October 2010 Grocery Challenge

Sue14

Spent £22.19 in Mr M's yesterday, and won't be going anywhere near the shops until at least Wednesday.

Billie-jo

Seem to have spent far more than expected just lately so really need to rein it in as of NOW before we do to much damage to the budget.:(

Have updated signature as best as I can but I have lost a receipt - still will only be a few pence out if anything.

Got loads of cooking apples left so tomorrow will stuff one each with mincemeat and bake them in the oven for a cheap and filling pud.
Also want to make celery soup tomorrow for lunch as brought two heads of celery cause it was BOGOF

seasalt_2

Just updated my signature. Have completely wrecked this month's budget - we were away for a few days and had three meals out with different members of the family (OH paid for them) as well as buying snacks/sweeties while travelling. Have resolved to budget ahead for next year but for now have just resolved to stick to £60/week for the last two weeks of the month.

Diflower

First, have updated sig. £26.60 spent yesterday, I had to go somewhere so made the most of it by also going to the nearest town with Lidl! Also finally found Stardrops:j (88p in Wilkinsons).
Thanks to all those who mentioned Lidl bread flour, a shame they only seem to do white but I shall use it 1/3 to 2/3 w/meal, 60p a bag is a big bargain.
Also pleased as the pork shoulder needed for last night's dinner was on offer in Sburys, so bought nearly 2 kilos for £5.13 and have a 500g pack now ready-chopped up in the freezer.
Today £8 in MrT - veg, white rice, ice cream on offer, plus somehow chunky kitkats (2 packs for £2).

Anyways, the Aromatic Slow-cooked pork last night was really, really gorgeous:T and so easy! Easy that is, having spent a little while taking off the skin - cooked separately and served as super-crispy crackling:) - and all the fat I could. There wasn't an awful lot, but it meant the sauce didn't need any skimming. And I cooked it for the dog. The meat I cut into 4 or 5 big bits and a few smaller ones.

So, I did it exactly as per recipe, except I added 2 star anise (a pinch of 5-spice would be nice instead) and some black pepper. Comments on the website said they needed more juice - we had plenty. I debated whether to cook it in a cast iron casserole, or a porcelain one.
I used the porcelain, and am glad I did, I'm sure the juice would have cooked down more in the cast iron. I was ready with a sieve and saucepan to 'sort out' the juices, but when I tasted, it needed absolutely nothing doing to it:). We had plenty each and some over. Sadly no meat left over - we all had a bit more, and a bit more, until it was all gone!

Served it with rice (would've been white as I'm never sure about serving brown to guests) but hadn't enough so a mixture. Plus mange-tout, mushrooms, baby corn, red pepper & spring onions, which I did in a bowl in the microwave with some chopped ginger.
I shall do it again, many times I'm sure, and will do it in the cast iron as it would definitely be different.

Phew! On that note, back to the kitchen to finish tonight's dinner!
Oh - will tell you about pudding another time:)

Lindy_-_Loo

Got some good fruit reductions in Coop and very pleased as that is what I went in for - didnt buy anything else!
Apples, strawberries, raspberries and satsumas all for £3.20

guccigoo

another nsd today for me :j I must run the freezer down for xmas as ive got a meat hamper coming nearer Dec and its choc a block atm.

Forgot to mention the other day that i brought home a massive bag of kellogs rice krispies from work, it was nearly 2 months out of date and the cook was told to throw :eek: so i took it, nothing wrong with it and kids are eating it , the other kitchen assistent took one as well

jammy_dodger

just updated my sig spent £12 in asda they have white bread fllour (own brand ) down to 50p
cheapest i have seen it so have stocked use by date is months away , just on the look out for cheap butter i have just made my chritmas cake but will be wanting to make and freeze mince pies and prefer butter to make pastry with seem its a special occasion also wat to make hortbread and again butter gives the best flavour
pleased to see so many keeping on track this thread has really made me watch what i spend

Moniker

Evening all! The M&S meal deal chicken was fab - I cooked it in the slow cooker with a bit of leftover white wine, rosemary and seasoning and that's all. (I browned it first in the frying pan - then left it all low all day). We had it with sauteed potatoes and courgettes and some of the leek and cauliflower puree leftover from Friday - it was lush.

There was about 3/4pt of stock left at the bottom which I strained and saved. Then today I made DH's fav chicken rice and cheese dish for tomorrow and used up the stock for the sauce. I also made four individual chicken leek and mushroom pies (I will put the pastry on top tomorrow and cook in oven when I cook the chicken and rice dish) We had a chicken salad for supper and there's enough meat for a round of sandwiches each for our pack ups. All this from a 1.6kg bird! I am really chuffed. I would have used the bones to make stock, but I have plenty left in the freezer from last time so I didn't bother (though I suppose I could have frozen the carcass to use another day for stock making).

Yesterday I took a bunch of bananas back to Mr S. They were ripen at home ones which I bought on 7th October but which were still rock hard and green yesterday despite being placed next to some other ripe ones in the fruit bowl. They gave me my money back (£1.39)- then I went to Waitrose and bought a similar sized bunch for 54p - just goes to show W isn't always more expensive!

Took MIL out for a trip to an arboretum this afternoon and it was lovely - blue sky and sunshine and wonderful tree colours. Wasn't free to get in - but not too expensive and really uplifting!

Hope you've all had a good weekend and that you carrying on saving money this week.

Moniker

katholicos

Hey ho me mateys!

Hope you've al had a good weekend. I managed NSD number 13 today for the month and am really pleased. It has been a temptation, especially with wanting to place online orders at bargain food websites but paying over £5 p & p just seems so extreme to me unless there are really unmissable offers on that more than make up for the p and p charge.

So today i was on my tod and ate tuna deli rolls for lunch and ate bacon and cheese toasties for evening meal. Loads of carbohydrates!!! Yum.

Chloris

£6.08 in sainsbugs today, milk, bread, newspaper and crisps. I am so close to giving up with the NSD challenge this month. I thought shopping every other day would be easy but apparently not.:cool: Oh well see how I get on with the GC. Will need to pick up potatoes and vinegar tomorrow as damsons and more :eek: cooking apples were delivered. I shall be cooking chutney tomorrow! And crumble, and apple cake...