A CHILD OF THE DEPRESSION

When I say that I am ‘a child of the Depression’, most folk know what I mean. It tells them that I do not waste anything if I can help it; I buy hardly anything if I can do without it; and I get great satisfaction out of tastefully using left-overs that are in my refrigerator.

My freezer is full of bits and pieces...surplus food that I have frozen and which comes in handy when I need a snack. Or when I do not have the energy to cook a meal. They are always a nice surprise, even though I label each container, showing contents and date.

When I make scones, I do so because I have milk or cream remainders that should be used, and there was recently quite a lot of it, perhaps enough for several dozen scones that would need a large space in the freezer. Right! I must start eating the contents pronto!

I have had savoury mince with frozen peas; boiled chicken pieces that I had with a salad from my garden; rissoles with gravy to which I added greens and pumpkin; pasta sauce that was added to fresh spaghetti, and there are four large frozen fresh prawns that I am eyeing off as they rest with the other forgotten items in the now half-full freezer. I can see two loin chops and some round steak just waiting to be cooked, as well as a container of apple strudel that I made some time ago. I am determined to get to the bottom of this...and I am eating well.