Mini Storecupboard Challenge: Stocktake
Welcome to the first part of Free schooled meals week, our mini Storecupboard Challenge. This time around, instead of trying to use up absolutely all our old and surplus stored food, we’re making five healthy meals instead.
When I say ‘healthy’ that’s based on good quality scientific research, rather than some random guff a ‘wellness guru’ with no qualifications might tell you for the purposes of parting you from your hard earned cash. But I digress…
As with all our other Jump Start challenges before this one, you can choose whether you do one task each day or do some or all of them at the weekend. This makes things easier when life goes through an extra busy patch and gives you that extra bit of flexibility. So, if you miss a day here or there, you haven’t necessarily failed the challenge – just have a day off and catch up over the weekend.
Here’s the schedule for this Storecupboard Challenge:
- Today – Storecupboard Stocktake (see below)
- Day 1 Â – Fruit
- Day 2 – Vegetables (excluding pulses)
- Day 3 – Pulses
- Day 4 – Wholegrains
- Day 5 – Less salt / fat / sugar – but more flavour
Today: The Storecupboard Stocktake
All you have to do, either today or at some point over the weekend, is to make a master list of everything in your store cupboards, larder or pantry. This is just so you know what you have to work with, and maybe to help you to start getting ideas and feeling inspired.
What are you making a note of?
- Dried foods
- Canned or bottled foods
- Packet or carton foods
- Tubes of tomato paste etc
- Baking ingredients
- Flavourings, condiments and sauces
- And so on, and so on…
Have a look in any of the following spots:
- Cupboards
- Larder or pantry
- Shelves
- Utility area or garage etc
- Baking box
- Worktop canisters
- Storage baskets on top of cupboards
- Spice racks
- Biscuit barrels
Now make a list of everything you have, grouping it into categories. For example you might have headings like:
- Rice, pasta and noodles
- Tinned goods
- Oils and vinegars
- Herbs and spices
- etc
That’s all you have to do today, so hopefully it won’t take too long. Hang onto your list after the mini Storecupboard Challenge is over, because it’s a good thing to check before Tenner Week in Week Three.
Have you found anything weird or long forgotten in those cupboards during your stocktake? I’m always surprised at what turns up…
Done, including all fruits and veggies from the garden..
That will make me tidy up and no mistake!
Dear Penny,
We are missing Day 3 and 4. Are you writing on a daily basis for this Jump Start ?
Love,
Pat
Dear Penny,
I forgot we have the week end off, I am not used to it,
Sorry….
Love
Pat,
Hi Patricia – yes, you get the weekends off to catch up or do other projects. It’s a bit different this time around, but less of a shock to the system after a long summer.
Hello Jackie – let us know how you get on, it’s always interesting to see what turns up in those cupboards.
Penny x
Loads of pulses and grains of all sorts and some dried fruit including one portion of prunes, they count?
Thinking prunes and custard for Mondays pud.
Hi Jackie – yes, a portion of dried fruit definitely counts. I found a massive 2kg tin of prunes at the back of the cupboard that I was given a few months ago and had completely forgotten about. Might soak some in Earl Grey tea and sweet spices and add a blob of vanilla yogurt, but guess the rest will have to be moved into the freezer.
Penny x