February 2010 Grocery Challenge

lizziebabe

Hi all - lovely to hear all your news.

Had a NSD yesterday and went to Mr L today and spent £28.21 and got some bargains. Mango - 29p, redbush tea - 99p and more.
Hopefully now have stocked up so will not need much else except milk. My fruit/veg box comes tomorrow, only 1 more delivery and get my £50 back deal.
Have enough cat food to last a while too as it was on special in January. Have to order special diet from online Vet company as I moggy is diabetic, but it is worth it as he is gorgeous and doing very well. I have to give him insulin but he is the best patient.
Thanks for all your great tips and recipes - making me really enjoy cooking from scratch as I know exactly what is in it. Also doing WW and HM soup is great for that. Made leek and potato yesterday - yummy. Tomorrow will be carrot and swede as I have a glut of carrots. I freeze in 1-2 portions so I can ring the changes.

See you soon - LB

PennyGrabber

Evening all.

Was planning a NSD today but running low on milk. Could've done without, but then i'd have to get it tomorrow, and i'm child-free tonight so much easier. Ended up spending £3.61, which is a really good thing for me. I'd had a money mtg with my ex oh, which didn't go well - my normal way of coping with rubbish things is to walk around a supermarket for an hour until i can breathe normally. Result - at least £30, so was really pleased with my measly £3.61!
Sorry for rant...

Longtallsally - you freeze leftover rice? How does that work for reheating etcetc??

Also, general question for people - i found a load of salted peanuts in my storecupboard left over from christmas - anyone got any os ideas with what i can do with them?

Sleep tight,
PG x

loulou0327

Well have been a very lucky girl tonight I think my money saving ways has rubbed of on my mum (either that or noticing how little my shopping is costing recently she thinks i have no money. which i don't but haven't told her).
She nipped to Macro and managed to get 2 trays of 36 slices of premium cooked ham half price, a tray of premium cooked beef, and a catering bag of small sausages half price, and a huge sack of onions on offer.
So she nipped up and gave me a full tray of ham 6 slices of beef about 30 small sausages (all now bagged up in the freezer) and half a sack of onions.
Woohoo don't you just love mums !!
I'm hoping after that and a big woopsie haul at Mr M yesterday i will hardly need anything for about a fortnight.
Will be running out of milk before the weekend though farmfoods have 2litre cartons on at 2 for 1.50 so will be sending my other half with exactly 1.50 in change.

ikkleosu

ChocClare wrote: »

Duck - sorry, can't get excited about duck. I'd roast it peking style (you could bung it in with the thighs and legs above, come to think of it, or at least with a similar sauce), then shred and pad out with cucumber and pancakes.
.

I managed to have a rubber duck :rotfl: by roasting it peking style. First of all ate it as is, with noodles. When I had small amount of meat left I made home made spring rolls (I tried to make the pancakes but they were carp). They were a total fluke, I used some duck, the salad from a kebab ( ) and some onion and cranberry sauce. They were blooming delicious.

You could make a Chinese feast, with some left over duck spring rolls, use a couple of chicken thighs and make chicken and veg spring rolls or chicken wantons. And use the few prawns to make prawn toast.

On topic: meant to say how impressed my Mum was (she takes me shopping as I have M.E. and don't have a car) that I knew the price and weight of neraly everything I wanted to buy so I could decide if it was cheaper buying from Iceland or Asda

Also, I cooked 2 of the Iceland chicken breasts for tea tonight nad was very impressed. They seem to have less water than the ones from Mr T's and were cheaper (and bigger). Might ask Mum to buy them for me on a regular basis, hopefully should save about £2 per week!

Money_saving_Diva_2

I am late posting but I have started my feb challenge. Life took an unexpected and painful turn but I am here now.

I would like to aim for £180 this month as we are still using the store cupboard as much as possible.

I hope everyone is doing well with their challenge this month.

Diva.x

skaps

Sorry only just found the thread, my target is £180 for this month. Thanks

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

Well we are under about 14" of snow and still more is falling -with more forcast! So Im staying tucked up indoors with my cross stitching (shame ehh )

I can claim 8 NSDs out of 9 so far this month :j..and I have loads more planned...
I have been in the freezers and discovered that I have about 12 foils in there left over from the "ready meals" I made to keep hubby going whilst I was in hospital -we have chicken, leek and white wine pies, sausage casseroles, shepherds pie etc -So I will try and use some of those up this month;). Then I might have room to get a chicken in next time I shop..they are packed at the moment...
I seem to be creating more and more leftovers too -I did a pasta bake last night and we have half left -which luckily reheats in the remoska like fresh :Tso we will use that up tonight,
then I have leftover mashed potato and swede -so Im going to turn that into fish cakes using salmon I want to use up (plus it will camouflage it as its not one of hubbies faves;))-with some parsley sauce he will be fine!
I have enough beef left over from sunday that has been sliced and frozen (enough for 2 more dinners each),
So this weeks meals will be(in no particular order):-

• pasta bake
• salmon fish cakes
• HM tortillas filled with salad, feta and tzatziki
• gammon steak with steamed potatoes and veg
• HM pizza
• roast beef dinner

Hubby has made me even more detemined to spend as little as possible as I have €100 as house keeping here and then the other £300 I have paid into my UK account to save (well until a calamity comes up ) and he has given me a €100 note :eek:-he knows I can't stand breaking into them :rotfl:-so I have looked in my purse and I have €26 and some oddments left from last month -so THAT is what Im planning on using until we get paid again on the 25th :rotfl:-then I can stick the €100 in the bank here :T...god -I get worse

Right -enough waffle! I will get off and update the list and then get on with some sewing. Have a great day everyone:D

SunnyGirl

PennyGrabber wrote: »

Also, general question for people - i found a load of salted peanuts in my storecupboard left over from christmas - anyone got any os ideas with what i can do with them?
PG x

Firstly well done on the not spending in Tesco when you were feeling down :T

Secondly with leftover from Christmas peanuts I make a simple salad of grated carrot, a good handful of raisins/sultanas and the same of peanuts. Mix it all together and add some dressing if you like it - I don't so leave it as is. It's yummy with sandwiches, quiche, cooked meats etc and very cheap to make :money: I usually use about 5 or 6 big carrots worth then there's some left for the next day too

Off to do the first supermarket shop of February in a minute. It shouldn't be too much as I have found some sausages, 2 x packs of mince and a pack of fish steaks at the back of the freezer so have incorporated them into my meal plan. I'm already planning next weeks shopping out as the children all finish school/college for half term a week on Friday :eek: and I need to factor lunches and snacks (of which there'll be a lot) into the mix

BigMummaF

rosieben wrote: »

....I made loads of pastry yesterday....and have frozen 6 lots of pastry ready to roll.
....<<insert confused shrugging smiley here!>>

I freeze the pastry as 'breadcrumbs' & then it's easy enough to have a ready-made crumble topping or thaws quicker to mix up for pastry.
I don't mind the making of short-crust but always have trouble rolling it out & judging how much to make :doh:BUT! I now use one of my baking sheets to roll it out on; the slight edge around the tin keeps me from rolling it too thin; it's less likely to stick to the cold metal & makes me a weenie bit tidier cuz the flour doesn't spread so much :rotfl:...And I miss the confused smilie too

PennyGrabber wrote: »

....
Longtallsally - you freeze leftover rice? How does that work for reheating etcetc??
....found a load of salted peanuts in my storecupboard....got any os ideas....?
....PG x

A fair few people make their own peanut butter, which I suppose would lead on to cookies--I can't offer any advice as we don't eat it, so the peanuts would get snaffled as is here! I suppose you could have a bash at satay, putting them into a casserole with diced turkey etc..I'm sure more worldly culinistas will be along shortly to give you better ideas

ikkleosu

PennyGrabber wrote: »

Also, general question for people - i found a load of salted peanuts in my storecupboard left over from christmas - anyone got any os ideas with what i can do with them?

Sleep tight,
PG x

Could you stick them in the blender and make your own satay chicken? Either by coating chicken in them, or making a dip to dip the chicken in once cooked. (recipes appear to vary, I think peanuts, co!!!! oil and soy suace looks "best")