January 2012 Grocery Challenge

cheekychipmunk

Must be feeling better - managed to get cooking again! Made an Indian pot-roast chicken last night. My mum gave the recipe and it was dead easy and very tasty! Plus made 2.5 litres of stock for the next few meals (risotto and soups). Recipe for pot roast is below - it is a delicious one-pot meal and we just had some peas with it (little ones scraped bowls clean too!). Hope someone finds it useful!

Slice 4 or 5 medium waxy potatoes (Maris Peer, charlottes etc). Also finely slice one onion and half of a lemon (with yellow part of skin removed). Put one tbsp oil, into a large, deep casserole dish (with lid) and toss the potatoes, onion and lemon in it. These form the base of the dish. Make a spice mix with 3 crushed garlic cloves, two tsp turmeric, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp garam masala and 1/2 tsp chilli powder or cayenne pepper. Add spices to 4 tablespoons of natural yoghurt. Sit a 1.5 Kg chicken on top of the potatoes in the casserole and smother in the spicy yoghurt paste. Bake in oven at 180 C (Fan oven) WITH THE LID ON for 1 hour. Remove lid and cook for a further 30 minutes. Obviously check chicken is cooked before removing from oven!! Served four of us with plenty of leftover chcicken.

The carcass makes a lovely stock which isn't too 'indian' in flavour, so can be used for anything. Don't be wierded out by the addition of the lemon - it basically dissolves into the potatoes and gives and nice flavour.

Making a stir fry tonight, using the left over chicken and a cabbage from the allotment

tracey12_2

kerri_dfw wrote: »

Hmmm my 2nd purse is down £70 is this how most peoples start? Or have I overdone it on the loo roll, beans and pasta?

Your 2nd purse will always fluctuate. My purse currently has £36.79 but if I had used all the items bought with my second purse I would have £78.57. It is a good way of making sure you have spare cash for when you spot a good deal so you can stock up when cheap.

Tracey

kerri_dfw

tracey12 wrote: »

Your 2nd purse will always fluctuate. My purse currently has £36.79 but if I had used all the items bought with my second purse I would have £78.57. It is a good way of making sure you have spare cash for when you spot a good deal so you can stock up when cheap.

Tracey

Thanks Tracey I wasn't sure if I'd overdone it or not.

rosieben

elly2 wrote: »

...My local heron store have 2 x2kilo tubs of lurpack on offer for £5 but its dated till feb am considering buying some and freezing it can you freeze butter? ...

yes you can, I have 6 packs in the freezer at the mo, bought on special

lynneee

afternoon all!
Not really posted much yet this year, but I am am making good progress!
So far this month I have spent £127.12 out of £200 so very pleased with that! My cupboards are looking a little empty but there is still quite a lot of meat in the freezer so its all good! Hoping to get through the weekend then go and do a proper shop.
Have a good week everyone

Linz4383

was plannnin a no spend day today BUT im at work later so it will all depend on the whoopsies mite b able to grab a bargain used some mushrooms up today with left over chicken in a chicken n mushroom omelette n it was gorgeous

rising_from_the_ashes

There's a nearish town which has a L*dl, £land & Farm*foods (none of which I have here) and an A*ldi (which I do) and have been wondering if it would be worth making a monthly trip - 36 mile round trip from the house but I could knock 15 miles off by going straight from work which makes a difference.

Anyway, had to run an errand for DM to that town today so thought I'd pop to £land for a few bits (£8 total):

Face wipes (2 for £1) - 4 months supply
Deodorant - 3 months supply
Crisps for work lunches - until end of Feb :T

Ended up parked right outside FF so just couldn't resist:o - it's a place I've never set foot in before today and I have to say, I was quite impressed:)

Aunt Be*ssies roast potatoes 2 for £2 (£1.50 each) *
Sliced muchrooms BOGOF @ £1
Potato croquettes £1
Chips £1.50

* Had the same on hash browns etc also offers on yorkshire puds but was unsure if these would be OK in the car (didn't have freezer bag/blocks with me)

Other frozen veg seemed very reasonably priced - Broccoli, carrots, swede, peas, onions etc all £1 / bag so will def be popping back once there's room to get more stuff in the freezers!:rotfl:

I did also see their milk was 2 for £1.80 on the 2 litre bottles - not sure how this compares to others (?) but certainly made me wince a little as currently spending £1.28 for 1 litre for "my" milk - that's a huge difference:(.....

Also got some brush heads for the new electric toothbrush on E*bay for under £4 so now have enough to last until around September 2013

Getting very close to allocated budget for Jan but not too worried as have quite a few bits & pieces which will last a few months.

rachelww1

Not really posted much so far this year, but popping on to update my spends of £212.81/£350 so far. Have been eating meat from the freezer for the last few weeks, and now the freezer is only half full.

Still sticking to my new years resolution of not buying any lunches at work which has saved me quite a bit of money :T

Need a few bits for lunches and various things for the house, so will pop to Mr Ts tonight, after dinner of either stuffed aubergine and purple chips, or hm donner kebabs (not sure yet but have some lamb mince that needs using up).

Ten days to go of this months challenge for me, and I'm sure I'll make it this time, unlike last year when I was way over most months that I joined in.

PolkaDotsAndLace

£14.33 spent today, on bread, milk, washing powder, cheese and loo roll. In fairness I must have enough loo roll to last us till March now, Scotmid were doing what pretty much was a half price deal on own brand 9pks so I just got it. Only leaves me with around £24 for the rest of the month, but I'm reconciled with the fact I'll be going over budget, just trying not to go TOO over budget now!

The Dominos takeaway we had this month is really annoying me, if we hadn't spent £20 on that I'd still be on target. Grrr.

Ess-six

kerri_dfw wrote: »

Hmmm my 2nd purse is down £70 is this how most peoples start? Or have I overdone it on the loo roll, beans and pasta?

I have the same problem.....but thinking about it, when Mothership put £10 a month away thirty years ago, that is equivalent to over £30 today! So I guess you either have to let it build up before you start spending, or be 'overdrawn' at first!