May 2012 Grocery Challenge

chelseabun_3

Yep, as Jedi says, sloes are autumn / winter fruit. I start looking for them in Oct / Nov (depends on the weather, really). They freeze really well, and it saves you having to pierce each one with a pin when you put them in the gin!:D This is because freezing them bursts the skins for you!

HTH

jumblejack

I need to update my signature. I have spent 33.76 this week but that is because I was spending on stuff to take to a wee caravan break.
Tea last night was pasta and meatballs (made from YS sausage meat) with salad.

Tea tonight will be pork medallions, roast potatoes n YS veg (I brought the contents of my veg drawer with me to use up too).

I am not including pub spends though as we are on a break. I nearly died when OH took kids to watch the match last night. I took out a £20 to cover drinks (the kids also went with a fruit shoot in their pocket too from the caravan;)) but came back with no change:eek: I didn't go so I was a bit shocked at how pricey things are. How do people do it on a regular basis?

I feel chuffed that I have brought our meal ingredients with us. I normally do to an extent anyway but this time I have covered everything.

I even made another crumble whilst the kids were watching the match.

Have a great day everyone. It's POURING down here so it looks like a kids club morning and swimming all afternoon for us.

Florenceem, loving the almond cakes:T
On my phone, they looked like my peanut butter cookies as I pop a nut on the top too. I fancy em now. Might have to rustle some up when I get back.

queenpig

abitofhelp. I can't take credit for the mud cake, I tweaked the recipe here and there as I thought it was too much cocoa (and cocoa isn't very cheap) and a bit too much sugar. Also I put mine in the rice dish (like a plastic bowl) you get in a steamer filled the slow cooker with water and put the mixture in the rice/plastic bowl in the water, as my slowcooker is quite big. http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chocolate-mud-cake-50331

Cool_Nanna

jumblejack wrote: »

I need to update my signature. I have spent 33.76 this week but that is because I was spending on stuff to take to a wee caravan break.
Tea last night was pasta and meatballs (made from YS sausage meat) with salad.

Tea tonight will be pork medallions, roast potatoes n YS veg (I brought the contents of my veg drawer with me to use up too).

I am not including pub spends though as we are on a break. I nearly died when OH took kids to watch the match last night. I took out a £20 to cover drinks (the kids also went with a fruit shoot in their pocket too from the caravan;)) but came back with no change:eek: I didn't go so I was a bit shocked at how pricey things are. How do people do it on a regular basis?

I feel chuffed that I have brought our meal ingredients with us. I normally do to an extent anyway but this time I have covered everything.

I even made another crumble whilst the kids were watching the match.

Have a great day everyone. It's POURING down here so it looks like a kids club morning and swimming all afternoon for us.

Florenceem, loving the almond cakes:T
On my phone, they looked like my peanut butter cookies as I pop a nut on the top too. I fancy em now. Might have to rustle some up when I get back.

We went on a caravan holiday over Easter and like you I took all the food and other supplies with us. I had intended to use our holiday fund to pay for meals out but I had so much left over in my grocery fund for April that I used that instead.:)

jumblejack

queenpig wrote: »

abitofhelp. I can't take credit for the mud cake, I tweaked the recipe here and there as I thought it was too much cocoa (and cocoa isn't very cheap) and a bit too much sugar. Also I put mine in the rice dish (like a plastic bowl) you get in a steamer filled the slow cooker with water and put the mixture in the rice/plastic bowl in the water, as my slowcooker is quite big. http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chocolate-mud-cake-50331

What a great way to use a crockpot:T

I see what you mean about the cocoa quantities.

Around my way, that's called a chocolate puddle pudding.
I do mine in the oven but I will try and adapt it to a quicky micro pudding when I finally purchase one!!!!!!

Thanks for reminding me of a top notch pud. Try it with a scoop of icecream, nommmmmm!

mrs-moneypenny

morning all
drizzly and miserable here, hope all are managing to stay floodfree and dry

dinner jacket pots
boys will have early tea - veggie sausage rolls, mash and cabbage, will will either have porrige or linda mc burgers depending on what time we get home.
made two weetabix cakes last night, had a bag of prunes i wanted to use up so chopped hem up instead of using raisins, no one noticed in fact elder DS had a second slice so it must have been ok.

abitofhelp

queenpig wrote: »

abitofhelp. I can't take credit for the mud cake, I tweaked the recipe here and there as I thought it was too much cocoa (and cocoa isn't very cheap) and a bit too much sugar. Also I put mine in the rice dish (like a plastic bowl) you get in a steamer filled the slow cooker with water and put the mixture in the rice/plastic bowl in the water, as my slowcooker is quite big. http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chocolate-mud-cake-50331

many thanks i will give that one a try, i need to buy more cocoa so will probally wait until i get paid in a couple of week, mind you i could always ask oh to buy it but it feels like cheating. i am expecting to go over on my enforced £100 challenge but i really dont want to go over by much. also i think i need a new slow cooker as there is a chip on the lid of mine. the curry smells nice though.

craigywv

Florenceem wrote: »

I made a batch of Almond Cakes while the oven was on this evening - the recipe makes 12. I worked out the cost for these 12 Almond cakes to approx - 48p without costing in the almonds. I have no idea what they cost - I had some in the cupboard - blanched them in hot water and sliced in half - must cost only pennies if you get a bag for Julian Gra.... or somewhere similar.



The recipe is one I used to make years ago - they freeze well. Original recipe is from - I think - Woman's Realm magazine - paper is falling apart so I must get the details on my computer! :eek:

These Almond cakes are delicious!

They look lovely!! unfortunatley i dont like almonds so i wont be wanting your recipe ( good says you!!) anaceed, marzipan, almonds i cant eat horrible taste to me sorry , so i would appreciate anything else you might have hiding in your recipe book as i find ANYTHING you make costs so little!!! enjoy your cakes xx:)

jumblejack

Just googled a simple recipe for MICROWAVE choc puddle pudding. I wondered whether this one would work as no seperate sauce as poured onto mix prior to nuking but the reviews state it worked well.

Will try at mums when I get back
http://www.mydish.co.uk/recipe/161/Microwave-Chocolate-Pudding

helen_jelly

Budgets noted to here but 1 of the bloomin kids has nicked my notebook with all the budgets listed in it so I'll update later when I find it Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


Well done to the ladies expecting babies :]

Helen x