Living out of my store cupboard & freezer, how little can I spend to feed my family?

Anne_Marie_2

Sunflower1227 wrote: »

I do variations of this recipe, maybe leave out the wine for the children

http://www.onceuponacuttingboard.com/2012/03/quinoa-risotto-with-mushrooms-spinach.html

I've never left wine out of a cooked recipe, unless the dish is only being prepared for children (waste of good alcohol), as the alcohol burns off anyway. Desserts such as my cointreau and mandarin trifle like dessert is another matter though!

missymoo81

Wow thanks for the bread threads and recipes sunflower and butterfly! Im liking making bread more, as it doesn't always have to take hours. I will delve through the threads and come our armed with more bread recipes, actually, I have Paul hollywoods bread book, might have a look through there too!

I'm going to make the jam and coconut tray bake today and take some to my nannys house. As they're having a little celebration as its their 50th anniversary! Which is lovely! Need to get littlies to make a card.

A couple of things I have learnt so far in this journey, my bread flour seems to be working as well As plain flour in cakes, and as I have a stock I will Just continue to use it! Would never have thought of trying it before!

And meal planning when OH isn't here, doesn't really work, as long as I have bits i can use then I'll just make whatever comes to light during the day. We're out for dinner tonight and tomorrow too, to see family. When OH is home I'll meal plan, but I'll just pick bits and pieces out of stores for our dinners, when it's just me and the littlies. I know what I've got in now, so I can think of things without too much trouble. As in I imagine next week will feature mushroom risotto and curry but that's all I know so far. Not missing anything yet after my £44 for a 3 week spend, may run a little low on butter, but I'll see how I get on, I may be able to eke it out a little. Fridge is definitely appearing mildly less full, as is the baking cupboard.
Hope you're all having a nice Easter. Littlies are up so I shall make coffee in a mo and have a good look at all things bread like.

Spendless

You seem to be making real progress missymoo. Inspired on here, I decided to tackle the cupboard under the sink and see what I could find to make non food items go further. I came across screenwash that DH had been looking for and claimed to have already looked there for, a full bottle, stops him buying anymore , 3 toilet blocks, something I stopped him buying on our last shop as I'd already spotted them and 2 almost full packs of green scourers, unfortunate that I didn't see that we already had a pack before he got another this week. Also 1 full bottle of bleach, 2 packs of floor wipes, 2 lots of window cleaner and 2 bottles of furniture polish. I don't need any more cleaning supplies!

It is amazing what you find you've already got in your cupboards once you start looking!

Soworried

I'm enjoying following your thread, your doing so well

I have a few items in my cupboards that are starting to annoy me they have been there that long. Like 4 jars of honey! I only use a teaspoon full now and then to make sticky bbq sausages or honey glazed gammon.
I'll have to look up some recipes to start using them.

missymoo81

Ah thanks guys glad I am keeping people going! Have bought some wood in and lit the wood burner, so decided to use the heat. I endeavoured to make the recipe for the jam and coconut sponge, but didn't quite have the ingredients. So instead of this

8 oz butter
8 oz sugar
10 oz SR flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs

I used:
4oz sunflower oil
4oz sugar
1 banana
10oz bread flour
2tsp baking powder
4 eggs
2 Tsp vanilla essence.

It admittedly isn't as light as a normal sponge, it is more like a steamed sponge pudding texture, but with jam and coconut on top it will be scrummy, the taste is pretty good too!!!

It's amazing what you can do if you just take a minute to think. I would usually have just used up all my butter and all my sugar and not thought anything of it. But I have plenty of oil and bananas, which are far cheaper than sugar and butter anyway! Really pleased! Going to my nans later for a party tea, will see if I can bring a doggie bag back

Thanks for all your support makes me want to try my best

missymoo81

Spendless wrote: »

You seem to be making real progress missymoo. Inspired on here, I decided to tackle the cupboard under the sink and see what I could find to make non food items go further. I came across screenwash that DH had been looking for and claimed to have already looked there for, a full bottle, stops him buying anymore , 3 toilet blocks, something I stopped him buying on our last shop as I'd already spotted them and 2 almost full packs of green scourers, unfortunate that I didn't see that we already had a pack before he got another this week. Also 1 full bottle of bleach, 2 packs of floor wipes, 2 lots of window cleaner and 2 bottles of furniture polish. I don't need any more cleaning supplies!

It is amazing what you find you've already got in your cupboards once you start looking!

Ha ha ha! Spendless that sounds like me a few months ago, swore I had no cleaning products, delved in the dreaded cupboard under the sink and found bleach, huge containers of multipurpose cleaner, bin bags, gloves, you name it, it was there!!! So haven't bought much in a while!!!!

So worried I use honey in baking and lessen the amount of sugar, we have it in porridge and I use it instead of syrup in flapjack and syrup pudding etc if that helps any.

Spendless

Oil in cakes instead of butter is a great idea. It's commonly given in U.S recipes for buns and on ready mixes so I wish I'd thought of suggesting it to DS when he wanted to make small fairy cakes in his bun maker yesterday, instead of letting use the only butter I had in and now I need to get more.

Butterfly_Brain

Sunflower when I make risotto and I am on a tight budget I use 2 stock cubes dissolved in hot water instead of wine, either chicken or vegetable, still a great flavour and cheap as chips

missymoo81

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Sunflower when I make risotto and I am on a tight budget I use 2 stock cubes dissolved in hot water instead of wine, either chicken or vegetable, still a great flavour and cheap as chips

I always make my risotto that way! Never have any white wine open!

Butterfly_Brain

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
If it is in this house it is for drinking, not cooking