Grocery Challenge - February 2012

JIL

oh Seductive Smile your list looks like mine. I think there was a good tip on the frugal living challenge of how to use things out of the freezer. post 1753.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3612005

My freezer is so full, I dread going in there as it all just falls out. I thought about getting a small chest freezer but I fear that would just make the hoarding problem worse. Even if I take something out, such as mince and cook something with it, the leftovers go back in.
I think its because I used to cook for 5 of us and since the boys left home its now more often than not just two of us.

Suffolk_lass

seductivesmile wrote: »

- ideas on meals i would love as i have gotten myself in to a rut.

I'm guessing your store cupboard is equally well stocked... How about Pasticcio?

Make a meat ragu/bolognaise sauce, you can use beef, lamb or pork mince. I use 250g beef mince to 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, tin of chopped tomatoes, spoonful of tom puree dash of worcester sauce, dash of tabasco, oxo cube, sprinkle of herbs (basil, oregano, thyme and mint but mixed or provence just as good). I add a chopped carrot, some celery, if I have some, and maybe a handful of red lentils it it looks mean.
Cook up some pasta shapes (shells or penne, bows or the like) until al-dente (2 minutes less than the packet says!).
Layer it into an ovenproof dish about 3" (10cm) deep (start with the sauce) and leave room for some cheese sauce and a sprinkle of cheese on top then into the oven at around 200C for 20 minutes. Very like Lasagne but somehow the separate pasta shapes make it go further and it is infinitely easier to dish up. I make it for winter parties and used to do it meat free for hockey teas when we played mixed on Sundays. Yum

JIL

Suffolk_lass wrote: »

How about Pasticcio?

Make a meat ragu/bolognaise sauce, you can use beef, lamb or pork mince. I use 250g beef mince to 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, tin of chopped tomatoes, spoonful of tom puree dash of worcester sauce, dash of tabasco, oxo cube, sprinkle of herbs (basil, oregano, thyme and mint but mixed or provence just as good). I add a chopped carrot, some celery, if I have some, and maybe a handful of red lentils it it looks mean.

This is very similar to a moussaka recipe we used to make at school and was really really good. Our home economics teacher was a farmers wife and had young children, so taught us how to cook proper family meals.

We did not use aubergine in her recipe, instead we layered up a bolognaise sauce in between slices of potato, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Then we poured over a cheese sauce which had an egg mixed into it.

Bake slowly and make sure the potatoes are cooked through.
The egg sets the cheese sauce and its really tasty.

freyasmum

Fallen behind already and we're only 6 days in

Spent £2.16 on milk and mustard powder, will add to signature

Blairweech

Spent £5.65 on ingredients for cottage pie (tonights dinner) and pasta 3 cheese (tomorrow nights). Bargains: got a bunch of organic celery for 15p and I saved myself £1.50 by putting some RTC chocolate brownies back

Didnt leave my cottage pie base to cool so all the potato merged into it. Never mind, still tastes good (and enough for lunch leftovers tomorrow). In theory I have qute a few meals in now so should not need to spend on groceries for a bit...although that might requie me eating the same meal 3 days in a row...

Herbyme

Hurrah, 1st NSD of Feb! Helped by buying 2 x 4 piints of milk last night at Mr S, seems a huge lot but I now have to admit we do go through it that fast, and stop kidding myself by buying 4 pints at a time.

HM pizzas for tea with some Ald1 ham which was lovely and some Mr S basics grated mozzarella which was much cheaper than the normal kind but also, and more importantly, grated much finer so you could spread it further. Good trick.

Visitors going tomorrow so I can use up all those scraps in the fridge that are a bit embarrassing to get out in company - the one portion bits of this that and the other that I'd eat happily but feel awkward giving to guests.

Last wine day till Thursday, ekeing out the last drops as there's no point leaving any in the bottle and I've got enough as ice cubes already.... night all and big hugs to those who would like them

XSpender

Grand total of 8p spent today on some icing sugar, granulated sugar and a roll of baking paper to make the cakes for DH to take into work. I used £5 of nectar points but still much cheaper than buying shop bought cakes for the gannets he works with and the ingredients will last a good while. Used up the last of my baking margerine so must remember to add it to the list on my fridge door.

Half way through eating the lovely tea I had made (beef stroganoff for DH, quorn lamb for me with ald1 new pots, carrots and broccoli) when DS woke up screaming having thrown up all over his cot. I knew he wasn't well when he went to bed but wasn't expecting that:eek: By the time I had him sorted my tea was cold and went in the dog and I have just filled my rumbly tummy after icing 2 cakes with some cream crackers:(

I have set myself a target of £20 this week and £25 next week (need dog food) to spend on food as we have heaving cupboard and chock a block freezers so do not need much. I am going to Ald1 on Saturday morning after dropping DH at work so will write a list and stick to it. We are at my Mum's on Sunday so will not go shopping and I am going swimming Friday and DH doesn't do supermarkets on his own very often. If I keep out of the shops I can't spend any money:D

Herbyme

XSpender, I am not sure about icing cakes with cream crackers, wouldn't it be too crunchy ...:rotfl:

JARUS

DundeeDoll wrote: »

After long illness, FIL died this morning in nursing home. OH had gone down again Thursday knowing death was imminent. Left me a bit numb. MIL not eating properly so OH buying food for her. Don't know when the funeral is. Will try to keep to budget this month.

Going to Lidl later with mum as OH has car (getting perilously low on cat food and bread - will dust down bread maker maybe next month but I think cooking cat food would turn out more expensive!). Menu for week planned (lots of fish cos OH not so keen on fish), freezer audited, very last of the Christmas turkey to be finished this lunch time. At last am getting to the end of UFOs - unidentified frying objects - you know, those bits of meat in unlabeled plastic bags whose identity only becomes clear on defrosting (and sometimes not even then lol). Love you all, you're the best xxx

DD Sorry to hear of your loss. xx

Encouraging to hear I'm not the only one with UFO's in the freezer.

JARUS

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

I buy all my pet food online now - from several different suppliers - and can say I've never had a problem (yet!).

I used to get stuff from PAH all the time but they've recently changed their courier & you now need to sign for it which means I can't get anything from them anymore:mad: (the old courier was happy to leave in a "safe" place if you took responsibility for it).

I have made my feelings on the subject known to PAH - especially as there was nothing to say they'd changed when ordering that you must now be in to sign for the delivery.

Thank you for that, I will have a look next time xx