Here's part 2 of my audit - the fridges

Hi everyone!

I didn't have time to do a freezer audit yesterday, but will try harder today!

I have two large fridges which are always full. I have:

• butter x 2 large packs
• Daisy's sunflower marg
• clover marg x 2
• dripping
• cooking marg - large tub
• cheddar x 2
• soft cheese
• Daisy's lactofree cheese x 2
• primula tube
• mozzarella
• few slices of ham
• coleslaw
• tomatoes
• cucumbers x 2
• spring onion
• red onions
• brown onions
• celery
• courgettes x 3
• lemons x4
• few mushrooms
• strawberries x 2 punnets
• cress
• pate x 2
• lettuce
• mayo
• single cream x 2
• double cream x 2
• broccoli
• carrots
• new potatoes
• old potatoes
• baking potatoes
• swede
• parsnips
• half white cabbage
• half red cabbage
• milk
• orange juice x 2
• beetroot
• cauliflower

Obviously I will need to shop for fresh things, but I need to ensure that there is no waste!!! I need to get into the habit of going through the fridges and check what needs using up before it's too late. Anything that I'm not able to use for us does go to the chickens - they love lettuce.

I will post up my freezer contents tomorrow.

Yesterday's tea was a quick one - a fry up!

We had sausage, bacon, hash browns, plum tomatoes/beans, mushrooms, egg and toast. Daisy had her cheesy veg. Tonight we are having fresh beef burgers, wedges, homemade coleslaw and salad.

Mandy x

I'm becoming motivated!...Here's part 1 of my audit - the cupboards.

Hi everyone!

Just recently I have completely lacked motivation to do anything. Obviously I have fed my family and cared for Daisy-May as well as I always do, but the house is a mess and I'm getting by just doing what I have to. Daisy has been teething and normally she is fine, but the last two teeth have caused her a lot of distress and sleepless nights. She has eight teeth now and I think there may be more on the way. She wakes every two hours throughout the night and then wants to be fed. We are all tired and struggling to function. She is grumpy in the day and just wants me to spend time with her playing. This would be lovely, but the jobs still need doing. She will only have three twenty minute sleeps during the day unless I cuddle her to sleep - then she will easily sleep for an hour at a time.

I have just managed to audit my cupboards so far, and hope to do the two fridges and freezers by the end of the day.

My Approved Food order arrived yesterday. I had a saving of £71.50!!! I basically use AF to buy treats that we wouldn't normally buy in the supermarket, cooking sauces to give me a back-up if I have a bad day and can't cook from scratch, anything that we normally buy but is well discounted and cake and bread mixes so I can batch bake while saving money on ingredients. We are not a family that enjoys processed food, but it's all about saving money now where we can (Daisy only has fresh ingredients and quite often I cook separately for her).

This bit is boring so you can skip it, but I need to record on my blog to keep me motivated!

Store Cupboard Audit

Packets

3 x onion bhjai mixes

5 x mugshots

7 x simmer soups

1 x beef in ale mix

1 x parsley sauce mix

3 x dumpling mixes

1 x box of suet

4 x stuffing

2 x chicken noodles

2 x instant potato

3 x savoury chinese rice

12 x sachets of carrot and coriander cup-a-soups

5 x cartons of pasatta

1 x bag polenta

1 x bag rice

8 x boil-in-the-bag rice

1 x bag pasta quills

1 x lasagne sheets

2 x spaghetti

Tins

8 x beans

4 x soup

2 x spaghetti

1 x spaghetti and sausages

2 x ravioli

4 x beans and sausages

3 x chopped tomatoes

3 x plum tomatoes

3 x sweetcorn

1 x chicken in white sauce

1 x minced beef

Jars

2 x stout and mushroom sauce

2 x chicken chasseur sauce

2 x hoi sin sauce

1 x tomato and sweet chilli sauce

Treats

1 x lemon madeira cake

1 x angel cake

2 x walnut cake

1 x malt loaf

crisps

biscuits

chocolate bars

Puddings

1 x cheesecake mix

2 x sponge cake mixes

1 x lemon meringue pie mix

24 trifle sponges

3 x blancmange sachets

2 x dream topping

3 x instant custard

1 x large bag instant custard mix

1 x tub custard powder

1 x box semolina

1 x box ground rice

6 x chocolate rice pudding

2 x strawberry dessert

1 x chocolate dessert

2 x packs of shortbread fingers

Baking

3 x hovis granary mix

22 x yeast sachets

1 x bread flour

6 x self-raising flour

2 x plain flour

4 x caster sugar

3 x soft brown sugar

2 x icing sugar

4 x tubs of cocoa

1 x bicarb

1 x baking powder

1 x camp coffee

1 x bag mixed fruit

1 x marshmallows

2 x peanuts

3 x jelly tots

3 x orange and lemon slices

1 x choc chips

3 x dark choc

3 x milk choc

2 x white choc

1 x 3kg bag choc drops

4 x choc chip cookie mixes

1 x oat biscuit mix

8 x madeira cake mixes

3 x triple choc muffin kits

2 x fairy cake mixes

1 x cadburys choc brownie mix

Other

There are various sauces and condiments open.

There are herbs and spices open.

There are oils and vinegars open.

There are gravy granules and stock cubes.

2 x UHT milk cartons

We have enough tea, coffee, water, squash.

We have enough cereal for breakfast.

1 x dozen eggs plus what our own hens lay.

We have spreads like jam, lemon curd, marmite, syrup, honey, marmalade.

We have pickled onions and beetroot.

I just have the fridges and freezers to check.

Breakfasts will be cereal, toast or eggs.

Lovely husband and daughter take a packed lunch of sandwiches, crisps, cake and fruit.

Daisy has a cooked lunch and I have a sandwich and cake or a tin of something.

I will erase what we have used and record what evening meals we have eaten.

Yesterday we had pork chops (Charlotte had sausaqges), baby baked potatoes, carrots and broccoli, stuffing and gravy. None of this meal came out of the audit here.

I have a lot of food, but it needs to last as long as possible!

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with my fresh and frozen audits.

Forgot to say - yesterday I planted out my living lettuces (40p yellow sticker) and some coriander seeds on the windowsill.

Thanks for reading

Mandy x

I've taken up Frugal Queen's challenge...

Hi everyone!

I have decided to take up Frugal Queen's challenge. She plans to 'Just do with what I have July', where she will be using up what is in her stores, cupboards and freezer. She is only buying what is absolutely necessary and this includes fresh food. Please go over to her blog and take a look. You can find her on my sidebar (blogs I follow) or go to hhtp://frugalincornwall.blogspot.co.uk

I feel like a bit of a cheat, because I only went shopping yesterday and I have an approved food order coming today! So my cupboards, fridges and freezers are full!

My plan is to see how long I can make this last. I want to use up all leftovers, have no food waste and create some exciting meals for my family out of cheap ingredients I already have. I want to use my breadmaker (haven't for ages), get into baking again and generally motivate myself to be more organised in the home.

The first job is to make an audit of my fridges, freezers and cupboards. Then I can start planning our meals for the weeks ahead.

Could you take up Frugal Queen's challenge of 'Just do with what I have July'?

I know it's still June, but I'm starting now and then we will shop again in a fortnight. Hopefully I will only need fresh fruit, veg, salad and baby stuff for Daisy-May.

Wish me luck :)

Mandy xxx