June 2012 Grocery Challenge

cleggie

Indeed they are flo
I am thinking that next time i could add some broken up value chocolate in them too.

jennypennysaver

I think I might use the leftover, unopened easter eggs that are lurking in the cupboard for the choc I need for baking instead of buying choc. Mental note: ask people not to buy easter eggs for the kids next year! They must have had at least 10 each!!

cleggie

Good idea jenny. I never use choc chip etc for cooking, i just get the value choc and smash it to bits with a rolling pin! They are only 30p a bar in Mr T, so saves me lots that way.

fozziebeartoo

cleggie wrote: »

Jenny- not sure if you can freeze the twinks hobnobs...does anyone else know the answer to that?

Has anyone ever resisted eating them long enough to find out????

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Suffolk_lass

jennypennysaver wrote: »

Bread machine on fleabay a no-go, seller wants to post and not have collection but the P&P charge adds so much on to the price I could buy a new one!! Does anyone out there make bread without a bread machine; I do have (unused!) dough hooks on my mixer...?

jennypennysaver - Hi there. I make bread without a bread machine but using the dough hook on my mixer. The basic white loaf is
500g strong white flour with
a sachet (7g) dried yeast. I stir this before adding
a level tablespoon of flake salt and
300ml warm water (if you save the water you cook potatoes in it is even better as it stops the bread going stale).
Mix it with a spoon until it looks claggy (you'll know it when you see it) and then add
1oz butter and stick it on low speed with the dough hook for ten minutes.

Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it (like Si King from Hairy Bikers does) for a minute or two - makes you feel virtuous!
Then wash out the mixer bowl with hot water and use olive oil to rub the inside and put the ball of dough in and turn it up the other way so coated in oil. Put a shower cap on (the bowl, not you) and leave it for an hour-hour and a half (or overnight in the fridge).
The ambient temperature will determine how quickly it rises.

The dough will double in size. Don't leave it too long after this. Tip it onto the floured surface to "knock it back" (deflate it) and knead for barely a minute. I then do the olive oil thing to a baking sheet and then sprinkle that with flour and form the dough into an oval. I cover it with a clean T-towel for 30-40 minutes and heat the oven to 180c in that time. The loaf will double in size. At that point I cut three diagonal slashes in the top (my bakers' mark!) and sprinkle the top with semolina. I put it in the oven for 20 minutes and then rotate it front to back for another fifteen minutes. Then I turn it upside down for five minutes and it should sound hollow when you tap it. Then put it on a cooling rack for at least ten minutes.

I use the same basic recipe for rolls (cut the dough into 6 on the sheet) and it will make two 1lb small loaves or one 2lb large loaf if you want to use a tin. Sometimes I put flour on top, sometimes poppy or sesame seeds. I've also brushed the rolls with beaten egg before the last rise to make the seeds stick. If you prefer your bread extra crusty you could put a roasting tin half full of water on the floor of the oven before you heat it up and the loaf will cook in the steam. I do this to slow my range in the winter but I don't bother in the microwave/grill/fan oven in the summer or there is no room for the bread to rise.

Have fun
HTH
SL

sistercas

jennypennysaver wrote: »

Bread machine on fleabay a no-go, seller wants to post and not have collection but the P&P charge adds so much on to the price I could buy a new one!! Does anyone out there make bread without a bread machine; I do have (unused!) dough hooks on my mixer...?

I never use my bread machine anymore i find it quicker and easier to make the dough in my kenwood with the dough hook - its done in a few minutes and then I put it into a loaf tin or turn them into rolls

fozziebeartoo wrote: »

Has anyone ever resisted eating them long enough to find out????

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

nope


back from shopping , spent £16 in l!dl and £50 in asd@ , my online meat order came too while I was putting my shopping away, very convenient. the meat looks fab :T:j

in the process of making a lasagne, spag bol, chilli and a butter chicken curry - that should do us a few meals

jennypennysaver

Hi Suffolk lass, thank you, you are an absolute star x
:T

jennypennysaver

Sistercas, thank you to you too x :T

savesummore

cleggie wrote: »

Having a baking day today:
Millies cookies
Almond cakes
Banana and Lemon drizzle cake
Flapjacks
Twinks hobnobs
Shortbread.

That should easily keep everyone going for a week or so!

What time can I come round? Ill bring the coffee :rotfl:

jennypennysaver wrote: »

Bread machine on fleabay a no-go, seller wants to post and not have collection but the P&P charge adds so much on to the price I could buy a new one!! Does anyone out there make bread without a bread machine; I do have (unused!) dough hooks on my mixer...?

My OH makes all our bread without a bread maker- Just the same as Suffolk Lass has explained. I have asked OH many times if he wants a bread maker- but he wont hear of it he likes making it the old fashioned way!!

PennyGrabber wrote: »

I don't do anything fancy to meal plan - no spreadsheets or anything. I just go through my cupboards and fridge freezer the day before a shop, and see what dinners I can make from what's in already. Often, the children choose a dinner for the next week too. Then, I allocate meals to days (on a piece of paper stuck to the fridge door), and finally make up the shopping list. I make sure that anything needing fresher stuff goes at the beginning of the week, and Friday is always a quickie dinner day because of swimming lessons. This way, I can change things around week by week, and take account of offers when I shop, ready for the next week etc.

HTH.

Thanks

I have made a spreadsheet today and in my usual fashion seemed to have over complicated things :rotfl:

I have an excel spreadsheet with the first few tabs/sheets dedicated to listing meals and the receipe location (book/folder/internet site). The tabs/sheets I have are Lunchs, Dinners, Indian food (we loooove Indian food ) and snacks/cakes
Then I have a sheet for next weeks meals lunches and dinners with a space to type any bits i need to buy
The idea being I can scan through my meal lists and come up with a plan from there based on what I have in etc

Told you it was complaicated- my head hurts lol

jumblejack

OH is at work today so a clean up the fridge meal!!!!

We had loads of eggs, lettuce, yoghurt, herbs, spring onions, baby plum tomatoes, fresh chilli and mushrooms to use up.

I made a herby frittata (also using a couple of potatoes shredded and squeezed to get he moisture out), shredded and dressed lettuce and fried mushrooms!

Sounds like a throw together meal (well, i guess it is!!) but it tastes fab!




edit:

Whoops, the pictures seem huge. If these cause a problem, let me know and I will delete them!!