August 2015 Grocery Challenge

cw18

joedenise wrote: »

cw18 - rather than a pork stew in your stew/casserole section could you do something like pulled pork using a BBQ sauce or perhaps cooking a shoulder of pork in cider with maybe some apples?

Or perhaps something like the Hairy Bikers recipe for braised steak & onions, although that can work out quite expensive so might be better in your Specials category?

cyantist wrote: »

Jambalaya classes as stew, right?
I know it's more chicken but if you put some chorizo and bacon lardons in as well it's not actually that chicken-y.

Duck for special? Easy to get hold of and not that expensive - compared to kangaroo anyway

Pork in a creamy mustard sauce with gnochhi?

BBQ pork ribs? Belly pork in some sort of sauce (JD maybe?)

joedenise wrote: »

Duck breast, served with roast potatoes & veg
Corned Beef hash
Slow Cooker lamb kebab with pitta & salad
HM Cornish pasty
Lamb tagine/couscous
Sweet & sour pork/rice
Pork goulash

Thanks folks.

About to dive out (to sign on) so will take a better look through when I get home. But at a quick glance....

BBQ anything is out (I can't stand it), neither of us really likes Corned Beef Hash (and corned beef ain't cheap anymore ) and I've no idea what Jamalaya is (probably because I won't touch chorizo or anything else even vaguely smoked - but I will look up some recipes and see if it's adaptable at all). Pork goulash is one of the many I've tried that's not gone down well And mustard is another thing I struggle to eat! Had debated duck, but the only place locally that stocks it is Mr M, and it's very hit and miss as to whether they have it in or not. I prefer not to cook with alcohol as it adds to the cost quite considerably and I don't drink alcohol (I will eat things with some cooked in, but prefer not to if I have the choice). Never tried tagine so will look that one up, and also sweet and sour - but if it has fruit in (which I have a feeling both do) I know DS won't eat it.

So yes, having struggled past what he won't eat I'm now hitting the things that I won't. But I'd happily eat fish, chicken and vegetarian meals most days if I were only catering for me, so having to cook for him as well is definitely making it a lot harder


When I ask him what he wants he normally replies steak, lamb or pork steak..... so he's not a lot of help with this

cyantist

I don't like chorizo either, so we do it in one big pot and DH adds chorizo to his part at the end and he throws a small handful of prawns in mine instead.

The JD sauce is like the one they use at TGI fridays. I love it but it's not for everyone. It does only use 2 tablespoons of JD in about 500ml of sauce though, and the one time I did actually make the sauce and forgot to put the JD in - so I'm not sure it's even necessary.

Your DS sounds expensive! Think he has similar taste to DH (and me come to mention it) but slabs of meat work out expensive. Can you do meat on skewers? Then you can buy slightly cheaper meat and it looks like you have more than you do. Or steak sandwich on nice bread with chips instead of a huge slab of steak?

joedenise

Sounds very difficult feeding both of you the same things. Would it help to batch cook separate meals and then just take out one for you and one for DS each morning?

Perhaps you could do something vegetarian for you and then just serve some sausages or something alongside it for your DS, although it sounds as though he doesn't really eat veg anyway.

Good luck.

Denise

Petula

Lovely looking loaf Bluegreen 143

No spend days yesterday and today!

cw18

joedenise wrote: »

Sounds very difficult feeding both of you the same things. Would it help to batch cook separate meals and then just take out one for you and one for DS each morning?

I do a lot of batch cooking already, and for some things (like Indian curry which my sense of smell and digestive system really don't get on with) I plan to do so just for him while I have fish - or I'll have vegetarian sausages while he has meat ones.

MumofIowans

Just about on budget for this weekend - until DH spotted some crackers on offer and we threw those in the trolley too. :eek: Hopefully they will last the full month though so next week's shop will be a little cheaper. I got extra raspberries too because they were on offer so they will last this month and into next month for adding to plain yogurt for lunches. So a spend of $48.58 for us.

On the plus side I needed to buy the dreaded rice and I picked up the Uncle Ben's then looked at the store brand for half the price and just told DH we would be trying to cook the cheaper rice again. Did it in the microwave last night and it was SO CLOSE!!!! :rotfl:We were both really happy with it. I think a little tweaking with the time/heat in the microwave and we will have a win situation. So thanks for all your suggestions!

craigywv

bought hayfever tablets and bottle of water for work so 2 quid spends today, easy dinner of potato bread sausages and eggs tonight xxx

guccigoo

Ok spent £5.20 in M&S all I had to get was a loaf of bread but ended up buying 2 small baguettes, doughnut,ham, paper and 5p for the carrier bag. I really need to get a grip and just buy what I need!

Bluegreen143

No spends today. We ate:

Breakfast - banana, oat and chocolate milkshake for me; choco rice cereal for DH

Lunch - two lentil dhal with a slice of the HM bread for me; chicken pesto sandwich for DH (HM bread and chicken picked off yesterday's roast)

Snacks - apple for me; crisps for DH; and two mini HM jam tarts each.

Dinner - cheesy pasta with broccoli and salad

cw18 - could you not recycle some of the cheaper meat dishes from earlier in the month, eg have mince and tatties again or something? There are some meals I don't mind having more than once a month

Or will your son not have any nights where he's out with friends etc and you don't need to cook for him, so you can have a veggie/fish /chicken meal yourself? You sound really lovely and accommodating to his fussiness btw, I'd be telling him to sort and pay for his own dinner if he moaned about any of my food! I'm mean and only plan meat meals 2/3 a week but luckily DH isn't too fussy.

lynnejk

Hiya everyone :hello:


Cheryl - I'll have a think and look through but off the top of my head


Quiche - endless with potato/salad/beans
Cold meats, salad and potato of some sort
Slow-roast leg of lamb - lots of l/os for pies and mince
Shepherd Spy
Eggs, beans and chips (plus ham for DS)
Pizza - do whatever you fancy on one small each or half/half large between you
Chilli or Bolog in wraps baked in oven with cheese on top
Oxtail stew - look at Hairy Bikers for great recipe
Best end neck of lamb casserole - top with potato


I do either cheese/onion/potato pie or macaroni cheese with b. beans and then add sausages or burger for DH


Bit stuck then as I use lots of sauces with wine.



I had an NSD today. We had omelettes with b. beans and grilled tomato (and chips for DH)


Hope you all have a terrific Tuesday
Lx