August 2015 Grocery Challenge

FoxFace

Bluegreen143 wrote: »

Banana milkshakes are really nice if you freeze some or all of your bananas- I usually use 1 frozen and 1 fresh to 1/2 pint milk for a nice cold milkshake or both frozen for a really thick ice cream milkshake effect

My favourite breakfast of the moment is a banana, chocolate and peanut butter milkshake - 1/2 pint milk, one frozen banana, 3 heaped tbsp oats soaked overnight in the milk, 1/2 tbsp peanut butter and around 1tbsp cocoa powder depending how chocolatey you like it.

Best breakfast ever, plus handy for work as I freeze the banana and soak the oats the night before then in the morning blend up, stick in a bottle and drink en route to work

I usually have similar to this as breakfast and lunch, minus the cocoa (will have to try adding that next time)

I add some linseeds and spinach to the above to make a basic banana "green thickie". You can't really taste the spinach, but it adds more nutrients...

Also, should be a NSD again here. Am really enjoying not wasting money on a daily basis

mumofthetwins

spend of £3.21 to report, first spend of the month for me .. only a small one as just bits of fruit and veg

lisa x

wishus

Hello, may I join in please - apologies for disappearing last month.

Please set my budget for £130. First spend is £25.70. Thanks!

cw18

1st of month saw a couple of 'from stock' purchases plus trips to A1di for an assortment of fresh veg and Mr M for fresh milk. Took budget to £12.80/£8.16 (to end of day)

2nd saw me back in A1di, when I grabbed some meatballs for tea. Budget up to £14.50/£16.32

3rd was a bit more from stock, plus more milk and veg from A1di. Budget at £19.00/£24.49

4th was from stock spends only. Budget at £21.70/£32.65

claireylulu

Another £3.37 to add to my total.

Popped to Tescos last night and had a look at the reduced section. The OH decided he wanted 3 of the large pots of olives at 90 pence each. Granted they were £4 at full price but still I wasnt pleased.
I on the other hand picked up 1.5 kilos of carrots for 16p, 2 kilos of cooking apples for 37p, a celeriac for 6p and a Little Gem's twin pack for 8p. I was happy with my 67p spend.

Bluegreen143

FoxFace wrote: »

I usually have similar to this as breakfast and lunch, minus the cocoa (will have to try adding that next time)

I add some linseeds and spinach to the above to make a basic banana "green thickie". You can't really taste the spinach, but it adds more nutrients...

Also, should be a NSD again here. Am really enjoying not wasting money on a daily basis

Sounds nice! I have tried adding greens to smoothies before with varying success, but maybe I'd like it better when disguised with banana and cocoa powder lol.

Will have some spends to report later as my husband is picking up some milk and sugar, both of which we're out of. Hopefully that's all he gets. I've just realised we're also out of crisps, which he takes with his lunch, so I'm going to make some muffins this evening in the hope he's happy taking one of them instead...

MumofIowans

Last two days were NSD here and I'm trying to make sure I spend nothing today. We don't have much left in the pot.

As a side note - and I hope it's ok to ask - how do you cook rice!? This is the bane of my life. We eat brown rice in my house, and I always buy an Uncle Ben's pack that is more expensive but at least I can cook it properly. Last night I tried to cook cheaper stuff and, as expected, it is all mushy and horrible. I followed the instructions exactly. No joy. Any tips??

WantToBeSE

MumofIowans wrote: »

Last two days were NSD here and I'm trying to make sure I spend nothing today. We don't have much left in the pot.

As a side note - and I hope it's ok to ask - how do you cook rice!? This is the bane of my life. We eat brown rice in my house, and I always buy an Uncle Ben's pack that is more expensive but at least I can cook it properly. Last night I tried to cook cheaper stuff and, as expected, it is all mushy and horrible. I followed the instructions exactly. No joy. Any tips??

The cheap white rice ALWAYS goes mushy and horrible for me too. Bleugh _pale_

We now always have brown rice too. What i do is

Bring a pan of water to the boil then add the rice.
Allow to boil for a minute, then turn down the heat to low (when it simmers) and put the lid on.
Allow to simmer for 20 mins

WantToBeSE

FoxFace wrote: »

I usually have similar to this as breakfast and lunch, minus the cocoa (will have to try adding that next time)

I add some linseeds and spinach to the above to make a basic banana "green thickie". You can't really taste the spinach, but it adds more nutrients...

Also, should be a NSD again here. Am really enjoying not wasting money on a daily basis

This is pretty much what i do too Myself and my son have a green smoothie almost every morning and i use

Frozen banana
Any fruit that needs using up (peaches, nectarines, mango)
A big handful of spinach
A cup of almond milk.

Because of the frozen bananas, it goes really thick and yummy

cw18

Rice is one of the things I downlabelled to value and went straight back up on, but I generally use long grain white as DS1 moans about brown (I like it al dente and he doesn't).

Earlier this year I was cooking it in a food flask when it was only for me. Rice into flask, fill with water, give it a stir, seal flask, open / stir / reseal after 10 mins, then leave for about another 10 before checking (sometimes needed an additional 5). Timings will vary according to flask and personal taste.

Did the same with pasta, though it didn't need as long.