January 2011 Grocery Challenge

MummyEm

Still stuck at home with 2 poorly bubs so hubbie is doing a quick run to shops for us for a few essentials to tied us over. Have sent him with a list and some cash, am dreading the results but needs must!

If he does get everything on the list we should be ok with bits in the freezer to last us until next Monday (except maybe a bit more milk and fruit). Might need a few toiletries although will see if we can put them off until nex t big shop next week.

We also have our new chest freezer being delivered today so will need to start filling it up but don't want to go too overboard as want the space for fruit/ veggies from the garder this summer as last year we didn't have enough storage and were giving it to family/friends and still threw some out which is just criminal! Am going to investigate buying meat in bulk but do want space for whoopsies and also woring out whether we could do monthly grocery shopping if we bulk buy more milk etc.

Sorry for the long rambling, lots to think about!

Winged_one

I made a rookie mistake over the weekend - I got too busy on Saturday morning to go when supermarket was relatively quiet, but then had invited PIL for dinner so HAD to go Sat afternoon when it's manic!

I went to Ikea with MIL for the morning (she needed to go and DH was tied up with work stuff), and I picked up meatballs, sauce, and biscuits there while I was there (I'd have been getting them this month anyway). Actually, I think I spent less than the €14 I allowed for that... must check.

Anyway, went to F&V shop, where I needed a complete restock on everything. €35 bought me 10kg potatoes, bag oranges, punnet pears, 10 apples, bag grapes, 5 peppers, bag mushrooms, bag tomatoes and punnet cherry toms, bag carrots, 2 parsnips, 3 cooking apples, courgette, mangetout, and 10 clementines.

Then I went to SQ, where I had to get a load of meat, and restock cupboards too. I spent €115 after a voucher for €7.50 off. But I got a large joint of rib roast beef (over €20) for dinner for PIL, 800g lamb pieces, 2 lamb steaks, 8 chicken breasts, liver (oops, meant to have that for lunch yesterday, will have tonight with tea instead). I had to get cooked meat for sambos again, but there was a special on our favourite ham so I got 2 packs of 10 slices each for the price of 1. I got 2 more blocks of cheddar as the "2 for €4" offer was still on (we use a fair bit of cheese). I had to get regular mushrooms (F&V only had breakfast ones) for a different dinner, an avocado, lettuce (for my lunches again) and brocolli for FIL (I did roasted root veg, including our own BN Squash, but he doesn't eat that). Tinned tomatoes, rice, 4 jars curry sauce (2 on special offer), bread, milk, cream, kitchen towels, 2 different fruit squashes, fresh tagliatelle (for 2 easy dinners) and 1 pack fresh tortelini (for 2 dinners for DD), breakfast bars, apple juice, cotton buds, yoghurts. I also was bold and got a portion of readymade lasagne (for DD's dinner so that she wouldn't grumble about not having roast dinner with PIL), a donut for desert, and fruit winders for snacks (they are not the worst in the world!), and sprinkles for her birthday cake in 2 weeks.

Menu for the week is:
Sat: Frozen soup (lunch), roast beef dinner
Sun: Make-your-own sambos (lunch) and pork & apple burgers (HM) with wedges (HM)
Mon: Beef and onion pie with mash
Tues: Lamb rogan josh (will make Mon pm)
Wed: Lamb chops, mash, fresh veg
Thurs: Chicken fajitas
Fri: Macaroni cheese with loads of veg (might swop thurs and fri to avoid takeaway)

I am using up various bits from freezer too, which is good. Am planning a fish & prawn pasta dish for Sat night, spag bol for midweek next week, and possibly another night of pork and apple burgers (they're made using sausages from this month's "Good Food" mag, and were surprisingly tasty! - and I have another full pack, and a couple of bags of 2, sausages left in freezer).

Hopefully, with what I got this week and using freezer, I don't need much next weekend and can avoid supermarket entirely. Just some fresh fruit, maybe some veg, bread, milk, cooked meat and yoghurts.

ifonlyitwaseasier

angelatgraceland wrote: »

Steamed Pudding(Spotted !!!!!!)
6 oz SR flour
3 oz suet
3 oz sugar
1 egg
3 oz sultanas or mixed fruit
A little milk to mix

Use a 1 and a half pint bowl(I use a clear pyrex one).
Grease bowl. In your mixing bowl mix together flour suet and sugar.
Beat an egg and add to the mixture, adding some milk(about 1/4 pint at a guess) until it is a stodgy mixture but not so stiff it won't move.
Put all ingredients into your bowl-you could put some golden syrup or honey in the bottom of the bowl if liked.
Cover with clingfilm and pierce in several places with a fork(it rises a lot)
Pop in micro on full power for approx 6 mins. I use the clear dish so I can see how cooked it is. Be careful not to overcook. Take it out after 6 mins and let it rest a minute and you can test it by sticking a sharp knife in the centre it. If it comes out goeey give it another minute and retest.

Don't be tempted to pop it in for 15 mins or it will come out like a brick.

It should be light and fluffy and resemble a very light fluffy cake mixture.

Hubby commented on this today that is was light and not as stodgy as usual. I did put in a couple of extra ounces of flour as I'd used too much milk in mine and had to thicken it up so don't panic if it isnt perfect-it comes out well. I didnt use any syrup but I could have as it needed a little more sweetening but I didn't fancy anything too rich today. We served it with tinned custard(heated) A really quick easy pudding! You don't have to use suet either-you can in fact use vegetable oil if preffered-though not sure how much-Id take a chance(as I do) and use 3 tablespoonsful.


Had some leftover pork from dinner and made 4 servings of s/s pork for the freezer.
with leftover chicken from dinner Ive made 5 chicken and ham pasties and a chicken and ham pie. Used up some of my turkey ham from the fridge.

well i know what i'm making later Thanx AAG

medsdemon

Just caught up on the thread- it does move fast.
Yesterday thought we would have a NSD but Hubby went to the supermarket late on as out of paracetemol and spent £2.60. He also bought Kitchen roll, chocolate to satisfy our late night cravings, and 2 x packs of whoopsied smoked salmon for 30p each (labelled £2.69 each) and pack of whoopsied bananas.

Have to go to MrS today as I need bits for making a chocolate pudding and we're out of milk and Gluten free bread too. Also will get 1/2 price Philadelphia to go with above smoked salmon for our dinner tonight I think with baked potatoes. I will try to make a list to make sure I buy everything i need for the week and get it all in one shop, but since I walk and will have to carry it not sure I will be able to!!

I will update later... have a good day everyone.

Catslovelycats

bella121984 wrote: »

Just before Christmas I started getting organic fruit and veg boxes delivered, not really for any other reason than ive always liked the idea of getting lovely fresh veg delivered to your door! Then I discovered they do a baby and toddler box, with stuff that is suitable for pureeing, and since im weaning my youngest this seemed like a good idea, but it didnt really have anything in there I didnt have/ wouldnt have had in the other box anyway, but im wondering weather or not to carry on getting it delivered, but choosing what I want rather than a set box, or cancelling it all together? Ive just done my first fortnightly shop and obviously couldnt get all the fruit/ veg we need for 2 weeks, but do you think its cheaper to do it this way or good old Mr S? I cant decide what is best!

I had a box delivered too and loved it, but some bits didn;t get used because I wasn't organised enough. I stopped because I find it much more cost efficient to shop for them myself. But I don't buy organic like I'd get in the box.

lou1981

I had a small spend over the weekend Just £10.21 on lunch box stuff and some more fruit. This takes my total for this month to £48.21 so I need to be sensible so that we dont go over.
We are looking into having a vegtable box delivery so that we can start tot ry more verg rather then going to the supermarket and buying the same things each week.
Have a good day all.
Louise x

OrkneyStar

Second small shop this week- £17 on some necessities and a couple of treats......still under budget and pay day soon .
Hope everyone is doing well. Remember we don't succeed all the time, the main thing is to learn from your blips and remember you are only human!
xx

sazzledazzle

So far I have spent £48.76 this month. I have plenty in the freezer to hopefully not need anything but maybe bread and milk this week so not going to pick up a basket when I next go in. Hopefully I will stay under my target but it has definately made me more aware of what I am spending and making sure we dont buy things just for the sake of it.

cat_smith

Off to do a freezer audit so that I can plan meals more effectively. Anyone got any suggestions for using up frozen broad beans? OH picked them up instead of peas by accident, and I fancy something more interesting than just as a veg with roast.

MummyEm

DH came pack with plenty of cash left over! He spent £16.44 on a few bits which will get us through a few days. Quite expensive for what he bought, but nearest supermarket is 20 min drive from us so went to L0ndi5 in small town neary (10 min drive) which is so much more expensive! He did forget to pick up eggs from the egg farm on the way back but I have one left which I need for toad in the hole batter tomorrow then don't need any until weekend for ommelettes so will pick some up in next few days.

Pretty please with current total, would normally be at around £250-300 by this time in the month with big shops and top ups!! May treat hubbie to take out this weekend if we can keep it up as he is away all next week and has been very good at eating all sorts of leftovers and odd meal combinations with minimal moaning! we almost got one last night but resisted so would be nice if we can keep away from supermarkets before then!