In this process of using up the foods we have, before buying anymore you'd expect the freezer to be emptying, but during this first week of my challenge it's proving quite the opposite.
I decided to concentrate on using up food from the fridge and the worktops this week, to get food that that would go off either used or stored in a better way before it could, and to get food that is lying around the place looking messy gone and the surfaces clear.
Carrots from the fridge were washed, chopped and open frozen before being tipped into boxes.
Likewise two oranges that were in a gift hamper were washed and sliced and then open frozen in half slices.
Deliciously juicy, but we just don't eat oranges very often ...
... but in a long cool drink they are gorgeous.
These two slices didn't fit in the box when I came to box them up, so I used them straight away :-)
A joint of beef that was in the fridge, has been cooked, half of it was used for one evening meal for Lovely Hubby and more slices from that half were taken cold with salad to work the next day, all the trimmings were given to the dogs for their tea that night.
After chilling the other half overnight in the fridge to make for easier for slicing, it was thinly sliced and about two thirds of it put into tubs with gravy.
Once frozen the bags were tied up and both popped into one tub and clearly labelled, they too are now in the freezer, the basis for two more meals. The other third of the thinly sliced meat was again taken with salad for lunch for LH
So one small joint of beef has made the basis for five meals for LH and one extremely tasty tea for the dogs.
So now added to the freezer are -
Two boxes sliced carrots
One box of sliced oranges
One tub of sliced Roast beef in gravy.
No wonder it's looking so full even after a good sort out and stocktake. I have now written down everything that is in there (almost getting frostbite in the process) and I'm going to do another inventory so I can see how long this should last us and make the best possible use of what we have.
I'm trying my best NOT to spend ANY money on food this week AT ALL.
Pictures of the rapidly emptying fridge will be put up tomorrow.
Sue xx
Hi Sue what brand of meat slicer is that/ It is something I am looking into buying but will need a heavish duty one as plan to do bacon at some point
ReplyDeleteenjoying reading about your challenge
We got it from Lakeland when we used to produce all our own pork and bacon from the pigs. I've just nipped over to their website to try and get you a link but it looks at though they've stopped selling them :-(
DeleteThere is no name or details on it so it must have been one of their own products.
They should be back in stock by mid May, I ordered one Saturday. It is a replacement for one that died after 12 years or so good service.
DeleteThanks Pam, they are brilliant aren't they. Mine paid for itself within weeks, slicing all the meat, cheese and bread so it went so much further.
DeleteThanks guys I will check it out
Deletehttp://www.lakeland.co.uk/13665/My-Kitchen-Electric-Slicer
Deletethis one?
That's the one!! Now where was that when I searched for a link :-(
DeleteIt's exactly the same one, ours is now 3 years old and going strong, easy to clean too, it virtually all comes apart for washing.
Hi Sue, I'll try open freezing my surplus carrots lurking in my fridge later today - thanks for the tip and good luck with your no food spend challenge this week. Great previous post on buying food on credit very inspiring - good to hear people who've beaten this trap. We're lucky to have not been in that situation (although we have wasted so much money in the past) but I still need lots of inspiration and tips to keep on reducing my grocery spending. Thanks Claire xo
ReplyDeleteI bought a kenwood one from argos earlier on in the year. It really does make the meat go further & is ideal for sandwiches.
ReplyDeleteWow, well done you, we are tending to live from the freezer at the moment as finances are so tight its not funny. I love your way of freezing your roast beef with gravy (ours doesnt tend to make it to the freezer as OH usually gets it on his plate a couple of days after the roast). Will have to give tha a go. Thanks for sharing. :O)
ReplyDeleteI have to freeze things away when LH is not around otherwise it WOULD all go immediately, he could eat his way through an entire joint if I left him to his own devices, and has been known to do just that :-)
DeleteI pickled some sliced carrots at the end of last year, doing as you are; trying to finish a crop. They're in a sweet-ish pickle, and I haven't actually tasted them yet. I'll let you know, I'm assured they're wonderful..
ReplyDelete