Grocery Challenge - February 2012

elizabunny

Hi everyone! I have been AWOL for a few days but back now, if not quite on track. I have managed to sort my receipts and will update siggy in a minute.

I'm going to have a go at meal planning again. Have got quite lazy with this and need to get a grip because when I shop I have no idea what I'm shopping for ......except food. So I will start using a list as well.

Hope everyone else is doing well with their challenge!

Florenceem

bupster wrote: »

Just wanted to say thank you to Florenceem for the tip about the veg. I've just tried layering sweetheart cabbage, mushrooms and courgettes in some tupperware and sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper, then bunging it in the microwave for four minutes. It tastes amazing and all the veg still look green and fresh. Wanted to up my intake but steaming can be a pain in the backside - doing all my veg like this from now on!

Also, can't remember who was moaning about shop bought granola but I make my own. 300 gms mixed flakes (porridge oats are fine but I bung in wheat and rye flakes), 50g each of sunflower and pumpkin seeds, same of sesame, 100g flaked almonds and some sultanas, a handful of hazelnuts, and some walnuts I crumble in. Mix up with a couple of tablespoons of oil, the same of honey, and 125ml of maple syrup. Based on a Good Food recipe. Bake for 20 mins, (I spread foil over a baking tray) stirring it around halfway through. I generally leave the sultanas out until the last five mins. Leave to cool completely before picking up the foil and sort of funnelling the lot into some tupperware.

Very filling but by the sounds of your lot you might want to bulk up with cheap oats as much as possible. Can you persuade him to try porridge? Cooked with apple juice it's really sweet and lovely and much, much cheaper.

Pleased you tried the microwave veg - so easy. I don't think I said - I put some water in the microwave pot to steam cook the veg - water left doesn't get wasted - all that veggie goodness in there - Mr F drinks it!

XSpender

Just a quick post before I toddle off to bed, shattered today.

Just under £20 spent in Mr S on baking pots, wine, toilet wipes, 2 toddler ready meals (DS didn't like it much:( just ate a bit and the carrots I made to go with it), 16 cans of coke on offer (vile stuff but DH likes it), bleach and skimmed milk. Forgot I also got 2 packs of red cabbage and apple ys down to 29p each which will DH and I some variey as we are trying to eat more fruit and veg.

Planning roast dinner tomorrow night and I am aiming to include 5 veg:).

I have decided to buy the weekends worth of booze when I do the weekly shop to stop the extra bits falling in the basket when we pop in for a bottle of wine.

Today I made a perfect poached egg for the first time ever and I am chuffed to bits as I love poached eggs:D I followed the instructions in HFW Veg book and they were spot on:T

Booked our holidays today and I am so excited about 2 weeks in a caravan in Somerset it's daft!:rotfl:

Florenceem

Last NSD of the month for me - so I managed 21 out of the 22 I aimed for.
For dinner we had chicken pie/roast potato/roast parsnip/cabbage/carrot/swede.



HM Tandoori chicken for tomorrow's dinner - got lots of chicken in the freezer!

new_leaf_88

Hi everyone
I have just updated my totals in my signature, I am not quite finished yet as my month goes on until 29th. AM going to aim the same for March. Will I keep the same number for March or is it a new thread?

I am finding these challenges really helpful, they are keeping me totally focused, I do have the odd blip but all in all I am trying to keep on track.

I don't get time to come on line every day but keep in the loop when I can.

Good luck for MArch everyon.

Thanks to all who keep the thread going.:T

JIL

Florenceem wrote: »

Pleased you tried the microwave veg - so easy. I don't think I said - I put some water in the microwave pot to steam cook the veg - water left doesn't get wasted - all that veggie goodness in there - Mr F drinks it!

Can I add my thanks as well, I was going to go and get the dishes from the £ shop today, but never got there.
I was buying the microwave bags from Ald1 when they were on offer and using them but it seemed such a waste when they can only be used once.

I said in an earlier post I had got some of the season and shake cook in sauces from Asda at 50p. They come with a roasting bag and as roasting bags them selves are 10 for £1.27. The spices are quite good value. Today i made the rustic chicken, using some chicken thighs (i skinned them first), potatoes, carrots, shallots and red peppers. It was such an easy dinner and turned out really well. It all went into the bag, into the small oven for 90 mins on a medium heat and was ready. I served it with some ready made Yorkshire puddings, I picked up a few weeks ago on the aldi offer.
I made the sticky ribs in much the same way yesterday.

I now will make my confession, I was so impressed I bought another 20 packets (and the reason i did not get to poundland).

Herbyme

Florence, I know this sounds daft but how do you judge how small to chop different veg so they're all cooked/ready at the same time? Do you cook root veg in with green veg? I usually use a steamer and have, eg, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and maybe cook frozen sweetcorn in the bottom part as DS2 loves that and not much else veg wise - but I notice you put swede and things in too, how small do you chop root veg and do you put everything in together all at once?

Sorry to demand so many details!

freyasmum

Florenceem wrote: »

Pleased you tried the microwave veg - so easy. I don't think I said - I put some water in the microwave pot to steam cook the veg - water left doesn't get wasted - all that veggie goodness in there - Mr F drinks it!

I absolutely LOVE drinking the water that cabbage has been cooked in :drool:

Florenceem

The vegetables that you see on my dinner plate are all cooked together in the one microwave tub. There are various sizes of these tubs - they can be used for storing food as well as cooking in the microwave - you just open the vent hols to MW and close when using to store. I shred my cabbage, dice the swede, slice or cut the carrot into strips. I cut an onion in half then into chunks. You will soon get the hang of sizes to prepare the veg as you use the microwave tubs. I used to put baked beans in a pyrex jug and cover with cling film when I heated them in the MW - now I use one of the tubs.

DundeeDoll

Bit nervous about next month as it has 5 saturdays (my SM day) any tips gratefully received