August 2008 Grocery Challenge

kazzys51 · 6 August 2008 at 5:01PM

wow that was fast!! ur wee stars thanks for the help ive been doing searches to find them cheers k

Girl_least_likely_to · 6 August 2008 at 5:01PM

Gosh. I haven't been on here for weeks and it shows by coming in over by the best part of £80 last month :eek: . I hadn't budgeted for a party we gave for DD's birthday and also I was ill for the best part of 2 weeks and couldn't be bothered to cook when I ran out of HM meals in the freezer so I had a pricey Tesco.com order containing ding ding meals

.

Anyway, a lesson learnt and new month with a shiny new budget

. I'll try for £200 this month, a bit more than I've been aiming for in recent months but I have a BBQ at the weekend to cater for so will try to use a bit of stuff from the freezer and limit what I have to buy.

Will also try to read this thread a bit more than I have been recently

. Good luck to all

Girl_least_likely_to · 6 August 2008 at 5:06PM

Forgot to say that I did my first shop of the month last night, £76.33 at Mr T's. I am hoping to avoid doing big shops whilst DD is off nursery over the summer and hope to shop only when I really need stuff. She says :whistle:

turbo5019 · 6 August 2008 at 5:16PM

NW-ANGEL wrote: »

sorry if im being a bit dim but what is MrM's? and where do are these 50p item?
many thanks
kel
x

Your are not being dim it took me a while. MrM is Morrisons

The 50p offers are
New potaotes 1Kg
Diced Chicken Breast Fillet 220g
Light Coleslaw 300g
Little Gem Lettuce twin pk
Quarter Pounder Beef Burgers 4 Pack
Salad Tomatoes 4 Pack
Thick Pork Sausages 8 Pack
White Rolls 12 Pack
I think they are on till sunday and limited to 2 per customer. I tend to take someone else with me so I can 2 lots at a time. HTH

mandy_moo_1 · 6 August 2008 at 5:34PM

just popping in to try and catch up.

managed an NSD today :T has anyone bought Mr M's diced chicken yet? the 50p one? i just wondered if it was worth the money.do you get enough for 2 people for a stir fry? it was out of stock when i went yesterday, so i don't want to make a wasted journey!!

ooh meant to tell you....Farm Foods still selling 4 pints of milk for a pound. that's the cheapest i've seen it lately

i buy a 4 pint carton of full cream, water it down to 8 pints and freeze it before anyone sees what i'm doing :rotfl: just remember to use cooled boiled water tho to water it down , as the milk doesn't stay fresh as long

Moniker · 6 August 2008 at 5:57PM

Busy Mum, I think I was the one who mentioned Duchesse potatoes a while back. Here is the recipe I use: (It’s from the St Michael Freezer Cookery Book circa 1978!)

2lbs old potatoes
2oz butter
2 eggs, beaten, plus one extra for glazing
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel and cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes. Drain well then sieve them while still hot. Return to the pan and dry them over a gentle heat, stirring continually for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter and the beaten eggs, nutmeg and seasoning. Add a little milk if the mixture is too thick (I have never had to do this). Place the potato in a piping bag with a large rosette nozzle and pipe 16 rosettes onto a grease baking tray. Brush carefully with the egg and place in the oven (200C or Gas mark 6) for 15 minutes or until light brown. Cool quickly on a rack then open freeze. When frozen pack into a rigid container or polythene bag and seal. To serve place the frozen potatoes onto a greased baking sheet and put in a hot oven (220C/ Gas mark 7) for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. These are great with fish and are a cheap impressive dinner party trick!

My Banana and Walnut cake was lovely – we had it warm for pudding with some crème fraiche leftover from the weekend. The recipe I use is based on the one from Carole Handslip’s Wholefood Cooking:

4oz marg or butter
4oz soft dark brown sugar
2 eggs
4oz wholemeal flour
2 tsps baking powder
2 bananas mashed
4oz walnuts chopped

Cream the fat and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time adding a little flour with the second egg. Fold in the rest of the flour and baking powder with the bananas. Spread the mixture evenly in a lined and greased 8” sq tin. Sprinkle with the walnuts. Bake in a preheated moderate oven (190C/ gas mark 5) for 20 -25 minutes. Leave in the tins for 2 minutes and then cut into 16 slices. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I have frozen these ok before. I rarely have all the ingredients as above and have successfully substituted granulated sugar for the dark brown, and white flour for the wholemeal, and mixed chopped nuts for the walnuts and it’s still yummy!

I have cut the grass today (might not get another dry one for a while and we are off on holiday on Friday). I also cleaned out the utility room and washed the window sills etc – OMG the dirt! Used Stardrops and soda crystals of course. Now I’ve caught up on here and a big pile of ironing awaits my attention.

BTW I have a carton of whipping cream still in date but I won’t be able to use it before we go away. Can I freeze it or do I need to whip it first?

Thanks peeps – have a good evening.

Moniker

PS Meant to say another NSD for me - the 4th. Will be taking MIL to Sainsbury's tomorrow and hope only to buy milk and a few bits for the holiday. There's a Morrisons in Brecon I think so I am looking forward to shopping in a different supermarket!

Alexelisey · 6 August 2008 at 6:01PM

Yesterday was supposed to be a NSD but I felt fidgety so I went out and bought some Stardrops (67p in Wilko's) and a spray bottle (which doesn't work :mad: but for 49p I'm not making a special trip to take it back). Today has been a NSD, hurrah! I'm just about to go and get a lottery ticket but that doesn't come out of the GC. I've updated for yesterday.

I've had a cupboard clear out today, as older son was hard pressed for food as he has no money right now. So he's being stocked up with things I won't use as I got them in while he was still living here and younger son won't cook for himself. I'm making him and his flatmate some bread too, hopefully that'll go down well.

Hope everyone's hanging in there! Budget is looking a bit sick but I'll have to see how the rest of the month pans out.

MRSMCAWBER · 6 August 2008 at 6:34PM

Evening all

Kazzy if you look under the "post reply" near the top of the 1st page of the thread -you will see "view first unread" click on it and it will take you to where you left off last time

Well folks -hubby came home from golf empty handed so i can report my 2nd NSD in a row :rotfl: apparently they are expecting the flour in thurs/fri so will pop in on friday -when i have taken next months money out of the bank

I have packed up for tomorrows nicpic..so hopefully it won't be to warm -fingers crossed

right i will get off again..have a great evening everyone

angelnikki · 6 August 2008 at 7:05PM

225g / 8 oz SR flour
100g / 3½ oz butter
100g / 3½ oz demerara sugar
100g / 3½ oz desiccated coconut, plus extra for sprinkling
2 eggs, beaten
4 tbsp milk

Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl and rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the sugar, coconut, eggs and milk and mix to a soft dropping consistency.
Spoon the mixture into a greased/lined 2lb loaf tin and level the surface. Bake at Gas3 / 160C for 30mins.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with the reserved coconut and return to the oven for a further 30mins, until well risen and golden (and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean).

Store for a few days in a cool dry place to enhance the flavour.

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

if you look under the "post reply" near the top of the 1st page of the thread -you will see "view first unread" click on it and it will take you to where you left off last time

I used to think that too but if doesnt work like that. If you thank the last post that you read and then come back the next day or even just a few hours later and press that button it doesnt always take you back to the last post that you read. It only takes you to the most recent posts. Try it on a thread that you havent read, it will only take you to the most recent posts not to the begining of the thread. (the view first unread button is also at the left of the thread title on the forum listing)

eg I just clicked on "view first unread" for the christmas cake thread which I read the first post of yesterday. It took me to post 21 which meant I would of missed all of post 2 to post 20.

I find it a lot easier (and nicer) to thank people to mark where I have got to. :A

Nikki x

OrkneyStar · 6 August 2008 at 7:39PM

Hi there everyone,
Wow so many posts, this is the first chance I have had to get on today what with packing and organising etc.
We are off on hols for a bit so won't be coming on (and also won't be spending any GC money as have a separate holiday budget). Came in very slightly under for week 1 (7 days) and also for week 2 (was only 4 days but stocked up on oil, flour etc at beginning of week) and so far have 4 NSD's (the next 10 or so days are also not counted in the potential NSD total due to the diff budget).Today I managed to get two whoopsied loaves and yesterday got Cravendale milk and yogs with longer dates to have in fridge for coming home. Freezer and cupboards are pretty full too so will resist bringing anything back from bigger stores (as its just too much hassle putting it all away when we come home after an 10 hour trip!).
Anyway hope you all have a lovely time while we are away, don't spend too much (unless its a super duper BOGOF/offer/whoopsie!).
I am going to make sarnies and we will also have some HM scones, HM banana and chocolate oat bars and a few bounty bites, along with some Value crips, fruit and some juice.
X
:wave: :wave: :wave:

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August 2008 Grocery Challenge

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