November 2014 Grocery Challenge

NewShadow

piglet27 wrote: »

Evening all,

NSD for me today (unexpected, as need some items) as Bf felt unwell so didn't go out.

Can someone advise me please? I'd really like to make my own yoghurt and read somewhere it can be done in the slowcooker. Does this work?

Many thanks.

You can, but you'd have to make a lot at once to make it worth it and it seems expensive (given you have to keep it plugged in). I bought a kit from the charity shop, but i know some people use flasks.

my understanding is that you fill the flask with boiling water, then quickly tip out and replace with warm milk and culture. do up the top and leave to stand until morning. then keep it in the flask in the fridge. seems easier?

WantToBeSE

Evening All


A NSD today! Plus, I was given loads of washing tablets and washing up liquid so that's some money saved this month


Does anyone buy washing powder/liquid from Amazon or eBay? I've seen someone on MSE ages back saying they bought crushed tablets from Amazon I think, for really cheap.


Planning on not spending any more money until Monday if I can help it.

Caterina

Good evening,

Lynnejk I have PMd you re. Italy.

Spend today £6 at W8rose, 9 free range eggs box down to 99p, then a few sourdough loaves stickered, some rye bread for me and in preparation for trip sandwiches and a bag of small apples. Overall not too bad. Updating sig.

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone


Could you please put me down for $400 for November.
Came in well under for October, lets hope I can keep it up.


Hunter friend had a successful weekend, so I now have a roast of venison, wrapped in bacon simmering in port in the slow cooker. Another six meals of venison hit the freezer, so we are well supplied at the moment.


Planning an experimental day today, diver friend gave us some paua (black abalone) and I intend to make some sausages with them. Have heard of it being done before, but have not seen or tasted them so it will be very much trial and error. this is really a case where the internet is my friend, somewhere, someone will have posted about it, I just have to find ot where. Swapped some of my hm sausages for whitebait, and another hunter friend has delivered several kg of duck breast for me to make into salami, so have very busy few days planned.


Cheers
Kiwi

JIL

piglet27 wrote: »

Evening all,

NSD for me today (unexpected, as need some items) as Bf felt unwell so didn't go out.

Can someone advise me please? I'd really like to make my own yoghurt and read somewhere it can be done in the slowcooker. Does this work?

Many thanks.

There's instructions on how to do this on the index on the first page of this thread.http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=13061853#post13061853

K9sandFelines

Asd* online was £64.65 and DD1 nipped in Ald* which was £3.01. Have updated sig.

cattysmum

Good morning, missed putting my total up for October, due to one thing or another so will put it on here and hope it gets found. Total for October was £208, an overspend of £8 For November I would like to raise my GC to £210. Iv decided to raise my budget this month due to the xmas run up and so Im not too disappointed at the end of November by going over budget. Yesterday bought a couple of bags of almonds from pound shop which was my first november budget purchase. Cupboards and freezer looking not too shabby so may leave first big shop till Friday. Good luck with the rest of the month peeps.

PennyGrabber

Thanks jil! That feels more doable to make yoghurt, as I won't have to check temperature. Will buy a starter yoghurt next time I'm out. I love the idea of making my own soft cheese too, but didn't want to buy the lake land set.

Have a frugal day everyone!

PG x

Caterina

PennyGrabber, soft cheese is really easy to make and you don't need any special equipment, just a couple of clean muslins in a colander. Either make your yogurt, or buy the value ones, the Turkish stuff is good and cheap, then line up a colander with two muslins, one on top of the other, pour the yogurt in and let it drip. Then gather the muslin corners and tie a knot, and hang from the tap to drip in the sink overnight. In the morning you will have lovely cream cheese. It is called Labneh in the Middle East, if you let it drip quite dry then you can refrigerate it, form it into small balls which you put in a jar and cover with olive oil, it keeps indefinitely. You can mix it with herbs, add salt (it lasts longer), paprika, you can turn it into a roll and cover it in cracked pepper, the variations are infinite!

For a more solid cheese, just buy a bottle of rennet and add a couple of spoonfuls to warmed up milk, let it rest, then cut the curds and drain in the muslins. You can press it almost dry and make paneer or keep it soft and use it as junket. Experiment, you don't need the Land of Lake gadgets to make cheese!

HTH

sushistar

I'm going christmas shopping today :eek:
I'm thinking about trying to make bulb bowls with paperwhite narcissi as gifts - anyone any experience with this? Will they come up, do you think? It doesn't matter if they;re not in flower by christmas, but they need to look like they're growing...

Otherwise, aiming for a NSD in terms of food.