Use it up cooking.

This week I am on a use it up mission to save money for the week and use up random things in the freezer, having a bit of a clean out as I go! We have a tight week as Andy's van is "unwell" and getting repairs. But everyone has these weeks from a big bill or some unforeseen thing. Sometimes a session of shopping your own freezer and pantry is a big saving.

I don't mind the task of grouping various bits and pieces and getting a meal out of them. It's kind of a challenge.

Night one I had (in the freezer) two rashers of bacon, 1/3 jar spaghetti sauce, odd bread rolls and a piece of turkish bread, left over grated cheese... in the fridge I had olives, sun dried tomato and feta. I just thawed the rolls and bread and cut them in half, covered in tomato paste and piled on the rest and in the oven it went. I had half a cucumber and two tomatoes and one mushroom! So I sliced those thinly as a side salad.  This was a great tea and Andy will eat anything cold so he had the same for lunch the next day.

Often I will use up left over vegies in soup or a stew. Really you can pile the vegies into a casserole and be flexible with what you are using.

A really wonderful use it up recipe is Impossible Pie. Or Impossible Quiche. I really don't like making pastry and this gets you out of it! It uses up so many left overs with a very flexible recipe.

You can make a pie or make it up in muffin trays for lunch boxes. I usually cut some non stick baking paper circles so that they don't get stuck in the pans. 

The recipe is 3 eggs, 1/2 SR flour, 1 cup milk or cream or evaporated milk, pepper. Some people put in a dob of butter but I don't. Wizz/blend this all together. Add a handful of grated cheese. I usually double this and make both a pie and some in a muffin tray. This is good as they freeze really well.

The idea is when cooking the flour will sink and form a crusty bottom and make them easy to handle. This is helped is you make the mix, pour it into your baking dishes and let is sit for a few minutes. Otherwise it is good anyway! Throw into your mix baby spinach leaves or chunks of frozen spinach, chunks of feta cheese, left over roast pumpkin or sweet potato, sun dried tomato or fresh, cooked asparagus, chopped ham or bacon, cooked onion, chives, parsley or whatever herbs you like, salmon, caramelised onions, corn... any combination you like. You can top it with thinly sliced tomato and sprinkled cheese... I mean the point is to use what you have and stretch it a mile into a meal. I stuff mine with ingredients. This time I did cheese, sun dried tomatoes, a lot of onion and parsley.

Bake until puffed and golden. Serve warm with a salad and it is really good with relish. Tomorrow morning I will warm three of the muffin ones and wrap them as Andy takes breakfast out the door with him (with a coffee) and a warm breakfast is good.

Many of you will already know this recipe or a version of it. My Nan used to do it and so did Mum. But it's a goodie and it's very handy.

Many times when I make lasagna I have made a layer of spinach or roast pumpkin, mushroom or zucchini, all depending on what I might have. This is great to make it go much further and it only makes it better! And use up any left over bits of cheese in either recipe. 

Relish and a little salad and this is very tasty.

Warm or cold little ones are good in lunch boxes or frozen for emergency days! 

Andy has them warm for breakfast since they are basically eggs and vegies they are good and filling.

Yesterday Chippy was a big hit on face book, he's an internet sensation apparently! I will take more photos of him as he grows and learns to do new things. I have been making him toys his favourites are anything involving ringing a bell :) I may regret so many bells...