April 2012 Grocery Challenge

NickJW

Florenceem wrote: »

I find now - that I walk by someone eating chips or a fish/chip shop - smell is so greasy - really don't fancy anything like fast food.

So true! A person was on the tube on the way home from work eating a McDonalds. Honestly - I had a 'gag' moment. :eek:

Florenceem

jumblejack wrote: »

Oo Oo. I have just had a cheeky thought.....

I complained a month ago about some rank Holland Pies that spoilt our tea. I cheated and bought these on the way back home from a trip for a quick tea as we had loads of mushy peas (HM of course!) leftover from a night before. The smell from these things was stomach churning. Anyway, the point is that they sent me a £6 postal order that I still have in my purse.

Q: Would it be naughty to use this £6 on shopping to save me making a total wreck of my Grocery Spend this month? It might reduce the damages?!

Answers on a postcard please...;)

Of course you can spend it on groceries!
Florenceem gives you permission! :rotfl:

Florenceem

jumblejack wrote: »

Thanks

Glad you like the 2 minute microwave cakes. They are SO easy.

You could also add to the 2oz of sugar, butter, flour and 1 egg many things to adapt it.

How about adding a bit of dessicated coconut then smearing the cooked cake with hot jam and a few sprinkles of coconut.

You could also add either syrup or lemon curd at the bottom of the dish before you add the mixture. Then just upturn the servings in the bowl.

You could add pineapple rings to the bottom for an upside down pudding.

Mash a banana in the mixture for banana pudding.

The list is completely endless. It's a great way to use up fruit too.

I do hope others give it a whirl. It's quicker and cheaper than warming up a prepared pudding from the supermarket and it's fresh too.

I bet the clever folk on here will come up with some awesome adsptations.

I really miss having a microwave as I used to do these a few times a week. Since cooking at mums I have made the most of hers though :T

Did your MW give up or did you decide to do without one? My DS/DDIL got rid of their MW as they said - no room in the kitchen. They could have put it up on a little shelf - I have had a MW since 1980s.

Florenceem

I was sitting at my computer watching GYHIO on 4od when there was a knock at the front door.
MR F stood there - dripping blood - now I smell of dettol! :eek:
Good job I am not scared of blood! It is like looking after a child. Mr F is so clumsy - dog pulled him - he spun round and went flying - got an inch long gash in his eyebrow.
I have patched him up! :cool:

hm71_2

Florenceem wrote: »

I use a muffin recipe I got years ago out of a newspaper.
10 oz plain flour.
4 level tsps baking powder.
2 ozs baking margarine.
2 ozs sugar.
2 eggs.
approx 8 fl ozs milk.
flavouring of choice.

If you use paper cases - adds to cost. I often make lemon muffins - save the half squeezed lemon I used for a fish dinner. Use the rest of the juice and grate the rind.
Make chocolate chip muffins for DGC - grate own brand chocolate - cheaper than buying chocolate chip packets.
Makes 12 muffins so approx - 6p each.

Worked out that my breakfast - a muffin between Mr F and I plus custard costs 50p a day.
You honestly only need half a muffin each.

This sounds great- how long do you bake for & at what temp sorry to be a thicky but im shocking at cooking cakes always end up over cooking!!

Florenceem

hm71 wrote: »

This sounds great- how long do you bake for & at what temp sorry to be a thicky but im shocking at cooking cakes always end up over cooking!!

Well my oven is old - I use 200 c for about 20 minutes.

jumblejack

Florenceem wrote: »

Did your MW give up or did you decide to do without one? My DS/DDIL got rid of their MW as they said - no room in the kitchen. They could have put it up on a little shelf - I have had a MW since 1980s.

I got rid of it as I read bad things about them. I regret it now though. It was great for baking potatoes in a jiffy and microwave baking

Space IS an issue though. A bread maker now lives where it used to be. If I could drop on one at a snip, I could easily be tempted

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending

Florenceem - I hope your DH is OK.

I know what you mean about the fish and chips/fast food - I cannot face greasy stuff - it just makes me feel yack (I'm sure that word's in the Oxford dictionary somewhere :rotfl:).


Well the final total for April is £335.04/£320 :eek:. However, not as horrific as I thought it would be at one point this month. I'm hoping that when I finish my Uni exams in a couple of weeks I will have time to be much more economical and I can't wait to bake some of the recipes I've been collecting from this thread. Thanks everyone :T. Can't do the microwave recipes tho as we don't have one .

JIL

fozziebeartoo wrote: »

My fave basic cookie recipe is this one:-

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/380762/White-choc-chip-and-hazelnut-cookies

I make up a batch leaving out the choc and nuts and then add chopped up Snickers or Mars or Dime bar (Daim I think its called now) or chopped dried apricots or mixed fruit or choccie chips or chocolate covered Turkish Delight etc.

I havent tried Bounty yet but I should think that would be good.

You just need to keep a close eye on them because of the high sugar content of the "bits".....

And let them cool for a few minutes on the tray before you transfer them to a cooling tray so the chewy bits can firm up a bit.

Yum! :j But mind your fillings.....they can prove very
chewy :rotfl:

thank you for posting the link to the recipe.
I have just made a batch and put them in the cookie tin, My daughter looked at them said they tasted ""awright, but why cant you make them like subways?"""

I give up I made 10 for less than the price she pays for one and mine dont have additives. :mad:

sallybunny

Right, I'm declaring for the last 2 weeks of April at £93.70 / £100. Not too bad really considering I bought loads of laundry liquid! May is going to be my first full month for this and my normal budget is £450 but having managed less than £100 for 2 weeks and knowing I've got loads in the freezer / stores then I'll go with £350 for May and hoping to come out nearer the £300 mark. We go on holiday in July and I want to surprise DH with extra spending money!