Sunday 29 January 2023

Filling the freezer

 

It's been a hectic week at work as expected.  I'm in before 8am, home after 5pm and I'm working on stuff in the evenings too.  My choice, as I just want to make a good impression when the inspectors come.  But I'm tired, grumpy and predictably am fighting off a virus/bug!!!  So the focus is on decent but quick to make food.

I rescued these ready meals from the bin (literally) in school as they were past the use by date by a few days.  They are now in my defrosted and cleaned out chest freezer.  We had them for kids to taste Scottish food on Burns' night.  Sadly there was no Irn Bru, shortbread or oatcakes left to bring home although I did rescue a wee bit of Scottish cheddar for my son!

I made a load of nut and lentil burgers from a 'when it's gone it's gone' mix I got ages ago in Lidl.  They were rather tasty!  Now also in the freezer.


I cooked a 2kg joint of brisket in the Crockpot, cost £10.61 from Lidl.  I just shook some Tamari and Worcester sauce over it and cooked it for 5 hours.  Must confess it didn't yield as much meat as I'd hoped as there was a huge piece of fat/gristle in the middle.  But I got 8 generous portions for the freezer.

And we were on strike again one day this week! I'm in the blue hat 😊

When my life is busy I always prep food as it makes me feel organised in at least one area of my life!!  School is still challenging but if I can make it to half term I've achieved more than I thought I was going to when I when I went back in January!

14 comments:

  1. Well done. We got half price haggis on the 24th from Aldi, to cut into meal portions and freeze. We check the yellow sticker shelf at Asda in the evening and freeze any meat or fish in portions.

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    1. Yep, I haunt the yellow sticker areas whenever I'm in a supermarket! Lol!! Then I cook/portion/freeze whatever I find :-)

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  2. I can't believe those meals had been thrown away. What has gone wrong? We have continual coverage about kids going hungry then food is chucked in a bin at a school. Seems nuts to me. Well done for making sure it doesn't go to waste.
    I take it there is no money available to the school for help if you don't score well with Ofsted? Just a big demoralising stick 😒

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    1. I think 3 ready meals were bought per class for kids to try haggis/neeps/tatties in an easy 'health and safety' way, But I only did one for my wee class (16 kids) as I knew only a few would try it. Same for other teachers. But I'm not sure why there were so many left?? The ones still in date went to the Nursery's share table (parents take whatever they want, no questions asked) and I took the out of date ones. There isn't any money available anywhere in education certainly here in Scotland. So if we don't do well (highly unlikely although you never know what they're looking for!) our local education dept will have to effectively take money from elsewhere in their budget. Just crazy!!

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  3. Dumpster diving at school ... now that's a new one. ;-)

    Just having food ready to cook from the freezer is a godsend on those short and tiring nights isn't it. It's a shame there was no shortbread left over!

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    1. I literally got given 16 wee fingers of shortbread!!! Not even one for me! I picked up a reduced gammon joint today so that gives me some more quick to use things from the freezer throughout the week :-)

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  4. It's always nice feeling organised with meals, and at this time of year especially it feels important to eat well. Hope you manage to fight off the incipient virus.
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. I just need to fight it off for 2 weeks, after that it's half term. I'm trying very hard to eat healthily as it was this time last year I was really unwell!

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  5. Hard to find haggis here as you can imagine, but I managed to score a 4lb. beast for our Burns Night last week. I like haggis as long as there are 'neeps and tatties to go with it!

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    1. Wow! That's a big haggis indeed. Haggis on hot buttery toast is really yummy :-)

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  6. Good for you saving those meals.

    I hope you manage to fight off whatever it is you may be getting.

    God bless.

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    1. I've got a raspy throat and tickly cough tonight. I just need to talk less and it won't hurt! Lol!!

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  7. Take care over the next two weeks and then you can relax a bit at half term. We had booked a few days away which I have given to my daughter and her husband for the February break, as she is already completely knackered. Stay strong! Catriona

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    1. Can't wait until half term but it feels so far away!!

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