Stretching the food

Trying to make the most of what we have in hand in the run up to Christmas.  We will be entertained by others and won't need to do any festive shopping.  Hurrah!   Our potato crop has finished and we have had to buy these.  But we are still pulling carrots and parsnips from the garden.  There are some leeks and (very few) sprouts too.

Surprisingly the soil is quite dry and easy to dig these up. There is just enough water in the rain water butts to give them a first wash.  Not had a lot of rain here,

So plenty of  root veg going into the stews and I have been adding a few lentils to fill it out too.  Husband thinks dumplings are a good filler too but I have restricted that to once a week or we will be  dumpling shaped soon.

There are still a lot of sweet peppers in the fridge too and they have been sliced into other dishes to fill out Chinese sauce and chicken, curries and any thing not needing gravy. 

Food cupboard will be restocked in the new year and the freezer has just enough meat to get us to the weekend and then the New Year. I have squirreled away a small roast lamb joint for a treat for us when we get back.Otherwise I am going to be local for yellow sticker bargains for all the meat no one else wanted over the holidays.

In sorting out the food cupboard I found some odd tins and a packet of  easy cook rice that will not be used by us so I have put in my bag ready to drop into the food bank collection point.  Someone may as well have them.  I read in the local Free Newspaper that they have a collection bin in their office and they are also running a competition for an expensive food hamper - so I will drop both things off. Perhaps I will be lucky and win the food - and if there are things we don't like they can go back into the food bank.