January 2013 Grocery Challenge

Peanut2013

I better record the takeaways, will stop me spending on them!

So that's also a spend of £24.49 (damn us both being ill ) and a spend of £2.99 in Mr T for more flu supplies.

FBG85

Small spends today, £1.30 in Wilkos for kitchen roll and then a super bargain in my local market, crab tree and Evelyn shampoo conditioner and body wash 10 for a £1, so bought 20 of them, which should last a while. Though I am tempted to buy some more next week
And then £2.50 in an old fashioned sweetie shop , dd1 is now hooked on rainbow kali !
Only need to do a small shop on Tuesday just F&V and cheese as have loads of freezer stuff and HM ready meals.

Mrs_T_M

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Thanks Mrs T_M , thats really appreciated
I am guessing that stork marg would be OK to use instead of butter?

I guess it would, we only have and use butter here.

Lovethenight

GILL635 wrote: »

Anyone know the cheapest place I can get different sized containers to decant stuff into to freeze ???


Gill xx

I tend to use washed out takeaway cartons ( the plastic ones with lids ) Can usually fit enough bolognese or chilli into one to feed 2 people - especially if it's one of the deeper ones or you have with a side of veg or garlic bread too.
I also get the foil takeaway cartons from my local pound shop - usually 5 or 6 in a pack with the cardboard lids. Great for doing homemade lasagne in for the freezer. Just take out of the freezer berfore you go to work, then when you get home just peel off the cardboard lid and stick straight in the oven!

Nicky_Noo_Na

First shop of Jan - big weekly shop at MrA costing £37.21. Bit higher than expected but I bought loads of fruit - healthy eating plan has begun!

They had run out of the sauages I like so might need to nip back in the week but hoping that will be all till next weekend!

WantToBeSE

GILL635 wrote: »

Anyone know the cheapest place I can get different sized containers to decant stuff into to freeze ???

My local 99p store do really nice ones

Bluegreen143

Made the enchiladas and they were delicious and easy:

Enchiladas (serves 2/3)

• Two portions of chilli (I used leftover veggie chilli from the freezer, but you can use meat chilli. Some recipes in the index here or here or here or here or you can even used jarred sauce. Veg chilli is a 'fridge clearer' recipe for me that varies every time I make it so can't really give mine :rotfl:)
• Four wraps (a brilliant way to use up stale wraps like mine were :cool:- micro them for 30 seconds if they're too hard to fold)
• A jar of salsa (Used value stuff jazzed up with a lot of extra cayenne pepper)
• A couple of handfuls of grated cheddar, to taste
• Soured cream or greek-style yoghurt, to serve
• A big, green side salad or other veggies, to serve

Preheat oven to 200C.

Spread 1/2 of the jar of salsa over the bottom of a baking dish - mine was 22cm x 22cm.

Stuff the wraps with around 3 big heaped tablespoons of chilli in each one, then fold over and pop into the dish so that the folds are on the bottom. I wedged three in next to each other one way, then used the gap at the top for the fourth, as my dish was square.

Spoon the rest of the salsa over the top unevenly (don't spread it out to cover the whole top, as the exposed bits of wrap get all crispy and nice). Sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake for around 30 minutes, until the top is nice and crispy and it's all heated through. Serve with a nice green salad and soured cream/yoghurt. This serves two but we do have a whole enchilada left for lunch so with a more substantial side might do three.

Have added this to the index for future reference.

Josslette

Hi everyone, had my first spends out of the grocery budget. I've spent £21.27, £13.10 in Lidl and the rest in Home Bargains.
OH bought tuna, sawdust and spaghetti from home bargains.

Bought quite a lot at lidl, grated mozzarella, diet pepsi(i'm a bit addicted!), Ham(1/2 price to 55p at the moment and it's lovely!), baguette, pittas, sweetcorn, passata, olives, bread flour, yeast, muller corners(1/2 price!), kale, spinach, cucumber.

Got loads of food to use up this week though, loads of potatoes left from Christmas and random things in the fridge.

Hoping not to have to buy much else this week, maybe some bread and salad things though.

chirpycheap

Spent £73 today between MrT and B&M home stores.

B&M have boxes of creme caramel type dessert mixes with short best before dates (Feb 13) for 10p. I have no idea what they taste like but at 10p a box I am willing to risk it!

Bought 4 of the 9packs of Nouvelle loo roll for £10 at Tesco.Unfortunately they didn't have the 18pack at my branch.

Also bought 5kg of Carrots for £1.50 and have spent the afternoon peeling carrots. I have blanched some and put into the freezer and made a spicy carrot and lentil soup with the remainder.

I have also followed the advice of someone on these forums and made a complete inventory of the contents and best before dates of all the items in my chest freezer. Hopefully it will mean that I keep on top of use by dates as I have also sorted everything into labelled carrier bags with similar items put together. Generally the bottom of my freezer is an unexplored layer of out of date and unloved items. Now the stuff that needs to be used first is at the top of the freezer.:D

Waywardbird

Another spend for me today £5.84 bought the dog a treat which was on offer at £1.00, a packet of sharwood noodles, stir fry mix £2.47 as BF had decided he didn't want soy sauce with stir fry. Bought a packet of paracetamols 29p, a carton of orange juice and 2 packets of fish cakes reduced to 40p each which have went straight into the freezer.

Could of probably done without buying the orange juice or the dog treat though. Oh well.