December Frugals

[Gardnr]

DH brined and smoked our small turkey on Saturday. I roasted brussel sprouts and mashed some lovely yukon golds. We repeated that dinner Sunday and I cooked down the carcass for hours to a deep rich broth-the smoke gave it a nice flavor. I bought cranberry walnut wheat levain at the bakery 2m from home. LOVE that bread and don't want to attempt to duplicate it. (we'd been having it with breakfast eggs too). Monday we had turkey sandwiches and finished the potatoes with a new small pan of gravy. Tuesday we had turkey sandwiches with corn from the freezer. Wednesday I made turkey soup, added some aging carrots, fresh celery, country egg noodles from the pantry and the remainder of the turkey. DH chose soup for dinner again tonight.

It looks like 14 meals off this 11 pound bird! Yup, feeling a bit smug:~)

[Teacher Terry]

DH bought stew meat months ago and never used it. I am on a mission to eat down existing food so got out my cookbook and made stew. I told my kids to come get some to take home. Having company tonight.

[iris lilies]

I am eating down our pantry, too, both recent stuff meaning 1 year old, and years old canned goods. When the canned good are gone
I will have to invade the bottom of the freezer for decades old stuff but I may wait until next year for that.

[happystuff]

It looks like 14 meals off this 11 pound bird! Yup, feeling a bit smug:~)

VERY impressive!!! Congrats!

[Yppej]

Not coloring my hair will save me close to $1000.00 a year.

[Teacher Terry]

IL, I hope you are throwing away the stuff at the bottom of the freezer. Y: because I only do mine every 3 months it only costs me 340/year.

[SteveinMN]

years old canned goods. When the canned good are gone
I thought you got DH down to two jars of food and that he was finishing up that project??

[razz]

Are you familiar with a program called Flash Food? Under this, food that is within 2 weeks to 2 days of Best Before date, is posted and available for 50% off. It could be cheese, bread, produce, meats etc. Using your phone, you click on it, order, prepay and come later to the store to pick it up. You have to verify with a phone receipt that the items are yours. I have had some fun using this phone app trying different foods that I normally would not buy - quiche, tourtierre, expensive cheese, boxes of mixed produce, etc. I now have a lovely variety in my freezer that I must use up.

[razz]

Double post

[iris lilies]

I thought you got DH down to two jars of food and that he was finishing up that project??
Did I say 2? Well, there is more. Maybe there are 2 non-tomato jars, but there are a total of a dozen jars now. I just asked DH and that's his number which he swears is accurate.

We are eating the last can of pears now. The salsa (I counted as a tomatoe product) is kind of icky, so
i may surreptitiously pitch a couple of those.

[iris lilies]

I found crawly things in the dregs of our rice bag, so i super washed it. Probably we still ingested some of that protein.
i buy rice in big bags from the Asian food store. Probably I should but smaller amounts and use them up faster.

[beckyliz]

Iris Lilies, can you store your rice in the freezer for a few days?

[rosarugosa]

IL: You get the brand new "December Frugals Badge of Honor" for eating the rice that had crawly things in it!

[pinkytoe]

I am constantly amazed at the food bargains and abundant choices out there. Consequently, we have an overly-stocked pantry and freezer. We did one last run today but I told DH we are not buying anymore food this month except for necessities. So that is my frugality for December.

[iris lilies]

IL: You get the brand new "December Frugals Badge of Honor" for eating the rice that had crawly things in it!
Well ya know, it is not unusual to find the crawly things at the end of the bag so I am not creeped out, and this population was small.

A few years ago we had the awful bugs in EVERYTHING and that is why I now use up stuff.

as for keeping it in the freezer, maybe. We dont have enough room for a big bag but could maybe smash 1/4 bag in there. DH keeps Bisquick in the freezer downstairs, hence I forget we have it.

[Tybee]

Well ya know, it is not unusual to find the crawly things at the end of the bag so I am not creeped out, and this population was small.

A few years ago we had the awful bugs in EVERYTHING and that is why I now use up stuff.

as for keeping it in the freezer, maybe. We dont have enough room for a big bag but could maybe smash 1/4 bag in there. DH keeps Bisquick in the freezer downstairs, hence I forget we have it.

I don't think you have to permanently keep it in the freezer, just put it in a couple of days to kill them.

[rosarugosa]

We had a wicked pantry moth infestation this year related to our sunflower seeds for the birds. I saw it and ignored it a little too long and it spiraled way out of control. We had larvae crawling on the ceilings! DH said I had an exceptional tolerance to moths all over our house, haha. Anyway, I have since made up for lost time and I think they are pretty well eradicated. Now that winter is here, I leave bags of seed in the trunk of my car for a few days after purchase, since freezing is supposed to kill the critters. I figure my trunk is like a big freezer in the winter, and I don't have to worry about temperature fluctuations for this particular application (like I wouldn't store meat in there or anything).

[Teacher Terry]

How do you end up with bugs in closed container or bags? I have never had this happen.

[NewGig]

Because we got a new freezer this year everything in it is “new.” So what I’m doing is trying to empty it by spring! My Idea is pretty simple: use something frozen, from the fridge, and the pantry. Tonight’s dinner. Salad greens from the csa box, yesterday, tomato, ground beef from the freezer, cheese and noodles from the pantry.

this was a deliberately simple and plain meal. I’d spent almost all afternoon prepping for a cookie exchange.

[iris lilies]

How do you end up with bugs in closed container or bags? I have never had this happen.
The eggs are in the rice when you buy it. Freezing keeps them from hatching but freezing doesn’t kill them, some kinds anyway.

we buy 25 lb bags so they sit around for a long time.

[Teacher Terry]

Is that because you are buying bulk so not in a sealed bag? I buy small bags of rice because we don’t eat a lot of it.

[Teacher Terry]

Is that because you are buying bulk so not in a sealed bag? I buy small bags of rice because we don’t eat a lot of it.

[iris lilies]

Is that because you are buying bulk so not in a sealed bag? I buy small bags of rice because we don’t eat a lot of it.The eggs are in the rice when we buy it.


We are not buying in bulk.


It is not a sealed in plastic bag, it is a paper bag with a zipper. Sometimes the top is sewn shut.

We all eat insect parts all the time. e https://www.businessinsider.com/food-maggots-fda-2017-9


When you eat flour you are eating insect parts, quite a lot of them. Read the label on oatmeal, it lists insect parts.

all of this info courtesy of DH and his many courses of study in agronomy.

[Teacher Terry]

I will be reading my oatmeal container. I am sticking with my rice in sealed plastic bags:))

[rosarugosa]

I had heard that conventionally grown oatmeal is subject to huge amounts of Roundup. I guess there are worse things to worry about than some little critters in our breakfast!

[Yppej]

I bought some aloe vera gel and will try using it as primer.

[happystuff]

I heard about the bug parts and eggs in any grains a long time ago. I "try" to put things in the freezer for abut 48 hours before storing in various size canning jars with the metal seals and rings. I have to admit I've been lax about it lately. Next shopping trip, however, I'm thinking some things are going right into the freezer. LOL.

[Teacher Terry]

I used to eat oatmeal daily. Don’t know if I will ever eat it again.

[thinkgreen]

I have been told you can also put bug infested products in the oven at a low temperature, maybe 150, and bake it for half hour or 45 minutes. This kills the bugs and the eggs.