Use it up! Don't throw it in the bin!

lisa26_2

An indian restaurant near me does a curry with pickled onions in it!!

zafiro1984

I'm intrigued, what is in the 'shopping bag' that the government uses when they calculate the cost of living?
Can anyone put a figure on what would be a reasonable cost for a weeks shopping for the three adults in our household, one of them is a 'sort of guest' so I have to produce reasonable meals both at lunchtime as well as in the evening. (When he goes home for a couple of weeks the OH and I live on frozen leftovers - wonderful). I'm trying desperately to reduce all costs as we are now on a pension and every saving helps

Primrose

zafiro - I don't know the status of your "sort of guest" but I wonder if you're not making a rod for your own back if you're feeding this person two cooked meals a day and they're not contributing in some way financially, if they can afford to. I think everybody will probably give you a different benchmark for what they feel is a reasonable cost for a week's shopping but I'd definitely be inclined to cut back when your guest is living with you, rather than doing all the scrimping and saving when they're not there. I suggest that a few meals consisting of just chunky soups & bread, or beans on toast should be the order of the day, with perhaps the apologetic comment: "sorry there's no meat today, but things alwats get a bit short towards the end of the month".

Soups generally are a great money saver; the chunky ones with lots of pulses, beans, etc can be a meal in themselves, and pasta sauces made with tinned tomatoes, onions and some bacon can be filling without being expensive. Mince in the form of spaghetti bolognese, chilli con carne, shepherds pie, etc, (filled out with a handful of red lentils if you want to stretch if further) must be on almost everybody's menu for making food give value for money.

Long_tall_sally

Sorry folks - I have another freezing question. I used a shop bought fish stock in yesterday's meal (Tesco's finest) but still have over half left over. It doesn't say that it can be frozen but I can't think why it couldn't be - do you think it will be ok?
Thanks Long tall sally

CCP

Long_tall_sally wrote: »

Sorry folks - I have another freezing question. I used a shop bought fish stock in yesterday's meal (Tesco's finest) but still have over half left over. It doesn't say that it can be frozen but I can't think why it couldn't be - do you think it will be ok?
Thanks Long tall sally

I would guess that the reason it doesn't say it can be frozen is because it was frozen before you bought it, and they don't want to run any risks. Having said that, if I was in your position I would freeze it - as long as you boil it when you come to use it you should be safe enough, I think.

HTH.

NJW69

I had some of a ham left over last week, I'd bought a large roast ham at Christmas and frozen half. I took the frozen one out but had some left and didn't want to freeze it again so I chopped it into small pieces and sauteed with some diced onions and then added some ham stock, a tin of mushy peas and some red lentils and simmered for about an hour and it was a lovely pea and ham soup.

Primrose

I've got a tin of Spam lurking in my food cupboard. Can anybody suggest an innovative way of using it up?

zafiro1984

Thanks Primrose, The 'guest' is a builder who helps my husband around the place. he used to come just at the weekend but with the recession he is now here most of the time, so on a work basis he probably pays for his keep.
I do do soup, make biscuits, stews etc but I supose I'm feeling sorry for myself as I seem to be spending all my time looking after these two men, it's the extra load of having to look after a non family member that gets to me. My OH doesn't understand that it is extra work when he is here, I still have my 350 chickens to look after and get no help from either of them as they are always busy. I know it's only me that can sort it out but I'm always tired and never on top of the work - end of winge.
Must go round and give the chooks their afternoon corn

zippychick

Primrose wrote: »

I've got a tin of Spam lurking in my food cupboard. Can anybody suggest an innovative way of using it up?

Primrose - i don't eat it myself, but there is a whole thread about it here

Primrose

zafiro - you sound as if you need another woman around your place to give you some moral and physical support ! Two hungry men who need constantly feeding plus 350 chickens to look sounds like a busy life. I suggest that for one day you invent for yourself a severe migraine which causes you to be bedridden so that the two men have to look after themselves and the 350 chickens. Your OH might better appreciate why you are struggling.