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

noonesperfect

Someone else posted a link ot this website and it's now a firm gavourite of mine when I lack inspiration. All you have to do is tick a few boxes saying which foodstuffs you have in and it suggests what you can make with what you have in your storecupboard!

http://www.cookingbynumbers.com/

fizzel81

thank you for the links

im trying to work out a meal based on some of the butterbeans i have (is this possible lol)

tonight having the rest of lastnights chicken caserole in a pie (adding peas and sweetcorn) with mash (sweet potato and spuds sorry i see ive missed them on my huge list at top but they are something i will repace weekly after trip to market)

tomorrow have got mince (out from freezer this morning 250g) will make into a cottage pie and serve with peas and sweetcorn, i add 2 grated carrots to my cottage pie, whats left after dinner tomorrow will be popped into pots frozen and my ds likes taking it to playschool in place of a sandwich on the days he stays till 1.30

my local shops applejuice is £1.27 a carton!!!!! where else apart from tesco sainsburys etc can i get it at a decent price? i stick to buying 2 cartons a week, its the only thing ds is fussy on ive tried getting him to drink other things there is lidl in the next place to me (2 miles away) or the town i use for the market if i have to use a supermarket i will be using there, limited choice means limited i can buy/spend and i can still get braddys soya milk without too much difficulty from there

noonesperfect

Oh dear, one of my pet hates is butter beans! The only thing that comes to mind is cassoulet (not sure if that's a child-friendly dish though) I'll have a think :think:

gotnodosh

The apple juice at Lidl is very good and under £1 if I remember correctly.

shaaark

The tried and tested, healthy option of beans on toast (with some grated cheese on top)! I love beans on toast. Or ravioli on toast. Everything on toast!!!! :j

swampduck

Have you any cereals? You could use up some of the Chocolate making rice crispy cakes or similar? You can even use melted Mars Bars etc to do the same kind of thing.
If you have some chicken left - how about Spanish Chicken? Fry up some diced chicken together with onions, a diced bacon rasher, garlic, mushrooms, herbs and owt else you want to throw in. Add a pint of chicken or veg stock and rice according the portions you like to use normally. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce Heat to simmer and keep stirring occasionally until all the liquid is absorbed into the rice. Add more liquid if the rice needs it and dish up with crusty bread.

It's quite easy to use up the bland stuff - if you change what you serve it with. e.g. Chicken in Breadcrumbs served with pasta and tomato sauce instead of Chips and beans, or Jacket potato and cheesy beans, or even macaroni cheese. Sometimes the variety is enough to make you think thank gawd!! I dont feel like I've ate that four days in a row.!!

Best of luck

Swampy

How about a thick chunky soup using up maybe some ham, with veg and the lentils - things like that disappear when added to soups cos they bulk it out. Pea and Ham Soup? Try using the casserole mixes instead of herbs when making things - who says you have to use beef casserole mix with beef? - or pasta sauce with pasta?

vanoonoo

you can make a kind of humous using butter beans - good on toast or in sarnies or as a dip - jsut substitute any recipe for chickpeas eg: butter beans, garlic, lemon juice and something to "loosen it" like yog or fromage frais

fizzel81

still seem to have a lot which is great, ive hardly made a dent as such now ive been stretching and useing things up.

cereal is one thing im running low on as is milk.

i need to find i guess a use for butter beans and the split peas

the cheese i was thinking of doing a lentil bake tomorrow.

wont be going near a supermarket till at least next wednesday but only then want to get things needed to use the above list rather than things i think i need but dont

organic_wanabe

I was reminded of this thread earlier today as I flicked through the 9th February copy of "The Grocer" . In it there's a bit entitled "Top-Up Shop" where Mystery Shoppers visit convenience stores to check out the price of 10 commonly bought fast-moving food items across all grocery categories. The shops they checked were The Co-op, Mace, Spar, Tesco Express and Wigan Mini Market (and I checked Tesco on-line). Interestingly, Wigan Mini Market was very competitive, coming in with the best price on 5 out of the 10 items. The 5 items were:

Heinz Baked Beans 415g at 43p (next best was Tesco online at 49p)
White Loaf 800g at 58p (next best was Tesco online at 59p)
Butter Block 250g at 64p (next best was Tesco online at 85p)
Whiskas Catfood 390g at 47p (next best was Tesco Express at 53p)
Coca-Cola 2-litre at £1.04 (next best was Tesco online at £1.45p)

However, it was most expensive for Tetley Tea Bags 250g at £2.07, cheapest was Spar at £1.45.

At Wigin Mini Market the staff were found to be charming and helpful in terms of locating items and packing bags.

Fortunately, I do shop around using both independent shops (for cheese, fish, butcher meat) and all the supermarkets to take advantage of special offers, etc. However, I don't think I would have gone in to a Mini Market as I would have assumed it to be very expensive for the basics (and this one is for tea bags) but if you know your prices you could pick up a few good buys!

kscour

Just to say Hi:hello:
Been so busy work wise for the best part of the last year that MSE has had to take a back seat However I'm back and was delighted to find this thread still going:j
Oh and ashamed there on my sig was rebel No. 2 when I had been away from the challenge for so long:o
So bet you're now dying to know wether I've gone completely Teso cold turkey or if I'm back in their aisles every week. Well actually neither - most of my grocery spending is now spent in the local shop or various butchers/grocers etc that we pop in if we're passing. I still need a supermarket for some items and try to use Aldi's as they stock so little more than the basics that I feel they can't be harming the independants as much as Tescos have the potential to. Our tescos has just expanded and what they don't sell would be easier to list than what they do.
However I do feel slightly energised to try a bit harder and see if there are any new places opened up lately (I haven't got out much with work).
Got to say it Cooltrickerchick - you started a revolution and I'm sure glad I got to jump aboard, thank you:T :T :T