1.Any left over bread which is on it’s way out can be blitzed up with salt, pepper and any herbs and frozen down as breadcrumbs to make into stuffing or to top casseroles.

2.You can also use bread, croissants etc to make bread and butter pud – you can jazz it up with fruit – dried or fresh, spices, jams etc.

3.Make croutons - Toss cubed bread with olive oil, salt and ground black pepper, spread onto a baking sheet and cook in a 175ºC/ Gas Mark 4 oven until they begin to colour.

4.French toast is a great way to use up bread that is going stale along with those eggs loitering in the corner – beat an egg with a splash of milk, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt. Soak flour slices of bread in turn in the milk on both sides and then fry in melted butter and serve with maple syrup.

1.Use the glut of fruit around to make jams – if you don’t grown your own; go blackberrying, look out for fruits which are reduced in the supermarkets to turn into jams and compotes

2. Make smoothies, muffins, pies/tarts with fruits in your fridge that are starting to go soft.

3. Don’t waste money on potpourri – put leftover lemon peel on fire to give a zesty aroma around the house.

4. Freeze leftover lemon and lime peel so when a recipe calls for zest, you can just grate it without wasting the rest of the fruit.

1. Cooked too much? Fry up chopped veggies – onions, peppers, mushrooms, maybe add some meat – chopped ham, bacon, chicken or even cooked prawns. Add the rice and heat through for a quick stir fry.

2. Cooked white rice can be frozen after it’s cooled, so if you can’t use it right away, put it in an airtight container and freeze it.

1. Make potato cakes – mix mash with other left over veggies, make into patties, fry and serve with apple sauce for a delicious supper.

2. Potato scones - add enough flour to your left over mashed potatoes to make soft dough, roll out in thin rounds and cook both sides, in a dry frying pan, until it starts to brown. These can be eaten plain with a bit of butter or jam or use them as wraps to house your leftover veggies or even stew. These potato scones will also freeze well so you can make up more than you can eat and freeze for emergency suppers.

1. The good old bubble and squeak – fried up leftover veggies – the chief ingredients are potatoes and cabbage but any other leftover vegetables can be added – delicious served with cold left over roast.

2. Five a day omelettes – chop up & fry any vegetables lurking in your fridge or larder that have seen better days, stir into some beaten eggs and season, cook, top with a slice of cheese and fold over.

3. Leftover onions and red/green peppers can be chopped and sealed in bags and kept in the freezer. It's economical and time-saving, too so that next time you need chopped onions, just pull a bag out of the freezer!

4. Pot luck soup – keep a bucket with a lid in your freezer for leftover veggies – once a week make into soup – the children will love seeing what comes out of the bucket they put their leftover in!

Store your leftover meat in the fridge, ensuring it’s cooled and packaged within an hour of finishing your meal.

Wash your hands thoroughly, use clean utensils throughout, and ensure the meat is piping hot before you serve it when you reheat it. Chop any left over roast meat or poultry and freeze and used in a casserole later in the week however meat in prepared dishes (like stews or curries) keeps better than plain diced pieces, which can dry out on defrosting.

Roast Up Colcannon
Chop left over roast into small pieces and mix into mashed potatoes, cauliflower and leeks. Serve piping hot as a main dish with a little mustard.

Patties
Mix finely chopped left over roast with an egg, breadcrumbs, a pinch of sage and pepper. Shape into patties and fry in butter. Serve hot in burger buns.

Leftover meat like roast beef, turkey or chicken can easily be used in sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch.

Leftover ham makes great ham salad or you can use it to make ham and pea soup.

Meatballs
Leftover meat of any type makes great meatballs! Blitz it in a processor (or chop finely by hand) with an onion or two, an egg, and seasonings of your choice. Lamb, for instance, suits rosemary, garlic, oregano and lemon zest; beef deserves plenty of garlic and oregano; pork is great with dried apricots. When the mixture is mouldable, form it into meatballs and shallow-fry them until golden, then drop into tomato sauce to simmer until they’re thoroughly reheated. Great served over spaghetti!

Cornish Pasties
The perfect way to use up leftover beef or lamb – fry some chopped onion and add finely-diced potato and a pinch of chopped herbs (rosemary, thyme or oregano), before adding the shredded meat. Roll out some shop bought shortcrust or puff pastry, and cut into large circles. Fill half of each circle with the meaty mixture and brush the edges with egg, then seal tightly using a fork. Sit each pasty seam-upwards on a baking tray, brush with more egg, and bake until golden. Eat hot, warm or cold!