April 2012 Grocery Challenge

abitofhelp

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending wrote: »

NickJW - I don't know if you buy Lindt chocolate regularly but if you do then Mr A sell it for £1.49 (not that I buy it regularly myself or anything ).

Will be definitely freezing chillis from now on after the tips on this thread. Does anyone know where you can get cheap coconut milk as that's one thing that stops me from doing my own thai food?

My week's spend is £89.51 so over budget again . For month now at £267.75/£320. It's really gone to pot this month what with Easter hols. Still I do have lots of food in (but more coming tonight from Mr A :eek:) but perhaps from next month I will make up for it and live off what we have except fresh stuff . This is the plan anyway and I'm going to steal someone's idea on this thread and make a note of everything in freezer and use that.

I'm loving the look of all the pies and have noted down the various pastry recipes. I've never made pastry before (just bought it) so I think I'll give this a go and do some of these yummy pies .

ald1 stock full fat coconut milk for 79p per can, i have had success by pouring the can of milk into a jug and adding a can of water. turns into 1/2 fat coconut milk x2. 1/2 the mix can be frozen to use another time (shake the container after defrosting to re mix).

NickJW

Mrs_Addicted_to_Spending wrote: »

NickJW - I don't know if you buy Lindt chocolate regularly but if you do then Mr A sell it for £1.49 (not that I buy it regularly myself or anything ).

It was actually just a naughty impulse buy whilst waiting for a connection when travelling this weekend. I had the new wasabi flavour one...my mum and sister hated it, but I found it had a very intriguing flavour

Florenceem: I hope that today goes as well as can be expected

Spend of £6.33 in Mr S today getting some lunch items for the rest of the week.

meg72

jumblejack wrote: »

The bases usually end up neither crisp nor soggy but a happy in between. Kind of like egg custard pastry at the base.

The apple pies were lush. Kids wanted seconds but I am saving the other half for put tomorrow.

I have just cut the pork n apple pie crust away at one side to take a peek (and I also benefitted form chef's privilege ) and it was mmmmmm.

It would go so nice with some pickle, relish or some such side offering. Will use this one as a buffet dish if I get more reduced sausage meat. Well chuffed with it

I just keep comjing back to look at this wonderful pie because it reminds me of the ones my Nan used to make, she served hers with HM pickled red cabbage. She also used to make a chicken one. Oh happy days.

fozziebeartoo

Lots of spends today, oops

99p Store £2.97 (panetonne for marmalade bread & butter pud some time, batteries and Harpic. Greggs 85p (sausage roll for DGS).Poundland £4.00 (milk, cleaning sponges and 2 x custard for stores). Wilkos £1.00. Ic*land £14 (including teabags for stores, 2 stuffed turkey breasts and 2 portions of chicken breast chunks that were 1/2 price. Sainsbugs £16.95 (includes store cupboard stuff and a fivers worth of shopping for DD which may or may not be repaid!

I have my 1st EVER jam crumblie cooling, smells good.

DGS had buttered seedy toast for brekkie and I ate his crusts before going shopping.

Lunch is YS/whoopsied Covent Garden soup (55p) and crusty roll......cancel that! The soup looks horrible now it has defrosted, so just a roll for lunch

Tea is HM lasagne, made a week or two back and frozen - will probably do me 2 days.

I also put 2 portions of yesterdays beef casserole and dumplings in the freezer for another time.

Florenceem

jumblejack wrote: »

:rotfl:

No. I didn't precook it. I just put the mixture into the pastry lined dish and pressed it into shape with my hand before adding the pastry lid and giving it an eggy wash to make it golden.


Guess you could grate onion in or even make it go further with a sage n onion stuffing mix. Either a layer or mixed in.

(If you have any eggs to use up, boil em and place into the centre of the pie to decorate and bulk out the slices)

I used to make a sausage meat pie that had a layer of sliced hard boiled eggs - very handy as I kept chickens. The recipe also called for some chutney to be mixed in with the sausage meat - made it moist and tangy - I used home made marrow/apple chutney - made with onions/apples/marrow from the garden. I have also made sausage meat pie - adding made up sage/onion stuffing - makes it go much further - lovely taste too - use the cheapo stuffing mix .I have been an MSE a long time.

abitofhelp

well it looks like lots of people will be making sauage pie soon. no spend day for me today and tomorrow. i'm going to tesc0 friday evening and to farm shop on sunday morning. have updated sig to show a spend upto £40. should i come across any reduced sausage meat or sausages i shall be making an attempt myself, however may leave it for next weekend as still have some quiche and cheese & onion pie to use up from the freezer. have made a shopping list for tesc0 it is currently up to £32 so that will leave me £8 for fruit and veg. sending to my thoughts to florenceem and husband.

jumblejack

meg72 wrote: »

I just keep comjing back to look at this wonderful pie because it reminds me of the ones my Nan used to make, she served hers with HM pickled red cabbage. She also used to make a chicken one. Oh happy days.

I had a flashback then too! My mum used to slice surplus cucumber and onions and pop em into a glass jar with cheap malt vinegar. It was so mmmmmm Great on a chunky cheese butty!!!!

(I might just do that with my cucumbers as I have 2 whole size ones and a half size one to use up that were whoopsied!)

edit:

Just spent £28 in Asda but got it down from a £42 shop!!!

Good old Asda price guarantees n £5 off vouchers!!

I am stocked up for months on everything now really.

The huge packs of asda value rich tea biscuits are only 14p

Branston beans x4 are only £1

The 400g tubs of asda value hot chocolate (just add water) are only 48p

Stocked up on all the value things to make my total go over the magic £40.

My budget is pretty much exhausted though now. Spent a bit more as cooking for more mouths at the moment.

I have generated another £5 off spend though too now. I hate that as I feel I have to really stock up on the big non perishable bargains to redeem em.

mummyyof5

£30 spent yesterday between HB Iceland and Al**is
£15 in MrTs today
We had Spaghetii Carbonara for tea and today we are having lasagne and salad.
Loads of fish in freezer so might be fish and chips tomorrow...then I dont care as am away Fri-Sun with the girls:j:j
EDIT..So sorry meant to say..hope all goes as well as possible Florenceem..will be thinking of you xx

abitofhelp

jumblejack my mother used to do the same thing with cucumber and onion. we tried it again last year with home grown produce and i have to say it didnt taste nearly as nice as i remembered. it was 30 years since i last had it mind. i may knock a bit off my shopping list for tesc0 to take advantage of the beans and chocolate powder at asd@. the kids also like the asd@ skinless sausages

mummybearx

Spent £34.59 yesterday between Ald1 and Mr T's

Loads of fresh veg, potatoes etc, plus a butternut squash from Ald1, going to make a soup or something with that.

Got some salad stuff as well, while making bolognese (mince one for dh and onion/red pepper/courgette for me) I made a big batch of pasta with chopped cucumber, sweetcorn onions and some tomatoes. That was lunch at work today for me and my boss, plus enough for us both again tomorrow

Hopefully won't have to buy anything til at least this time next week, if I can plan it and cook it x