October 2008 Grocery Challenge. Please read first two posts.

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  • cw18
    cw18 Posts: 8,613
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    mumzy - just spotted the mention of a slow cooker. are you roasting the chicken in the oven (in which case I'd then make stock in a pan) or cooking it in the slow cooker (in which case the meat should fall off that cleanly I don't think I gain enough by boiling the bones to make it worth the fuel to do so -- but there's already loads of stock in the slow cooker that I keep for other things)
    Cheryl
  • mumzyof2
    mumzyof2 Posts: 3,343 Forumite
    Thanks everyone

    LYNEE - That carrot soup only cost like £1 or even less to make!
    Sealed Pot dec 08 - dec 09 so far £27.67, Live off £4k Spent £330.20 GC £1,200 for 2009 Spent £50.78 PaD so far £650.07
    Debts: L/woods £154.00 C/One PAID O/D £649.90 Next £299.95 O/D PAID Gas £72.60 Electric £155.73 Mum £640.00 Orange £490.32
  • rosieben
    rosieben Posts: 5,010
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    mumzyof2 wrote: »
    Your going to think im really stupid but i want to buy a whole chicken (small or medium) tomorrow. Have it on Sunday. But then I want to make a chicken soup on Monday. How do i do it? Is there a link or anything. How do i get all the bones from chicken. I never done it before. And would a small chicken do 1 adult and 2 small children (4 and 2) plus chicken soup or would i have to go medium?


    Rubber Chicken thread here and Using Chicken carcass to make soup thread here ;)
    ... don't throw the string away. You always need string! :D

    C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z Head Sharpener
  • puss14
    puss14 Posts: 310 Forumite
    cw18 wrote: »
    Just treat it as a temporary "blip"...

    Do have food in the house? Can you get creative with that? If you can get away with just buying milk, bread and f&v for the rest of the month that should minimize the damage to your budget -- especially if you're like me and have several bags of veg in the freezer and a number of tins of fruit in the cupboard (I could manage for at least a week without even needing to buy f&v apart from the bananas that DH insists on having on a daily basis).

    I know if I were to give in part way through a month (as I did with keeping records of non food items in July & August) then I also pick things up without thinking about the cost as much -- and end up spending even more.


    Thanks for your support CW18:A . Yes I do have a big pantry and my freezer is full(albeit just sml fridge one) and I do have some things in garden. You have inspired me and I have made up a jug of powdered milk for my OHs coffee and am working on a meal plan which I will post later in day. I feel a lot better now as I think I might be able to make it to end of month with what I have. I was a bit silly and brought things like cashews, dolmados and fancy cheese as atreat for when my mum arrives. I like to spoil her but I know she would be happy just seeing me and eating what we usually eat. Not that this is the only reason for my overspend, I am clearly quite disorganized and an impulse shopper and eater. Meal planning has to be the waay to go. Good luck all at staying on track.
    Thailand 3010/15000 2015
  • rachelmk wrote: »
    Morning!

    I also got a £5 M&S voucher in the post this week for getting an insurance quote (didn't buy the insurance)

    I suspect I got this too. However I thought it was junk mail & chucked it out. On just about the only week where they emptied the bins on time just as I put mine out. :o I only know as my Mum thanked me for getting her one too.

    Sometimes, I'm just a bit too scatty for my own good!! :rotfl:
    My name is CherryPie and I'm addicted to grocery shopping!!



    Grocery Challenge

    Feb 2016 - £46.73 / £100.00
  • mumzyof2-you could put the carcass in the slowcooker with some water and veggies. I break the carcass up a bit as others have said. Make sure you strain the stock well so your little ones or yourself dont end up with any bones. Its amazing how much will come off.

    Ive done a big jelly for the weekend instead of my usual trifel I used 2 value jellies and a tin of broken mandarins plus about 1/4 of a flan case which I didnt get around to using(I will freeze it in pieces for future trifles).
    Total cost approx 42p Thats 2 pints of jelly so its big.
    Also did my branflake cake. I weighed my ingredients tonight as I hate cup measures.
    Here is what I used:
    8 oz bran flakes-slightly crushed by hand in the bowl to make mixing easier
    4 oz sugar(I suggest you try 6 oz tho as I don't like it very sweet)
    8 oz sultanas(half a 500g bag)
    enough milk to soak up all of the above-leave it to soak dor 15 mins-if stodgy-add more milk.
    Then mix in 3 teaspoons mixed spice(or less but I like mixed spice)
    8 oz SR flour
    I also added 2 beaten eggs for a change but this is optional.
    I put these into 2 x 2lb loaf tins-lined or greased on gasmark 4 just above the centre for around an hour-until they looked right.
    Cost approx 80p each.

    Breadmaker just finished so a nice fresh lloaf for the morning before DH goes to work.
    I just had to try the branflake loaf so just had 2 slices. Oops!
    Just put my chicken carcass in the slowcooker with 2 halved onions on low. Tomorrow I will drain off the stock and see how much chicken there is-hopefully enough for soup.
    Just need to decide on something else savoury now.
    Annual Grocery budget 2018 is £1500 pa £125 calendar month £28.84 pw for 3 adults
  • puss14
    puss14 Posts: 310 Forumite
    Ive made a meal plan for now until end of month, my mum has said she will help me with the cooking by taking it in turns and that if we had to we could live 6 months on what we have(she is such a gem).
    18th- chicken & silverbeet & herb sandwich
    19th- porcupines(a speciality of my mums made with mince and tomato, celery and rice:D )double batch 4 another day
    20th-sausage casserole (dble batch)and mashed potato(dble batch 4 sheperds pie tomorrow) & steamed veg
    21st- sheperds pie (lentiled up to stretch out) with grn salad
    22nd- lentil curry + rice+ steamed zuccini
    23d- beef & vegie stirfry & rice
    24th-sausage casserole + mash
    25th- roast vegies + yoghurt dip(not sure how this will go, but will try and make)
    26th- porcupines + steamed veg
    27th- pumpkin/potato soup
    28th- fried rice
    29th- fried rice
    30th- soup
    31st- vegetarian lasagne + salad

    Luckily 4 me I have a fair few vegies in my garden, it is quite ridiculous that I am over budget and I am really going to make an effort to stay on track for rest of month and try for less next month. It might help my weight too:D

    I have a fair bit of long life soy milk and normal powdered milk so I am just going to try and make do. My mum is a big inspiration, shes lived on far less than this with 3 kids and did a great job.
    Thailand 3010/15000 2015
  • Jacks_xxx
    Jacks_xxx Posts: 3,874 Forumite
    That menu sounds lovely Puss- and so does your Mum - but I have to ask: What the blue blazes are Porcupines???? :confused:

    I mean I know what porcupines are :rolleyes: :D , but I'm assuming you're not serving up prickly critters for tea??? :eek:

    On my front I have just caved in and ordered another fruit and veg box from Abel & Cole as there's another special offer on. (Spend £25 and get a free veg box) so I bought hubby a bottle of Organic Brandy to put away for Christmas. Job done! :DThe code is comeback1
    I'm hoping to rein it in a bit between now and December so that I can put away some Christmas treats in advance and still stay within budget as I tend to get a bit cavalier with my spending in the run up to Christmas!

    I think it's probably because I'm in the shops so much chasing down gifts etc, so if I know I already have it all done and dusted and we don't *need* anything I hope I'll be able to be more sensible and not get so carried away with it all. :o

    So today I'm doing cupboard inventory and a meal plan to make the most of what we've got, then I'm going to order in a Christmas meat box in from somewhere (Any recommendations?)

    Apologies for mentioning the !!!!!!mas word if you're trying to avoid it for a while longer :D :eek:

    Have a great Saturday! (and think of me sat on the cold hard floor next to the freezer with my clipboard! :D )

    Love Jacks xxx :D

    PS Glad you're feeling better Mrs M!

    PPS Ooh get you Mumzy making soup like a fully fledged OS-er. Tell us how you got on chick as I've not been that brave yet.

    PPPS Juliemk How the heck did you get out of the door in 15 minutes flat??? (I Think you shoulkd get an award as it takes me that long to get dressed!) Oversleeping's horrid isn't it? So don't beat yourself up hon. Worse things happen at sea an all that! ;)
    Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. Einstein
  • cw18
    cw18 Posts: 8,613
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    puss14 -- glad to see you're staying on board, and I agree with the others that it sounds like you have a wonderful Mum giving you off-line support as well :T
    Cheryl
  • leebarton
    leebarton Posts: 250 Forumite
    Hi Mumzy - one thing not mentioned is the fact that you are reheating the chicken twice - three heat up's in total. Be careful as the recommended advice is cook once - reheat once. When we make chicken soup we put the bones in the sc for a few hours (about four) to make the stock, and then add veggies and broth mix for a couple of more hours. That way you only reheat the chicken once.

    HTH
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