Sometimes.......

You just have to be away from the Internet to get those jobs done.  With me losing time trying to sort mum's out my own household has got a little neglected to what I really like it to be. So last night I set too and did some much needed work in relation to the freezer.   I have taken of late with Blogger preparing posts in advance but for one reason or another the scheduler does not always play ball and that's when some of the posts end up playing piggy back.

Sometimes even now I just do not get the budgeting right for one reason or another (usually an unexpected bill) and one of the things I tend to run low on is veggies as predominantly I tend to have meat or fish in the freezer or base ingredients.  We have veggies with most meals, not all but the majority.  So what I try and do either during the month or on pay day is to stock up supplies on the veggies in the freezer.  I buy the veggies either reduced or cheaply off the market and then freeze it myself.  I get more for my money that way.   Its also a way of keeping things in for when you need them as I keep fresh veggies in for the best part usually as long as I can (root veggies mostly) but there comes a certain point where you cannot leave them any longer and rather than waste them I freeze em. 

Last night I managed to freeze 1kg of carrots that I had bought 500g bag for 39p, three swedes bought for 80p the three (reduced), two heads of broccoli 39p per floret (large one), 1 large leek cut into rings which can be served as a veggie in their own right, for slinging in with a stew or soup.  I cut the swedes into cubes and then blanch and freeze that way round I can mix with carrots to make carrot and swede crush, serve on their own which we like, sling in a stew or soup so that I can get the maximum use out of the veggies.  The carrots I have cut on the angle and the broccoli into medium sized florets.  The way you present things like carrots determines to some extent the use and these will be nice with a main meal as a side or in a stew or casserole but for a soup I would rather have them finely diced.  I will no doubt do some more as the month goes on but it is easier for me to deal with a meal in the week when I get the veggies prepped like this.  So for a lot of effort initially it saves me an inordinate amount of time in the long run especially on a weekday whilst still providing a good wholesome meal on  cold winters night.  I am also able to take advantage of reductions and make sure there is plenty to eat. 

That is prepared and in the freezer in 2 portion bags:

2 bags of leek slices
5 bags carrots
5 bags broccoli
5 bags of swede

So not bad going.  Its all in the freezer.



When things get tough I tend to live out of the freezer and the contents of the pantry and the fridges with just buying that odd ingredient to pad things out or to use with the veg like butter or a little bacon so that you can turn it into a quiche or with the addition of some milk or cream.  Cooking when things are tight makes you think more carefully about what to put on the plate and its the type of cooking I most enjoy because it is and can be  real challenge.  Gets the little grey cells going.

The Mincemeat is also soaking and the Christmas puddings are also mixed and have been left to stand soaking up all those spices and flavours.  I have done one batch with Guinness and the other batch with Cider. so I am getting things done but there is such a lot more to do.  The Christmas cakes are done but I need to do the Dundee cake which I had planned doing the other week but which got put back because of something else getting in the way.  Next Sunday is designated as Mum's Plum Bread day (Little brother [he pops in from time to time to see what his big sister is up to] if you are reading this you will be getting the plum bread fix).  I promised and I keep my word.

We have a small piece of beef that I bagged as a bargain for £3.50 the other week for dinner this evening together with some of the horseradish I prepared a while back and grated and then froze.