So how has this month's packaging challenge been going? I've been doing well refilling my wine bottle! Trying to perfect my packaging free pizza with a toddler in tow went less well - we had fun trying though.
Pizza was one of the only things I'd regularly buy which has some polystyrene (boo hiss!) packaging and we all love fresh pizza. I had a vision that every now and again I'd knead my frustrations out whipping up a big batch of pizza dough or bases, ready to be grabbed from the freezer and transformed into a tasty family meal in minutes. I did make pizzas. Little M helped. It went something like this...
Me: This part's a bit tricky. You make the hole in the middle of the flour, then I'll put the water in and start off the mixing.
Little M: Mummy it's spilling out the side.
Me: (stiffled expletives) Aargh! I know! I'll just...oh flip (regain control of potty mouth) it's coming out the other side too!
Little M: Can I have some butter (sees me desperately mopping up mess, hands, legs and half the kitchen covered in floury, yeasty gunk and knows this is her moment).
Me: No! How many times do I have to tell you not to eat butter on it's own.
Little M: I'm having it.
Me: Sigh. (But secretly proud of my brilliantly opportunist 3 year old!)
It's fair to say these batches of pizza won't go down as a high point in culinary history. I rescued all the dough I could and bunged a bit of extra water and yeast in and, given their traumatic start to life, they didn't taste too bad. Little L enjoyed her first ever pizza. Once I've cracked the dough - I'll start by ditching the poncy chopping board mixing technique in favour of a bowl (surely that's why bowls were invented?) - I do think these are going to be a firm family favourite. Freezing bases of different sizes and portions of tomato sauce, mini-ones for mid-week kids dinners and larger ones for Martin and I or family meals at weekends, is definitely the way to go.
I haven't done so well at filling the freezer full of other tasty treats. We've just been muddling through a relatively tough month (sleep-wise for me and work-wise for Martin) and just about emptied it, in fact. I hate resorting to takeaways just because you're so tired and surrounded by chaos. I'd rather spend that kind of money on something I appreciate more. So we've dredged the freezer and had one or two less than inspiring meals recently. There's hope though. The cook books are out of storage now and I'm starting to feel a bit more inspired so I'm feeling a cooking spree coming on soon! I started with lasagne tonight - mmm! I'm going to look for some really tasty dishes to put in the freezer so it feels like a treat rather than a desperate measure.
I've been digging around for lots of lovely new storage, for at home and for out and about as I'd started getting a bit too keen on using plastic sandwich bags for snacks. I got myself some lovely 're-usable baggies' in sale here (pictured). They've been very useful. Little M was quite taken with hers - much easier to hold than an open top plastic tub and great for a bigger range of food than you could put in those clever snack pots with flappy lids, including today's snack of (her) choice...dry Weetabix, twice! I also got some food kozies - you use them instead of cling film for sandwiches, cheese and so on. They're alright, but I'm not bowled over by them. They'll get used but they're only really good for stuff that is similar sized to a sandwich - they won't work so well when your block of cheese gets close to it's last grating, as the velcro fastening ends up in the wrong place, so won't fasten.
So, so far I've not been doing bad at trimming my packaging waste down a bit, but mostly because I've had it in my mind more, rather than because I've come up with any slick systems for packaging free shopping. I'm pondering what will be practical when I return to work. Fewer trips up the local shopping street for little L's naptimes equals fewers chances to refill my wine bottle (or other bottles!) on the way. I won't be cycling to work and back with a basket full of containers to refill on my way home from work. And I'm hoping I won't have sole responsibility for the family shopping.
I like this idea. A simple way for everyone in the family to know that, when it's shopping time, this is how we roll! No rummaging around for tatty old plastic bags. I'm not sure this is quite right for our shopping habits and it doesn't include bags for dry goods, like oats, but I think something along these lines would be brilliant. Armed with my sewing machine fresh out of storage I'm tempted to create my own bespoke shopping kit. Oh, almost forgot, I'm quite busy and tired most of the time - perhaps a spot of online retail therapy with the people who have already invented a sensible selection of shopping kits might be more practical!
What are your best freezer stand-by dishes? Any that feel like real treats rather than 'I guess we'll just have to get something out of the freezer then' dishes?
And have you discovered any nifty gadgets that really mean you gather less packaging?
If we make a huge spanakopita, and freeze lots of portions, I often find they're all gone much more quickly than anything else in our freezer! That's probably our most successful freezer meal.
As for pizza bases, I've been meaning to make some for aeons. I think you might have inspired me. Once smallest baby is old enough so I can contemplate cooking anything at all, I might give it a go!
Posted by: Rachel | Oct 29, 2012 at 08:52 AM
Hi Rachel, will definitely have to try that - have never made it before but would love too. I had a massive glut of spinach at the allotment last year which would have been great for it. Haven't been quite so on top of the planting this year so may have the same excess this year!
Posted by: Fiona | Oct 29, 2012 at 09:55 AM
Oh I just love your monthly challenges! :-) We have a very tiny, apartment freezer ... and in truth, I've never been too successful with freezer meals. But I do use a crockpot often which makes cooking pretty easy. Right now I'm "into" soups, stews and beans ... all which cook up wonderfully in slow cookers. I basically toss the ingredients in and forget it until dinner time. For us, pasta is a real treat (and comfort food). It cooks up quickly and I suppose one could have the sauces prepared ahead and stored in the freezer.
Thank you for participating in our last Change The World Wednesday challenge ... you'll be included in the "Honor society" in tomorrow's post. :-) Hope to see you then!
Posted by: Small Footprints | Oct 30, 2012 at 04:16 PM
The yeast and water escaped on me too, and I was doing it in my own - well, accompanied by some enthusiastic kicking and waving from E in her bouncy chair, but you know what I mean. Silly recipe! I used a bowl the next time and the dough turned out exactly the same.
I try to make extra when I cook something 'sloppy' like stew, chilli, casseroles, soup etc so that I can bung a load in the freezer for emergencies. I made a delicious stew today and it felt a bit epic but I know l'll be SO grateful to yank it out of the freezer at a later date.
Posted by: Liz | Oct 30, 2012 at 10:04 PM
P.S. Lovely, lovely photos, by the way.
Posted by: Liz | Oct 30, 2012 at 10:05 PM
Mmm! Thanks for all the lovely suggestions and comments. Right, time to start leafing through cook books for a tasty new stew recipe.
Posted by: Fiona | Oct 30, 2012 at 10:29 PM
Have a very easy bread/ pizza base recipe. 500g bread flour ( I use a mixture if white and wholemeal, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1.5 teaspoons easy yeast, 2.5 tablespoons olive oil, and enough warm water to get a dough. Knead for 10 mins and form into shape you want. Prove and cook. No need to knock back and rise again, and no need to rub in fat or butter.
Posted by: Christine Armstrong | Apr 11, 2013 at 11:12 AM