Low-shop January

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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!

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????

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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

I'm trying to resist going shopping just for the sake of it...looking through my freezer I can live for a month and then clean it out as I have enough of meals I have frozen (always over cook in order to freeze) only thing I really NEED to buy is a few fresh veg and milk ….can I do it ?? ,,,well, I did go out to shop today and sat in M & S with a cup of tea and resisted the food ! I shall donate the money I have saved to the Salvation Amy ….

Sounds like my sort of meal Newhere not sure it falls into the healthy eating category.

Just been to the food bank and got rid of all my unopened food (still in date) so I won't be tempted by their luxury tastes. Starting afresh and back to healthy eating!

I've still got one or two "vegan sausage rolls" left in the freezer, but I enjoy them anyway (just bought extra for Christmas). No left overs as such, but I have some unopened frozen Mozzarella sticks and part used frozen "Mac & Cheese bites, plus part used "Lemon & pepper cod bites" (bought for Christmas). These will all be used up this week. We had Duck breasts for Christmas dinner - nothing left.

I've just finished using our Christmas foods, and this morning made an early start and defrosted the freezer and fridge.

Sorted!

Moggie57, if you are living on £79 a week and still giving away money at church you are a saint.

I used food from freezer before christmas to make room for the turkey. I then bought extra packs of chicken from Lidl a couple of days before christmas when they were selling it cheap (though still in date) to make room for their fresh turkeys. Christmas turkey came out of freezer and fresh chicken went in, so filled it up again.