Creating an OS household...

Queenie

jovichick123 wrote: »

I must admit, it is nice knowing exactly what goes into your food. My DS (2) has been eating only homecooked food and treats for about a month now (since I resolved to change my ways and not only cook when I felt I had time lol) and he seems happier and healthier... much better all round! :j

Similar recipe to the one you posted, but less ingredients, are my Everyday Biscuits - the 'dough' can be frozen too - worked them out once as 1.5 WW points per biscuit

Everyday Biscuits

Ingredients:
1/2 lb butter (softened)
4 oz sugar (castor)
1/2 lb SR Flour
1 ts vanilla essence

Instructions:
Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add vanilla and fold in the flour
Mix to a smooth dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or two. Roll into a sausage shape approx 5cm/ 2in in diameter, put in fridge to chill until firm.
To Freeze: Wrap in foil, pack in a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze. To Thaw and Serve: Thaw in the wrappings in the fridge for approx 30 mins, then cut into thin (ish) slices, place on greased baking sheets and bake in a preheated oven for 10mins. Gas 5/190C/ 375F Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Variations:
Chocolate: Sub 25g / 1oz cocoa powder for the vanilla.
Cherry: Add 50g / 2 oz glace cherries, finely chopped
Nut: Add 50g/2oz chopped almonds or walnuts.
Other MSE testers have conjured up other flavourings using lemon, orange and spices.

Notes: These take moments to prep. I make one batch and cut the 'sausage' in half before chilling. Once chilled to firm, one half is then put in the freezer. The "dough" will keep in the fridge for a few days, so you can "slice" fresh biscuits as and when required.
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Sarah and mel - you certainly are getting your risotto rice cheaper than me :laugh: (I don't have a home bargains here, sounds like a great shop!)

Fivenations - agreed, a little luxury now and again is spot on but I think the OP was asking about seeing up a basic MSE OS household and yes, I would get proper risotto rice if I were entertaining too From a MSE basic storecupboard set up, basmati is more versatile (which is the point I was making )

pipkin71

Hi guys.

I haven't been on for a while as things have been up in the air - my friend's partner died very suddenly and unexpectedly, concerns over dad's health and issues with DDs school [which is another story] but all in all it's lead to OS going out the window.

However, today I feel ready to rejoin the MSE community - and I've really missed you lot, even though I know none of you! So, as it's the first of May tomorrow, I'm going back to basics today to meal plan, use up the store cupboard and food budget.

Those everyday and refrigerator biscuits sound delicious Queenie / Jovichick so I will make those at some point this afternoon.

As with you Jovichick, I have been way over budget for April, but I know why I was over budget so now it is just a matter of getting back on track.

Regards
Pipkin xxx

jovichick123

Hi Pipkin,

Sorry to hear about all the problems you've been having, hope you're getting back on track now though. Welcome back to MSE! I've only been posting on here a short while but am finding it so helpful with day to day things that seemed to get ignored before... have also found a new hobby in cooking and cleaning - never thought I'd say that before!! lol

Good luck with the budget for May, should be easier for both of us now we know what went wrong lol

Sarah xxx

pipkin71

May food budget is £200 for myself and DD's. I've done a stock-take of the food cupboards and shouldn't need to do a big shop for at least a week. I've also done a menu plan.

I think Black saturn's menu planner may come in useful this month - we're going to try a new dish each week, as I've found we tend to stick to the same things.

regards
Pipkin xxx

skintmostofthetime

Do you HAVE to use castor sugar or can you use ordinary (tea/coffee type ) stuff.

jovichick123

I assume (am not sure how right this is tho!) that you need to use Castor Sugar as it is lighter in some way than normal sugar

I have never tried to make the biccies with normal sugar, but I can't see there being much difference.... might just taste a lil bit more sugary than with Castor Sugar lol

Hope that helps!

Sarah xx

rozeepozee

If you're a bread lover, have you considered buying a breadmaker with your voucher and making your own bread? (if you have a family make sure you buy one with a larger/2lb tin). I'm told by mil that bread's really increased in price - we hadn't noticed because we (or strictly dp) bake a loaf from scratch every day and it works out about 25p per loaf, that's for organic wholemeal which tastes immeasurably better than the stuff you buy in the shops and is far healthier.

We've recently started buying sacks of wholemeal flour in bulk from a local flour mill (I just went into the health food shop and checked out the labels on their flour to find out who their local supplier was ). It works out at £15 for 15kg, cheaper than the non-organic at Tescos!

stu369

OS???
Please put me out of my misery!

Cjb1309

You are much better advised to buy such things as baked beans and seeds with your voucher off at tesco. fresh herbs are always better and they grow all the way through the spring summer and autumn. You can harvest them continually and freeze them for later use. this is not only thrifty but fresh always tastes better than dried herbs. if you are worried about space then dont, herbs are better grown in pots as they will take over a garden if left to their own devices, lol. I made a box out of reclaimed pallets. all it cost was the price of the nails ( the ones that I had to buy after I had run out of recycled ones.)about 30p. you can normally find them at your local markets, all you have to do is ask. Herbs generally frow back each year too so once you have them then they are there for good. Oh and p.s. if you let a few tates go to root then you can plant them and have them most all year too.
Hope this helps, I save at least £10 a month on herbs its worth it in the long term.thats £120 a year.:money:

Natty68

C_Pallet wrote: »

Do you HAVE to use castor sugar or can you use ordinary (tea/coffee type ) stuff.

Can I just say that I always use granulated sugar to cook with and very very rarely buy caster sugar nowadays. Sometimes I will ground up the ordinary sugar in my wee food processor so that it is fine like caster sugar and then you don't tend to use as much.

But in overall taste I haven't really noticed a difference to tell you the truth.

I just found it an un-necessary expense to buy caster sugar when I always have about 4kg of granulated sugar in the cupboard and we don't take sugar in tea or coffee so it doesnt get used that often now.