The weather here at the moment is atrocious, rain on rain. Even the soak aways are flooding, which is not good, we must dig some more out once we get some dry weather. The stove is lit and it is warm and cosy in our little cottage. I am thankful that we don't need to go out and that we have plenty to keep us occupied. I have some Christmas music playing in the background, a little early I know but good for the soul. I have just finished making my Christmas cards so that is another tick off the list.
We went into Stornoway Monday to do a shop, we had run out of fresh fruit and vegetables. We had managed for a few days using frozen and the store cupboard but nothing beats the taste of fresh. I made an amazing spaghetti sauce using the store cupboard, passata , sweetcorn, mushrooms, dried basil, dried garlic granules and frozen minced beef. It made for a very tasty meal, along with some cheesy garlic bread from the freezer.
A little dried parsley added to the top added to both the flavour and the presentation.
Another store cupboard and freezer meal was a steak pie using tinned stewed steak and frozen puff pastry. A apple pie was also made with cinnamon and raisons added to the tinned apples. The remaining pastry was used to make some cheese straws to go along with some soup.
A few tasty meals to get us by until the shopping was done again and for that I am truly thankful. There was enough apple to make a little pot of apple sauce to go with our roast pork dinner on Sunday.
The sage and onion stuffing was out of a packet too. I usually like to make my own but no onion or bread so that was a non starter. It is quite amazing how using the store cupboard can make great meals. It is just a matter of experimenting with different ingredients and making the most of what you have. I have found that herbs and spices can really enhance any meal.
I would be interested to know how you use your store cupboard.
I thank you for your lovely and uplifting anniversary wishes, it was so kind of you and added to our wonderful day of celebration. The stores in Stornoway are starting to decorate their windows for the festive season so it will be nice to share them with you the next time I go into town. We are keeping close to home as much as possible there have been a couple of cases of Covid in our area and people isolating due to close contact. My heart goes out to all those affected, it is such worrying times. There have been so many mixed messages about Christmas gatherings that we finally took the decision to cancel our break away this morning. We were supposed to be renting a log cabin in Aviemore in the Cairngorms along with our middle daughter and her little family. There is always next year...
Hope all is well with you. Take care and stay safe.
See you soon.
I think you were wise to cancel your plans. I have been cooking and eating from my stockpile, too. I was out of milk, so I used some canned milk mixed with water to make a tuna and noodles casserole. I normally don't use cream of mushroom soup, but that's how my mom used to make it, and I had some set aside. The casserole was delicious! Your meals look incredible. I agree with you about the herbs. I just made spaghetti, too. I will try your tip with the dried parsley. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe live about 40 miles from our grocery store. I shop on a weekly basis but I do have a stockpile. If I use anything from it, I replace it on the next shopping trip. Also have a lot of frozen meat etc, same thing, what I use, I replace the next week. I figure we could survive a good few months if we had to.
ReplyDeleteVery true about your holiday plans, better to do it now. Lovely meals. I like tinned steak but not DB.
ReplyDeleteYou must be sad to cancel your break but this really is a case of better safe... the food looks soooo good.
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
A shame to have to cancel, but very sensible I think. We have no idea what next year is going to look like yet.
ReplyDeleteYour meals look delicious. Mainly its frozen fruit and veg I have used when I am putting off shopping. Probably a good idea to cancel the holiday. At least you avoid the uncertainty.
ReplyDeleteDelicious food ! Fortunately it's supper time and I can eat ! I think you did well cancelling your trip, I don't even know if we can celebrate with our son who has to come from Amsterdam ! For the first time people start with Christmas decoration already mid November ! Never happened was always beginning December ! Apparently they try to cheer us up ! There are so many depressed people ! Today a young hairdresser 26 years old committed suicide because she couldn't keep her salon ! So sad !
ReplyDeleteAll of that wonderful looking food sounds so delicious!! I think It was wise to cancel...Never know what will be happening by then..
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for taking the time to visit!! I really appreciate your kind words!!!
Hugs,
Debbie
Canceling your plans was probably a good idea. We are not planning to see much of our family this year, either. Maybe a driveway visit to exchange gifts. I use my store cupboard when I can't get out to shop, much like you do, but I use my freezer for a lot of things. There's always meat there, and homemade soup. It seems that fresh fruit and vegetables are mostly what I run out of.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Lorraine! All of your dishes look so delicious and I can just imagine the comforting aromas in your home.
ReplyDeleteI cook from stores quite a bit. A typical meal is homemade egg noodles with chicken and homemade biscuits.
I think you're very wise to cancel your Christmas plans. We will most likely be canceling ours as well. The numbers are skyrocketing everywhere. I'm staying home and hopefully that will be enough but with Dennis going to work every day I still worry.
As you know, I have decorated and it does cheer one up. I worked on Christmas cards yesterday because I wanted to get our new address out to people early. Hopefully I'll get them in the mail next week.
Take care my dear friend.
Blessings,
Betsy
Our weather is much like yours with so much rain! Although our soil tends to be sandy the water can't soak in fast enough and the puddles are everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI have never though of adding corn to a spag. sauce. I should try that. I always enjoy seeing the different things you bake. It all looks wonderful.
Sorry about the holiday plans having to be cancelled. As you said, Hopefully next year.
I’m glad your parents are well Lorraine. Belated anniversary greetings. Your notebook is beautiful, what a lovely gift. You are so well organised and your food looks gorgeous. I hate cold winter weather except for when I get home and feel enveloped in a warm comfy house. When I looked at your first photo and then at your gorgeous home baking, that’s the feeling I’m talking about - warm and welcoming. I was hoping to be in Australia for Christmas with my daughter. I booked it in Feb. Singapore airlines cancelled a few weeks ago.I’m sure I will have a good time here with daughter, grandson and SIL though.
ReplyDeleteLove anything with puff pastry. Always keep some in my freezer. My store cupboard staples are cans of beans and tomatoes, dried lentils, oatmeal, barley etc. Not much pasta ands rice but couscous come in handy for a quick meal accompaniment.
ReplyDeleteAll of your foods look delicious!! We have high winds here...seems like everyday now. Sorry I missed your anniversary post....sounds like a wonderful day. Starting to gather things together to make Christmas cards. Have a great Thursday! xo
ReplyDeleteI can always count on seeing wonderful food at your place. Having a well stocked pantry is a blessing when we are running low on fresh food.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about your cancelled Christmas plans. Our plans here are being modified for Thanksgiving and I suspect will affect Christmas. Take care and stay safe.
Your food looks delicious. I have most of what I need. I will go grab a few things on sale at Fred Meyer tomorrow and get gas in Megan's car. I've been driving on to keep it alive. I did figure out what roast to use for thanksgiving. I can cook it in instant pot and it makes it so tasty. Sad you had to cancel your plans for rental. Hopefully 2021 will be a better year for all of us!!😀
ReplyDeleteI always get so hungry by looking at your photos, so yummy!
ReplyDeleteThere's something so comforting in opening up a few tins and packets to make a delicious meal when it's howling a gale outside. A bit like camping using a stove but drier!
ReplyDeleteYour meals always look delicious. Such a shame that you've had to cancel your trip but better to be safe than sorry. We don't know yet how Christmas will look here, I'm hoping that Daniel and Jasmine manage to come home as we haven't seen them since last Christmas but it will all depend on what restrictions are in place.
ReplyDeleteWell Happy Anniversary. Sorry I missed that. The food looks amazing. I need to get to the store for fruit and fresh greens too. We too decided not to book a cabin this Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMe again!! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting on my post about my Powder Room!! I really appreciate your kind words!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Deb
We’ve had rain and flooding, too, but the last two days have been chilly with lovely sunshine. You are very creative and the meals from the cupboard look wonderful. You must spend all day in the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteI am trying to cycle through the store cupboard and seem to do just fine with things like coffee and tea. Canned fruit and other canned items get used as well.
ReplyDeleteYou are doing great working with what you have in your store cupboard.
God bless.
We still have a closet full of canned goods and pasta and sauces and the like. We still bought more items last week when things got really bad here in Oregon. The USA has had 250,000 PLUS deaths so far. I think you were wise to cancel your travel plans. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteI always have a well-stocked store cupboard with tins of beans and tomatoes, dried lentils, stock cubes, pasta and rice. I agree that spices and herbs can change even the simplest of dishes, and my spice rack is kept topped up too.
ReplyDeleteBy far the best tip I have is to keep a zip-topped bag in the freezer, to which I add veg peelings and any chopped bits of veg from when I'm preparing dinner. This goes in the slow-cooker with stock, water and spices to make a hearty soup, pasta sauce or curry. Free food!
Take care,
Tracey xx
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ReplyDeleteas always your food posts are mouth watering good!
ReplyDeleteWhen it rains, cook. That is what we do so that when it isn't raining we can go outside for longer!
ReplyDeleteI like cheesy garlic bread. Steak pie and apple pie sound wonderful on a rainy day. We just had roast pork for lunch. Even though Christmas is just around the corner, we haven't have the feel of Christmas yet.
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ReplyDeleteA shame you cancelled your break, but in the present circumstances it was perhaps a wise choice.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too sure what Christmas will be like this year, but we are going to put our decorations up a little earlier this year.
Your food looks good. I think it's helpful to have store cupboard and freezer standbys ready just in case!
Stay safe and well.
All the best Jan
Oh! dear I put on weight just looking at these yummy meals!! BUT! ... don't stop....I can walk it off :-) keep well Amanda x
ReplyDeleteYour meals from your food store look delicious. We cancelled a trip to see our daughter's family and they have cancelled coming home for Christmas. It looks like we won't see them until spring and my heart is aching. We have gone back to having our groceries delivered or picked up and only go out for doctor's appointments. This can't end soon enough for me.
ReplyDeleteI think that you were wise to cancel your cabin. I really do believe that we all need to do the right thing now. If not for ourselves, for those we love. It is a hard decision to make though.
ReplyDeleteHi. I'm lucky enough to have a cellar store room which I use alongside my kitchen shelves. I like to keep plenty of rice, pasta, tinned items, sacks of spuds when I'm not using our own and any preserves I manage to make, more of an effort with that is what I'm making next year. In the current climate we in Wales are probably going into a firebreak after Christmas so will be stocking up for that as well as getting in Christmas goodies. Always good to have spare things in. Take care and sorry about your plans.
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