April 2012 Grocery Challenge

rising_from_the_ashes

MrsCD wrote: »

You can make salads with cooked pasta in the same way, or cooked rice, but be VERY careful with rice as you can get Baccillus Cereus (a type of food poisoning) if it's kept too long in the fridge Hope this helps

Totally agree with the Rice advice ... it's apparently something to do with how quickly it's cooled down as the bacteria breeds in the warm rice (or so I've been told!).

When I make Risotto (2 portions), I plate up both, put one plate in the sink with very cold water in and by the time I've eaten the other plate, it's cold & goes straight in the fridge (in a sealed tub). Touch wood, never had any problems by doing it this way.:)

Question .... how do you stop the pasta from going hard again?

I've tried to do this for various pasta salads and it always goes rock hard:(

VickyVics

Hey there, I was wondering whether it would be ok to join the challenge? I was trying to find some more tips to reduce my monthly spending budget and stumbled upon this challenge. I think this could possibly be just the thing I'm looking for.

My month starts on the 1st because that is when I get paid. My monthly budget will be £200 for 2 adults and a very hungry dog. I think this will be just enough to challenge me without having to really struggle. As the months go on I will aim to reduce it bit by bit. Hopefully this will help me to save for my wedding and house diy that I would like to get done. I will try and create a sig for it :-p

I'm considering taking the whole of my money out at the beginning of the month and putting it in a safe place in a jar. Just so that I can physically separate my shopping budget from the rest of my money. I was wondering how everyone else keeps their money?

LavenderBees

mysticshaz wrote: »

hi all

thanks for the responses. i do tend to buy the salad bags purly because i like the mix of rocket etc and really cant eat iceberg! i have had little success with using the living leaves you put on your window sill as i find i eat it all before more grows?? i do have a big garden and grow my own tomatoes and fruit trees which helps when they are in season, also going to try and grow peppers from the seeds in the pepper from the SM. i will try again with the living salad leaves though.

and thanks for the offer saim any alternative ideas to salad leaves would be great especially couscous :-)

Hi, Mysticshaz,

the key to having continuous salad crops is to sow some seeds, then as they start to germinate, sow another pot of seeds, and so on, then cut them with scissors, leaving the root to regrow, so use a few from each pot, and let each pot have a wee rest to replensih. It's a little bit of work, but I find it very satisfying, delicious and cheap!

My only problem is trying to keep youngest pusscat from using the pots as loos...:o

HTH

LB xx

Florenceem

I had my second NSD for my April month.
Dinner tonight - 4 sausages cut into chunks - 6ozs plain flour/grind of black pepper/1 egg/mix of milk and water - makes Toad in the Hole batter. I cook this in a round Ikea dish - makes six portions - as only Mr F and I - three day's dinners. We are having roast potatoes/carrots/peas/onions and gravy as well. Cheap/easy and delicious.

mumofthetwins

Hi Everyone
I would love to join the challange :j
Its me - Lisa hubbie & 2 growing 9 year old boys
I think £300/month For us for packed lunches/work lunches and food. This will start on the 1st of the month.
I have been lurking on the OS threads for a while and have used a couple of the recipies at the start of this thread .... with only 6 months untill holidays i have decided that its time to cut the budget and get saving.
I am also going to stop buying cakes/biscuts/sweets an make my own ( unless its mega cheap whoopsies )
I have decided i am going to take out enough cash for the months shopping/guitar lessons/petrol and justy leave the cards in the house as i always spend to easily on a card:eek:

Well here going really looking forward to starting this .....

Lisa

S-I_am

Hiya Mysticshaz,
Here's my couscous salad recipe. I like it make with bulgar wheat too. Both keep well and are great the next day.

250g couscous or 200g bulgar wheat
400ml hot stock - from a cube is fine.
1 fresh chilli, finely chopped or a few flakes of dried chilli flakes. Whatever you have in.
1 onion, chopped
80g sultanas
80g nuts - I use peanuts from Sainsbobs basics range
A sm bunch of fresh parsley! Chopped. Not too finely, but that's my taste.
A tbs oil

Place the couscous in a shallow bowl and pour over the hot stock. If using bulgar wheat simmer in the stock until tender. Usually 10-15 mins.

In the meantime add the oil to a frying pan. When it's hot add the chopped onion and cook over a gentle heat for about 8 mins, until the onion is soft. Then add the chilli and cook for another 2 mins.

Drain any excess liquid then Fluff up the couscous / buglar wheat with a fork - don't use a spoon as it causes it to clump together. Then, still using the fork stir in the onion and chilli mixture, sultanas, nuts and parsley. Taste and season.

Serves 4

Enjoy

We love this served with sausages or chicken.

hex2

iQueen wrote: »

My best tip, from years ago, when my family was exceptionally hard up, is to splash out on Madhur Jaffrey's Eastern Vegetarian Cooking. This way you can live on very cheap eastern staples, which are exciting, exotic meals for many of us. It's like eating in a good restaurant every day!

Thanks - £2.80 on Amazon, very tempted.

tigerfeet2006

Was having a little giggle at this this morning

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/covent-garden-tesco-closes-over-%E2%80%9Cextremely-serious%E2%80%9D-mouse-problem--.html

MunniMuncha

Hello everyone :hello:- my oh my this thread shifts like bolt lightning! Was away last weekend so am still trying to catch up with March's thread, only to discover that we are FIVE pages into Aprils!!!:eek::eek:

Anyway this month I am trying a new strategy and have set myself a new limit of £350 (up from £250) which even though is alot, I feel that £250 was unrealistic. Will try tho to get it down from £350 but at the moment this is more doable. That equates to £75 pw so as I am now trying weekly budgets hope this is more helpful for me. This week have spent £108 and even though this is over my weekly budget includes all my meat for the month, so over the month equates to £12 per week, which means I am on budget for week one:T

Also didn't start this month until 26th as was away (usually 22nd) so that was a 4 day head start and don't plan on going shopping until a week Friday for next week as have enough in til then really should be doable. Good luck everyone and here's to a new fresh shiny month:D

NickJW

tigerfeet2006 wrote: »

Was having a little giggle at this this morning

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/covent-garden-tesco-closes-over-%E2%80%9Cextremely-serious%E2%80%9D-mouse-problem--.html

I just can't believe that I eat food from this store often - my flatmate does nearly all of his shopping there when it's his day to cook! _pale_

Just glad I ate brekkie (bought from Mr S! ) before reading it! :rotfl: