May 2012 Grocery Challenge

jumblejack

Couldn't decide whether to make biscuits or rhubarb crumbles...


So made BOTH!



The biscuits are just a whole pack of butter (8oz), 4 oz sugar and 12oz flour. Pretty much the same ratio as shortbread. I rolled em into sausages to chuck in the freezer.

Then you just slice off as many as you want whilst they are still frozen and bake em straight away for a few minutes.

Also made 2 crumbles as I cut off too much rhubarb. The more you cut, the more it grows back.

cleggie

JJ, can i do the same with any biscuit/cookie mix? And how hard is it to cut when frozen? Do you cook them as normal once sliced from frozen?

Sorry, lots of questions!!

jumblejack

MrsCD wrote: »

I've discovered a quick way of doing baked potatoes in the oven.
You thread large tennis ball size pots onto metal skewers and put them into a cold oven. Turn oven on to the hottest setting you can - mine is about 230C, and they cook in about 30-35 minutes, from the inside as well as the outside, as the metal conducts heat to the middle.
I always do twice what we need for one meal, and the leftovers get cut into slices to be fried or baked.
It may be already common knowledge, but I do get excited over the little things in life
It doesn't take much:rotfl:

Wonderful, wonderful tips!,,:j:j


Humongous thanks!!

I will put both of those tips to use immediately:T

Florenceem

MrsCD wrote: »

Hello and welcome to all the newbies :wave:
Have a read of the first page - there's lots of help about how this all works.
Everyone is very friendly here - even 'bossy Florenceem':rotfl:
(she's a softie really, and we all love her, even when she tells us off!)
Lots of us are still new at this and we're all learning together.
Take it at your own pace, and don't get stressed.:)




Hi Cleggie - I think it's 'swings and roundabouts', that is you save sometimes and pay more other times. Just like the sm you have to check the prices. Often the fruit & veg is a lot cheaper than the sm, but you still need to be on your guard! The meat is usually good quality and you can buy just what you need, rather than the pre-packed sm meat.

Yesterday I made some banana and chocolate muffins. Just the basic muffin mix -
7oz plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2oz brown sugar
2oz melted butter or oil (I used oil as it's easier - jug on scales and weigh)
1 egg
7 fluid oz milk
1 mashed banana
half a small pack of chocolate chips - about 50g

Pre-heat oven to 200C
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl
Mix all wet ingredients in a jug
Add wet to dry and mix until just combined - don't over mix!

Spoon into 12 muffin cases and cook for about 20 mins. Yummy!

Sorry for the mixture of ounces and grams - it's easier in some ways for me, but I keep to one or the other when I'm making 'proper' cakes like Victoria Sandwich etc.

Interested to see your muffin recipe - mine makes 12 but I use 10 oz flour/4 tsp baking powder + 2 eggs. Same amount of sugar/fat as you. I use 8fl ozs milk.

abitofhelp

Mrs_Cookie wrote: »

Hi Florenceem

No Mr Cookie works and I stay at home at the minute. Thanks for the welcome

Made a Rhubarb Crumble from freezer, instead of muffins, they're on tomorrows schedule. Sorted out the coronation turkey (didn't have chicken) filling using a mandarin yogurt which was getting close to its use by date for going on Mr C's sandwiches tomorrow. Bread made and tested Suspect peppers chopped, funky bits discarded and good bits bagged and in freezer (previous to today I'd have cobbed the lot out!)
Quick tea planned for tonight as I have an evening class starting at 7pm so tea needs to be quick. All from what I had in so today has cost me nothing and the next few days should be the same. Just have to avoid Takeaway Friday now!!! Spent the afternoon looking at the recipe pages for more ideas and inspiration and wrote up the months meal plan, just need to sort out a list of stuff that will need to buy additional to what I have in and I think I've done pretty well, this forum is brilliant, thanks to everyone that posts and shares

Mrs Cookie you could have a 'fakeaway friday' and make your own:rotfl:. Working from home until six and i'm a bit miffed. I keep on walking to the dining room and having a sniff through the french doors. lovely and sunny outside. Might have a sandwhich actually later instead of beans on toast. I didnt do a meal plan this week so oh & boys can have a baked potatoe each with ham and salad.

Florenceem

Mrs_Cookie wrote: »

Hi Florenceem

No Mr Cookie works and I stay at home at the minute. Thanks for the welcome

Made a Rhubarb Crumble from freezer, instead of muffins, they're on tomorrows schedule. Sorted out the coronation turkey (didn't have chicken) filling using a mandarin yogurt which was getting close to its use by date for going on Mr C's sandwiches tomorrow. Bread made and tested Suspect peppers chopped, funky bits discarded and good bits bagged and in freezer (previous to today I'd have cobbed the lot out!)
Quick tea planned for tonight as I have an evening class starting at 7pm so tea needs to be quick. All from what I had in so today has cost me nothing and the next few days should be the same. Just have to avoid Takeaway Friday now!!! Spent the afternoon looking at the recipe pages for more ideas and inspiration and wrote up the months meal plan, just need to sort out a list of stuff that will need to buy additional to what I have in and I think I've done pretty well, this forum is brilliant, thanks to everyone that posts and shares

Have you heard of the Takeaway cookbook that some forum members use? The recipes are said to be good - you will not want another bought take away. The book sounds like a good investment and you get the takeaway treat - but know what went in it and the cost will be reduced!

Florenceem

cleggie wrote: »

Have also made twinkies hobnobs (i think thats what they are called???)

Oh
My
God

I just hope that there are some left for when the kids get home from school this afternoon:rotfl:as i have eaten 4 already

i know i am pretty new to all of this, but i really am amazed that a few basic ingrediants (sugar, four, eggs, butter) pus a few extras, can make such scrummy things!!:)

Really wanted to make some bounty balls today, but dont have any icing sugar and am determined not to go into a SM, so am going to bake them whenever the hobnobs and cookies have run out.

Did you have the oven on especially to cook the Twinks? If so - better to bake when you are cooking the dinner - make use of all the oven. Bossy Florenceem.

Florenceem

jumblejack wrote: »

Couldn't decide whether to make biscuits or rhubarb crumbles...


So made BOTH!



The biscuits are just a whole pack of butter (8oz), 4 oz sugar and 12oz flour. Pretty much the same ratio as shortbread. I rolled em into sausages to chuck in the freezer.

Then you just slice off as many as you want whilst they are still frozen and bake em straight away for a few minutes.

Also made 2 crumbles as I cut off too much rhubarb. The more you cut, the more it grows back.

Do you rub in to make the biscuits or cream or just cut in please?

abitofhelp

Florenceem wrote: »

Have you heard of the Takeaway cookbook that some forum members use? The recipes are said to be good - you will not want another bought take away. The book sounds like a good investment and you get the takeaway treat - but know what went in it and the cost will be reduced!

The books are a very good investment florenceem & i can happily recommend them. I ordered both last week. I made the donor kebab meat, kebab sauce, salad & pitta breads. I only had to buy dried oregano as it was the only thing i didnt have in stock. With the cost of the books and the meal i made last night it was still less than a takeaway. Going to try another recipe out of them tomorrow, dont know which one yet.

Florenceem

abitofhelp wrote: »

The books are a very good investment florenceem & i can happily recommend them. I ordered both last week. I made the donor kebab meat, kebab sauce, salad & pitta breads. I only had to buy dried oregano as it was the only thing i didnt have in stock. With the cost of the books and the meal i made last night it was still less than a takeaway. Going to try another recipe out of them tomorrow, dont know which one yet.

Thanks for the info - I do have lots of cookery books. We never eat takeaways so don't have the taste for them - no need to buy this book.