June 2012 Grocery Challenge

Living_proof

Thank you for all your work in keeping these threads going ladies.

I am going to budget for £85 for June because I am away again for a week. I really must use up my freezer as I plan to move in late summer and I may not have space for my big freezer. It really is a case of top-up of petrol and salad/fruit/milk for the month although there are always the unexpected expenses like window cleaning. If I have any visitors it will have to increase as well. If I have time I will do some dehydrating as the end result is so light and compact and I can take advantage of the really good offers on when there are gluts.

Hope you all find some nice bargains this month!

jumblejack

Yay. Weeds are finally under control. My summerhouse is sorted and I have just harvested some of these to use later:

:j

Oops. The last photo seems big. If it causes problems, let me know and I will try to reduce it

PennyGrabber

Mrs_Cookie wrote: »

Re using up your parsley glut JJ... I'd chop some and freeze it in ice cube trays or small yogurt pots then bag it when frozen for making your own parsley sauce to go with fish or gammon

I don't bother doing it in ice cubes - I don't have the space!! I just chop it with scissors, and freeze it in sandwich bags. Then, just tip in the amount needed for each recipe. No added water that way too.

jumblejack wrote: »

Yay. Weeds are finally under control. My summerhouse is sorted and I have just harvested some of these to use later:

Gorgeous pics JJ! You have a knack for taking a good photo! I'm currently doing a photoshop course, to go with my dslr camera...

Eyebright

Did my first shop of June today at Mr.A which came to £55.17 :eek:
Mostly because OH decided he needed razor blades which were a flippin' tenner! So that's made me a bit grumpy as it is gonna put a strain on the next couple of shops. Still I did also have to buy a few other bits and storecupbaord stuff so next week's shop shouldn't be as bad.

I can do this!!!

PennyGrabber

Mrs_Cookie wrote: »

I mentioned cinnamon and apple bread t'other day so not sure if it was me or not, I didn't post recipe but I use dried apple in my recipe, comes out nice though, got a few apples that need using up so think will try fresh apple now. I have a food dehydrator that was given to me so I dry my own apples in that, saves loads of dosh on the pre-dried stuff!

Nice! Would make dried mango so much cheaper, especially when they had them for 39p at ald! !!!

jumblejack

PennyGrabber wrote: »

I don't bother doing it in ice cubes - I don't have the space!! I just chop it with scissors, and freeze it in sandwich bags. Then, just tip in the amount needed for each recipe. No added water that way too.



Gorgeous pics JJ! You have a knack for taking a good photo! I'm currently doing a photoshop course, to go with my dslr camera...

Aww. Cheers, PG.

I haven't got a camera as such. Just my little old camera on my phone.

I have just nipped to Ts for milk and bought 4 trays of strawberry plants and 3 trays of aubergene plants, all 15p each:j

I know I have strawberries in but who can say no to more strawberries?

I will squeeze them amongst the meadow plant boxes and see how well they do there!

I will stick the aubergenes in the seeded beds and let the plants fight it out. At least those beds will have something that I can see growing in it!

Whoop whoop. Also got 2 boxes of 4 egg custards, also 15p a box (I am VERY partial to these!)

A bag of spring greens was 10p so I will make a green veg soup tomorrow now along with my herby flowers cheesy bread that I intend to conjure up later!

Baked potato with cheese n beans for supper with the potatoes I chucked in the oven to use up the space yesterday whilst roasting my dinner. Will nuke em with cheese on in minutes.

....Not hungry yet though as I just scoffed an egg custard;)

rising_from_the_ashes

jumblejack wrote: »

I have just nipped to Ts for milk and bought 4 trays of strawberry plants and 3 trays of aubergene plants, all 15p each:j

I know I have strawberries in but who can say no to more strawberries?

:j Great bargains - got my peas planted out this afternoon!:D

Sadly, I am one of the minority who'd say a huge NO! (and run in the opposite direction very quickly) to the strawberries ....... very allergic (can't even be in the same room as one, go near a strawberry plant and ..... as for eating one :eek:)

I used to get envious of people eating them in the summer but TBH I don't know what they taste like and am positive raspberries (my favourite:D) as just as good!

It really annoys me that the sm put strawberries next to raspberries in the fridges as I just can't take the risk that someone's moved them and they may be *contaminated*

ETA another pet hate of mine (sorry bit of a rant coming!) - you've no idea of the amount of things that have trace amounts of strawberry juice / extract etc in them ..... some brands of raspberry jam do! (honest).

And ..... as for trying to find a multi-pack of yoghurts that don't have strawberry in them (often 2 as well!) .......

Sorry .... I'll run away now!

jumblejack

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

:j Great bargains - got my peas planted out this afternoon!:D

Sadly, I am one of the minority who'd say a huge NO! (and run in the opposite direction very quickly) to the strawberries ....... very allergic (can't even be in the same room as one, go near a strawberry plant and ..... as for eating one :eek:)

I used to get envious of people eating them in the summer but TBH I don't know what they taste like and am positive raspberries (my favourite:D) as just as good!

It really annoys me that the sm put strawberries next to raspberries in the fridges as I just can't take the risk that someone's moved them and they may be *contaminated*

ETA another pet hate of mine (sorry bit of a rant coming!) - you've no idea of the amount of things that have trace amounts of strawberry juice / extract etc in them ..... some brands of raspberry jam do! (honest).

And ..... as for trying to find a multi-pack of yoghurts that don't have strawberry in them (often 2 as well!) .......

Sorry .... I'll run away now!

That's absolutely tragic

At least you can have raspberries :j

I LOVE these even more than strawberries, if that's possible. I guess it would be hard to avoid in certain food products. I didn't know that folk could get allergic to them. I'd be mortified. It's bad enough that I am now allergic to hazelnuts . When I kept trying my bumper crop last year, after about the second or third one, I experienced a sensation of them 'sticking' in my throat which lasted for hours afterwards. I have had to come to the sad realisation that I will have to avoid them in future as I do not want it to get worse. (My favourite chicolate is the big purr ole on too:()

meg72

PennyGrabber wrote: »

I don't bother doing it in ice cubes - I don't have the space!! I just chop it with scissors, and freeze it in sandwich bags. Then, just tip in the amount needed for each recipe. No added water that way too.

Because of arthritis I cannot easily handle cutting with scissors so I freeze whole sprigs in a bag and then just squeeze the frozen pack. it works very well.

Bitsy_Beans

**I AM A NEWBIE**


Hello peeps
I've never really joined in the GC but I am dipping my toe in the water to have a go

Having an overhaul of finances in order to start overpaying the mortgage and since food is an area that always slips if we are not careful :eek:
So I am declaring my June budget as £250 for the month to feed me, H , DS 6 and DD 3, Killer Cat and Luna the puppy.

Let the fun and games begin :T