June Grocery Challenge

Ok I'm back in for June - £50.00 per week which equates to £250.00 for this month. Have decided to take out all the money in one go so that I can stock up at the beginning of the month and then just top up with milk & fruit etc as needed.

Got off to a flying start yesterday as went to Sainsburys and spent £86.05 which included £29.46 pence worth of BOGOf's and special offers-this lot will easily last me 2-3 weeks. Also aquired a slow cooker FREE curtsey of a friend who was going to car boot it but happily donated it to me as I was excited about it!

Now need to trawl through the slow cooker thread to find some seasonal dishes-it's a bit too hot for casseroles at the mo I think!!

I've just saved myself close to two quid. The potatoes I bought in bulk (10 kilos), even though in a paper sack and kept in the dark in my coolest room started sprouting like mad.

Since I think they keep better as frozen mash than as cooked whole I've done two large 4 litre pans full and now have ten large portions of mash in the fridge. So that's two month's worth stashed away.

I saved some of the potato water to make bread with tomorrow and will be using up some of the Ready Brek that was otherwise likely to waste into the bread, and will use a bit more in a crumble.

My freezer is filling up 'cos I've also got four portions of curry sauce, one of chicken stock, two of pork stock, eight pork portions, one liver, one chili, and one curry. Oh and a pasta thingy as well

Now all I need is a free pack of Magnums. Yum! About two hundred should do for the month I think

I have no idea

The potato water tip was in the very first post in the breadmaking thread. Follow the "Collections" in my signature below, then to the Recipes Collection etc... to see it.

Usually, for other vegetable waters the tip is to use it as a veggie stock (with additions), a liquid base for a soup, or for the gravy of the meat you just roasted.

:j How wonderful Moll!!! :T I recall when we were children my mum would make use of any left over sandwiches .... cheese one's were toasted, meat one's were either toasted, or sometimes she would coat them in a thin batter, fry them to golden and serve them with salad.
Ham/cheese/chicken one's she would layer in an oven proof dish, pour over some egg/milk mix, leave to absorb then bake (like a bread and butter pudding, but savoury). Enjoy your bountiful "party" harvest

Elaine_Wilson - I believe it's the starch content from potato water which makes it work so well in bread.

This thread has been a really interesting read for me.

I am determined to stop our out of control spending habits, we spend about £150 per week on food & household bits :eek:

I want to cut it down to £50 per week, which I know is going to be really hard & my family will probably be in shock lol.

Am going shopping at Lidls tomorrow & want to spend £30 max, my freezers & cupboards are full of food we never eat, so will be joining the store cupboard challenge & using it all up.

It's going to be such a huge change, but I am determined, just keep thinking of al the things we could do with that extra £100 per week.

If anyone has any top tips for a complete novice, please let me know.

I'm going to look through the recipe section now, the only thing I normally cook from scratch is a jacket spud!

Carrie x