April 2009 Grocery Challenge

Sunnyday

Yesterday i bought two ham hocks and i cooked them overnight in the slowcooker with about an inch of water.

This morning when i took them out i let them stand for half an hour and set to work taking the skin off and removing the fat and bones. (this is much easier when they are still warm and a challenge if they are cold)

I have just weighed all the meat and there is 1lb 11 oz, what a bargain for a total spend of £3.36p :j

I`ve portioned it up into tubs to freeze and there is enough to make 16 meals so thats 8 each for the two of us and a little left over for a sandwich for my lunch today. I plan on making a full english breakfast, gammon and mushroom pasta, turkey and ham pie and i still have another meal to think of.

I was beginning to despair as i had decided not to buy anymore danish or german pork products because of the way they treat the animals but i miss them lots, the ham hocks are British :j i shall be visiting this butcher more often.

Does anyone know if there is a salami made with British pork as i can`t seem to find one anywhere despite looking for weeks?

SD

cuddlymarm

:easter::EasterBun:easter:
Hi everyone
I've just spent £23 in Coop taking me £13 over this weeks budget (well actually its not that bad cos OH paid) It was like Xmas in the shops:eek:.I've also got DS1 home from uni eating me out of house and home (but it is nice to have my baby home for a while and he is big and strong and we move house next week which is useful) so I'm trying to be good but the cupboards are bare.
It will be nice once we've moved to restock and get a little organization in my kitchen again.

Anyway I'd just popped in to say Happy Easter everyone:easter_ba

ifonlyitwaseasier

Julimk wrote: »

These are the recipes I'm using:

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/beef-curry-dopiaza,1333,RC.html

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/meat-recipes/beef-stifado

As they both require slow cooking for about 2 hours I figured they'd work in the SC. I cooked the beef dopiaza in the SC for a bit over 4 hours on high & its perfect, though I know SCs can vary. I'll see how the beef stifado comes out later.

oh goodness me, i csn see a couple of dinners organised from them, thanks Julimk.

well have spent £25 ish this week, allowed myself to be tempted by takeout but to be fair we've been packing up b4 moving so i'm trying to run down the freezers and we've eaten some odd combinations too.

ioiwe x

Toonie

Popped to the shop for milk, eggs and bread and also managed to get some pasta on offer. Tonight will have fish fingers with either pasta or baked potato and may have some baked pears with Greek yoghurt for pudding. NSD planned for tomorrow as will be going to a concert and having food before leaving (burger and chips).

Miss-spent_2

I've been to Asda today and now I have spent almost all the months money. Its Easter eggs that have tipped me over the edge (£40 in total). I'm going to Go down to Asdas again to see if they have any Price reduced as they are closed tomorrow.

CurlyTop

Hi Mrs Mc

I notice that I've not been added to the list for this month. My post is on page 3. Can you put me down for £280. Many many thanks.

I've update my signature to include this month's spends so far. Not doing too bad. Freezer and cupboards are full. Went to the local butcher again this month. For each £10 you spend, you get a little stamp to go into a savings book that is worth 50p. You can fill the book to £18 so it will come in handy at the end of the year. Spent £24 on nice big piece of pork for tomorrow, 2 packs bacon, 1 gammon joint, 1/2lb chopped pork (which never made its way into a sandwich, I munch it cold from the fridge, naughty I know), 4 huge chicken breasts that they chopped up and which I then froze for three meals and a large chicken which did two meals. I'm sure there was something else but I've forgotten. I thought that was okay price wise cos at least I know it is locally produced and is large in size. Better than Mr T. Anyway, off to cook said pork. Have a lovely Easter tomorrow everyone. Enjoy your choccie. x

debt_cruncher

I got a voucher for £10 off a delivery from Mr T's. So I did a big shop and spent £50.38. So I only need to buy bread, milk, meat and fruit & veg til the end of the month.

mooomin

Another £10.40 today :eek:

£6.40 went on milk, carrots, mushrooms, apples and tatties, £4 on a prescription for t'other half. If I get it in Boots it's toiletries and therefore comes from the grocery budget. Better go and update my signature again :rotfl:

clutterydrawer

Hmmm well i am over my budget now....but this is my last week of proper eating as I have a two week residential college placement now where all my food is paid for by work.

I went over budget cos I had to alter my diet due to some illness...and had to cook some elaborate meals for people in return for various favours. I still think I did ok though.

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Did my shop yesterday -which consisted of:-

12 big bottles fizzy water
2.5kg potatoes
lettuce
cucumber
1kg tomatoes
fresh yeast
fresh chicken
hubbies crispbreads
1kg carrots
big red pepper
and I spent the princely sum of €4.55 and €3 of that I will get back on the bottles deposits next time :T. I had quite a few bottles to take back which shrunk the bill right down -it would have been even less -but the machine that you post your bottles into decided to go on strike before we had done :rolleyes: -so they will go back next time along with the new ones:D
So that brings my spends so far to €33.44 + the €69.06 bulk shop from the uk -so Im more than happy. Just under 2 weeks left of this month for us so I can only really see a couple more top ups of salad/fruit/milk between now and the new month

I have a chicken in the remoska -going to have it with salad and jacket potato -then the leftovers will do sandwiches, wraps and pasta salads :j, I have some bread dough under way -well resting in a bowl in the kitchen and other than that today im going to just get on with more seed setting as its glorious here :T..the brassica seedlings outside are doing well and the stuff I have in the spare room is all nice and strong.. right better get off and get something done
have a great day everyone