Grocery Challenge - February 2012

rising_from_the_ashes

cleggie wrote: »

My grand total this week came to £63 instead of about £85. Not a huge difference, but its still a difference and still makes me feel like i am accomplishing something!

That's brilliant Cleggie, well done:j - every £ saved is much better going towards the hol fund rather than in the sm pocket:D.

PennyGrabber wrote: »

I'm so proud of myself today! I went to farmfoods for the first time ever, as ours has just opened, and i told myself i was just going for a reccy, and that's what I did! It helped that I was with my neighbour, who it turns out is as bad as me!! He's a retired 60-something year old, and he was saying oh no, that's x amount in x shop!! I thought I was talking to myself in a mirror, it was hilarious! Anyway, as I didn't spend anything in there, I have a nsd to report. Woop woop!! There were lots of things I will buy to try though. Any advice on things to avoid?

:rotfl:chuckling at you and your neighbour going for a reccy:D

I'm still a novice at FF (only been once so far as quite far away and just got a few bits to try).

The only thing I've been disappointed with was their potato croquettes - they seem to take ages (much longer than stated on the packaging) to cook and just "aren't right" ..... (might be me)


Well, did a load of cooking yesterday - all down to a major revival after finally getting some DC inside me:o

• 2 x 450g packs of mince were turned into a huge pot of mince & veg (still to be portioned up - job for tonight)
• 2 x 450g packs of mince (in seperate pots as only have 1 big enough to take that much:() were made into Spal Bol sauce - 6 portions now ready to go in the freezer & also did a 4 portioned Lasagne:T
• 2 x 450g packs of mince now wrapped & in the freezer:)

Didn't enjoy the washing up tho':eek:

rising_from_the_ashes

Does anyone have a good (eg easy:)) recipe for Chicken Lasagne?

(Did see one on the front page for chicken & bacon but don't want bacon in it ....)

I've had this a couple of times when eating out and it's lovely but just don't have a clue where to start with trying to make one myself:o

TIA:)

cleggie

PennyGrabber wrote: »

I'm so proud of myself today! I went to farmfoods for the first time ever, as ours has just opened, and i told myself i was just going for a reccy, and that's what I did! It helped that I was with my neighbour, who it turns out is as bad as me!! He's a retired 60-something year old, and he was saying oh no, that's x amount in x shop!! I thought I was talking to myself in a mirror, it was hilarious! Anyway, as I didn't spend anything in there, I have a nsd to report. Woop woop!! There were lots of things I will buy to try though. Any advice on things to avoid?

PG x

PG, i quite often buy thing from FF and in my experience the things to avoid are:

Prawns- they have no taste whatsoever and shrink to about a quarter of their size, they are gross!

French fries- they normally do 2 massive bags for £2, but i find that they takes MUCH MUCH longer than started to cook. I have had them in my oven for about 45 mins before they are cooked!!!

Sweetcorn- again, no taste to them at all, so i now use them in a curry etc, to bulk it out.

cleggie

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Does anyone have a good (eg easy:)) recipe for Chicken Lasagne?

(Did see one on the front page for chicken & bacon but don't want bacon in it ....)

I've had this a couple of times when eating out and it's lovely but just don't have a clue where to start with trying to make one myself:o

TIA:)

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/18663/cheat-s-chicken-lasagne.aspx

rising_from_the_ashes

cleggie wrote: »

http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/18663/cheat-s-chicken-lasagne.aspx

Ohhhh that looks good Cleggie:j - I could easily add some veg to bulk it out a bit.

I use a very similar "method" of 1 tin each of condensed Chicken & Mushroom soup for my chicken casserole base .... don't know why I didn't think of that before!:o

PennyGrabber

carolinerunner wrote: »

Thanks for the veg info florence! Will def try that.

Last few days of Feb here, need some basics (how can we eat SO much cheese?! Horrified to realise none in the house today, quick change of breakfast plan...) but realised that just cos it's Monday (my usual menu plan and sm day) I don't actually HAVE to go and spend £40 today and bring myself almost up to budget, I can just get the absolute necessities and squeeze another few days out of the cupbaords, fridge and freezer. Habits are habits for a reason, means they're hard to break.

Happy Monday all!

Well done on your revelation!

cleggie wrote: »

Hi everyone
I am finally reigning in my SM shopping! My grand total this week came to £63 instead of about £85. Not a huge difference, but its still a difference and still makes me feel like i am accomplishing something!
I have a full weeks meals,lunches, snacks and breakfasts in the house, so shouldnt need to go near a SM until Friday (pay day).

I like keeping my money instead of giving it to the SMs!

What do you mean not a huge difference?! £22 is a lot of money! That's £1144 per year!

cleggie wrote: »

Can i ask, i am just looking at the approved food website and it seems too good to be true? Is it OOD stock that they sell?

When you're on the list of foods, if you hover over an item, the bb date will come up. Or, you could choose to show only product within date.

freyasmum

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Does anyone have a good (eg easy:)) recipe for Chicken Lasagne?

(Did see one on the front page for chicken & bacon but don't want bacon in it ....)

I've had this a couple of times when eating out and it's lovely but just don't have a clue where to start with trying to make one myself:o

TIA:)

It's not a recipe as such but I make a lovely (even if I do say so myself ) chicken and broccoli lasagne.


It's just a white sauce so nothing special/fancy.


You need:
Butter
Flour
Milk
Seasoning
Chicken
Lasagne Sheets
Broccoli
Cheeses, if using
Onion
Handfuls of chopped veg - frozen peas/corn/carrots/whatever else you fancy


Method:


Fry off your chicken and remove from pan.


Lightly soften onion in some butter, add flour and cook off the 'raw-ness', add milk and make roux as normal. I find if I'm making the 2 step bechamel that it combines better if the milk is ever so slightly warmed (if using the one-step method, I don't bother).


Add in the chicken and veg, and check seasoning. Cook till everything's nicely cooked and the flavours are melding together nicely.


Layer up as normal, topping with a final layer of the white sauce and covering with a light sprinkle of parmesan. Cook in a 180 oven till golden and bubbly.

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhhh fantastic Freyasmum - it was Chicken & Broccolli Lasagne that I had when I was out!

Will be giving that one a try too (I'm now a happy rising :j)

I couldn't figure out how to layer it before :o - so used to doing a mince/veg based one

bodmin789

Had 2 nsd in a row, feeling very proud! Normally find an excuse to pop up to Sains most days. Just finished a lovely tea prepared by DH, shepherds pie, but made with mung beans, and brussel sprouts, delicious!

Hoping to try out the baked bean lasange tomorrow, as sounds very interesting.

Ordered the food processor, so willing it to be delivered, so I can try it out.

Barbeduk

Hello everyone still on their Feb spends. Bit worried about finding the March thread, I bet there's pages of it already!

Small spend today in Mr M, cornflour, macaroni, porridge oats and ham, which came to £3.04. Think that leaves me with around a fiver left but tbh we don't really need anything else. I bet I spend it though!!

Am going to try and stick to £260 again for March (2 adults, 2 kids for food, toiletries and cleaning stuff). It's DS birthday in March but if I ask him what he wants for birthday tea I know he'll say sausages which won't exactly break the budget!!

Have also batch cooked today, bolognaise sauce bulked out with lentils. I'm going to turn some of it into chilli for grown ups tea tomorrow night. Monday is always risotto with sunday breakfasts leftover bacon and mushrooms. Not that we're creatures of habit or anything.:)