October 2010 Grocery Challenge

Mrs_Money_Penny

Hi All. Just updated my signature by £134.32 this did include a order from pets at home so have enought cat & chicken feed to last up to Christmas and into january. Must start to make some room in the freezer for xmas. That's easier said than done. Keep positive everyone.

Kitchenbunny

Nightmare. I've had a few shops this week but I need to dig out my receipts. I've not been well and have had to look after DH and it's left me rather exhausted, really. I'll dig out the receipts and update my totals when I can

KB xx

Diflower

Marigold, Marigold, Marigold:)
Others are mere shadows of veg stock - there's a low salt version too

rosieben

Diflower wrote: »

Marigold, Marigold, Marigold:)
Others are mere shadows of veg stock - there's a low salt version too

Thanks for that, didn't realise there was a low salt one. I've been using Marigold since the 80's when Delia first told me about it

scuttles off to check out the sm websites

angelatgraceland

After all Weds shopping Thursday was a no spend day. Didnt have time to spend anyway as I had to collect my Avon money. Hoping Fri is also a no spend day-well we aren't exactly starving!

angelatgraceland

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Sounds like you're doing really well angelatgraceland , as are a lot of people on here, so well done everyone :T

I go to Icel@nd most days for milk, so I'll look for leeks next time I'm in, thanks

What does butternut squash taste of/like? Please don't say pumpkin as I've never eaten that either, but I'm just curious.

Made a Shepherdess Pie last night for tea - it's probably the fourth or fifth time I've made it, but there's no escaping it....it's boring and bland, and my least favourite tea of the month, and I so don't want it to be, as I don't have many veggie meals, so really don't want to drop it from the menu. Last night I used Leek instead of onion, and it was even more bland than usual :rotfl: - anyone got any suggestions for pepping it up a bit please?

1 Clove Garlic
1 Onion
125G Carrot
1 Tbs Flour
½ pint Veg Stock
110G Red Lentils
1 Tin Baked Beans
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
Lots Freshly Ground Black Pepper
500G Potatoes

I use Lazy Garlic in all my cooking. 1tsp = 1 Clove (always been a bit shy of using the real thing, as I don't want to walk around reeking of garlic) I tried upping that to 1½ last night, I also added ½tsp Onion Salt, but then had to counteract that with a bit of sugar as the stock cube contains salt. It all got eaten, but it was bland beyond belief for all the faffing about involved in making it, and as the recipe stands, I don't think I can force myself to be bothered to make it again.

Butternut squash when chopped up looks like rather pale carrot to me and tastes between carrot and potato if thats any help. Well thats the nearest I can describe it. Not a lot of seeds in the bell end of it so little waste(we are dring some of the seeds and trying to grow out own next year). No need to peel it if you are prepared to cook it longer in stews etc. I peel it for roasting though. DH says he doesnt like it so I put in in dishes and he asks if its carrot and I say yes!!!!!!
Re the shepherdass pie Id add a little Lea and Perrins/Worcestershire sauce and about 1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder. We have a rule in this house-chuck in a bit of chilli in most things!
Could also add a bit of mustard, maybe even a teaspoon of curry powder. Its not enough to turn it into curry or chilli-just gives it more flavour. I also tend to add tomato puree(tube stuff)about 1/4 of a tube-its so much more dense in flavour than tinned toms. For a variety of the shepperdess pie you could make up some shortcrust pastry(as i recipes on the same site)and make it into a meat pie or cook the pastry in small pieces on its own and put it on top like a pie rather than using mash. The spuds could then become wedges or roasties along with some butternut squash roasted toms roasted onions, peppers or whatever you can get at a low price. I often use recipes as a base for ideas and alter them accordingly-such as above rather than sticking to a specific plan. Its more fun and moneysaving as the ingredients are varied according to price on the day.
I never use garlic salt or onion salt as its too salty and hasa strange taste. Lidl have garlic granules which I believe are purely garlic and Waitrose sell minced frozen garlic. Now when I use garlic I tend to use about 3 cloves(yes we do stink). I add stock cubes-often just Tesco value-sometimes oxo and I put in 2, let it simmer, taste it and if I need, I add another. I do strange things :rotfl::rotfl:like a tesco chicken stock cube with 2 beef oxos. :eek:To me cooking is one big taste experiment and I think its fun that way:D but I do taste often as I work the recipe. Hope that helps.

hamish222

Well 2 NSD's in row. Was hoping for another tomorrow but might go for bread on way home from work as wont have enough for breakfast on Sat morning.

sistercas

off to do some xmas shopping but this is from a different budget to the food
have got most of the smaller presents already and just need some stuff for the hampers i'm doing

hoping not to spend foodwise until tuesday at least and that should only be veg and bread - but i'll see how we go

mince and tatties for tea

sharronej

Have updated my signature, spent more than I thought but the order from App Foods has some really useful items (mostly bread and soup mixes) which will help in the long term. Still fighting with myself about going to Costco and doing a shop from there but my list comes to about £150.00 so perhaps not

We're going to my nieces 21st birthday meal next week, we had to prebook our food so I know that will come to about £70 for four of us and then there's the wine/drinks on top so I think we're looking at around the £100 mark. Ideally, I'd like this to come out of the food budget or at least the food part, got some whoopsied quiches last night and some other bits and bobs and there still seems to be as much food in the freezer as when I started the week so perhaps I should look at a really strict week? I can only try

LannyLee

Just about to update my sig as spent £10.21 in Mr M last night, but quite please got a whole turkey leg (approx 1.6kg) for £3.49, so that went into the slow cooker last night to be shredded & used instead of chicken in most of our meals in the next 2 weeks, also got a lrg chuncky steak pie for 99p, which will either do 2 dinners or 4 lunches, so not bad at all.

Acc to the Met Offic3 it's supposed to be 20c at the weekend & so am going to hopfully get all my towels & bedding washed & also have a very late BBQ to use up some of the 20 (yikes!) burgers we have left over from a BBQ we had in the summer.

Have a good weekend all