Low-shop January

This has made we want to do an inventory of the freezers!!! I’m excited!!

Just done the inventory and can live on mince stew with Yorkshire’s and chocolate ice cream lollies for a month!

One American style freezer full of food which needs emptying as we have to move it out to the new garage as the integral garage where it now resides is being converted into a family room. Left over party food from Xmas still in the freezer along with sausage rolls and lots of vegan and vegetarian foods which my husband doesn't like! going to be a challenging month.

Still got the fridge-freezer to sort as we've all been ill post-Christmas and eaten very little. However, used quite a bit of frozen food before Christmas, to make room for leftover turkey, so not too bad. Made banana and walnut bread today though so feeling a bit righteous as the bananas were very soft and we had a few walnuts left over. Tried a different recipe which was very easy and it tastes yummy. Gonna put that weight back on I think!

What a good goal...Riverwalk thank you for starting this thread! I definately need to start a clean out of the freezer.
We have two; one as part of our fridge where I keep veg, fruit and some convenience foods, and another full size stand-up freezer which holds meat and fish.

I know there are some partially used bags of frozen fruit and veg that need to be used up or go frosty. My DH is actually the better organizer in our house, and he rotates the meat in the big freezer. Definately could use an inventory made, and use up some stuff that has been in there longer than 6months.

moggie I don't think our Food Bank accepts out of date tins or packets.

Not that I donate them as we would probably eat them anyway, I agree, they are fine.

We eat 'frosty' frozen food, Canadiangran

It was astonishing to see on our news the food waste being collected after Christmas.

I made the list for my monthly big shop today. It is going to be a very little shop this month.

It is not that I have a freezer stuffed with specifically excess Christmas food, but before Christmas I do stock up with items that may be needed in an emergency, like uncooked steak pies, on the assumption that they are ordinary things we eat anyway, plus my stock cupboard hasn't been denuded because no-one has been using tinned tomatoes, baked beans or tins of soup because of all the Christmas fare.

Not sad at all Riverwalk. Enough is enough after the festive season. Why not use stocks up to save a few pennies?

DH desperate to eat out of the freezer this month.
It is full of Cornish pasties, cheesecakes, shepherd's pie, mince pie ice cream, gingerbread, lasagne and home made pizza.
Needless to say, he won't be?

We'll we intended to eat the contents of the freezer, which was well packed. Unfortunately I didn't close the door properly and almost everything was ruined.

KatyK was it really, hand on heart , an accident?

I had a similar accident ten years, or so, ago.

It was wonderful. I got rid of 17 year old ice bound something's. Also liver casserole, an undentifiable casseroley thing and some very icey chops that simply did not resemble any meat product imaginable.

So, are you truly devastated about your mishap????

Yes Ella It really was an accident. It had been almost empty, so we shopped and filled it up on Sunday. My mind was elsewhere as DH had an important hospital appointment. I know what you mean though!

Well it's half-way through the month and I'm getting down to the wood now!

Problem is I ate most of the interesting stuff e.g. smoked salmon & lamb chops early on so I'm left with five cans of tuna, large jar of sauerkraut, frozen spinach, tinned tomatoes, pasta and other boring sundries.

I’m still using up the meal-sized packets of cooked turkey I froze shortly after Christmas. Ditto odd pieces of frozen fish - we had a very nice sort of fish chowder-y thing last night - milk, potatoes, frozen parsley and a small tin of sweet corn.

I’ve always been keen on using up whatever there is in fridge/freezer/cupboards, but that’s not because I’m super-frugal or organised - more that I’m really not keen on going shopping unless I have to!

One small Sainsbury’s delivery so far and a couple of very small top ups in M&S.

Riverwalk be kind to the tinned tomatoes, I use a lot in casseroles, cooked on the spot meals and soups. They are the basis of such a wide number of tasty and varied meals.

The cost of my monthly shop was down by 50% this month.

I'm very kind to my tomatoes Monica!

I'm about to use two tins of them in the slow cooker making a batch of sauce for my breakfast shakshuka, along with frozen peppers and red onion.

It's been raining all morning so I've been faffing around in the kitchen, cleaning the fridge, decanting dried herbs, spices etc. instead of going for a walk. All very therapeutic.

We are currently home in France, with the rain being blown horizontally across the fields.

Just the day for lunch of home-made cream of tomato soup and some decent french bread.