March 2012 Grocery Challenge

elizabunny

Evening everyone!

HM Cottage Pie for dinner tonight and 2 NSDs in a row. Will definately need to do some baking tomorrow, as snacky bits for DH lunchbox all gone.

The first of my crops were sown over the weekend, Tomatoes, Leeks, Garlic & Thyme -but loads more to do, which should help with the grocery challlenge budget.

Hope everyone else is doing ok for March:)

rising_from_the_ashes

bupster wrote: »

In other news I have been away from the boards for a couple of days - this is due to winning a weekend in south of France where I lounged like a lizard for two nights and two days stuffing my face. It was ace. I spent EUR100 during the whole trip and that included a taxi to the airport on the last day (too knackered to face tram and bus) and all my food and numerous teeny tiny coffees. And I flirted outrageously with lots of French men, which did me the world of good as I don't really get noticed here. Really, really needed it and could never have afforded it except for comp. Am counting it as a separate budget item entirely. Emergencies perhaps? :rotfl:

Ohhhhh that sounds absolutely wonderful Bupster (*sigh*) - so glad you enjoyed it:D

Note to self: start entering competitions!:o

XSpender

Reporting a spend of £10.89 yesterday on d/w salt, sanitary towels, butter for cupcakes, olive spread and jaffa cakes.

Also including the teas I had at work today.

Kievs, wedges, peas and carrots for tea toinght. I found a shepherds pie in the freezer (the innards I had batch cooked previously) that I had forgotten I had so will squeeze that into the meal plan somewhere with some sweet potato mash on top:D

Suffolk_lass

bupster wrote: »

In other news I have been away from the boards for a couple of days - this is due to winning a weekend in south of France where I lounged like a lizard for two nights and two days stuffing my face. It was ace. I spent EUR100 during the whole trip and that included a taxi to the airport on the last day (too knackered to face tram and bus) and all my food and numerous teeny tiny coffees. And I flirted outrageously with lots of French men, which did me the world of good as I don't really get noticed here. Really, really needed it and could never have afforded it except for comp. Am counting it as a separate budget item entirely. Emergencies perhaps? :rotfl:

Marvellous :T:T Maybe R&R budget? rejuvenation and reinvention

elsiepac

JIL thank you so much for your suggestions for my cabbages! I wasn't finding anything inspirational on my searches!

JIL wrote: »

I love the delia red cabbage recipe it freezes really well.
I dont follow the seasoning's i just use what I have. I have put dried cranberries in as well.
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/one-pot-meals/christmas-easybraised-red-cabbage-with-apples.html

I should have mentioned that I HATE fruit in savoury food, REALLY REALLY HATE IT!!! :rotfl: Hence having trouble finding decent red cabbage recipe... sorry

JIL wrote: »

and for the white cabbage what about this?
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1685/gratin-of-white-cabbage-and-lentils-in-a-provenal-

Can't believe I didn't find this in my (admittedly brief) search! I think this is a definite contender. I have tons of lentils in the cupboard and I love them, and I have 3 jars of pasta sauce in the cupboard (don't know why as it is so rare I would use them!) and have been trying to think what to do with them! So I will do this recipe but adapt to use a jar of pasta sauce mixed with passata or tinned toms with some chilli and mixed herbs (from the lovely herb grinder my sister brought back from Greece for me, really sweet ceramic pot with a sort of screw on top that you use like a pepper mill). Won't bother with the breadcrumbs as don't have any bread and will use the reduced fat mature cheddar I have a little left of instead of buying parmesan. PERFECT! Thanks so much!

JIL wrote: »

I was looking for a dish that I saw somewhere on the forum, it was white cabbage with bacon bits and choux pastry, I think it may have been in a debt free diary. Lots of posters were trying it and saying it was lovely. It was a French peasant dish if I remember correctly.

After I've made the Cheap Family Recipes Onion and Potato Soup for lunch for the next 4 days tomorrow, I will still have 1/3 pack frozen bacon so actually this recipe could be a good one. I will have a search too, thank you once again! Found my inspiration! :T

bupster wrote: »

In other news I have been away from the boards for a couple of days - this is due to winning a weekend in south of France where I lounged like a lizard for two nights and two days stuffing my face. It was ace. I spent EUR100 during the whole trip and that included a taxi to the airport on the last day (too knackered to face tram and bus) and all my food and numerous teeny tiny coffees. And I flirted outrageously with lots of French men, which did me the world of good as I don't really get noticed here. Really, really needed it and could never have afforded it except for comp. Am counting it as a separate budget item entirely. Emergencies perhaps? :rotfl:

Wow that sounds amazing and so rejuvenating! Glad you had a good time you lucky thing! :j

LC

angelavdavis

Hi all,

I hope you don't mind me joining this months challenge?

I have recently adopted two under 4s and, as I haven't worked since 2008, we have been gradually adding to the cc bills so I now need to make a concerted effort to get these down. I am good with all budgeting but have become lazy of late with the groceries.

I am currently doing a store cupboard and freezer challenge - gradually emptying the old stocks and have done a meal plan for the month.

There are four adults (inc OAP parents), two children, 2 cats and 7 chickens in our household. The chickens have enough feed for the month, so I have budgeted £300 for us all. I don't know if this is ambitious or not as we have plenty of meals worth of food already in stock, but I will have to watch my Mum who sees supermarket shopping as recreation!:rotfl:

NickJW

Another £1.35 spent on some milk from the corner shop.

Linz4383

nipped to tesco tonite... ended up walkin out with no food :eek: even the bits id gone in for! got a bit excited over the BARGAINS id found! 3 pairs of tights for 50p!!!! DD well stocked up now! pjs from £6 to £1.50 and boots from £14 to £5 plus discount off! very happy with them bargains so happy i forgot what else i needed! and just ended up with conditioner and full marks:mad::mad::mad: wish people would do there kids hairs!!!!!!

DundeeDoll

Decisions decisions. It was so almost a NSD but needed chocolate 'for medicinal purposes' :rotfl: but bought it from my pm. So does that count as a nsd in gc? Hmmmmmmmm

angelatgraceland

bupster wrote: »

In other news I have been away from the boards for a couple of days - this is due to winning a weekend in south of France where I lounged like a lizard for two nights and two days stuffing my face. It was ace. I spent EUR100 during the whole trip and that included a taxi to the airport on the last day (too knackered to face tram and bus) and all my food and numerous teeny tiny coffees. And I flirted outrageously with lots of French men, which did me the world of good as I don't really get noticed here. Really, really needed it and could never have afforded it except for comp. Am counting it as a separate budget item entirely. Emergencies perhaps? :rotfl:

Emergencies or even medicinal? Now we know why your avatar is a flying bird?:rotfl:
I am truly envious! Good on you I say!
Just making out a Mr T order only to find that half of the offers ~I wanted will expire after the time of the delivery I want-so deleted those and will add some stuff nearer the time. It may of course get cancelled as is a habit of mine! I am however enjoying the belgian chocolates my DD has just brought back from(You guessed it) Belgium. Rather good I must say-I really want a channel hop now!:p