Mrs Green’s freezer inventory list
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Yesterday we welcomed some of our readers to my ‘Use it up!’ challenge.
If you’re behind on the latest zero waste towers gossip, here’s a recap:
I realised that over bank holiday weekends and national celebrations us Brits tend to max out on food purchases. Supermarkets are heaving with people pushing heavily laden trolleys and my guess is quite a bit of the food ends up thrown away.
I decided it would be the perfect week for us to forrage in the freezer, crawl through the cupboards and have a poke around the packets of foods that need using up. I’m sure you have some things that are rapidly approaching or way past their best before date. The best place for these foods is in your tummy, not in landfill.
I’ve also noticed huge food price increases, so even if you don’t give a stuff about the environment, it makes financial sense to use up food rather than bin it.
Anyway, I’ve taken my freezer inventory and here’s my list:
Mrs Green's "Feed an army for a month" freezer contents
The numbers next to some of the items were my estimated cost; I was intrigued to see how much food I had stuffed in the back of the tardis and think it’s around £100 worth…
We’re going great guns already and have eaten some rather delicious (even though I say so myself) courgette soup; made from last year’s glut. Little Miss Green said “But I HATE courgettes’, looked at the meal like it was a pile of cat food and tentatively licked her spoon with a frown on her face than only a tween can produce. A few moments later a big smile crept across her face and she proceeded to empty the bowl (I’m pretty sure she licked the bowl clean too):
Home made courgette soup made from last years harvest
We found some roast potatoes and parsnips; goodness knows why I bought those but Mr Green reminded me I was sulking last Christmas and wanted to make everything as simple as possible for myself; hence the ready made goodies.
We found some other picky treats – deep fried mozzarella bites; again something I wouldn’t normally buy and these were left over from Christmas too. I threw them on the plate as ‘value added’ last Sunday.
I’ve found some home made ice cream (yum!) and a couple of curries.
Some ridiculously packaged and price mozzarella bites that didn't even taste good
So I reckon that’s six down, eighty to go. Sausages and bacon are currently defrosting for a big truckers cafe breakfast tomorrow and there’s a veggie curry for me (not for breakfast; although it has been known).
How are you getting on?
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On third bowl of strawberries and cream. Bought for the jubilee but nobody ate them. It is such a hardship!
The inventory is a great idea. We’ve emptied out the fridge but I’m afraid of our freezer!
My sister in law keeps a running inventory of her freezer on a whiteboard all the time. I don’t know how she does it, I would forget to write things down!
The challenge is going great, here! I had some peaches which were just about ready to toss and a bit of oatmeal in the freezer so … combined them to make a delicious peach crumble. Also found a partially used bag of pinto beans in the pantry and a half can of tomatoes in the refrigerator … it all became yesterday’s chili for lunch and then I took the leftovers today and put them through the blender for chips and dip. This is so much fun! Your courgette soup looked delicious!
I keep a list in a note book of the things in my freezer, as long as the other half rembers to cross things out, we do well. challange going well so far, no shopping yet, but the veg box comes today
Good idea! I really must do an inventory of my freezers, pantry and cupboards. I know I have a LOT of tortillas, wraps and chappatis. I made quesidillas yesterday. They are a very quick thing to make and you can use up all sorts of stuff inside. I used up some flour tortillas from the freezer, part of two different types of salsa and half a tin of kidney beans.
You must have one heck of a freezer! I can’t get anything in there really besides my ice cube trays! ha! Happy eating! Sounds like you’ve found all kinds of surprises. That soup sounds yum-mee!