Food Hoarders Challenge

[Rouge]

About 3-4 times a year we try and go a month eating the food we've accumulated in the fridge, freezer, cupboards.

Sometimes we've been able to go a month without needing to do a big shop due to living off what we already have. Not only does it stop food waste, which I think is a huge problem, but it saves HEAPS of money. We still buy fresh fruit and veg during this time but we stick to what's on special and basics to keep the bill down.

So what sort of food am I talking about? That half bag of lentils from that soup you made in winter. The puff pastry in the freezer you used once to make a tart. The half bag of frozen corn. The can of tomato soup that's been there since the flood. That jar of capers in the fridge...

Freezer diving is my most favourite thing in the world. I find things like chicken carcasses, egg whites, leftover mashed potato, curry, stock, biscuit dough, flavoured butters etc. and doing it often means you don't have to throw these things out because they have expired.

So we've been doing this since Christmas Day. And it's been great. I'll post some of the things I make. Thought it might be handy for those who need to tighten the budget after the Christmas blowout and for those that are about to have back to school expenses.

To start with make a list of everything you have. All the cans, dried foods, frozen foods, jars etc. Then you've got something you can see. Which means it's easier to look at a glance what you have. Then scour for recipes. Pinterest, Taste website and general googling helps.

I promise you won't be disappointed.

[briggsy's girl]

Great idea. I tend to set a week/fortnight a month/six weeks where we do exactly this. I basically tell dh we have to empty the food that's there before we buy anything new. I love having to be creative with food like that!

[Jellyfish]

We are actually starting this tonight. My birthday night without kids, I decided I just want to throw on some old school music and spring clean with DP (and have the most epic long foot rub). It includes taking an inventory of our freezer and cupboard for us to make use of this month!!

[Rouge]

Awesome!

And don't limit it to food for recipes. Next time you have a sugar craving instead of buying something eat those chocolates that aunt Sue brought back from Mornington . Don't keep them because they are special. Chances are by the time you go to eat them they'll be off. Same with specialty oils, teas and other goodies that you hold onto because they were a gift or remind you of that trip you went on.

I can't tell you the amount if times I've thrown out a chilli jam or rancid garlic oil that I held onto because it was a gift.

And for those of you who are unsure of food spoilage times etc a good app is StillTasty. And remember used by, best before are two different things. And always label freezer contents (even containers of leftovers) with a date. So you don't get sick by eating something that has been there too long. I do this even with meat so that if I find that random bag of mince in the back if the freezer I know it's still ok.

And make a garden list, lemons from your tree (or someone else's), the herbs you have available. And if you're super awesome the fresh veg you have growing too.

[briggsy's girl]

We got pretty harsh with food clean ours when mum was sick. Her freezer got culled ina big way. Anything that didn't have a date and she couldn't remember cooking went out. Everything in our freezer get a date written on it and we make sure it all gets used in order.

I tend to end up making mud cake or similar if chocolate has been there a while. Great for work snacks

Tomatoes that are getting old get turned in to tomato paste etc

I've gotten pretty good at frugal living
I think we are almost due a pantry only fortnight. Just done the shopping for the fortnight so maybe next pay day i won't shop

[Jellyfish]

We go through phases usually coinciding with our income fluctuations through the year. When things are going well, we try new recipes constantly so the freezer and cupboards end up with all sorts of partially used bits and pieces, then when things slow down again we go kitchen scavangering and start using it all up to scrape through. Not the best long term strategy.

But today is the day we start living more consistently and predictably so we can start saving more. Living within our means on a yearly basis rather than week by week basis lol. Begining with using what we have for a forced reset!

It's ridiculous how excited I am to declutter and spring clean and plan. DD2 is napping then off to Grandma's (DD1 at her bio dad's) so not long now!

[OceanPrincess]

Great idea - DH has just organized the purchase of half a cow so we need to run down the freezer and make room to store things.

We have "freezer inventory" on our list of things to do today/tomorrow!

[briggsy's girl]

I find freezer inventory really helpful. We tend to buy bulk meat quite often (dds godfather has a beef farm so we buy from him). Usually lasts us around 9 months. When we first but it's all good - can open a drawer in the freezer and find something interesting. When we are running low the freezer inventory is a godsend. Makes us find different things to eat to use up all the leftover meat

[wysiwyg]

I hate shopping - so we do this all the time - it is like that show Ready Steady Cook - I grab a few things and work out what can make with them.

(My sister posted a pic at Christmas of a tin of ravioli they found at mum and dad's place best before Jan 2002 :-))

[Astrid]

Way too freaky, I was just checking out my pantry today and was going to post about it

Thankfully we have the chooks, so anything that is past the use by can go to them (eg old ryvitas) .
Must go through the freezer, as we will be contacted soon about a meat delivery at the end of the month.

Rouge: bit like you, I hand onto food for "special" and then it gets wasted. Which is a shame as we do get some lovely foods in hampers some years. Sometimes though I am just waiting for that "special" dish.

[Tinks]

Good idea, I so need to do this.

[Rouge]

Ok so tonight we're having porcupine meatballs. The big girl left a can of tomato soup here (blurgh!) and I've only got 4 smallish potatoes so I pulled out leftover pierogi mix (essentially mashed potato) which I will defrost and fold through the mash I have. Will serve with steamed carrots.

[wysiwyg]

I don't make a list because for me that then presents me with too many choices, and for some things I am not good with choices - I prefer just to rummage and come up with a couple of things. Anyway for today I had some pizza cheese, grated carrot and half a cauliflower that needed using up - so I made pizza with a cauliflower base - is pretty good and the kids are eating it so that is a win I reckon.

In the UK they seemed to have better 'use up quick - on special' sections in the supermarket - and for a whole year DH and I only bought from that section - when faced with everything full-price I find decision making very hard now.

[briggsy's girl]

In the UK they seemed to have better 'use up quick - on special' sections in the supermarket - and for a whole year DH and I only bought from that section - when faced with everything full-price I find decision making very hard now.

i used to love shopping in the wee hours of the morning when i was at uni - always clearance food!
we tend to buy in bulk - having mum live relatively close means we can share things we buy. we also cook in bulk and freeze - or send some home for mum and dad (or both!)

i mostly use lists so that i can meal plan - i take leftovers for lunch most days at work - and there is only certain food that is "work lunch" friendly (for me anyway) - so our meals have to fit with work friendly as well as pantry friendly


thanks for the mention of tomato soup Rouge! Mum bought us a heap cos it's my "go to" thing when i'm feeling blah - but she also bought herself heaps and now can't stomach it so we inherited lots of it. need to come up with ideas to use it up!

[Rouge]

I tend not to meal plan because I find I waste more food. But even still when I decide to make this or that and buy extra ingredients I still end up hoarding. Primarily because we hate eating the same stuff week in and out so I tend to need to be inventive.

I like to know what I have. That's all that I use lists for. Otherwise I'd waste even more.

My fridge looks so bare. I don't think I've ever seen it look like this

[Astrid]

My fridge got a great clean out in the lead up to Christmas. I needed clear, flat shelves in a rush for a chocolate mould. It made the decision making process so much as easier as I just went "if in doubt throw it out".

So I have the pantry and the freezer to deal with, plus a huge number of eggs coming in each day. The horrid weather has made the veggie patch dormant, so don't need to worry about produce from that, but I do hope the tomatoes come through for bottling in a few months time.

Shocked by some of the expiry dates on some items, they must have been almost expired when bought in the middle of the year. I must get better at checking when shopping.

[LimeSlice]

I did this tonight! LOL

Pizza movie night - ham and pineapple from left over Christmas ham; roast lamb and carmelised onion from the freezer and the giant bag of onions I had in the pantry; and homemade spinach, garlic and herb dough.

I have quite a lot of dry staples to go through too, so will be working my way through those for a while. We have about 5 different types of rice, a few different kinds of noodles, cous cous, lentils, pasta... It is quite ridiculous!

[emmjayt]

Love this idea. Every time I start it DH goes out for staples and comes back with more stuff. One pantry shelf a week for the next few weeks I think