November 2010 Grocery Challenge

Hippeechiq

Thanks very much for the welcome backs and hugs

Meant to say in my earlier post, I had the recipe below for tea last night, and it was totally, totally lush

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Afternoon all

Here you go Sunnyday -just copied it over
coq au vin
serves 4
EE + Original 1.5syns
green 15 syns

• low cal cooking spray -I don't use it
• 12 lean bacon rashers-cut into bite size pieces -I use 1 per portion, smoked is yummy
• 12 baby onions, peeled and left whole
• 4 cloves garlic -crushed
• 400g mushrooms -I use frozen ones, defrosted and squeezed out
• 2 sticks celery -cut into 3/4" pieces
• 2 carrots -peeled and cut into 3/4" dice
• 1 sprig thyme -I used 1tsp dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 180ml red wine (burgundy/bordeaux)
• 800ml chicken stock
• 2tbs balsamic vinegar
• 12 skinless chicken thighs or drumsticks -I use 4 breasts
• seasoning

1. place a heavy based flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat
2. spray with oil (if using) add the bacon and onions -stirfry until just browned
3. add garlic, mushrooms, celery and carrots
4. turn up teh heat to high add the thyme, bay leaf, red wine, stock and vinegar
5. add the chicken and bring the mixture to the boil, then lower the temp and simmer gently for about 25 mins until chicken is tender and cooked through
6. for a thicker sauce, remove the chicken and keep warm. Cook the sauce over high to reduce -return chicken to the pan and heat.

Now I do mine a wee bit different ... I make the sauce and reduce it down quite a bit and then ad the chicken so it doesn't get over cooked;)
The sauce is stunning on its own and would make a lovely sauce for pasta or over steaks etc....

* now I don't know if the LIDL in the uk sell the same wines as the one out here -but just in case...we have a great wine for the dish...
It is Spanish the lable says Vino Tinto 2009 Lieblich and it has 2 little gold bulls heads on it.... now we only pay €1.39 and it is lovely -so it might be worth seeing if they have it....

This has become my fave recipe so far and not just SW ones ...Im an addict hope you like it

I halved the recipe to serve 2 and tweaked it a bit to suit me and what was in my store cupboard and used:

4 Good Sized Chicken Thighs (bone in, skin removed)
Two Bacon Rashers
Two Medium sized Onions, quartered, (with the tiniest bit of root still attached so they didn't fall apart during cooking)
1tsp of Mixed Herbs (instead of thyme)
1tsp of Lazy Garlic.

Also, when I reduced the sauce at the end I added 1 tsp of cornflour (mixed to a runny paste with a little water and then added) to thicken it.
These are the only alterations I made - I used everything else as per the recipe. The dish is bursting with flavour and is a real treat for the taste buds, and it's extremely filling.

Thanks to MRSMCAWBER for posting it :T

~moneysavingnovice~

Spent £80 in Mr S but that did include a 6ft Christmas tree and 60 cans of coke!!

guccigoo

Good to see you back Hippechiq :wave::wave:

Well i have been overspending on the groceries and dont know why, tonight i had a delivery from mr t £76.33 including delivery and yesterday also went to mr t again and spent £17.44 :eek: the only good thing is that ive stocked up on my cappucino's which are buy 1 get 2 free :j Im attempting to make sticky toffee crumble at the weekend from the recipe on the first page. Really must cut down this spending lark doesnt help when dd's bf is always here and they eat and drink like no tomorrow!! Oh well moan over

Sue14

Only another small spend to report, £4.25 on cat food. Doing quite well so far, but may go to Mr T tomorrow as I've run out of a few things, so will have to make sure I stick to my list.

debtmess

been to morrisons today (a day early but need to go out for milk tomorrow) got everything bar my milk as my shopping trolley wouldn't hold anything more, spent £45 but that includes kitten food for 2 weeks, a treat stocking for him (wanted the treat ball) a set of bird food and holders (£5 outlay but they can be refilled) and some bits i hadn't planned to replace but they were bogof so around 28 of it was food rest was other bits n bobs

got the fruit and veg i planned on, some beans (dried) for soups and casseroles, yoghurts, bread for the freezer, eggs, cutting down a lot on what i have been doing since august, for the first time in months i brought nothing junk food wise (much to kids dismay). morrisons are doing a stew pack for 50p seems good 3 largish carrots a small swede 2 onions and a parsnip mine will be used saturday in a big slowcooker stew hoping to get enough to do 4 of us 2 meals along with 2 chicken breasts

Hippeechiq

guccigoo wrote: »

Good to see you back Hippechiq :wave::wave:

Thanks for the welcome back hun

guccigoo wrote: »

Im attempting to make sticky toffee crumble at the weekend from the recipe on the first page

My - that sounds a bit lush. I made this last week STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING (amended link )
It uses dates of all things - OH hates dates, so I never told him :rotfl:
It made one of the moistest cake/puddings I've ever made, and he loved it.

I only had light soft brown sugar instead of light muscovado sugar, so the sauce was nice, but wasn't as toffeeish (sp?) as I would have liked it.

We got 8 good sized helpings from the pudding, which also lends itself well to eating on it's own with a cuppa. Made it Wednesday last week, thought I'd eaten it all, found a piece still in the tin yesterday, and it was still as moist at the day I made it!

Will definitely make it again. Would be interested to hear how you get on with the Sticky Toffee Crumble guccigoo if you make it and don't mind reporting back

katholicos

Spent £7.69 today at supermarket: fruit, baking potatoes, pastrami, coleslaw, fresh beetroot.

NickJW

Welcome back Hippiechiq! :j

That Sticky Toffee Pudding linky doesn't work :-(

Searched through for the receipt to get the tuna refund, but it's pretty bad, and you can't see whats written on it fully
I doubt I will be able to get my money back? Unless they can check via my clubcard? If I go in, and they don't accept I'll just leave the tuna there because I don't have any cats who will want it! :rotfl: Has anyone else tried to return to Mr T without a receipt before?

Picklepud

evening all !

Did my weekly shop today £48.14 in te$co It was great, lots of fruit and veg and some cheese whoopsied bread for 28p the type we get and still dated 13th. Got everything on my list which is a first i usually write a list and either forget it or just get everything on it and everything else in the shop too.

My fridges are organised, meal plans for the week done, may have to get few ingredients for DD cookery next Thursday but other than that fingers crossed won't need anything (that really will be a first to just shop once so I am not holding my breath!) but the amout of things I am picking up in the shop and then putting down again is amazing.. and I am not missing them.

just looking at my siggy and 215 seems high for this early in month but this does include £28 for meal with friend (my turn) so may remove that and include it in entertainment budget!!

Have a good day all

x

elf06

NickJW wrote: »

Welcome back Hippiechiq! :j

That Sticky Toffee Pudding linky doesn't work :-(

Searched through for the receipt to get the tuna refund, but it's pretty bad, and you can't see whats written on it fully
I doubt I will be able to get my money back? Unless they can check via my clubcard? If I go in, and they don't accept I'll just leave the tuna there because I don't have any cats who will want it! :rotfl: Has anyone else tried to return to Mr T without a receipt before?

Hi - I work for Mr T and in our store (it may be different in other stores) but we allow customers to bring back stuff without the receipt BUT they normally ask that you exchange rather than refund. The other option (but shhhhhhh I didnt tell you this) is that if you really really want a refund they can pull the receipt off their back office system. They may drag their heels but it is possible

Personally I would take it back with your receipt and if they dont like the receipt then tought - their problem:rotfl: