November 2014 Grocery Challenge

Solstice_3

Back from the shops, market was still running which was unusual so I picked up some veg then went onto shops to get my soya milk and other bits.

Will have to go out again tomorrow as I couldn't carry everything today.

21/11 £4.50 £4.30

miss_try_to_save

ok was doing so well till I blew my challenge today in tes** by £30 could kick myself but there was a 3 for 2 offer on the free from stuff so stocked dd2 on cakes cereal bread sticks yogurts and got other bits plus could not resist a choc fudge cake damage limitation from here on in start of my dec challenge next week so hoping to learn by my mistakes this month keep thinking if I had not been on this challenge I dread to think what I would be spending. except for dd2 s lactose free milk bread and normal milk and fruit should be all I need till next week fingers crossed anyway

scotmumof3

A NSD for me today so still on track for this month :j

Bobarella

Ok I'm all done for the month. Final shop done.
I have gone over by £4 but I am not going to count it a failure as I just got 3 YS 500g packs of mince which would have totalled £19.20 had it not been YS!!! (Actual total paid £4.55)
2 of the packs are Tesco Finest Aberdeen Angus at £5 a pop. I can get 6 meals out of that lot.
So I am going to assign that to my December budget now.

dingdongsaving

No food spends since my Christmas food shop, but have just made my list of the last few fresh bits needed for Thanksgiving/guests next week. Only 9 items so should be perfect for the budget/end of the month.
Hoping to catch up on the thread tomorrow while I enjoy my weekend toast & marmalade while the little people play & there's no school run to get ready for!

Caterina

Another £9 spent on groceries but it has to be balanced against the £40 that DH and I decided not to spend in a Brazilian buffet restaurant because we wanted a treat.

Instead we got 3 nice pizzas (one for DS), salad and a YS trifle and even got a YS swede! So I really don't regret the expense. We have been very frugal and really wanted to relax a little and so we did, but in an OS way.

Sig updated again. If all goes to plan tomorrow might be a NSD.

NewShadow

I actually cooked a proper meal last night for the first time in a week... chicken dukkah from the hello fresh box solstice gave me a code for.The box was £1 and contained the ingredients for 3 meals, this was the first.

I was way too tired last night to actually cook it to the recipe, so I cheated.

In the box there were two chicken fillets, a single sweet potato, a tub of sour cream, a lime, and tub of the seasoning (ground and chopped mixed seeds and nuts - when I've had it in Egypt it's always heavy with cumin and/or mint, but there weren't and distinct spices in this I could taste).

You were supposed to cube the sweet pot and roast with oil and the seeds for 30 minutes, while butterflying and pan frying the chicken and pouring over the cream mixed with lime juice. There is also a small pot of sugar snap peas, but I didn't want to boil a pan of water just to blanch them for a minute, so I served with salad leaves instead.

I'm doing sliming world lite (not 100%), so I made some tweaks.

I rough chopped the sweet potato and a normal potato, covered it and the chicken breasts in the seeds, squeezed half a lime over all of it (other half went in the cream. Grilled the lot (sprayed the potatoes with fry light to brown and took the chicken out before the pots).

Gave mum the cream and I had quark.

It was okay - I'm not sure I like cream over things that aren't particularly spicy - while the seeds toasted, they were seeds rather than a spice mix. I think if i was making it again, I'd make my own mix - Blitz sunflower and sesame seeds with hazelnuts, (dry) cumin, coriander, and maybe a kick of chilli. Add some salt and pepper.

My quark was thicker and easier to eat than the sour cream, and one sweet potato definitely wasn't enough for two hungry adults - it needed the second potato.

franby64

Morning

Had a Sainsbury shop on Tuesday and this'll be my last delivery this month. I'm pretty well planned for once so I think I might make it.
I've got a lot of flour that I'm not using - malted brown, ciabatta mix, I should make more bread and use these up before Christmas. Being lazy...
I've got £55.14 left or £6.12 a day.

WantToBeSE

Morning All


Thanks for the advice about oats not being GF. I have to say I am finding it harder than I thought to come up with GF snacks for him on a budget. I looked at the price of GF flour and almost died of shock Still, I need to make him stuff for his packed lunches.


He is having a blood test on Monday and I have to say that I am hoping it'll say he isn't coeliac. Its so much work. But we'll see.


I am not sure what to do for Decembers GC (Oh My Word, its almost December already!!!!). We are off to my mums for a week over Christmas. I'll give her some money as she'll be feeding us, I guess I'll just add this into my grocery budget.


I am off to Aldi & Morrisons. Have a great day everyone!

NewShadow

There are some gluten free things you could offer that don't use special substitutes - Depends on how open your son is to new foods.

Ideas include:

Savoury
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1656636/spicy-chickpeas
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3060/halloumi-and-bacon-rolls
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1993651/mini-jacket-potatoes


Fruit
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1941636/spiced-apple-crisps
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1897712/dried-fruit-energy-nuggets

Sweets
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chocolate-pots
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/flourless-chocolate-cake
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chocolate-dipped-espresso-meringues
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/lemony-almond-macaroons
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/old-fashioned-peanut-butter-cookies
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chocolate-ricotta-mousse

HTH