Grocery Challenge - February 2012

MissOrganised1972

carolinerunner wrote: »

To those who've made Nigella's breakfast bars, I would like to make these but we don't like shredded coconut, could you suggest a substitute? Maybe just a bit more oats, or a different dried fruit? Also did you actually use cranberries? I've found they can be both sour and pricey!

sorry for the delay in responding & I am sure as I slowly plod through the thread, I will realise someone has already replied! Anyhow, here goes........

I would say you could just omit the coconut or add a bit extra onto your dried fruit. I think extra fruit like raisins would be nice & maybe some syrup to moisten it a little! Truely teeth rotting!!

With regards the cranberries, I used Craisins (branded dried cranberries) which I found in Al*i for £1. I didn't use them all in the recipe, there were still some left which I mixed with other dried fruit for snacks for the kids. Before I became a good 'GCer', when money was no object, I used to buy these all the time for my kids from Mr T for about £1.75!

elsiepac

Hi all!

I've had a very lazy day today, but with one exciting thing. I had to go to the town a few miles away to get my prescriptions, and there was a 20 minute wait, so I went to Ald1 which is opposite the chemist. Very exciting, MUCH better than L1dl!!!

I've saved another 20p on this months food budget by buying 3 of the "Super 6" veggies - onions, swede and parsnips. And by changing around my meal plan to incorporate these as lunches (Cheap Family Recipes Lunchtime Rice coming up!) instead of the other couple of bits I was going to get in Mr T by me.

So it was £1.17 for the veggies as 39p (by the way that makes the swede even cheaper than ROSSPA as they sell a whole one for 42p. In comparison, Mr T swede PORTION is 70p!). Then I was charged 3p for the privilege of a carrier bag. So a total of £1.20 spent. Next time I will take my own bags if I remember, stingy creature that I am (Although it was a very good quality carrier bag for 3p, I must say, much better than the carppy thin things in Mr T!)

I was so impressed with them I'm thinking about how I can incorporate that store into my shopping (which is minimal atm to be fair). when I'm back at work it's a diversion of about 2-3 miles extra I believe, to drop in there on the way home (otherwise about 8 miles or so from my house). So I wouldn't want to make a special trip unless had spare petrol as I use so much anyway. However, my Dr is there, so I do occasionally have to go there (more recently admittedly!).

One thing that stood out for me was 2 FR chicken breasts for £2.79! (I will NOT compromise and support cruelty by buying battery, I'd rather go without! ) Mr T is the best part of £6! I think they are smaller, but who cares! So I might be able to have chicken again in my meal plan, what a treat! eggs looked expensive though at £1.99 for 6 FR medium. Mr T is about £1.53 for the same, and I get mine from next door's happy chickens, for 6 for £1, so hard to beat anyway!

Ready to eat mackerel was £1.49 for I think about 3 good sized fillets. Amazing looking frozen pizzas for 99p - had my eye on the vegetable one! King prawns £1.99 for a decent sized pack.

I'm DEFINITELY going back there! I don't remember the last time I was so excited about shopping. I can feel some changes coming on to March's meal plan... :rotfl:

But the best thing was that my favourite tipple (after white wine), Amaretto was there. When I discovered L1dl the other day, they had one for £9.99. Mr T has one £9.79 I think - just gone up from what used to be £8.51. The new love of my life Ald1, has one for £4.99! I'm DEFINITELY giving it a trial run next month! :T:D:beer:

Anywho... sorry for long rambling post.

Oh yes, for tea I slapped together a risotto using one portion of the roast chicken I got the other day and froze in little pieces. Was very delicious considering I improvised it! Here you go, quantities are based on what I did, they would vary easily:

1 tbsp olive oil - heat in big pan
1 big white onion, chopped - saute in the oil until nearly soft
200-300g arborio (risotto) rice [depending on how much you want!] - stir until mixed with onion and oil
200ml white wine - add to pan and stir until rice has absorbed
1 Kn0rr chicken stock pot - dissolve in 500ml boiling water, add in batches to pan as rice absorbs it
Use more water at the end as needed
Stir in cooked chicken pieces (I used 117g for 3 portions - very stingey)
Sprinkle black pepper through
150-300g frozen peas - stir through until hot

Serve, grate cheese over if wished. Was yummy

LC

Feb GC: £70.70/£98
Week 1: £13.38/£14
Week 2: £17.69/£18
Week 3: £12.41/£13
Week 4: £2.98/£14
Week 5: £0/£14
Stores: £24.24/£25

elsiepac

pipersky wrote: »

Sorry to butt in but I would LOVE to see this I spreadsheets

Hi pipersky

This is the link to download it... my version changes constantly so is already different to that one!

I originally posted it on Post 1449 of this thread.

Have fun!

LC

JIL

elsiepac wrote: »

Hi all!

I've had a very lazy day today, but with one exciting thing. I had to go to the town a few miles away to get my prescriptions, and there was a 20 minute wait, so I went to Ald1 which is opposite the chemist. Very exciting, MUCH better than L1dl!!!

One thing that stood out for me was 2 FR chicken breasts for £2.79! (I will NOT compromise and support cruelty by buying battery, I'd rather go without! ) Mr T is the best part of £6! I think they are smaller, but who cares! So I might be able to have chicken again in my meal plan, what a treat! eggs looked expensive though at £1.99 for 6 FR medium.





i]

You can get a whole fr chicken in Aldi for £4.99, often they reduce them, close to the sell by and take 30% off.

Really shocked at the price of the free range eggs, I pay 89p for 6 in my Aldi. I bought some free range eggs in Morries the other day and the Aldi ones were a better taste.
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/product_range/best_of_british_16291.htm

I love Aldi, if I ever go to another SM I find myself really shocked at the prices in there, compared to their German cousins.

NB Your spreadsheet is very impressive.

MunniMuncha

LC, good job you don't live in over the bridge in Wales and it is now law that you have to pay 5p per carrier bag:p. Think it's great tho as you soon get into the stride of taking a bag in your bag wherever you go:T. Hope you have a good day today:D

cw18

Not been on here since 14th, when I came to declare a grocery spend on 11th

Since then I've only spent on groceries once (on Friday 17th - fresh ingredients to make spag bol for when my chap arrived that evening), and have tried to use up some more pre-2012 stock the rest of the time

Just updated my spreadsheet, and am surprised to find I still have some of my budget left :T
It may only be £3.37, but that's better than being overspent already

Don't expect it to take more than a few days to 'spend' that on stock items though (I'm trying to increase my f&V count, so am working my way through the tinned fruit that's been in my cupboards since heaven-only-knows-when - and I also need to make some more marmalade which will wipe out half of what's left), even if I also allow for the fact I had £5.90 left of last months budget which I could in theory use....

Still one more weekend to get through with my chap before I can declare, but I'm going to have a look through what I've got in to see if I can stay out of the shops anyway (apart from the possibility of some fresh veg)

freedom2011

I bought lots of tinned tuna when it was on offer from AP mainly as a lunch box filler. I am now thinking up frugal ways for main meals. Apart from with jacket spuds, fish cake or pasta bake I have drawn a blank. Anybody want to throw me some ideas? The store-cupboard is full of olive oil, herbs etc so I will have most things to add to any recipe.

cw18

We grew up on 'tuna fish pie' which I'm planning to make this weekend as my fella's never had it

Basically it's just a white sauce to which you add tinned tuna, and then top with mashed potato before cooking in the oven like a cottage/shepherds pie.
But (to save on the electric required to run the oven) I now let the sauce continue to cook for a while after adding the tuna to let the flavours merge, and then just pour it over the mash on the plates

I always serve it with peas and sweetcorn (was peas and carrots when I was a kid) and tomato ketchup

Lovethenight

freedom2011 wrote: »

I bought lots of tinned tuna when it was on offer from AP mainly as a lunch box filler. I am now thinking up frugal ways for main meals. Apart from with jacket spuds, fish cake or pasta bake I have drawn a blank. Anybody want to throw me some ideas? The store-cupboard is full of olive oil, herbs etc so I will have most things to add to any recipe.

Hey freedom, not really a main meal, or season-appropriate, but I had a great tuna starter in an Italian restaurant - it was basically a large beef tomatoe that had been hollowed out ( top cut off), stuffed with tuna, black olives, garlic, herbs and the tomato seeds, then drizzled with olive oil. Not sure how much tuna you have to get through, but thought this might give you an idea or two....:)
LTN

Herbyme

MissOrganised1972 wrote: »

I would say you could just omit the coconut or add a bit extra onto your dried fruit. I think extra fruit like raisins would be nice & maybe some syrup to moisten it a little! Truely teeth rotting!!

With regards the cranberries, I used Craisins (branded dried cranberries) which I found in Al*i for £1. I didn't use them all in the recipe, there were still some left which I mixed with other dried fruit for snacks for the kids. Before I became a good 'GCer', when money was no object, I used to buy these all the time for my kids from Mr T for about £1.75!

Thank you so much! I kknow what you mean, this thread moves soooo fast, I just can't keep up! Will hunt in Ald1 for Craisins and leave the current (!) batch to DH who has stronger teeth and can cope with them!

Freedom, if you have the original Delia book, there's lovely brown rice salad with tuna in that, I adapt it to eat it hot and cook pieces of pepper and onion in with the rice for extra taste, can heartily recommend (could post rough recipe if you haven't got it)