I'm eating out of the freezer and cupboards challenge

babylon83

Sounds like a fair challenge you have set yourself but never the less good look to you. Groceries cost an absolute fortune, I have recently stopped using the big supermarkets and shop at Aldi, you spend about 30% less there for the same shop.

Kirri

Lynsey wrote: »

Years spends so far:
Jan - 58.38
Feb - 97.21
Mar - 44.26 to date
Total - £199.85 and pretty pleased.

Hmm, not doing quite as well here...

Jan £93.03
Feb £129.59
Mar £116.33

and I'm only buying veg/fruit/dairy/wholefoods.. and getting shopping once a week and barely been in a supermarket all year Nothing processed or ready made, cooking all from scratch, just buying the basics lol. Veg box deliveries have put my spends up but I am eating way more veg than I was before and the pets are enjoying a wider variety too! Nothing has been wasted.

My spends will drop massively in the summer so should even out my spends over the year.

I'm on a roll with clearing out stocks too! Used up about 5 things out of the cupboard this week in baking and won't replace these till I've used up all the other stuff. Freezer emptying going very slow but constant - am enjoying the hm bean burgers and feels good to eat the beans I've grown. Still got vast stocks of both dried and frozen beans. Been going through and filing new recipes today.

On the menu this week using stuff I have: quinoa/ricotta/nut stuffed portobello mushrooms, spicy cauli on gram flour pancakes, onion pie (huge backlog of onions!), veg fritters, mince pies and a Mrs Simkins carrot cake (once I locate some cream of tartar).

Edwardia - yes, am growing again weather permitting...

Planning on much the same as my list below from previous years. Usually add 1 or 2 new things each time though - think I will try purslane this year after having it in the Riverford salad pack. There's still some herbs in my herb bed I can't remember the name of at the mo that are missing from my list. Large variety but not planning on growing too much quantity of anything..

Asparagus
Aubergine
Herbs - Basil/Coriander/Parsley/dill/bay/chives/rosemary/oregano/sage/Mint/Tarragon/Thyme
Beans - runner/flat/french/borlotti/broad/soya/large white
Beetroot - yellow/red
Blackcurrants
Broccoli - calabrese/purple sprouting
Butternut/winter squash/pumpkin
Cabbage - summer/winter (Red)
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac
Celery
Chard
Chicory
Corn salad
Courgettes/summer squash
Cucumber
Fennel
Garlic
Jerusalem Artichokes
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce/salad leaves/spicy leaves (Mizuna)
Melon
Onions/shallots
Pakchoi
Parsnips
Peas
Peppers - sweet & chilli
Potatoes
Radish
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Rocket
Spinach
Spring onions
Sprouts
Strawberries
Swede
Sweetcorn & babycorn
Tomatoes
Turnips

Edwardia

((((just trying)))) sending hug, that's sad for you and kids xxx and I think I may have a go with beetroot if I can find a spot they'll like in garden.

Kirri :eek: OMG my jaw didn't just droppeth I think it blooming well fell off yoicks ! Are you planning on pitching a tent on the allotment this summer :T? Have you grown kohl rabi before ? It's one of my fave veggies. Also lurve globe artichokes but yuck blackfly magnets or what.. and fennel mmmmm.

just_trying

Thanks Edwardia that means a lot, my OH said to me yesterday you've got a really good heart as I was already thinking about ways to make him more comfortable and I've been trying to comfort his wife and went and sat with her everyday when he was getting chemo, he's only just retired and it's so sad. The main thing just now is pain control.

Lynsey

just trying - take care, not an easy time. Sadly, they will have if not a cure, a controllable drug in the near future to combat the BIG C. In our lifetime it will be be classed as just a chronic illness IMHO and getting better year by year.

kirri - that's an impressive selection to grow - well done for the effort.
I'm buying more fruit and veg, hubby is eating quite a bit of fruit of late and I'm just grabbing the reduced stuff and offers. This year has been quite good for offers in my opinion and the big supermarkets seem to be challenging Lidl and especially Aldi's Super 6.
I haven't bought that much for the freezers this year yet, so that's where the main saving have been made. I'll have to replenish eventually once I have that empty freezer and looking forward to that. Hopefully by the end of April I should be getting there. I won't buy as much cr4p though just because it's heavily reduced. Strangely also, I don't buy as many biscuits this year, though the Nestle Factory Shop helps there and for the cheap coffee. When I get back from my holiday in May I might start being less frugal, but until then I'm staying firm and trying to average £25 p/w.
I'm still resisting M&S deals, though at times craving for them. lol
I think last years efforts have made a mark and it's very hard to get away from what I achieved. We will spend on fish and chips from the local chippy on Good Friday though (a treat) - might even get a fish each!!

Food savings do go elsewhere at times and M&S Outlet took nearly £30 off me today!!

Lynsey

Kirri

Yep, that list is from my spreadsheet of what I've already grown before, not added anything new to it yet! kohlrabi was quite an easy one, didn't get infested by any pests, grew well! Fennel also seems quite unaffected by pests which is always a bonus! Thing is with the weather you never know what will do well and what could totally fail.. I do tend to live in my shorts in the summer and spend every spare moment down there when it's sunny.. Also grow flowers both for cutting and wild ones for the bees Bit annoying neighbouring plot use weedkiller though, lazy gits :mad:

If you try growing beetroot, try the golden one, so much better.

just_trying

Thanks Lynsey I know it's a terrible nasty disease, the last bereavement was also due to the big c.

Take care all xx.

zafiro1984

Kirri-impressive, try asparagus peas, not huge crop but delicious, I used to grow White and yellow beetroot as they don't bleed as much and I preferred the flavour.

Just trying -sad days

Freezer movements, pea and ham soup in, steak and kidney out.

Kirri

zafiro1984 wrote: »

Kirri-impressive, try asparagus peas, not huge crop but delicious, I used to grow White and yellow beetroot as they don't bleed as much and I preferred the flavour.

Never tried asparagus peas, saw them on a neighbouring plot last year though, does it taste like a pea? Is the white beetroot also sweeter? I did a nice choc cake with the red beetroot last year but roasted/griddled I don't like it much at all compared to yellow. Yellow was a new crop for me last year.


JT - it seems to be affecting so many people, I heard sad news this week about someone from school days who died, another terminal

Florenceem

just_trying wrote: »

Evening all, hope everyone is well.

Edwardia, I've not grown anything in the last 2 yea rs since we moved but did before. The kids loved it. Beetroots are easy to grow so you should give it a try. The only thing I found a pain was broccoli as the caterpillars seemed to like them, we didn't use pesticides or anything so the kids and me would spend ages picking them off.

Well done Lynsey on the spends you do so well.
Florenceem do you use butter, marg or stork when you bake, your cake looks yum :-) .

Food today was eggs for everyone and I had marmalade on toast, dinner was meatballs, pasta and crusty bread.

I feel in a down mood just now, well last few days, found out my neighbour is going to pass away from the big c really sad. My kids are so close to him and they already had a bereavement last year. I may not post every day at the moment.

Catch up later or tomorrow x.

I always used baking marge or stork but have changed to butter. Too much mucking about when they produce marge and it is full of additives. The butter does give a lovely taste to a cake as well. I had a slice of the coconut/orange cake with a cup of tea today - it was delicious. A tried and tested recipe from the 1980s.