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

Fozz

Have read this thread with interest, as I have been thinking of ways of using the supermarket less lately.I joined a local food co-op which sells all organic and environmentally friendly stuff. You take your own containers and weigh or measure everything into them. So far have only bought bread flour and lentils, but intend to use them more.
I do have a Co-op at the end of my road which is too handy to resist, but I think they are quite a "green" company, so don't feel too bad using them.
Also have a good butcher quite close, and really good fruit and veg stalls on our market, so have no excuse!
Am trying to make a lot more from scratch, found I was buying too much ready prepared stuff when I went to Morrisons or Farm Foods which are the two next nearest food shops. As I don't have a car I was getting online shopping from ASDA, might still use this for heavy/bulky stuff occasionally, but for food I definitely want to go local as much as possible.
Great thread, keep up the good work everyone!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

even though i still use my butcher..... baker.....etc......

i started going back to the supermarkets as was like a rabbit in the headlights when it came to the recent price increases in the staples.....

but i am finding that now i am giving in to temptation again on the impulse buys......

so i am now going to do all my shopping in independant shops...markets etc......

so will sit down tonight and do a list of what i have in the freezer and cupboards..... and .... get back to meal planning around what i cn get in the local shops etc....

in_my_wellies

I've just finished reading 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' by Barbara Kingsolver - food for thought indeed!

D&DD

in_my_wellies wrote: »

I've just finished reading 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' by Barbara Kingsolver - food for thought indeed!

Ooh thats on my wishlist at Amazon is it any good?? Thanks D X

Fozz

Having decided to try and use supermarkets as little as possible, I went to my local butcher, bought some chicken breast and sausages. I did the chicken for Sunday lunch, just cooked plain in the oven, and all the family commented on how nice it was!
It wasn't just the taste, the texture was so much nicer than the supermarket stuff, like I remember chicken when I was a child. The sausages were lovely too, and the fat left in the grill pan was "proper" fat, not the watery gloopy stuff you get with some cheaper sausages.
Will definitely be using the butcher from now on, it's more out of my way, but worth it.

competitionscafe

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Got this in an email - free Food Directory (guide to 1000 independent UK food shops) with tommorrows (Saturday 03 Nov) Guardian:

"The Guardian Food Directory contains around 1000 independent UK food shops, from the simple fruit and veg stall to artisan bakeries and cheese makers. You'll never want to shop in a supermarket again. "
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/foodmonth/


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fizzel81

hi guys

ive done a list of everthingin my cupboards/fridge and freezer in the hope i can spend as little as possible for january and if even possible into some of feb, so i can then use that money to pay off my catalogues im away myself for 4 nights later this month and my boys are not here for the next weekend comeing and at the same time as me (sorry rabbleing on here)

my last shops were both in dec iceland (and spent 26) and tesco which was a 109 spend (but mainly household very little food)
my iceland shop will speak for itself below, even the boys are barely eating what ive been dishing them up recently.

2 things, i have 2 that cannot eat eggs in natural form ie fried scrambled etc
and my youngest seems to be itching more when eating things with a large amount of tomato.


Cupboard
8cans of baked beans
3 cans ravoli
2x tinned tomatoes
2 tins tomato soup
3 jars of pasta bake sauce
6 jars pasta sauce
1 bag of dried butter beans (500g)
cous cous
red lentils
bag of split peas
2x 500g brown rice
approx 1kg pasta
half box lasagne sheets
1 bag pearl barley
various casserole mix
2 box's golden breadcrumbs
1 large box paxo
2 pkts savery rice
salt,pepper,garlic, mixed herbs
5 bags breadflour
18 sachets yeast- now
1 1/2 bags self rasing
1 bag plain
olive oil, veg oil
1/2 bag caster suger
4 pkts choc chips
1/2 dark brown suger
1/2 tub semi milk
2 pkts pastry mix
half bottle golden sryup
cereal

fridge
4 pints milk
10 approx carrots
3 onion
4 apples
1 net satsumas
i bag of grated cheese (bbe 16th jan) NEED TO USE THIS ASAP
2 packs of bacon
1 tub stalk
3 x butter
(too much chocolate given to the boys at xmas)

freezer:eek:
1 loafs
2 bags chips (dont ask!)
1 bag chicken dippers
90 mini sausage rolls
2bags frozen peas
2bags frozen sweetcorn
4 chicken in breadcrumbs
2 chicken kiev
1 med chicken
2 250g packets mince
14 sausages (fresh then frozen)
1 pkt chicken legs and thighs
1 pkt stewing steak
2 chicken brests
2 frozen salmon steak (brought 9th september)


im going to be making bread daily and ideally want to not be buying the kids crisps biscuits etc
if i have to spend 2 weeks eating the tasteless rubbish i got from iceland im going to cry, majority of last nights dinner went in the bin! ok so i am tempted to do that with some of this but that wopuld be a waste.

with mince i usueally make cottage pie, sausages and chicken i use for casseroles great but the boys are getting bored, if i could clear and start again i would but i would end up wasteing alot of food

heres hopeing i can get through all this with minimal waste

purpleivy

HM pizza with your breadflour, pasta sauce and grated cheese,

Lasagne with mince and a jar of sauce

Skint_Catt

Onion, mushroom and stewing steak with gravy in a pie (pasty lid only if you don't want too much pastry.)
Fish fingers and chips with baked beans won't hurt once in a while - but personally I'd like to mix it with something less processed either side!
As above lasagne.

kittiej

What about chilli?

Mince, tinned toms, onion, garlic, drain and rinse a tin of baked beans instead of kidney beans, you could add chilli powder but you don't really need to, and a pinch of sugar to take the tartness away from the tomatoes.

With brown rice or baked potato or chips or cous cous?