February 2011 Grocery Challenge

NickJW

katholicos wrote: »

Re: eggs.

I try to buy free range, but i do also purchase caged hen eggs sometimes. I do feel my conscience is piqued when i buy caged hen eggs, but sometimes (most of the time, actually) its about stretching a very small amount of money as far as it will go and eggs are such a big part of our eating habits as we use them in so many of our meals and baking.

Something i sometimes wonder about is how it doesn't (to my knowledge) state on every shop brought cake, biscuit, readymeal (yuk) etc, that free range eggs have been used, or whether the eggs used were from caged hens. So i don't think one can get too antsy about it unless they specifically eat only self prepared food and nothing ready made which lists egg as an ingredient.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

I know - I agree totally. I feel guilty for bringing it up, but it's been on my mind all day. We all do the best we can, and no matter how hard we try (unless we grow and raise all of our own food) there is no way to avoid not having certain things
Like I said - the less we know the happier we are sometimes.

katholicos

NickJW wrote: »

I know - I agree totally. I feel guilty for bringing it up, but it's been on my mind all day. We all do the best we can, and no matter how hard we try (unless we grow and raise all of our own food) there is no way to avoid not having certain things
Like I said - the less we know the happier we are sometimes.

In the words of Gordy and Dave, 'I agree with Nick'

angelatgraceland

When I was in Iceland a woman was buying the muffins(bread type) which were on offer bogof. Girl at till pointed it out that she only had one. woman said they get wasted if I get two-my son never eats them all. I was so tempted to say "why don't you freeze them?" but I didn't bother-she didn't look short of a bob or two and "doesn't everyone in Iceland" know what freezers are for? I guess I was too taken aback to speak!!!

rachelww1

lizziebabe wrote: »

Have you got the recipe for the curry - it sounds yummy!

Sorry lizzie, I cheated . Sweated a red onion, then added some p*t*ks curry paste, the lamb, potato, a couple of tins of tomatoes and some frozen spinach. Still, it has made at least a meal for 4, instead of 1 meal for the dog

rosieben

2joanne wrote: »

Only £120.66 spent on 2 weeks shops!!!! I'm so so chuffed, this time last year it was that for 1 week!! ...

that is some achievement, well done :T

katholicos wrote: »

... So i don't think one can get too antsy about it unless they specifically eat only self prepared food and nothing ready made which lists egg as an ingredient. ...

absolutely agree with this, I buy free range stuff whenever I can but it isn't always possible or affordable

Mothership

Having great FUN with the bread making, I read all the recipes instructions and tips, then went off and did my own thing like I usually do.
My first effort most definitely resembled a frisbee, the 2nd was better and the 3rd looked more loaf like. The fourth tasted like bread and looked kind of bread like.
I loved the idea of the long proving and no kneading and a tiny amount of yeast, and making it in an old pot. After 18 hrs sitting in the kitchen in the bowl of my halogen oven with a shower cap on, with everyone ogling it, I finally turned it out on the a floured surface and shaped it, the silky feeling of that live culture was sooooooo luxurious.
I worked quickly then plopped the dough on a tea towel covered in wheat bran (that I got at the newly opened fruit shop for 30p its £1.39 for Jordan's). Then left it for its final proving, two hours later, with my hot pot at the ready I decided it was time to bake the bread.
DD2 and DGD (5 1/2 months ) were sitting at the table watching me.
I slipped my right hand under the tea towel, and grabbed the handle of my hot pot, just as I was about to transfer the bread to the pot I realised the bread was 4 in wider than the pot, too late in it went. With a quick flick of my wrist, in the oven it went, lid on.
My audience was in hysterics, especially my DGD who LOVES watching me in the kitchen, she's always wiling to test the end results too which is nice.
I set the timer for 30 min, then whipped the lid off, set the timer for 15 minutes more. The smell in the kitchen was glorious. I opened the oven and took the pot out and turned the bread out. It smelled like bread, but looked like a BOWL he he. Anyway , the smell soon had the rest of the family in the kitchen, We were all standing staring at it for a while, my DD2 then went on to to try and explain why it looked so ODD, my husband is always saying I'm a good cook, just funny to watch, like Dawn French doing a take off of Delia Smith, he said it again, my DD2 then added "Naw she said Mrs Doubtfire's in there too somewhere".
We let it cool for a while then attacked it with a bread knife, and we all sat round the table eating a chunk of the bowl/bread, it even TASTED like bread, nicely risen with a really good crust and texture.
It just looked odd LOL. There's just enough left to do breakfast.
Anyway, I've got attempt no 5 proving in the kitchen, next time I will do the 2nd proving in a bowl SMALLER than the baking pot, I'm trying another blend of flours /sugar and salt with a little butter. I've made a bit extra as I want to try and make a few rolls as well. I will keep you posted how it turns out. I've got about 6 bags of plain/ bread flour , by the time I've got through them I hope to have mastered the art of bread/roll/pizza making.

I've only spent about £4 on milk since my last supermarket shop. My husband was taking DD1 to T***0's and I asked him to get me a lettuce, he couldn't BELIEVE I was passing up a trip to the supermarket, and went on to lecture me about not being able to control myself when it comes to shopping, to which I replied "Oh But I can my dear, I'm not going, I'm sending you instead!'
He came back with the lettuce, all pleased with his bargain at 50p. The good thing about sending him is he NEVER gets anything you don't tell him to.

Tomorrow I have to go to MAKRO for bacon and supplies for my guests, that will come out of a different budget.
Then I have to pop into the only butchers in Glasgow that sells STORNAWAY black pudding, it really special, quite hard to find, I see Donald Russell sell it for around £5 for 4 slice, whoa! thats RIDICULOUS! I can get a whole pudding well over a kilo for around £7.50. Then Farmfoods for milk and BREAD, I wont subject my guests to MY bread until I can get it to at least look like bread LOL.
I'm hoping to get back home without any unnecessary purchases, as my aim is to use EVERYTHING in the fridge before I buy ANYTHING. I simply must get another drawer of the freezer empty for the meat order from DR coming on the 25th.

Anyway off to bed to dream of dough, both kinds I'm hoping to come up with a cunning plan of how I'm going to raise them!

sistercas

katholicos wrote: »

Re: eggs.

I try to buy free range, but i do also purchase caged hen eggs sometimes. I do feel my conscience is piqued when i buy caged hen eggs, but sometimes (most of the time, actually) its about stretching a very small amount of money as far as it will go and eggs are such a big part of our eating habits as we use them in so many of our meals and baking.

QUOTE]

i know what you mean , i buy free range when i can but i have found as prices have gone up that i cant do that anymore
although someone told me sainsbugs basic eggs arnt caged but i dont know if that is true

managed 6 out of 8 NSD :j but i am going to sainsbugs and t3sco tonight
I have been looking at my [EMAIL="superm@rket"]superm@rket[/EMAIL] as t3sco have cat food on offer 3 for 2 but working it out on that offer , fel!x is 26p a packet , sainsbugs have an offer 2 packs for £6 which works out at 25p a packet - so i will get mine from there

done my shopping list and hoping to stick to it but DD2 is coming with me which isnt good - ive told her if she wants anything she is to take her own money - but we'll see if she does :cool:

scotsaver

Morning everyone - my trip to L!dl yesterday for ONLY Eggs didn't go to plan.:o They had some Free Range chickens whoopsied so I picked up 2 of those along with the Eggs, my total has been updated.

Should be a NSD today. Off to the Allotment to keep me busy.:o

Have a good day everyone.;)

Candy_Belle

Yey!!!!! Another NSD yesterday!!!:j:j:j

funnyflipp

Well my plans have gone a little awry, not planning so well for our extra mouth this week has caused extra trips to Mr T however I have been good and stuck ONLY to the list

So after a top up shop we currently have spent £258.40 :eek:

That leaves me £90 for the rest of the month! However the freezer is relativly full and I have enough to see me through until Sunday
(hopefully) Then I only have 12 more days of my month left and
sitting here going through my head I have around 6 meals in the freezer so it could be doable!