My Freezer & Pantry Challenge

[meganjane]

I've taken up a challenge to only use what's in my freezer and pantry for the next month. It's quite fun and I've been blogging about it. Rather than reiterate everything here, if you're interested, here's my blog link: The Bush Gourmand

Having a Thermomix will certainly make the challenge easier as I already make so much now and don't rely on processed stuff that has to be bought.

[judydawn]

I'm going to enjoy checking that out regularly MJ - loved what I've seen so far.

[foodiepep]

can you buy milk?  we use 3+ litres of milk a day and as yet I don't have a cow to milk although that is secretly a dream of mine. 

[CreamPuff63]

I think this is a great topic and I will be keeping my eye on what you have been making. I tend to buy a piece of meat and forget about it for months. No wonder we have no room in the freezer  I look forward to any tips for using up the bits and pieces and hope one day to be blinded by the light at the back

[cookie1]

This will be interesting reading MJ.I'll follow it with the object of giving it a go too. Although I keep a tally of what meat is in the freezer and plan according to that. Good luck.

[meganjane]

Yes, you can buy milk. Here's our rules:

THE RULES:

1. You cannot purchase anything that is able to be easily frozen and kept. e.g. bacon.
2. Only staples of milk, eggs, cream and fresh fruit and vegetables may be purchased.
3. You must make bread if you have bread flour in the pantry and yoghurt if you have yoghurt mix.
4. No packaged, canned or frozen food is allowed to be purchased.

I've already broken rule 1 as I bought bacon. There wasn't any in the freezer and usually there is!! I can't live without it. But, I won't buy ham.

[Cornish Cream]

I'm enjoying your challenge MJ and belated birthday wishes for Saturday 

[obbie]

  That  is pretty easy for me, as I usually only buy, fruit, veges, milk,  every week, as all our meat, chicken, fish is bought in bulk.

i make bread, yogurt, ice cream, biscuits, cakes, now, and every meal, as we never eat take away.

have fun going through the pantry, to see what you can make.

Robyn

[foodiepep]

So who did this?

I honestly forgot about it.  If anything my freezer has more in it now than ever before.  In my defence I have frozen a lot of bananas after the cyclone when I could get overripe ones for 99c/kg

I'm definitely up for the challenge now though.  I have a bar fridge size freezer I want to get rid of as it holds hardly anything so this challenge will help with that.

I also tidied my pantry on the weekend and although there isn't that many canned things in there, there are definitely things I want to use up. 

[andiesenji]

I haven't posted here but Megan's original post prompted me to use up some of the stuff that has been lingering in my freezers for longer than optimal.

I've cooked some sausages, a meatloaf, used up four packages of puff pastry,  consumed some frozen Chinese dishes that were purchased on a whim last fall. 
I also rotated my nuts, grains and flours that always live in one freezer and shifted some frozen fruits to the front so they will be used soon.
My big freezer is nearly filled with almost half a steer we had butchered last fall so there isn't much I could do in three except to organize it a bit better - so I can more easily read the labels.  I also pulled out a quart container of turkey livers which are presently defrosting in the fridge. 

I bought some more freezer baskets to hold the little packages of stuff that doesn't stack neatly and which needs to be used up more rapidly.

[foodiepep]

What are you going to do with the Turkey livers?

[thermoheaven]

I should do this - I don't have any room...anywherre...

[andiesenji]

What are you going to do with the Turkey livers?

I'm going to make a terrine.  I have ordered a truffle that should arrive on Tuesday as the vendor has promised it will be shipped air express Monday morning. (It is Sunday, 8:00 P.M. right now).

[meganjane]

Wow, Andie! I've never eaten a truffle.

I did manage to almost empty my big chest freezer and one other fridge freezer.
I saved heaps of money in that month and used loads of stuff in the freezer.

The pantry was cleared out pretty well too. I enjoyed the challenge, but found it difficult when all I had left in the freezer was old fish and freezer burned meat.
I had a luxury buy up at the butcher in Lake Grace (100km away) recently. Cost $150, but I have some lovely meat.

[cookie1]

Do you kill any of your own meat MJ? Have a lovely rest over the holidays.