February 2017 Grocery Challenge

ancientmum

I hope you are ok Caterina, and Elsiepac, I hope you get well soon
x

PipneyJane

Evening all. I hope all is well with you - I haven't had a chance to read the thread for today/yesterday.

We did the "big" shop on Sunday. It was not without arguments. My hubby became rather grumpy when I reminded him that I'd signed up for £50 February, so if anyone saw a man charging angrily around the Osterley branch of Mr T's, that was him. (Ahhh.... Diddums. :rotfl:)

We also popped into the farm shop at the nearby National Trust property, Osterley Park. If you live in West London, their veg is wonderful and it is grown on the premises. I had a chat with the farmer about last week's scare stories regarding veg shortages. He found the "broccoli shortage" very funny - he has fields of the stuff.

Anyway, we spent £19.62 at Mr T's and another £6.50 at the farm shop. That brings our total up to: £34.76, leaving us £15.24 for the rest of the month. Should be do-able.

JensFeet

February NSD #4 for me today with nothing needed until Friday (all being well).

zafiro1984

Essentials bought at Mr S tonight, fruit, veg and things needed for my menu plan, kept to my list, spent £22.54

medsdemon

Tiny hiccup PMT endured, spent £2.90 on rubbish for my lunch in a local store. Struggling as we're in the process of moving stores so no microwave at work and I do like something warm at lunch ( should have it back tomorrow, fingers crossed.

Back on track tonight, spicy lentil soup in slow cooker for lunch tomorrow for us both. I think I'll take salmon out of the freezer for dinner and cook in a wee parcel with asparagus and green beans in the oven and a baked potato ( maybe sweet).

Actually got loads in after shopping at the weekend, so must go through the fridge and meal plan a little.

Regarding our lovely but fussy cat, OH was going through his mums cupboards and found cans of tinnned tuna ( she never eats tuna so not sure why it's there!) so he brought that home to supplement his dinners. ( he only eats tuna, fresh chicken and we only feed him a certain brand of rather expensive Catfood as he get a very upset tummy on anything else ( and that's not nice when he's long haired AND white !!!). It really adds up though, but at least his hard Catfood is reasonably priced and glutenfree ( only we could end up with a cat who seems to need to avoid gluten and additives and over processed food).

elsiepac

Thanks guys for the good wishes! Day 5 of my cold today, and I feel the worse yet! Am in work as I had to open up the office and didn't want to let them down but in the back of my mind I am thinking I may go home early and sodit if they don't pay me, I feel HORRIBLE!

Despite feeling pretty rubbish yesterday, I did my fridge inventory, which GREW to a full fridge clear out and clean! (Also 2 cupboards!!) I threw away 2 carrier bags of out of date/not used jars and various things. RIDICULOUS! So now my fridge is sparkly clean, super organised and generally looking good! I also have a whole half a cupboard which is empty!

I had leftover cauliflower cream pasta for tea last night - nice and easy to heat in the oven whilst doing the fridge. Since the oven was on I also roasted some butternut squash and red onion in lemon juice and chipotle hot sauce, which I have made into lunches for today and tomorrow by mixing it with some bulgar wheat cooked in stock, edamame beans from the freezer, cooked chickpeas from the freezer, some very limp fresh basil, fresh parsley, and lemon juice.

I have stuff to make tea for tonight and tomorrow, which is the Goddess Bowl from the Oh She Glows cookbook. It's so simple but delicious! Essentially sauteed onion, peppers, tomatoes and garlic, mixed with cooked spelt (farro in my case!) and green lentils, with wilted kale and some fresh parsley. Then there is a lovely sauce made with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic that you blend then mix through and warm up - it's a really yummy comfort food dish but really healthy!

Anyway, after that I will need to work out meals based on what's left. I have plenty in - but I have about 8 potatoes that need using fairly soon - any suggestions? I don't have any veggie sausages to have with mash which to be honest is sounding very appealing!! Maybe I might do lentil shepherds pie if I can be bothered, then I can freeze individual ones before they are baked. We'll see, I'm exhausted just thinking about it today to be honest!

Hope everyone has a nice day

Florence_J

elsiepac wrote: »

Despite feeling pretty rubbish yesterday, I did my fridge inventory, which GREW to a full fridge clear out and clean! (Also 2 cupboards!!) I threw away 2 carrier bags of out of date/not used jars and various things. RIDICULOUS! So now my fridge is sparkly clean, super organised and generally looking good! I also have a whole half a cupboard which is empty!

Hope everyone has a nice day

There must be something in the air as yesterday I did a full food cupboard/freezer and Fridge inventory, I just have the tea cupboard left to do.

It has brought to light that I have a serious food hoarding problem. For instance I have 13 tins of various beans/pulses, which to some is perfectly reasonable, but I'm the only one that eats them and I rarely cook a meal for just me so they have been going unused.

Also the freezer needs defrosting so I have decided that I am going to run down the cupboards and freezer and only restock as and when I need things (and not do my usual habit of buying about 5 tins of the same thing at once)

I know this is hardly a new idea to Old Stylers, but because of my food hoarding tendencies (which stem from having very little food growing up due to tight family finances) it has been hard for me to let the cupboards/freezer look 'empty' as that makes me anxious.

I have finally accepted that as my financial situation and job situation are better then they have ever been, and as my OH is very sensible with money, we are not going to starve anytime soon.

I have been a little bit spendy this month and my total expenses come to £176.82/£200 so only £23.18 remains. We have plenty of food and I need to stop relying on the top up shops for our favourite dishes and instead cook from the stores.

Yesterday I was very happy as I cooked a huge vat of tuna pasta (using up tins that have been in the cupboards for ages) to have as lunches/dinners this week.

Soworried

My budget runs until the 17th and I'm doing quite well.

Need to make a small shopping list for today, hoping it stays under £10.

Car is in the garage having MOT though so not feeling like I want to spend anything!_pale_

XSpender

£1.00 spent on a snack as travelling all day with work yesterday.

Total is now £172.92/£320.

The good news is I have just realised that we are away from Friday 24th Feb for 2 nights (Friday is my usual shopping day) and I should be able to get away with missing a weekly shop if I can make ahead some meals for the freezer and use the frozen veg I have. I don't think I will end up under budget as I have protein powder I need to buy but will come close to it.

Ginmonster

Elsiepac - everything you've been making sounds utterly delicious! For using up your spuds, how about chopping them into wedges / chips, tossing in a bit of oil and roasting in the oven. You could serve with fried eggs, baked beans, ketchup or hot sauce or any combo of the above. Or even make your own cheesy chips and grate some cheese over them. Or, and this is making me dribble thinking about it, toss them in some garlic butter or butter mixed with marmite once they leave the oven.