September 2009 Grocery Challenge

cw18

Wondering if anyone can help me out with a couple of recipes please?

Up until earlier this week DS always insisted the only mince he liked was the el-cheapo frozen value stuff, but on Monday said he preferred my latest 'mince and veg' which was actually pork mince I'd bought in Whoopsie.

I've now got 500g turkey mince I'm turning into 'mince and veg' to go with mash (I cook the spuds on the day, as I never bother putting it in a dish in the oven to finish it off as cottage/shepherds pie), which I plan to do the 'traditional way' in a pan and then freeze in portions

but

I've also (today) picked up 2x 500g minced lamb in Whoopsie, and thought I'd turn one into Spag Bol and one into Chilli Con Carne before freezing all this too...... but I'd like to try doing these in the slow cooker in the hope the mince doesn't "clump" on me like it tends to in a pan (and which is why DS doesn't like better quality mince)

However I'm struggling to find any idea of how to do this I've seen people posting on GC threads that they've got one or the other on the go in their machine, so I'm hoping someone can point me in the direction of some that are 'tried and tested' please

I'm still relatively new to the world of slow cookers in terms of the number of times I've used it - and that has been for a couple of gammon joints, a few whole chickens, and a rice pudding (which didn't work out well, to the point I'm not trying that again as it took me ages to clean the s/c out properly !!!) - so I'm not happy at the prospect of using the 'chuck it in and hope for the best' methodology :rolleyes2

moneytree1

Hi there all had to shop for a few bits and bobs this week have spent £90.49 so far leaving me £42.01 left for the rest of the month hoping to spend as little as possible this month. wish me luck Happy saving to all.
Moneytree1

CRANKY40

esmf73 wrote: »

Have failed this month - just had to restock freezer and have seen too many bargains for Christmas. Now I have stock in freezer and cupboards I'll reset my budget and start again on Monday until half term.

Honest!!!

Why don't you do a "from now to Christmas" budget instead?

helen_jelly

Cheryl - I know nothing about slow cookers but I do remember reading that there is a slow cooker thread on here somewhere - maybe if you put it in the search bar and click on forums it will come up with it - hope that helps and sorry I can't do anything to solve your problem

Helen x

ktpie

Did some shopping today so have now spent £243.63 out of our £280 budget, and forgot to get any fruit and we haven't any left in the house. Not too hopeful that we will manage to stick to the budget this month, there are still nearly 2 weeks to go. Looking on the positive side we only really need some fruit and other fresh things as we run out so who knows!

rosieben

cw18 wrote: »

... However I'm struggling to find any idea of how to do this I've seen people posting on GC threads that they've got one or the other on the go in their machine, so I'm hoping someone can point me in the direction of some that are 'tried and tested' please ...

I use the Batch Bake Minced Beef recipe (link in the External Links bit at the bottom of the GC recipe list); I swap ingredients according to what needs using up but I must admit I've never included the porridge; next time I'm going to make all chilli as my godmother particularly loves it

did a quick search of the slow cooker thread and I found this chilli recipe

I only have a small sc - mr 3.5l so 500 g of mince is enough with the veg, lentils and beans. and I never pre-brown anything

Angelfeathers

Spent £5 in Poundland today and £2.80 in Wilkinsons. DH spent a whopping £26.48 in Boots (and that was with 3 for 2 and 2 for £4 offers!). None of it was spent on food but it still goes in my grocery bugdget because it was all 'household/medicines/toiletries' stuff.

I've come to the conclusion that it's really NOT the food that costs us the money. It's all the other stuff, and I'm not sure quite how much one can economise on that unless one drops down to less branded stuff. I already buy stores' own paracetamol, ibuprofen, loratadine etc. so can't get any cheaper on that lot, but we could save a bit, I guess, on toiletries.

If I can find the time, I might actually go through the receipts from this month and try and calculate what our actual 'food' bill is as opposed to all the other stuff!

Am getting a bit scared now as this is our first month actually trying to live on what we have without incurring more credit, and looking at what's left in the bank minus things I know we're going to need to spend on, we have only £64 left in the bank for the rest of the month - for all grocery and general spending! We do have money we haven't spent in the 'Christmas/birthdays/holiday' fund and the 'home improvements' fund, which *could* be borrowed if absolutely necessary but we both really want to try to live on what we actually *have*. And I think we're both getting a bit of a shock as to how far that doesn't actually stretch.

Ah well. Thank you for listening! :-)

MRSMCAWBER

evening all

Im now up to 19 NSDs out of 22 :jand only 8 days until pay day and we get to "start all over again" ...
Hubby will be back from his hockey playing jaunt to the Uk first thing Saturday morning -then I will have quite a chunk to add to my spends -I sent him away with €200 -to do a "smash n grab" on items that cost an arm n a leg out here ..... so heck knows how much he will have got off the list ..pinkies crossed -
I set our budget for this year at €1680 -and including the spends so far this month (but not that I have just given hubby -until I know how much has been spent) -I have spent €720 -so I have spent under half of my allowance and we are 3/4 of the way through the year :j....



I have done a bit more for the freezer today -so now "hubbies ready meals" are up to :-

1. 3 liver casserole
2. 5 chicken n leek pies
3. 2 thai chicken curry
4. 4 minced pork casserole
5. 4 game casserole

and today I made

• 6 corned beef n onion pasties
• 6 steak n potato pasties

I think that just leaves me these to do -

• sausage casseroles
• fish pies
• big batch of chili
• hm pizzas
• sausage rolls
• baguettes -for lunches

oohhh and most exciting of all today is that I have pulled up 6lb of my own sweet potatoes -grown from my own slips from an old supermarket sweet potato:j-I have left the other dustbin with them for another few weeks (and I haven't got to the bottom of the 1st bin yet) ..so I think I will be making some soups ready for winter (the only way to get hubby to eat them )

Right enough waffle -hope everyone is well

millienjacksmummy

went into macro today and spent too much (£60) on asbig piece of fillet steak chopped up and frozen portions and bacon - so thats loads for the freezer and will save us money for the next few weeks just alot off this months budget so need to be caeful this weekend - but I am away Tues-Sat -so just getting stuff for DH and kids so hopefully cheaper!!
Also got bumper pack of dishwasher tablets and washing liquid but I count these as groceries so hopefully it will all balance out if October comes in on budget!! (Heres hoping!)

Botany

£27.72 spent today, £99.96 left in the pot for the month.

Would write more but the OH has finally got home from work and I'm starving!!!