a month without supermarket - new challenge for 2011 starts at post 1013

kimnhol

So much for slowing down, looks like we are on a roll again :T As for cook books Im using a book called The dinner lady by Jeanette Orrey, like it says school dinners, basic cooking but have found it to be great.

Im finding my freezer has taken a turn around now, where it was getting really empty, each week buying a bit extra or taking advantage of offers in the butchers it is starting to get re-stocked.

Picked up some eggs from the boot sale at the weekend 50p for 6 and they were lovely, hopefully able to get them weekly as was paying 95p so a small saving that will add up over the month.

Rabbits seem none the worse for there wood yard chippings and shredded paper, maybe all the extra veg ends they are eating.

Since starting this have set up my compost bins which one is now half full, planning on filling the rest with compost and planting runner beans. Looking at other veg and salad which we can grow.

I am now the proud owner of a rotary airer (again!) like Mr T etc got in habbit of using tumble dryer so if the weather changes you know who to blame :rotfl:

Great to see new people adding to the thread :j CTC you and your venison made us laugh OH has visions of coming home to see me hacking at a dear and the kids screaming that mums killing bambi :eek: Think I best stick to what I know and leave the exotic breads to the braver rebels amongst us.

Market saturday, hooked on juicing oranges at the mo, only problem is gives OH ginger whiskers so make him drink with a straw :rolleyes:

little_miss_thrifty

kimnhol wrote: »

So much for slowing down, looks like we are on a roll again :T As for cook books Im using a book called The dinner lady by Jeanette Orrey, like it says school dinners, basic cooking but have found it to be great.

:

Us too! We all LOVE the moussaka recipe in there - never anything left; and i made three of her chocolate cakes a couple of days ago, they aren't full of sugar and are a great replacement to bisuits in our house.

Firehorse

Not an official rebel, but using my local merchants more and more.


Just wanted to say that whilst shopping at my local fruit and veg store yesterday, I was thanked for supporting him.

alec_eiffel

Hi everyone,

We went to Asda for a stock up yesterday... what a nightmare/joke it was.

We got hardly any fruit or veg as it was more expensive than the other places we've been going, half of it was from Israel and the rest was looking a bit depressed. There was hardly any local stuff (not that I was expecting it) and I had a huge headache by the time I got home - lucky I had some painkillers from our indie pharmacist!

But it's over and done with for a few months now, but I am wondering whether the few pence saved on pasta and stuff is going to be worth the trip to the big shop...

the_optimist

:sad: Oh dear, I've sinned...:sad:
Got a nasty cold but had to get some shopping, did not feel like a nice walk round the shops so grabbed the car and drove to Morrisons. Got all the shopping I needed, but felt really guilty as, apart from 1 item, I could have got everything from local shops. Didn't enjoy being in Morrisons at all and felt even more miserable as I already felt with my cold._pale_

But I promise I will be good again tomorrow:blushing:

the_optimist

Oh, forgot to mention: baked my first bread this week (by hand, no breadmaker or mixer). Am really proud that it turned out allright (well, not according to DS who thought it tasted disgusting, coz nothing beats the cheap sliced bread from the supermarket - kids, eh!)

Penny-Pincher!!

Is the month up yet?:rotfl:

TBH, this week was a blip coz of illness, but in the future in general we are going to buy more local from shops and maybe do 1 supermarket shop every 8 weeks which will be at Waitrose. I also will do a shop at Makros every 3-4 months. The reason for Waitrose is because I use vouchers and can get 50%+ off my total spend.

Locally, I will buy when needed:

Milk (milkman)
Bacon (butchers)
Pork Chops(butchers)
Minced Lamb (butchers)
Sirloin Steak (butchers)
Eggs (butchers/farm shop)
Fruit & Veg (farm shop/green grocers)
Yogurts (farmshop/milkman)
Bread (bakery)
Cheese (Deli-but expensive, may buy some at Waitrose)

Waitrose (every 8 weeks):

Tinned items
Fruit Juice
Butter
Chicken (frozen FR)...excellent quality
Cheese?

Makros (every 3-4 months):

Nescafe
Tetley Tea Bags
Washing Powder
Black Bags
Kitchen Roll
Loo Roll
Squash
Sugar
DW Tablets

I will eventually cut out Waitrose for good but whilst I can use the vouchers it doesnt make much sense and they are one of the better supermarkets...well thats my excuse and Im sticking to it:o

PP
xx

Churchmouse

PP, you and DH are king and queen of the bargains at Sainsbury, Asda, Tesco, Co-op etc.:D
I just wondered, are you finding living without those bargains and aldi etc, is do-able? To be honest I expected it to be so much more expensive that you'd find it unsustainable. I don't live that far from you, and I'm sick to death of the supermarkets, so figure if you can manage using the independents I ought to be able to as well. Especially as i wouldn't be dependent on finding yellow stickers:rotfl: I don't mind travelling the couple of miles to your neck of the woods:D Might well be asking you for pointers to which farm shops, butchers you're using;) Also if you don't mind me asking, where do you find the vouchers for use at Waitrose? Used to get a few I used in Sainsbury when they accepted without you buying the product, but they seemed to really dry up a few years ago.

Thanks for any help you can give,
CMxx

[Deleted User]

Try this for hm baked beans. They are so nice. I forgot to whizz but it made no difference. We loved them and I used frozen haricots. I cook a whole packet in one go and freeze it in batches

http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/recipes/bakedbeans.htm

[Deleted User]

oh I`m getting all nostalgic now. I`m of the era when it was nothing to get a couple of little slugs in the lettuce or some greenfly on the sprouts. The original pesticide-free food. lol. I`ll never forget the smell in the shop that sold everything from wooden clothes pegs to paraffin.

I was a cracking cook at 11 and could do a stew for 9 in the pressure cooker. I remember making cakes lots of times but trying always to ration myself to one egg or so

Anyway try these gorgeous cinnamon buns. The yeast is different but it is pretty well old style. The family will love you for making these. They freeze very well and it`s a great recipe for a child who is old enough to write the ingredients down

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-cinnamon-rolls