Weezl's phase 1- recipe testing and frugalisation- come one, come all!

weezl74

canidothis wrote: »

:mad: You are welcome to call my DH Bob for the purpose of this post - after my Asda shop he looked in the fridge surveyed the contents and said you didnt go shopping then!! So tell me how does Shirley conjure up a carrot cake or soup within seconds of coming back from shopping? The recipes are a breeze but coupled with DH's who constantly snack and expect a loaded fridge full of 'nice' things it may be more of a challenge:(

interesting! Yes, the family will definately have a culture shock there!

No real instant snacks at all . Poor bob and shirley!

PS will post bread recipe next


On the snack front though, some initial success with the honey oaty cereal bars.

They are 3p a bar and weigh 2g more than these which are 18p a bar:



DH likes them a lot and would like me to make them again. If a cereal bar is a usual breakfast option for you , it would suffice, but DH says that would never be enough for him:rotfl:

weezl74

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

Weezl

Pasta puttanesca or risotto would be good here as i think i have all the ingredients in

could try one this evening if you post recipe in time

Shaz

how about allegras Risi e Bisi but with ingredients from the latest asda list?

latest list:

Fruit & Vegetables Guide price in £


1.8Kg ASDA Braeburn Apples by Weight (100g) 2.70
2 x ASDA Smartprice Oranges (6) 1.36
2.9Kg ASDA Carrots by Weight (100g) 2.03
2 x ASDA Smartprice Beetroot (500g) 1.08
8 x ASDA Smartprice Brown Onions (2Kg) 6.24
3 x ASDA Smartprice Potatoes (2.5Kg) 2.52
8 x ASDA Smartprice Raisins (500g) 5.20
5 x Batchelors Bigga Dried Peas (250g) 2.40

Dairy


4 x ASDA Whole Fresh Milk 4 Pints (2.27L) 5.00 any 2 FOR £2.50 - valid until: 16/02/10
1 x ASDA Cooks Value Medium Eggs (30) 2.98
4 x I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spread (500g) 3.00 any 2 FOR £1.50 - valid until: 30/03/10
1 x ASDA Smartprice Mature White Cheddar 4.98

Meat, Fish & Poultry


700g ASDA Boneless Pork Leg Roast by Weight (100g) 2.03
1 x ASDA British Pork Mince (500g) 1.95
4 x ASDA Smartprice British Beef Mince (400g) 3.88
2 x ASDA Smartprice Turkey Drumsticks (700g) 2.94
1 x ASDA Smartprice Smoked Cooking Bacon Pieces (500g) 1.13

Frozen


2 x ASDA Fine Whole Green Beans (1Kg) 2.00
4 x ASDA Smartprice Cauliflower Florets (907g) 3.16
4 x ASDA Smartprice Peas (907g) 3.48
2 x ASDA Smartprice Sweetcorn (907g) 1.72

Tins, Jars & Cooking


1 x ASDA Pure Sunflower Oil (1L) 0.93 was 98p
1 x Gia Garlic Puree in Vegetable Oil (90g) 0.59
1 x Rajah Garam Masala (100g) 0.56
13 x ASDA Smartprice Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce (420g) 3.77
14 x ASDA Smartprice Peeled Plum Tomatoes in Tomato Juice (400g) 4.34
1 x ASDA Smartprice Corned Beef (340g) 0.99
1 x ASDA Green Olives Anchovy Stuffed (340g) 0.84
1 x ASDA Smartprice Sliced Beetroot in Malt Vinegar (340g) 0.27 was 30p
2 x ASDA Green Pesto Sauce (190g) 1.00 any 2 FOR £1.00 - valid until: 02/03/10 1 x ASDA Smartprice English Mustard (200g) 0.40 was 44p
2 x ASDA Smartprice South American Clear Honey (425g) 1.70
1 x ASDA Stock Cubes Chicken (12x10g) 0.76 any 2 FOR £1.00 - valid until: 31/12/10
Packets & Cereals


2 x ASDA Wheat Bisks (24x18g) 2.00
5 x ASDA Smartprice Porridge Oats (1Kg) 2.90
3 x ASDA Smartprice Plain White Flour (1.5Kg) 1.29
2 x ASDA Smartprice Self Raising Flour (1.5Kg) 0.86
9 x ASDA Strong White Bread Flour (1.5Kg) 5.49
1 x KTC Lemon Juice (250ml) 0.44
1 x SuperCook Bicarbonate of Soda (200g) 0.56
1 x Thomas Allinson Dried Active Yeast (125g) 0.47
2 x Silver Spoon Granulated Sugar (1Kg) 1.50 2 FOR £1.50 - valid until: 23/03/10 6 x ASDA Smartprice Pasta Shapes (500g) 1.92
3 x ASDA Smartprice Long Grain Rice (1Kg) 2.19
1 x Natco Chick Peas (2Kg) *unavailable

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4 x ASDA Smartprice Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix (85g) 0.64

Drinks


1 x ASDA Smartprice Tea Bags (80 per pack - 250g) 0.28

aless02

weezl - you asked about snacks a few pages ago...I think you possibly have just enough snacks (2 a day or 1 snack & a pudding) to squeeze by, BUT your lunches are far too small. There's no way I could ever survive on just a hummus sandwich for lunch and definitely not DH. Even with the snacks, I think I'd still be starving all day until my filling dinner. I know different people eat in different ways, but you asked for honest opinions!

jojotoo

This thread is really interesting, thank you Weezl for making me think more about what we eat. I cook from scratch and hide extra veggies in things but hadn't really considered the colours before.
This will be a great resource, people will be able to either follow the plan exactly or use it as a starting point and tailor it to their family circumstances.

nopot2pin

weezl74 wrote: »

:

• carry on anyway- it's a hell of a journey and it'll probably lead to something good, even if it's only us lot enjoying a fair bit of quiche and carrot cake!
• Stop and do something different-please say what this might be...
  
• some other option somewhere between the two which I can't quite figure out at this time of the morning!

Over to you, dear reader

Hmmmm.........
I quite like the idea of proceeding with the first option...
And, I think "expect the unexpected" may be the mantra of the way ahead

weezl74 wrote: »

potty,

My feedback on your excellent survey. I'm posting it here because I'd like it not just to be a dictator me saying what goes or stays and also because it's a brilliant part of the work of this challenge and I don't want that to get missed in the story of what we're doing here.
:o:
Thanks
Side issue explaining this further: My personal view about this thread and countless others like it, is that they represent a fascinating record of community and what it achieves and how it works. It also shows prices of foods, how people eat, what they like to buy and their highs and lows. The value of all of this written down publically is immense. The government commissioned it in the second world war, asking for wartime diaries of ordinary people, and used it to inform policy. This project gave rise to the Diary of Nella Last, televised in the TV drama 'Housewife, 49' starring Victoria Wood. Fascinating stuff. An amazing slice of real history.
I only recently watched this, and throughly enjoyed it

In an internet age we have it all written down, and what an amazing resource for people centric decision makers and historians of the future. I'm no 'housewife, 49' but maybe the mad challenge of UK frugalisation of 'part-time worker, mum of 1.8, aged 34 and the views of lots of friends' feels like it's worth recording somehow.
Indeedy

And that's why if you PM me, which is lovely, I will most likely try to also represent your view on here. Because it is a valid part of our quest together. Don't worry if you PM me about a gigantic and embarrassing boil on your bum or someother confidential matter I shall not publish that. (although please don't it sounds icky )
Thanks... the PM was purely for my benefit, to save my own blushes, to make sure I was picking up the correct info from the thread about what questions should be asked
Incidentally, I have no boils on my bum... this week :rotfl:

And back to the point: I love the survey and thanks for your hard work.:A:T:T:T:T:T. The survey tool may not allow extra questions so please feel free to ignore me, but if there's more space, how about:
The free version allows 10 questoins, which, if manipulated correctly, can provide a great variety of results
Is there a way we can include a question where people type the post number of this thread which contains the recipe they followed, or the online address of the original recipe if they followed that (ie delia online, or BBCGoodFood etc). I think it will really help to work out if we need to reduce the sugar/oil if we know which version people had followed.
Yes !

I'd also be interested in the question, 'if this meal/recipe were served only with the rest of the day's food shown on the planner, do you feel this meal/snack would have been filling and sustaining enough for your family, or did it need additions?'
Absolutely... I did think of this question, but I didn't think it was appropriate for the carrot cake survey :rotfl:

'do you perceive this to have been a healthy meal and did your family?' Brilliant question, I will include it where appropriate, but reasoning as above

You've pretty much encapsulated this already in one of your excellent questions, but a bit like: 'with what frequency would everyone in the family be willing to eat this meal/snack?' I think yours might more tap into how often the cook could be bothered to make it in an average month, which is also very useful data, so please don't lose that one!
I will include that to this survey

Thanks for your feedback Weezl...
Very valuable :T
I will give a final tweak, and if you're happy with it, we can post it

:think:
I need to start work on the onion tart, and sweetcorn fritters survey next :D

In_Search_Of_Me

boredofbeingathome wrote: »

That way his love could bloom all year round:D

trust me his love is blooming all over the place:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:one ferg and another just about to sprog...although if we could clone that there acetate monkey we'd be flipping loaded cos hes a sweetie!:D

System

weezl74 wrote: »

5 x Batchelors Bigga Dried Peas (250g) 2.40

Whoah! What has happened to the price of dried peas?! They were 24p a packet last time, but 48p a packet today?

weezl74 wrote: »

1 x Natco Chick Peas (2Kg) *unavailable

---

Any substitute for this? Shall I leave it at the previous purchase price? Or shall I put it as "not purchased"?

Frugaldom

Weezl, I'm keeping up as best I can but, being a little bit dim, I'm wondering if the shopping list is something that means 'all in, all out', so there's very little left in stock by the end of the first month? I'm thinking 'emergencies' here, like being unable to get out shopping, no transport, no deliveries unless you live somewhere that offers them, snowed in, road closures etc, etc, etc. The family needs a back up plan, unless we're assuming they live in town and can walk to their nearest shop.

I've gradually reduced grocery spending over the years by concentrating on building up a stock of things I no longer need to buy (because they can be produced cheaper at home), plus building up a store of basic dried goods. For many people, the smart/value/basics options just aren't an option, as the local stores don't sell them. So again, I'll assume the fictitious family do have access to these things, but they don't seem to have a basic store cupboard 'starter pack'. (Things like dried mixed herbs can cost less than 20p per pack, great for getting a little extra iron into meals.) I think a simple list of store cupboard basic essentials would be a great addition to your thread, possibly within post 1, so even the most basic cooks among us know we needn't be scared to try herbs & spices that could, otherwise, be considered unfrugal, extravagant or complicated.

Sorry to have waffled on a bit, just trying to help whilst showing my appreciation for your posting this thread in the first place.

shaz_mum_of__2

Weezl must admit to not being overly fond of dried peas ............bullets spring to mind :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

poohbear59

weezl74 wrote: »

Morning shaz! Shall I just be a bit more bossy then? :rotfl:

Can someone risk a chutney experiment?

It would need to be someone who has made various pickles and chutneys in the past and is fairly up for a lob it in the pan and see what happens approach

I will make a chutney this afternoon. I make rhubarb chutney when we have a glut and we eat it all year also have some amazing mango chutney too. What do you want me to do? I will send a pm.

We are having corned beef hash tonight for dinner (5 adults) so can serve the chutney with it to see what they all think (DH and 3xDSs).


On your plan, I would say stick with it. Any family is going to have to make changes according to circumstances and they would surely be aware of this when following the plan.


I only ever use dried pulses and spend a day every couple of months cooking and freezing them. e.g. kidney beans marrowft peas, chick peas.