my cupboards, freezer etc etc, and sometimes I even wonder myself why there's so much ... and then I monitor what I do for a while and the answer becomes apparent.
I make what I do have go as far as I can, and I make as many meals as possible out of everything. I guess it comes from having nothing in the past, the days when I opened cupboards and there was virtually nothing there and there were two little boys that needed feeding. You soon learn the value of what you have when you have it, and it is ingrained so deeply in you to make the best out of every single thing, make it go as far as possible and waste nothing.
Take the chopped veggies I roasted last week for instance. I call them Med Veg for short, and once I have made a tub full I use them day after day in as many ways as I can while they are still lovely and fresh in the fridge.
You have already seen the first meal a pizza ... although you saw it in it's uncooked state ... made from half of the sheet of pizza dough with the Med Veg and some dairy-free cheese.
The second meal was a nice simple lunch just stirred through some cous cous that had been cooked in vegetable stock. It was delicious, and as usual reminded me that I just do not use my big jar of cous cous anywhere near enough!
The third meal saw me using the other half of the pizza dough to make a 'pizza pocket' type thing, and very nice it was too. But I will not be buying that ready rolled pizza dough again, it has absolutely no flavour, I can do so much better myself.
As I was preparing the fourth meal I decided that the Med Veg had been in the fridge for long enough, so I decided to divide it into four portions, three for the freezer, I'll let you know what I use these for ... if I remember.
The other one was added to a bowl of pasta along with some prepared tinned salmon, which caused a link over to the next good use of food.
Now what did I do with two tins of salmon mixed with red onion and mayonnaise ... ?
Sue xx
Please remember the anniversary of the war in Ukraine today. Food is interesting to some but think of those who have very little. Sue
ReplyDeleteYou actually think that I do not know that it's the anniversary!!
DeleteI am writing about food a lot this year because I am working through the things that I have, if you are finding it triggering please go and read other blogs that will be gentler on your sensitive disposition. I also notice that you are doing the round in blogland commenting virtually the same comment, but the people you are picking on are the very ones that DO care and that DO do something that SHOWS that they care.
Hopefully you are doing lots yourself too, and are not just sitting at a keyboard sharing your remarks.
Well said, Sue. We all have individual sad things in our lives as well as national and international concerns but this does not mean that our entire lives are filled with them. Precisely because of what’s happening in Ukraine and many other parts of the world, we should be thankful for what we have and that includes food. June. X
DeleteExactly June, thank you for your input. xx
DeleteI think anyone who follows this blog regularly will be aware of your concern for hungry people, Sue, and the phenomenal amount of money you raised with the Ration Challenge. I have noticed that "Anonymous" has posted on a number of blogs today, suggesting that we should all be acknowledging the anniversary of the war, and not mentioning other things.
ReplyDeleteIn our house, the family grew up eating so many "meals from leftovers" that often we could not remember what the original meal was, or when we first ate it!
Thank you for that Angela. xx
DeleteI think we have a bit of a keyboard warrior here, hopefully they do what they can to help good causes and be more positive in other ways, but somehow I am doubting it as all her comments tend to be ... shall we say edgy ... when she comments on my blog.
I can remember how shocked I was when I first realised that not everyone shopped and cooked like this - it was a real eye opener to my younger self!
ReplyDeleteYou making food into as many meals as possible to be able to save money to then be able to donate items to food banks is such a good thing to do, thank you
Country Cook
I remember being shocked when I saw someone that had just been shopping going through her fridge throwing all the old food away to make way for the new food. Shocked and horrified.
DeleteI have to admit that I was surprised at how much I have been able to donate AND save since the start of this year.
Same here. Even before our 6 years of war rations, budgeting was very ingrained in us. Even though we now treat ourselves, every meal or snack is stretched and everything still used up.
ReplyDeleteI think getting the full value of everything we buy is the most important budgeting thing we can do. Even treats can be stretched to go further can't they, and it's very satisfying.
DeletePerhaps the question should be not why you make food last so long, but why others do not? Although that would probably get you trolls, anons and goodness knows what else.
ReplyDeleteI'll be honest, I never think that you make food last a particularly long time - everything you do just seems incredibly sensible and common-sense to me.
I totally agree with both Jayne's comments
DeleteYes, that's something that I have trouble understanding, why more people just don't make food last better and go further. Maybe it's an age thing, but most of us have had harder times and seen our families and friends go through hard times. To waste anything is almost immoral.
DeleteI have always been known for my common-sense, on most occasions ... I do have the occasional blip. ;-)
I honestly think it s a lack of knowledge . Sensible cooking/home management simply isn’t taught these days , snd mums are so reliant on pre cooked things as they’re out so late working . Tough times I think . Bev
DeleteVery true Bev. Working Mums have a lot less time to show their children how to cook. My Mum was out at work as soon as my brother reached school age and wasn't able to teach me anything, and at school I only learnt the very basics, but even that was more than they get at school these days.
DeleteHaving a well stocked pantry used to be the norm. It is really only in the past fifty years that the availability and variety of food has made it possible for people to shop with frequency and “live in the now” regarding food. If you look at the design of homes since the 1960’s you will see that many have very little food storage space in the kitchen. My daughter has a five bedroom house with only a tiny pull out pantry. My house luckily has a much larger pantry. Having a well stocked pantry is frugal and prevents panic buying in stressful times. Just two years ago people were stripping shelves bare frightened by the pandemic. Those of us with pantries just kept on keeping on. By many standards I have “too much” food, but I am prepared for unexpected events and should the need arise, I am able to help others.
ReplyDeleteLike Jayne said, the real question is why others don’t keep a good supply of food at home.
Carol
You've just brought lovely memories back to me of my Auntie Ida's proper little pantry. Lots of narrow shelves all just one or two tins deep from floor to ceiling, with jars and tins of stored food. The cold marble shelf having the baskets of vegetables and the wrapped meat and fish on. I used to go in there as a child and stand on the little stool that she kept in there for herself, she was only 5ft tall, and I would straighten all the tins so the labels faced forwards. I wonder if she muddled them up again once I left, ready for me to do it the following week?
DeleteA good supply of food that you work you way through and restock carefully is a very good idea with everything that is going on in the world at the moment.
I loved reading about your sensible use of food - which is something we should all be interested in and has broader implications of course. Today and yesterday and hopefully tomorrow, very few of us need reminding about the poor souls in Ukraine and the yearning for peace.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
I think if my ramblings can help anyone to find alternative uses for what they have, make things last just that bit longer and just get a few ideas then it's worth rambling on. I know I love it when I stumble across someone else's blog and they teach me a thing or two. We need to spend our whole lives learning.
DeleteWe definitely do not need reminding about what all these poor people are going through, it is absolutely heart-breaking that on the orders of one man so many have lost their livelihoods, their homes and their lives. The people with any power in Russia need to wake the f*ck up and stop this now.
I love your sensible, no nonsense and non-preachy attitude to food, Sue. Like Jayne, I thought stretching out the contents of your cupboard and fridge was normal but obviously not if you get bizzare comments like that.
ReplyDeleteTalking of bizarre - what on earth's that first comment all about? I'm sure all of us who care about the ongoing situation in Ukraine (and who doesn't?) have been watching the BBC's sensitive coverage marking the one year anniversary. I for one follow blogs for joy and for fun, I'd buy a paper if I wanted to read the news. xxx
That first comment was just strange, but this particular lady has been leaving similar comments for a while relating to all sorts of things. A bit of a keyboard warrior methinks.
DeleteI have been purposefully trying to avoid talking about newsy and political things as like you say we all need an escape from what we see on the television and in the world at large. Once a day on the news reports is more than enough when there is very little we can do now. At least with blogs we can pick and choose what to read.
My Mum grew up poor (10 siblings, hardworking mother, charming but alcoholic father), and she knew how to stretch food. And even though she and my Dad were comfortably off, that's a habit she never lost. I am 59, and follow her example. It's not about 'going without', it's that I abhor waste.
ReplyDeleteI suspect that I am among like-minded people on your blog, Sue. (With the exception of that one comment this morning ;) )
Yes, we are indeed a very like-minded bunch, and a bunch that are happy to help others out with tips and advice when it is asked for. I do not need comments like the first one really ... it sort of sours the friendly atmosphere that we have on here ... but sometimes I do let them through so that I can reply to them.
DeleteI try to do the same, but I am not half as inventive as you are.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Oh I bet you are. :-)
Delete