July 2008 Grocery Challenge

toottifrootti

Sian_the_Green wrote: »

I think it's great that you are deciding to join in with this challenge, I think your determination will be more than enough to see you through and I know from personal experience that when you make something from a recipe it tastes so much better than ready made and there is a real glow of pride around it too. I really experiment with my cooking and just shove random veg in and tip in some herbs whenever I feel like it. I would start with learning how to cook some basic sauces that you can tweak - tomato sauce (pizza topping, pasta sauce, bolognaise, base for stew/casserole...), white sauce (okay, I am still learning how to do this but it would be nice with lasagne, potato bake, pasta bake,...) etc and then try adding different things and see how it works. I have learnt loads from this thread, look forward to you sharing your first recipe too

Hi Sian - thanks for the encouragement and your suggestions - thats a good way to start - I do occasionally throw in whatever is about if I am hard up - the trouble is when it turns out good I never seem to be able to do it again!! I think i will be scared to post any of my recipes - you will have all made them before or I will poison you all!!
TF xx

perrywinkle

Evening everyone,

NSD for me today. I've been making lots of jam and marmalades and also been doing lots of baking which the kids are really enjoying.
I am going to declare 248.43 for July as remainder of month is from a different holiday budget. Even if I wasn't doing this would definitely have been under the 300 as lots of food in and only would have needed to buy fresh milk and fruit and veg. Will set a budget of 280 for August as need to work through food in freezers.

Angelnikki - think it's a great idea to carry the recipe thread forward to following months - you make life much easier for us - many thanks.

Happy money - saving
Perrywinkle

perrywinkle

Night, night everyone,

Just updated signature.

Perrywinkle

Flylady_Flower

angelnikki wrote: »

Thats my gorgeous DS :happyhear We are having a new bathroom fitted this week so (Ex)OH has taken the week off work and is gonna be home all week. It does my head in being around him so I've put DS on my avatar as a way to cheer myself up cos it always makes me smile to see his little face Nikki x

He's gorgeous :A , I hope the plan works for you, that smile would certainly cheer me up! Chin up girl, the week will soon be over...;)

Just a quick one while we're talking about recipe index - I noticed you also had some handy tips on there and wondered if you could put the link to the "How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet, etc, etc......" book, as the guy said he will be checking the methods are all on for all the recipes, so I think it would be really useful to someone. What do you think?

Flylady_Flower

mandy_moo_1 wrote: »

just taking time out to grab a coffee and calm down :mad: the bl**dy fridge repair man came out at 10.30 this morning, and left at 11.20.......and the flamin fridge/freezer is STILL broken :mad: cos it's frost free, its nigh on impossible to get anyone to fix it....he knows what's wrong with it (the fridge sensor has gone) but he doesn't know where it is in the fridge to replace it. tried phoning the company that made f/f but they said they weren't allowed to tell me how to repair it :mad: aarrrggghh!! just had to let off steam......sorry for being off topic!

Hi Mandy_Moo, just wondered, was the website I mentioned before any help? Because they supply the parts they might know where they go too? I am sure lots of repair men use them too so they might be able to point you in the right direction, and I am sure they won't tell you that they're not allowed to tell you anything - don't people who wear 'jobsworth hats' make you sick??? :mad: Bl****y country's going to come to a standstill one day.....

Flylady_Flower

Mooloo wrote: »

Re the clubcard I suppose I better sort my paperwork out and then I could ask for the information to be transfered etc.
Think I need to be making lists of the things that I have lost and work my way through replacing them. Just so long and redious.
Still havent done that menu plan anyway, so better do that first or will be spending even more that I havent got. (Actually thats impossible as if i dont have it cant spend it!!. No cards.)

Just a quick one, If you pick up a new card from tesco, sainsbury's etc, you can start using them straight away, and then when you ring up (number should be on info you pick up with your card), they will transfer your old balance onto the new card, so at least you don't loose anything while waiting for the new one, plus you have all the details to contact them with.
HTH, Denise x

jackiegibbo

had another nsd today i think im going to make my challenge this month and its all thanks to everyone on here:T :T :T

newmoneysaver_2

Hi guys, needs to update spends from the weekend. We popped into Mr A on sat morning to pick up some of the 50p offers bits and pieces for baking - spent £9.18, then on the way home from a MS on Sat - Hubby fancied a beer and I wanted icecream, spent £11.16 but £6 of that was on alcohol and comes out of OH money not GC.
Went to Conwy Castle yesterday and spent £3 on chips for lunch and then £4.53 in Mr T on the way home. I forgot to get anything out of the freezer for tea before we left
Today was going to be a NSD - I was doing so well until I read the threads about the Mr M 50p offers. I spent £4.73 on woopsie barmcakes, 2 pack sausage rolls, a loaf, 2 packs of cheese and 400g (the max. amount I could buy) of gammon ham from the deli.
I then travel to the other Mr M - only 2 miles away, with my house being in the middle of the two to pick up more sausage rolls, cheese and gammon. I want to check out the woopsies too, but there weren't any to be had. Spent £4.03.
Total to add to sig - £30.63 but the freezer is full.
Oh , I need milk but I might make hubby get it on his way home from work tomorrow and stop at Mr M for more cheese - we go through loads!:p

greent

denisefowler wrote: »

Just a quick one while we're talking about recipe index - I noticed you also had some handy tips on there and wondered if you could put the link to the "How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet, etc, etc......" book, as the guy said he will be checking the methods are all on for all the recipes, so I think it would be really useful to someone. What do you think?

OOh - good idea, Denise! I've got it permanently open atm

Gt
x

Flylady_Flower

SAV3R wrote: »

Just updating my sig, don't know what happened thought I'd done it the other day (thought I had a lot left).

DS2 much brighter today, hope when we go for xray tomorrow everything is ok.

Back to work today, felt like I'd missed more than a week. Decided I can't really afford to give job up, don't know what to do if Mum decides she wont look after boys. It is making me really depressed now, thinking about it. Talked to a friend at work and got upset, so now she must think I'm stupid. Feel like eveything is going wrong.

Made currant cookies and jam thumbprint cookies. Amazing how baking makes you feel a bit better.

I really feel for you. I had to work when mine were young and I hated it, but just to let you know, it did my daughter the world of good - made her really independant and she is a really friendly, pleasant person now with loads of friends etc, because she had to mix with others from a very early age. I had to go back to work when she was just 4 months and because my Mum worked, I had to get a childminder, which although expensive, still allowed me to bring extra money into the house.

My son is a bit different, but think thats because he's a teenage boy going through that sort of stuff anyway, but he still gets on with everyone, is very friendly and helpful, and they are both still very loving with me and their dad, which is great. They love spending time with us (even if we don't want them to...:rolleyes: ) so it never affected them at all.

Speak to your mum before you upset yourself any more, she may say yes and then you can at least stop worrying about that side of things. If she says no, at least you know where you stand, but sometimes the uncertainty really gets us down. I am sure your friend does not think you are stupid and understands totally.

:grouphug::grouphug:I hope you are feeling better now and get things sorted soon :grouphug: :grouphug: . take care, Denise