More on Meat

I've now bought a month's supply of meat from the butcher that has to last at least two months because my car has developed a fault and so I need more money.
Smaller sausages were bought instead of the thicker ones. Checked for size and price against quality ones from the supermarket, almost identical in appearance, the butcher's worked out very much cheaper. For those following my real-time cost-cutting, the butcher's bill came to just 0ver £28.
Chicken carcases I had requested (but don't expect freebies if you are a first time customer, that is hardly fair), the free bagful I had been given weighed nearly 5lbs. Included were many chicken winglets, 5 carcases (mainly the rib part) which the butcher would otherwise have discarded. Some winglets looked so meaty that I froze 6 along with one chicken drumstick I found in the middle of the bag.
The carcases plus remaining winglets were put in a big pan with three past-their-best carrots, one onion and a chunk of celery cut off the top of the stick (saving the young leaves from the centre to add to a salad) although I often save the root end just for this purpose. Adding four bay leaves, some thyme, and three pints of water, it was all simmered for several hours.
Once strained, the chicken flesh was carefully picked off the bones, and this alone weighed 20 ounces which could be made into chicken pies, chicken spread for sarnies, chicken burgers, coronation chicken.......At least I know we are going to have chicken for supper tonight.

The stock was first poured into a bowl, cooled and then put into the fridge overnight. This makes it easy to take off the chicken fat (which has its uses). The fat-free stock is now simmering down again to reduce by half so that it will set to a thick gel. Before it sets I will have poured it into small containers to freeze. When short on freezer room it is reduced down even further and frozen in ice-cube trays to make 'chicken-stock cubes'.

Last night for supper I served a plate of cold cooked meats (from the supermarket) with a couple of cooked sausages. The saved celery leaves were added to the lettuce and also on the plate was the last of the avocados, a tomato, cucumber, some cottage cheese with pineapple, and sliced cooked beetroot. My husband has a big appetite! Details of the meal are given to prove it is possible to eat a substantial meal on a shoestring.
Instead of leaving the remaining slice or two of cooked meats plus half a tin of corned beef for my husband to later snack on, as I normally do, this time the meats were wrapped and put in the freezer for another meal. So much money can be saved by doing this when you get the chance.