December 2009 Grocery Challenge

rosieben

Dips, Jams & Chutneys and Drinks
Alioli / Traditional allioli
Bean Pickle
Beetroot and Apple Chutney
Chilli Jam
Elderberry cordial
Feisty Rhubarb Relish
Jams & Preserves
Lemon Squash
Miser's Marmalade
Onion - Caramelised Onion chutney
Onion Marmalade
Pineapple Salsa
Riata - Mint, yoghurt and Cucumber Dip
Tomato/Chili Salsa
Red Tomato Chutney
Tomato Chutney
Mango Chutney
Xmas Chutney

Cakes, Biscuits, Snacks & Desserts
Apple Braid
Apple delight
Apple Charlotte
Apple - Microwave Autumn Apple Cake
Apricot Flapjack bars
Bakewell Tart
Banana and Honey bread pudding
Banana Cake (bread)
Banana and lemon drizzle cake
Banana Muffins (wholemeal)
Banana Muffins
Banana and Walnut cake
Banana Ginger Parkin
Blackberries - Grated Blackberry Bake
Branflake cake
Brownies
Bounty Balls
Bran Fruit Loaf
Bread & Butter Pudding
Bulk pancake mix
Buttercream topping
Caramel Shortbread (Millionaire's Shortbread)
Caramel Shortbread (2)
Cheese n marmite twists
Chocolate Biscuit Thins
Cheesy Biscuits
Chocolate Concrete
Chocolate Coookies - Cheap and Easy
Chocolate fudge
Chocolate Fudge Cake
Chocolate Krackolates
Chocolate yoghurt cake
Chocolate pudding
Coconut Cake
Coconut Flapjacks
Cookie Dough
Cornflake Tart
Courgette Tea Bread/Muffins
Cranberry And Chocolate Brownies
Currant Loaf
Custard Cookies
D&DD’s Apple Braid
Date, Nut and Oat biscuits
Easy Syrup Sponge Pudding
Eggless Chocolate Cake
Fifteens
Flaky Bars
Flapjacks and Flapjacks
Fruit and Mascarpone dessert
Gingerbread Men
Ginger Raisin Crunches
Golden Syrup Tart
Healthy Snack Bars
Honey Frosted Buns
Iced Buns
Impossible Coconut Pie
Jam Buns
Jammy Buns
Key lime pie
Krispie marshmallow bars
Lemon cakes
Lemon Curd Cake
Lemon Curd Ice-Cream JeniD's / MoneySavingDiva's
Magic Lemon Pudding
Malt Bread
Marshmallow Squares
Mascarpone and Lime Torte
Mascarpone Ice-cream
Millies Cookies
Mince Squares
Miini Krispie Christmas Puddings
Muffins: Basic Recipe / Chocolate Orange Muffins (1) / Chocolate Orange Muffins (2) / Gingerbread Muffins / Kiwi Muffins / Sticky Date Muffins / Strawberry Muffins / Toffee Apple Muffins
No fat sponge
Oaty Pancakes
Oaty Shortbread Biscuits
Orange and Poppy Seed Cake
Peanut Butter Cookies
Pineapple, Fried
Rhubarb and Orange Jelly
Rock Buns
Scones
Scotch pancakes
Spiced Apple Bars
St Peter's Mud Pie (no cooking required)
Sticky gingerbread
Sticky toffee apple crumble
Teacakes
Twink’s Hobnobs
Weetabix Brownies
Weetabix Cake
Weetabix Fruit Loaf
Wonderbites
Yoghurt: Homemade yoghurt, Slow Cooker Yoghurt
Yoghurt Cake (the easy way)

Pastry
The best mince pie pastry ever
Pastry economics
Making pastry
Basic pastry
Flaky Pastry (BBC Food)

Home Made Dog Biscuits
Home Made Dog Biscuits (2)


Top Tips (OS threads)
Batch cooking ideas
Cheapest recipes? links to various OS threads, thanks Pink!
Complete Menu Plans Collection
Cooking for the Freezer
Frozen food safety - misconceptions
Grocery Challenge Top Tips
Laundry Washing Gel/ Gloop, Fab conditioner, vinegar.....
Meal building blocks for the freezer

External links
Batch Bake Minced Beef Recipe
Easy and Cheap Biscuits (DowntoEarth forum)
How to feed your whole family a healthy, balanced diet... (Webook)
List of conversions
Love Food Hate Waste website
Show Jamie How To Cook On A Budget Champagne Contest

Coxy11

Good morning everybody. I hope you all had a great Christmas.

Helen - please put me down for £400 for January's GC. I already have £65.90 of that committed to school meals (luckily DD is in yr 3 and gets 5 weeks of free school meals during Jan and Feb - due to a government initiative), plus £27.84 for my milk bill.

Have to stick to this amount as this is the first time in years that my CC bill won't be paid off in full. It's been a really tough year in a lot of ways so hoping that 2010 will be the year when we get a bit of breathing space.

Off to update sig.

Have a good day all.

Coxy
xx

huxley

Hi all hope you had a good christmas, I am declaring december at £254.76 not that bad but it was circumstances rather than my good planning that kept us that close. Snow and theft of tools from van meant no gardening no income:mad:. Please can I switch to annual budget next year of 2650.00 this works out at £50 per week + extra £50 for next christmas. dd1 has changed jobs so I will now get her £50 hk weekly:T . This is for food/cleaning supplies/toiletries/allotment bits for 4 adults + regular visitors, will be tight but do able with all your expertise. I need to get an emergency slush fund saved and the grocery budget like most is the only place I can make cut backs.
:jHAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL SEE YOU IN JANUARY:j

Kitchenbunny

Ok, I'm going to declare at £171.58 as I spent £3.26 today on milk, bread and some mushrooms for future meals this weeks. Otherwise, I'm stocked up until the end of the month and am very happy to be under budget! Whoo! Thanks for this thread, it has really made a difference.

So I shall give myself the same budget for January to see if it was a fluke - please put me down for £180 for January 2010.

Kitchenbunny xx

JayJay14

Well I went into Asda at 10am (was dropping of DD1 as she works there) and after a quick walk round I returned my basket as went home. There was nothing at all that I could find to spend money on:rotfl:

So Helen please could I declare for December at

£174.24

Just under my target for the month and I'm really pleased with myself.

Please could you put me down for £125.00 in January

I'm hoping that I can keep well below that target as the storecupboard and freezers have plenty in.

See you all over on the new thread and good luck in 2010

scotsaver

Merry Christmas Everyone and many thanks to all of you, we've kept each other on the straight and narrow and you've all been a real support.:A

I've gone over target slightly but not feeling too bad about it as we have plenty of Turkey and Gammon sliced and put away in the Freezer which I plan to use for some meals in January.;) A large part of the budget was spent on Alcohol as well as we had a lot of family and friends visit but have plenty left for the New Year.:cool:

Please put me down for my usual £250 for January - hope you are all safe and well and had a good Xmas, best wishes for a peaceful New Year, see you on the GC in Jan 2010.:D

helen_jelly

Hello everyone

I've made a note of all budgets up to and including Scotsaver - when we get the new thread I'll update the lists then

We are suffering from over indulging over the last couple of days and have loads of food to plough our way through!!!!!!!!!

Hope you all have a lovely day, see you later

Helen x

ifonlyitwaseasier

ok well lost track agin this month (must screw my brain back in tighter!!!)

so for next month as i have a b'day will have it at £80 as OH is insisting we should go for a meal

TC all

mark55man

first top up since christmas - some cheese, bread, cola and fruit+veg from Mr L + a few ready meals as OH is poorly, and I am knackered (ahhhh)

so £30 to Mr L, but also spent £60 on new shirts - very fashionable - and a oil filled radiatot for the garage which we will be clearing out - but not really GC so am not counting them

meanmarie

Declaring at €399.90 for December seriously over budget....if I hadn't bought what I did mightn't be so bad...

Budget for Jan 2010 is €150 really need to keep to that....lots in fridge, freezer and cupboards so will make a huge effort not to continue to provide for the 5000 on an ongoing basis.

Happy New Year to all, hope that MRS MC will be back with us soon

Marie