Food Hoarders Challenge

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Chilli and Cornbread tonight. Will make some kitchen sink cookies later to take to a friends. I've nearly cleaned out everything. How much did we all save? I've used about 1/4 of the food budget last fortnight.

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What are kitchen sink cookies? Everything in them but....?

I have not brought anything other than fresh fruit and veggies. I am even managing on only a few big tins of tuna, some frozen fish fillets and scallops, a few kilos of chicken breast and a kilo or so of mince. I want to try to keep on going until next shopping day, which is not until Thursday next week. I will need some more fruit for sure, but might be able to squeeze out another week from what I have!

I have used up some nuts and almost out of date cream cheese in dips over the past few days. I made some bolegnaise in the thermie today and used up the last of some herbs, and old bottle of red wine and a tin of tomatoes and the last bits and pieces of lots of bags of pasta. I have been having green smoothies with some frozen spinach I have from a friends garden and frozen fruits. We found an old bag of pretzels at the back of the cupboard which the kids have devoured, lol. And some cashews too!

That's awesome. You've done great.

Everything but exactly, chocolate, nuts, oats, chopped bars anything you like.

Can I just say I never realised how valuable polenta was. I'm using it tonight to thicken my chilli, to make cornbread. During the week I used it to make soup. I'll make polenta chips to go with steak this week. I'm definitely using it as a thickener for soups and casseroles from now on. So I've learnt something awesome.

I'm going to do a last inventory tomorrow and see what I can come up with. I know I've got some tuna, capers and some leftover basil dressing in the fridge so I might make Niçoise salad over one of the hot days this week.

Any ideas for semolina? Managed to find two bags, when I only need one for baked potatoes.

Semolina cake, veggie fritters with semolina, pasta, semolina porridge for breakfast. Mix with Parmesan, fresh herbs and use as a crumb mixture for chicken.

We found sushi rice! Sushi tonight :)

I only started this week so still have quite a few things left. I topped up with some fresh fruit/veg this week but have spent very little. I should easily get through this week with using mainly what we have in the house. I may even get a little longer! We will see.

I haven't bought any protein (bar eggs) since last year.
:jawdrop:

Lol, I love last year jokes.

Seriously... I think since the big pre-Christmas shop.

Tonight I made Rouge's suggestion of chicken tikka with my marylands. Totally awesome. DH was amazingly impressed. Am putting my thinking cap on for tomorrow night. Needs to be quick and easy as we are going to the aquarium for the day.

Oh my. Gosh. Best. Chilli. Ever. I added dark chocolate towards the end. It went from good to out of this world...

Yay! That's great OP & chody!

3929

I have quinoa.. I tried making porridge for the boys but they didn't like the texture when compare to normal porridge... Other than using it in a roast vege salad, what could I use it for.

Also, didn't go shopping this morning (other than milk) as I really want to use up what's in the fridge this week... So nervous! Made a tentative menu plan for this week..

Black rose, could you just put a spoonful into the kids normal oat porridge every day? I know people add it to salads a lot. Could you add it to muffins or cakes? I haven't ever tried it so have no idea!

I am going to make a menu plan today for all of my pantry stuff. I have a tonne of rice and rice noodles. I am going to have to get creative to have some variation if that's what is going to be in our meals every day, lol!

Made nice dish from brown rice and pinenuts. DH was a bit blergh about it, but it was yummy enough to me and not wasteful.

I made curry sausages for dh, and curried chick peas for me. then googled some recipes and some added cream at the end. don't have any cream, but have natural yoghurt. would that work in tomato based dish? if not, I can just skip that bit. ts

Bought some pumpkin and sweet potatoes for making curry, will use the lentils in there somewhere too I think.
Made the fried rice today, that I was planning to do earlier in the week. Huge batch and on-death's-door cabbage from the back of the bottom of the fridge has been utilised.

Going to do some doughs and baking this afternoon I think.

Yoghurt is fine. It's how I do my murgh mekani.

Total Spend this week = 141.07
that includes $27 at the fruit and veg stall, and $10 on a coffee and an icecream each for the kids and $20 on Laying pellets for our chooks, (but I did spend $5 a week on eggs, so it will pay for itsself.)
I needed some more tomatoes, celery, pumpkin and cool drink this week, and DH kindly brought me some gatorade powder as Ive been getting hot and dehydrated when I run. Shouldnt need much for week 3 though.

Im also sourcing some fertiliser for my tomatoes and corn, and will put some more seedlings in hopefully.

Did a big cook up. (mince, mushrooms, beans, onions, carrots)
Meals were:
Wednesday- leftover picnic. Left over casserole
Thursday- Leftover casserole. Shepherds PIe
Friday- Picnic lunch. Left overs
Saturday - Chips, sandwiches and fruit. (we are meeting friends for a run down the beach, then will have a picnic.) Mexican chili and rice
Sunday - Burritos
Monday - Burritos
Tuesday - Lamb roast Rack and Veg

Food hoarders win tonight. Chicken breast from freezer. Made a Mexican pulled chicken sauce, all from pantry and fridge stuff, stuck it in the slow cooker, cut up some dodgy tomatoes and lettuce and then realised we didn't have a packet of tortillas. Found a half packet in the pantry (God bless Tupperware) and a half dozen frozen that I'd made previously and viola dinner is served. Was about to jump in the car and buy some but found some lurking instead! Yay!

Oh and the pulled chicken was amazing!

must give that a go.

I made a soup from cauliflower that was dying slowly in the back of the crisper and some potato etc (yes it's hot here, but it's always hot so we just eat whatever we'd normally eat). I also had a loaf of homemade ciabatta that I'd frozen a few weeks back that I thawed out. Funnily when it was fresh DS turned his nose up at it, tonight he had 3 bits lol.
Had DH as a surprise dinner guest (he works away) so three some leftover chicken and veggies from last night into his to bulk it up as he doesn't think dinner without meat is dinner lol.

Haha! Complete pantry-dinner fail here tonight.

Über CBFs won me over. They didn't have to fight hard. ;) Chips from the FnC shop tonight on the way home and 3 icy-poles a piece here tonight.

Fish & chips here too!

It's been a whole week since we've done a shop (other than getting fresh milk). Doing well! Monday I thawed out some mince and made hamburgers, had some hamburger mince left over so rolled them into meat balls for dinner last night. In the mince mix I added finely chopped mushrooms that we're looking a bit sad... The boys gobbled them up! Had the hamburgers with a simple salad - lettuce,tomato, cucumber, carrot and mayo. The meatballs I cooked with onion, can of tomatos, red capsicum and dried herbs served with pasta. The boys loved them! So glad I got two dinners out of the mince!

Today I thawed out a vege pasta meal from the freezer and will cook some fish fingers, Thursday I have some zucchini pesto in the freezer which I think I'll marinade some chicken in and bake with some roast potatos and grilled zucchini.
Thanks for all the great tips! Slowly getting through all my frozen food!!

BR, if you've still got quinoa, I use it as a base for quiche - uses up all my veggies too. I'll message you the recipe

Could you make pulled chicken from a whole chook and cooking it in the slow cooker?

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Could you make pulled chicken from a whole chook and cooking it in the slow cooker?

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I would imagine so TMS. Maybe cook it with some garlic cloves and herbs and a bit of chicken stock to poach it a bit otherwise it might get dry

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BR, if you've still got quinoa, I use it as a base for quiche - uses up all my veggies too. I'll message you the recipe

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Thanks Hun, I appreciate it :)

Mr Fussy-as-all-geddup won't eat tomato anything so I made pulled chicken with thighs I got out accidentally (meant to get out breast) and a bottle of BBQ sauce (yuck!!) that I found at the back of the pantry. No idea where it came from but it was sealed and in date.....um YUM! DD1 had 5 wraps lol.
DS was still not thrilled but the girls and I loved it.

I had to take the plunge and shop for more than fresh produce today. But I menu planned for what is in my cupboards and freezer, and will be continuing to try to get rid of stuff. The only meat I brought was a lamb leg because hubby requested one, and some mince which I intend on using to make two batches of lasagne for a friend who is due to have her bub in the next few weeks.

I dug out some chicken breasts, which I seasoned and cooked and chopped up for sandwhiches for a couple of days. I have gathered together all of the frozen fruit and will be making pineapple upside down cake, banana bread, ice blocks and maybe some blueberry muffins in the next week.

I have 4 lots of mince to use up, besides the fresh mince I brought today, so we will have lasagne, and/or spag bol for dinner (I have lots of sachets of tomato paste and a few tins of toms to use too), I found chicken mince which I forgot I even brought a while back, so will do some thermy sweet and sour meat balls with rice. Also found an unopened packet of fish fillets, so some crumbed fish is on the menu too (with breadcrumbs made out of all of the miscellaneous bits of bread in the freezer!). There are also some sausage rolls and mini chicken pies in there we can have for lunch!

Today I made some pea and ham soup with the rest of the dried peas I had in the bottom of the legumes container, and I will make some seeded bread to go with it, to use the poppy, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and chia seeds. I will be having some rice dishes in the next week to get rid of more rice (who knew we had so much of it?!), maybe a rice pudding should be on the menu too. I will be baking snacks and freezing half of them ready for school going back.

Nice one Mrs Fab!
I'm now 2 weeks without a grocery shop.. Woohoo! I have made chocolate pudding and added frozen fruit for desserts, used up the last of my Greek yoghurt to make tatziki and as a starter culture for more yoghurt. Cooked up a big batch of cottage pie and made some portions for the freezer, still have loads of frozen vege to use up. Tonight I made zucchini and carrot fritters for the boys which they loved. Just got some potato and onion in the fridge now so might cook a potato bake tomorrow to have with frozen fish fingers. I am actually enjoying the challenge of trying to clear out my fridge/freezer :-)

Pantry Challenge Week Three:

A great week with a total spend of $60 in the supermarket, and $20 eating out.
The supermarket spending included $15 for 3 huge packs of sausages, which I divided up into 15 meal serves and froze.
Our Meals were:
Wednesday- Roast Chicken and veg Cauliflower/broccoli Cheese
Thursday- Take away
Friday- Roast Chicken and Veg, Cauliflower/broccoli Cheese
Saturday - Bangers and Mash, and Veg
Sunday – Bangers and Mash, and Veg
Monday – Pesto Pasta Salad
Tuesday – Curry Sausages and veg, with rice

Lunches were sandwiches/toast and fruit, or 2 min noodles for the kids, and the Pasta Pesto Salad made 2 days lunches as well.

My main spending is on fruit and veg, the freezer/pantry clean out is going well.
I have 2 roast chickens frozen atm, any suggestions? I was thinking of thawing them and boning, then chucking them into a precooked casserole for 30 mins to soak up the flavours. My BIL gets them from work as leftovers (they precook all their chooks in the morning, for the dinner time, and usually over estimate rather than run out) barters them for our eggs so I have a constant supply, but he usually drops them off after work, and I usually have already organised the next nights meals, so into the freezer they go.

What about cutting into quarters and marinating in a honey soy garlic mix and then stick on the BBQ or bake in the oven? Have that with a salad and good for leftovers too!

Nice one on the menu this week. I think we might do bangers and mash this week too.

Tonight I did spaghetti on toast for the kids and I'll have a tuna toastie melt for me and DH. It's the kind of night where I CBF and DS2 had a temp from teething. The choc pudding went down a treat though!!

Just need to get through til Sunday morning when we will do a fresh veg shop. Have plenty of frozen veg, some frozen meatballs which I might cook tomorrow for dinner.

Thanks the all the ideas ladies!!

Did a shop yesterday after 2.5 weeks, all fresh stuff. So nice to have rockmelon, pineapple and watermelon! I had a lovely big salad for lunch yesterday too. Have planned meals for this week including a butter chicken (chicken breast from the freezer)with vege and rice which I'll spread over 2 nights, BBQ sausages (freezer) with salad and homemade wedges and I might try making falafel with a can of chickpeas.
This lot of groceries should last me a couple of weeks if I plan well :-)

Weekly Spend of $170 (including $16 on a massive pack of icecreams, naughty naughty and $20 worth of Tuna for my breakfasts) but the fridge is full of fresh stuff for this week.

Wednesday: Choritzo pasta (2 choritzos, tomatos from the garden, onions, carrots, frozen veg, pasta and cheese)
Thursday: Choritzo pasta (I was fed at work)
Friday: Sausage Curry (I was fed at work) (sausages, chickpeas, coconut milk powder, curry paste, beans, chickpeas, potatos (were given 4 kg) broccoli, celery, carrots)
Saturday: Fried Rice (left over rice, ham and vegies
Sunday: Hamburger patties and veggies
Monday: Chicken nibbles, rice and veg
Tuesday: Roast chook, mash, carrots,corn

I scored the corn for 30c an ear, carrots were $2 a kg, apples and bananas were both $2 a kg, water melon was 70c/kg.
Bartered for chicken and potatoes, given loads of tomatoes. We buy the rich bulk so its under 13c/100g. Sausages were $2.5/kg the other week, so went into the freezer in packs of 6. Splurged on grapes, strawberries (had pikelets with fresh strawberries for arvo tea)

Help.
Have 3 tins of beetroot and I can't stand the stuff. What can I do with it besides donating it to a food bank?

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Help.
Have 3 tins of beetroot and I can't stand the stuff. What can I do with it besides donating it to a food bank?

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Dip - just blend it with some cream cheese.
Whizz it up so it still has some texture and put it with goats cheese, walnut, shredded chard - works well on pumpernickel.

And of course, hamburgers! ;P

You could juice it and add to carrot and celery?
Bit messy with canned beetroot but still good for you :)

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Help.
Have 3 tins of beetroot and I can't stand the stuff. What can I do with it besides donating it to a food bank?

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Do you have any enemies you could give it to??

Signed, fellow tinned beetroot hater xx

Beetroot muffins or cake?

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Do you have any enemies you could give it to??

Signed, fellow tinned beetroot hater xx

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No-one else I know within 2500km likes it either except DD1 lol.

Will do the dip. She might take it for lunch.

Would it be OK in sweet stuff? Wouldn't the vinegar be a bit much?

Definitely use in cake!

Sending you link...

Love tinned beetroot! Hard not to scoff half of it after opening.

yeah...no. Gross. Smells like dirt.

Dip was a hit.
Rouge's cake after I go and buy eggs. :D