National Baking Week

I can't believe it is National Baking Week again.

It doesn't seem five minutes since I was asking you all to go have a look last year.

Anyway if you can be bothered go have a peek again at all the lovely ideas on the website.

Guest Post

For anyone who may be interested I have made a guest post on www.myzerowaste.com today to help out Mrs Green and the family due to the loss of their beloved pet.

Please take a look.

No Spend Food Challenge

I had another look at the cupboards and the freezers over the weekend, and decided that as Dave is off work this week and we might go for days out that we could do this for another week; I have cancelled the veg box for this week so I can get everything used up, I do have some frozen veggies if needed, and may have to buy some salad.

Monday - fried new potatoes with hm meatballs

Tuesday - Beef Casserole served with noodles

Wednesday - Fish Fingers and hm chips

Thursday - Macaroni Cheese but using penne pasta

Friday - BBQ - still have sauasages in the freezer, will make some buns

Saturday - hm pizza

Sunday - Roast Pork, (found a joint hiding under the bananas in the chest freezer)

I will more than likely do a grocery shop on Friday or Saturday to replenish stocks, as there definitely isn't enough to keep us going another week after this.

Week 2 of No Spend Food Challenge

I have decided to carry this over a second week, as I still have plenty in the freezer meat wise and loads in the cupboard. I also decided to try and plan for the week this week rather than looking in the freezer each day, as we are having a more stay at home week.

Breakfasts and Lunches will be as last week, Cereal, fruit & yogurt; and sandwiches or hm ready meals.

So dinners this next week will be:

Monday -Fish, baked with butter and lemon juice, and served with new potatoes and veggies from the veg box.

Tuesday - Lasagne with garlic bread ( found a couple of bought ones lurking in the back of the freezer the other day), will also do a side salad with fixins from the veg box. Have Mince in the freezer and loads of tins of tomatoes and tomato puree in the cupboard.

Wednesday - Not sure as yet as David has a football match and we have to be there 5.15pm. So maybe jacket potato when we get home.

Thursday - Will be a Chicken Curry this week as have some drumsticks in the freezer and still some tubs of Curry Sauce Base; this again will be served with Basmati Rice cooked through with the garlic & herb stock cube.

Friday - Will be Omelette with salad, this is an easy dinner for the boys, Dave doesn't usually have dinner Fridays as he has a chippy lunch at work.

Saturday - Weather dependant we may have a bbq as I have burgers and sausages in the freezer and will just make some buns.

Sunday - This could also be a bbq as there would still be enough burgers and sausages even if we used some on Saturday.

Saturday and Sunday will also depend on what we are doing as Dave starts his weeks holiday when he finishes work Friday night.

My Weeks No Spend Food Challenge

I joined in the challenge over on MZW at the beginning of the week.

I get my milk delivered from the milkman, eggs from the farmgate and have an organic veg box delivered weekly, so in theory I shouldn't have needed to go to the shops for any food items whatsoever.

I had also done a small grocery shop on Saturday so did have some bits in.

Breakfasts are usually cereal or fruit and yogurt.

Lunches are usually sandwiches or rolls. Unless Dave takes a hm frozen ready meal.

Here is what I cooked for dinners throughout the week:

Monday - we had Turkey Stir Fry with noodles, using all ingredients from either the freezer, pantry and veg box.

Tuesday - we had Savoury Mince Cobbler, again using some mince frozen from a previous batch of mince in gravy, adding in a scone cobbler topping and some cabbage from the veg box


Wednesday - it was Macaroni Cheese, but using penne pasta instead of macaroni, I also prepared a salad to go with this.

Thursday - was Pork Curry and Basmati Rice. Pork Curry base was already in the freezer from a previous batch so just had to add in some onions, garlic and pepper and cook the rice.

Friday - Omelettes and salad, with fried new potatoes, cooked these up specialy to be able to fry them off.

Saturday and Sunday - these 2 days days are a little difficult as myself and Dave aren't at home on Saturday, and David is at a friends, so Tom is having pizza and oven chips (admittedly already in the freezer); Sunday we are out for the day so will be sandwiches and maybe a jacket potato when we get home if still hungry.

No Spend Food Challenge

Over on MZW they are having a





Why not head over and have a look at what is going on.

Myself I have cleared out and defrosted a freezer and found some bits lurking in the backs of the shelves.

The idea of the challenge is to only use what you have either in your pantry or fridge or freezer.
If needs must you can purchase fresh milk and veggies.

This idea also uses up things that maybe you've bought thinking they would be a good idea but never gotten round to using.

I run a pantry store cupboard so the theory is that I should never have to "nip" to the village shop for a staple ingredient.

As items are used from my pantry I mark them onto my master shopping list, so that they are replaced on the next shop. The idea behind this is that I could if necessary (illness, weather, unforseen extra expense) use the items from the pantry and not have to worry; we live approx 10 miles from the nearest big supermarket.

War on Waste - Hilary Benn changes packaging rules

Articles in the national press today are showing that we are getting a step in the right direction regarding excess waste and packaging.

It will be amazing for the UK as a whole if this actually comes to fruision, as we have far too much waste packaging.

Launching the new strategy at the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management Futuresource conference today, Mr Benn said:

“We need to rethink the way we deal with packaging, from production line to recycling bin. The plans we’ve announced today set out how we will achieve that – with the goal of making it as easy as possible for consumers to avoid needless packaging in the first place and to get rid of what they do receive in a way that doesn’t just create more landfill. I also want consumers to play their part by reporting excess packaging wherever they see it – because we’re all in this together.

“In a few years time I want people to be able to shop without having to worry about what they’re going to do with the packaging when they get home, and where it will go after they’ve disposed of it.”


DEFRA have also made some comments on this.

(I have borrowed this from MZW as Mrs Green beat me to this)

Here’s the latest from DEFRA:
“Consumers will see a major overhaul of all packaging over the next decade, under plans announced by Environment Secretary Hilary Benn today.

The Government’s new packaging strategy, Making the most of packaging, looks at the packaging of the future and what our shop shelves and kitchen cupboards should look like if we cut the amount of packaging produced, used and thrown away, and increase the amount recycled.

Under the plans published today, the whole chain from production to disposal of packaging will be tackled:

Enforcement action will be made easier against manufacturers of excess and unnecessary packaging, and consumers will be encouraged to continue to report excessive packaging to Trading Standards;

The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) will work with manufacturers and retailers to reduce packaging for everyday products in line with the best on the market;

The recyclability of packaging will be improved and clear guidance will be provided for manufacturers on designing it with recyclability in mind;

The use of refillable and reusable packaging could be expanded, so in the future customers could have the option of buying anything from laundry detergent to coffee by simply taking empty containers back to shops to be refilled;

The Government will work with local authorities and packaging producers to improve household recycling services, so that in future more types of packaging are collected for recycling;

Recycling rates for plastic, glass, and aluminium will be targeted for improvement. This will mean more ‘recycling on the go’ points introduced in public places for drinks cans, and more glass collected for recycling from pubs, clubs and restaurants; and

Banning of some materials, such as aluminium and glass, from landfill altogether is also being considered.

Add to this that Mr Benn has also indicated that Best Before and Use By dates will also be removed/changed and one catch all date will be used instead which gives consumers a clearer idea of when something will be past is useful date and may infact be harmful if eaten..

Food Waste

Following on with the ideas to not have any waste I have been looking at how to eliminate food waste.

As a family we do pretty well anyway not to have food waste, any that would normally go in the bin is given to the dogs at Dave's work.

But things can still be improved.

I had a couple of things in the veg box from last week which were getting past their best and needed using as the new box is delivered each Wednesday, these would have ended up in the compost bin.

There was half a cabbage, a small cauliflower and a small leek.

I had some chicken stock from boiling up the carcass from Sunday's lunch, so all veggies were shredded/diced fried off in a bit of butter, then added to the stock, simmer until nearly cooked, whizz up to a chunky puree, add in a handful of pearl barley(last bit in packet) and a handful of orange lentils, and some leftover mashed potato for thickner.

Serve with hm bread and a sprinkling of grated mature cheddar.

Lovely lunch for me for the next couple of days and a couple of portions for the freezer as well.