Store cupboard challenge

shazanne_2

first post I have left. I am so excited about this challenge and want to join today. I am challenging myself to NOT do a shop for 2 weeks other than milk and bread. I am sure I have enough to feed us during that time and that will mean minimum spend till end of month. Wish me luck I have never really made an attept to budget in my puff:o

EagerLearner

Good luck Shazanne!

I have the following in my cupboard:

- 1 x Tin of salmon
- 2 x Tins tuna
- Tiny pasta shapes to pad out casseroles etc
- Spaghetti
- Plain cous cous
- 1 tin pinto beans
- 2 tins butter beans
- 3 tins tomatoes (will be usinthese tonight)
- 1 box tagliatelli
- 'soup mix' - looks like split lentils etc
- Mung beans - always mean to use, but have no idea how to

Any ideas on what to make with these? Only one I can come up with is tuna pasta bake, who-hoo original I know...

Cazzdevil

Hmmm... Butter beans whizzed up with some lemon juice, onoin, s&p and olive oil (if I remember rightly) makes a nice dip/sandwich spread. Maybe add some of the salmon to make a salmon pate-style thing.

EagerLearner

Thanks Cazz - I think I also have some dhal - lots of mung beans and 'soup mix' (various lentils etc) - I'm sure it doesn't all need soaking overnight but I think I will anyway and then make a soup of some sort.

Although, you know what they say:

The bean is a very musical fruit
The more you eat
The more you toot

The more you toot
The better you feel
So let's have beans
With EVERY meal!

He he - I might freeze some of the bean soup for another time!

carlih1

Hi ya,

As i am skint, and the council are trying to say i owe them a grand and have to double my payments to them, i am trying v v hard not to squander money.

My october grocery allowance is £200 of which i have £13 left. Trying not to spend it and if i do only in the local small shop on essentials.

Out of my cupboard i have made tonight,

Beef stew (out of a tin dont even remember buying it) plumped up with more carrots soya mince and gravy and mashed potato, steamed pudding and custard.

Need meals for lunch and dinner to keep me going until next monday when i get paid, then it will still be tight, as i think it will be until the local council sort out there lives.

Theres me dd (7) and ds (3) to feed at home.

Will you help me guys.

Will post details of items in cupboard later!

many thanks

Carli

Topher

Good luck Carli, I've been in a similar position in the past. I relied very heavily on Shirley Goode, who is still posting on Delia Smith's website, http://www.deliaonline.com
and has her own Blog site. http://www.shirleygoode.com/
One of her ways of making us feel less hard done by, was to ensure at least two courses to every meal. This could be a starter & main, or main & dessert, or starter & dessert.
Everything, even tins of baked beans, were stretched. Even today, I've done one of her tricks, and made a victoria sponge mixture (from scratch) into six buns & one sponge layer which will cut in half, fold over a jam filling, thus making it look as if we have twice the goodies. We're down to two of us now and I'm fed up of throwing stuff away, as I'm used to doubling up on recipes, not halving them.
If you're working, it can be too tiring to face starting a full cooked meal, so some of the "instant" ideas are useful.
e.g. Pizza crumpets. Toast crumpets; in a pan mix 1/2 onion fried off in a little oil, with 1 tin chopped tomatoes, some tomato puree + 1/2 teaspoon sugar, top the crumpets with the mixture, sprinkle grated cheese (no more than 2 ozs for 6 crumpets) and grill. If you have mushrooms in, they're nice fried off & added, I sometimes add snipped up sliced ham, or some pepperoni slices.

Tuna Gougere is similarly quick. (can be chicken in the middle not just tuna)

tinned fruit in a jelly (check which ones will & won't gel, pineapples & pears stop jellies from setting.)

I used to do Shirley's feed your family for a week on £21 and still use some of the techniques, mainly planning ahead so that ingredients dovetail with other meals. I suspect in the 20 years since it came out, the weekly cost has gone up, but it did feed four adults for a week.

Best wishes.
Topher

lisa76

i will def be following her blog, and this forum - i have invested in a slow cooker, and after two very successful meals i am wishing i bought one earlier

carlih1

Right i have compiled my list here goes,

Fridge

3 apples
2 cartons soya (bought being good and haven't a clue how to use)
Kiwi fruit (brought for dd packed lunch and she wont touch them now)
6 eggs
1/2 pack button mushrooms
1 butternut squash
fresh parsley
cheese, (cheddar and grated mozzerella)
Peppers
onions
turnip
chilli peppers
leek
small celery
cauliflower
gammon joint
spinach
bacon bits
soya and rise milk
3 bockwurst sausages
grilled peppers in jar.

Freezer

Muffins
Tomato base sauce
curry base sauce
broccoli
quaorn mince
beef for casserole
chicken
cod
plaice
corn on cob
mixed veg
green beans
minter lamb grills
sweed and carrots
3 tuna steaks
root veg mash
yorkshire puds
roast pots sausages
red cabbage
smoked salmon

cupboards

porridge
wheetabix
cheerios
shreddies
tea
coffee
hot choc
homey
wholemeal flour
sugar
s/r flour
herbal teas
yeeast
ground ginger
ground nutmeg
marmite
raisins
dried prunes
dried apricots
peacans
linseeds
almonds
uncle bens rice
Squash (jiuce)
creamed sweetcorn (picked up by mistake)
chicken bisto
balsamic vinegar
worcester sauce
olive oil
lo salt
normal bisto
tomato puree
thicening granules
red split lentils
corned beef
korma sauce
pasta
millet seeds
broth mix
noodles

Think thats it, i need as many meals as i can possibly sqeeze out of that lot should go quite far didn't realise i had so much.

Carls

lynzpower

OK let me see here
LOADS of breakfasts so I dont need to look at that

If that is a whole chicken?

ROAST DINNER
chicken,
B squash
turnip
yorkies & mash

Chicken curry using
Rest of chicken
Pepper
onion
mushroom
leek
curry base
rice

Chicken & sweetcorn pasties
knock up a pastry, use some of the rest of the chicken ( a leg should do it) the creamed sweetcorn and a few sliced mushrooms
Heat in pan & make a pastie using pasrty fold overs

Sausages & mash & veg
root veg mash
sausages
bisto with onion in
green beans?

Cheesy veg bake - to be served with maybe the lamb grills?
sauteed veg
leeks
mushroom
onions
peppers
cheese
celery
bit of milk

Pasta bolognese
Tomato base sauce
broccoli
quaorn mince
onion
mushrooms
leek
pasta

Egg & bacon quiche using eggs & the bacon bits ( sorry, I dont know how to make this, but I doubt youd need ingredients you dont have) with jacket and wilted spinach salad?

Cauliflower cheese
cheese, (cheddar and grated mozzerella)
fresh parsley
leek
milk
Beef korma
beef done in the SC
korma sauce & veg
rice

theres a few meals to get you started on

leni

carlih1 wrote:

Right i have compiled my list here goes,...

WOW:eek: wish I had that much in my cupboards:rotfl: