How to survive on what’s in the store cupboard (plus a little money)

Domsmummy

Im going to try an sort out a meal plan, i used to but since having my DD have fallen off the band wagon so at least this has given me a kick up the bum.
My plan of action is to meal plan with what i have if any of you realy helpful people can help tweak it i would appreciate it.
Im going to try an ebay some stuff tommorrow and up on the Avon front. This will never happen again, i will never have my angels in this position again. maybe go carboot tomorrow see if i can find either nappies or potties.

Thank you all so much.

Diflower

Sorry no practical advice, just wanted to give you a hug and say well done for realising you can do it:)
When I read posts like yours I always wish I lived near so I could come and actually help! (Not that I know where you live of course).

kezlou

Just wanted to give you my support.

I definitely second getting the cheapest basic nappies possible for during the day and the good ones for on the night. It will save you a fortune.

Okay definitely go on weezls cheap family recipes site.

But i'll think of some meal ideas of your list and i'll post some recipes for you.

Good luck!

P.S i'm going through this now myself, had to it last month too arghhh. But WE can do this. I.e if i can do it you can to!!!!

PPS just bumped mbaz's thread up for you to look at. Here's the link if it disappears
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2116179

kezlou

Straight off i can see a few meals.

using the mince:-
Place the mince, 2 cans of toms (or water and tom puree), onions, carrots (grated), couple of stock cubes and some seasoning. Place all in a pan or slowcooker and boil till cooked.

If you have lentils use them!! It will it stretch even further. I know mummysaver on mbaz's thread used oats but i've never tried it with them. Supposed to just take longer to boil down.

Out of this i then make a bolognese, a lasagne , shepherds pie and a chilli.
With the chilli just add kidney beans and extra veg to bulk it up.
Do the same with the shepherds pie, baked beans great your little girl!

The chicken, use two breast, fry with a couple of mushrooms, !!! single cream and pasta. Add home made voila a big meals.

What about omellete with 4 eggs, 1/2 onion, grated carrot, sliced potato and sweetcorn.
Use the same recipe to make quiche. Great for pack ups too.

Chicken, leek and onion pie
Chicken. leek and bacon pie / pasties.

4 rashers bacon, chopped, quite small.(provides all the salt you need)
oil for frying
2kg leeks, washed, cut and finely sliced (my kids will only eat it like this) or a mixture of onions and leeks works fine.
ground black pepper (i use quite a bit)
800g cooked chicken meat, (or turkey)chopped into chunks
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour (or cornflour)
2 pints of vegetable stock
1/2 x 500g packet puff pastry or fresh if making you own

1) Fry bacon in oil till partially cooked add leeks / onions till brown add chicken and fry for a couple of minutes.
2)add two tablespoons of plain flour to the chicken and stir till coated.
3) add the two pints of veg stock to the chicken mixture, mix all together and bring to the boil for about 2 minutes.
4)Pour the chicken mixture into a sieve over another large empty pan and let the juices drained.
5) once all the juices are drained turn the chicken mix into a pyrex dish (or any glass dish) cover with the pastry and cook in the oven on gas mark 5 till pastry is golden brown.
6) I then use the drained juices as gravy.


Basic white bread recipe (makes a 2lb loaf)
250g Strong White Bread Flour
250g Plain Flour
220ml of cold water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
7g dried fast action yeast ( or if using bread machine about 1 1/2 tsp of fast action yeast)
2 tsp of dried milk powder (optional)

after mixed together you could add things like herbs, garlic and leave to rise for a couple of hours till doubled in size. Then knock back down and put into loaf tin rill risen again. Bake in hot oven on gas mark 6 for about 45 minutes or till cooked.

In the bread machine, put it on a basic setting, 2ld loaf, when the starts add herbs(optional).

Hope the above are okay for now. Will rack my brain for more.
There's load of recipes on the grocery challenge thread.

hth

Butterfly_Brain

Domsmummy wrote: »

Thanks

Ok just need to calm down.

I have:
5kg Pasta........Macaroni cheese, Spag bol, Chilli, meatballs etc.
here's a cheapo meal, just boil up a pan full of water and add 2 or 3 stock cubes and a knob of butter then add the pasta and cook until tender, sprinkle with cheese if you want but I love it plain, Nigella does a pasta meal with marmite and it is on bbc/food
5 tins chopped toms
4 tins kidney beans
5 tins beans.......
800grams Beef mince...... If you only use 200g per meal you have 4 meals - just bulk out with veggies, lentils and oats.
Chilli, cottage pie, Mince and potato pie or pasties or make meatballs and add to a batter pudding = meatball toad in the hole

6 chickens breasts ......Slice them up and use 2 per meal you will be surprised how far they can stretch, my lot love chicken crumble which is basically a chicken stew made with a crumble topping.

couscous...... add 2 diced chicken breasts and a handful of sweetcorn for a tasty meal

rice........ Mushroom Risotto,or a mixed vegetable risotto
1 n 1/2 onions
carrots
5 leeks
parsnip
courgette
Abergine
8 flat mushrooms ..... Stuff with rice and veg, risotto, Mushroom soup serve with a swirl of cream and HM bread very filling

apples .......... Apple crumble, apple pie etc

bananas........ Banana custard, banana cake
lentils
frozen sweetcorn.... Fritters
potatoes
Plain and selfraising flour......Cakes, jam tarts, twinks hobnobs
Bread flour
some fish(OH won't eat)
Marge
2 pots of single cream
weatabix..............weetabix cake
oats

Few other bits and pieces.

Ok that seems like quite a bit for 2 and half weeks, i would like to put of shopping for aslong as possible so i don't end up in same situation next month.

I will have to get some squash soon as my son just will not drink water.


Have you tried making your own pizza?...much better than shop bought

Here are some more threads that may help:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2116179

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/346783

Good luck x and keep us informed of how you get on

Domsmummy

Thank you.
I also have several packets of bacon in the freezer.
First thing in morning ill make bread.
OH won't eat eggs, so omlette n scrambled egg is out for him but he eat at parents on a weds so 1 less to feed then.

Cheapest place to get milk?

the_cat

Right from what you already have in (you will need to buy some cheese I think to add to what you already have but thats all. LIDL HAVE A GOOD OFFER STARTING TOMORROW - 400G FOR £1.40 ISH FOR EXTRA MATURE WHICH MEANS YOU CAN STRETCH IT A LOT. THEY ALSO HAVE CHEAP MILK £1 FOR 4 PINTS)

Breakfasts
porridge, weetabix or homemade toast
for porridge make with water then add some of your cream to save your milk ration!

Lunches
beans or egg or cheese on toast
homemade soups (use veggies or lentils, save the meats for dinner!) and bread
sarnies with egg or cheese (or jam/peanut butter etc if you have it in)
leftovers with rice/pasta/potatoes - you should have plenty of spag bol if nothing else!
dinners
bacon and mushroom stroganoff
quiche
spagetti carbonnara
spagetti bolognese x 2
chilli
fish pie (not sure how much fish but poss enough for 2 wednesdays?)
jacket potatoes and chees/beans or leftovers. maybe with hm coleslaw x 2
chicken pie
chicken and bacon casserole
chicken curry
pasta bake x 2
bacon and potato hotpot
hm pizza

Then make some apple crumble, twinks hobnobs, cakes etc with what you have in to fill any gaps

That should see you through dinner wise for approx 17 days. You will need some milk/fruit/veggies I guess and poss something extra for lunch after about a week, unless you have some spreads in to make sarnies. Will add any more ideas to this later if I get any!

babyshoes

800g of mince should bulk out with oats/lentils, grated veg and tinned tomatoes to make about 10-12 adult portions - more if you make some into chilli with added beans.

The way I use oats is this: brown the mince with onions. Add your oats when the mince is nearly brown and has released its fat and juices. About 1 handful of oats per 200g of mince works well. The oats will soak up some of the flavour of the mince as you brown it for a minute or three, stirring well. Add some concentrated stock (I like one stock cube in a cup of water per 200g ish) so the oats soak up the beefy flavour and colour. Cook it together for a little while until most of the liquid is absorbed before adding your other ingredients.

When done this way, the oats take on a very beefy flavour, and their texture is similar to the smaller bits of mince.

My OH didn't notice them for almost a year after I started using them, and now she only knows they go into our mince because she walked in while I was adding them one day!

They are only noticeable (though not unpleasant) in the finished meal if you add them later in the process because they stay slightly white and pick up the flavour of the sauce rather than the mince, which makes a difference somehow.

Good luck!

Domsmummy

Thank you all.
Bread made, Waiting for mince to defrost then will cook that.
Anyone no what to do with Trout fillets? found some in back of the freezer.

rortycrunkle

I remember being in a similar situation some years ago. I think you have the right attitude and will get through this tricky time. I remember visiting friends and family a lot, for support and food! Get yourself invited to lunch or dinner and see if anyone has any tins or packets at the back of their cupboards that they have no intention of using, or have forgotten about!! You can do so much if you have eggs, flour and milk. Kids usually love pancakes, which are cheap. You can put so much on them...jam, syrup, lemon, sugar or make them savoury and spread with marmite, ham, veg etc. As you have internet, check out recipes on the web. You could always have a whizz round the house and collect any unwanted items and sell them on supermarket board or newagents for a bit of extra cash?? Good luck and keep smiling....you'll be fine.