Changing digs and coming out of my cave... for a wee while atleast :)

edinburgher

Do you buy chickens or chicken breasts/fillets?

elantan

Chicken breast fillets as i only like the fillet and every time we buy a whole chicken we waste so much, 4Kg of it was tikka'd though ... but that was breast as well ( that will do me for salads as well as korma's etc)

We tried the whole buy a whole chicken and stretch it out... we managed two meals each from it so four meals ... we are big eaters ... no wonder were fat lol

edinburgher

Well, a sharp knife would make all the difference (something like a Victorinox rigid boning knife (sniggers)). A pack of chicken breast fillets with two fillets costs as much (if not more) than a whole chicken in most supermarkets.

ZTD

elantan wrote: »

Maybe i need to keep a note of every single th ing i buy instead of how much money we spend ? so that i can look at it more in depth ..hmmm

That would be a better idea. I find supermarkets to be overrated in terms of providing cost-effective food. If you buy their loss-leaders (the big 4) such as eerily cheap beans, then you *can* live cheaply - but they will make it up on their other produce. The discount supermarkets are cheaper overall (apart from comparing against loss leaders) but even they have problems against the smaller specialty shops in competing on price/quality mix. That is, of course, excluding fashionable organic/artisan/biodynamic shops. Do you live in a biodynamic area El?

The reason I mention quality is the way supermarkets adulterate the food. Neigh! I hear you say (or at least your burgers do - but they're just horsing around) - but it's true. The way to sell a 2 pound steak for 2/3s of the price of a butcher's 2 pound steak, is to take a 1 pound steak and inject 1 pound of water into it.

Don't get me started on "dry cured" bacon either... :mad:

ZTD

edinburgher wrote: »

Well, a sharp knife would make all the difference (something like a Victorinox rigid boning knife (sniggers)). A pack of chicken breast fillets with two fillets costs as much (if not more) than a whole chicken in most supermarkets.

And if you cut it into pieces before you freeze it, rather that after you cooked it, you won't feel any need to "use it up".

gallygirl

Personally I prefer boneless thighs (better flavour from thighs but too lazy to bone, partly because I don't have the appropriate implement ).

elantan

Was looking up victeronix boning knives £22 that's not too bad I thought, would I use it enough to justify the expense though ? Hmmmm

edinburgher

This is the one I use El, a wee bit more reasonable.

You probably won't use it all the time, but if you get into the habit of buying chickens/larger joints of meat etc. it can be very convenient. Also, it will pretty much last a lifetime as you're not using it all the time. Also doubles up as a pretty badass carving knife if you don't have a decent chef's knife.

elantan

That ones much cheaper ... Thanks Ed

Karmacat

I'm liking it! Bulk buying saves a huge amount of money, its so true ... and El, I have the same issue with the discount supermarkets - no Aldi in sight, and a Lidl in the next town, but I'm on public transport, and buying enough to make up for the ticket is an issue, with the bulk and the heaviness. The cheapest supermarket in walking distance is Sainsbo, which is why I often get Asda deliveries now. Since I'm at home all day, I go for the £1 delivery slots, and its fantastically quick and cheap.

There *is* a new supermarket being built here, actually, only 10 minutes walk away from me. Its a Waitrose