Family of 5 'shop from home'food storage challenge...

Jolaaled

rosieben wrote: »

I've been reading but not posting much as not feeling well; had this dratted virus and its come back for the third time and worse than ever; hope this is its final fling!

new micro/combi oven was delivered today but havent unpacked it yet (I must be ill); hoping to feel well enough to get it set up and have a practice tomorrow. What shall I try .......... goes off to consult recipe folder

hope you're feeling well enough to play with your new toy today, Rosie! I love my microcombi...best thing in the kitchen. Enjoy.

purpleivy

I decided after reading D &DD's intro that shopping from home was definitely a good idea post-Christmas.

Scuppered the budget today though! With my big Sainsbury's order just before Christmas I got loads of boxes of UHT skimmed, as we use loads of that. They've been driving me mad, because they have the cut-across-the top-and-drip-it-on-yer-feet kind of opening.

Dropped dd's b/f at station and decided that we would nip in and get ALDi milk, same price I think, but easy-pour. Got 24 as I don't go often. Also...... I looked to see if they had any geese, cos I knew I had bought one there last year at about this time. MIL said they had them at Christmas, but I didn't see them. TOTAL over £27 I wasn't expecting! Ah well, no real damage done! Still within amount set for this month and the freezer is bursting.

Also checked their onions, am surprised to see how much variation there is! Normal bogstandard onions. Over the last week or so I have seen....

Somerfield 90p+
Tesco 80p+
Morrisons 70p+

Aldis were 59p/kg.

WOuld be interested to know if this is the lowest price I can reasonably expect to get them.

Bonus today, MIL cleared out her freezer and brought some Quorn things and some hm things (veg) that she had made for dd, dd doesn't really get there much now, so she has donated them here!

Also brought one jar victoria plum jam, jar of last year's marmalade and jar of new marmalade. I think I will add jam sponge to menu later in the week, as I still have a load of victoria plum jam.

morwenna

MMM... plum jam. Lovely on a warm scone, dripping with butter...

Reminds me of the time (as a young, couldn't cook, OS wanabee when I was about twenty) I was given damsons by the greengrocer. He used to give me all sorts at the end of the day - stuff that he couldn't sell.

Anyway my Dad loved Damson jam, so I thought I would make some for a pressie for him. The recipe said to put the stones in a muslin bag. I had no idea what this was, so asked a friend. The days BEFORE the internet, how did we survive?? :rotfl: She said it was a bit like the stuff your dishcloth was made from - so I used a Jey cloth!!

Ever seen the blue soup in Bridget Jones?

purpleivy

the first time I made damson jam I didn't take the stones out! It was lovingly referred to by my family as 'peanut' jam.

ravylesley

lil_me wrote: »

Hello, 87 pages on I know the doughnut stuff is in here somewhere....anyone able to answer these few questions or point me to somewhere wayyyyy back which does...

Tried my new doughnut maker tonight, made the recipe as per the instructions (tesco one) weren't very nice really, is there another recipe anyone knows I can use? Also - is there a better method for putting the mix in than with a spoon? I shake a lot unfortunately and made a right mess today, plus the problem that my son expected a 'hole' in it but me spooning in mean't the mix went everywhere. Oh and do they freeze well? Any tips or hints on freezing them? My son asked if he can have one in his packed lunch but I don't fancy trying to make them first thing on a morning.

rosieben and mollymop hope you are both better soon

How about putting your doughnut batter into an icing syringe and filling the donut moulds this way?

I made some lovely plum and apple jam yesterday.Still havent got my head around my dehydrator yet as I dont really get the point of it.But maybe it'll come into its own in summer when fruit is plentiful and cheap.

I hope everyone is feeling better soon as we had this over Christmas, four kids and hubby all poorly at once was not the best way to celebrate Christmas:rotfl:

Lesleyxx

Pink_Fairy_2

Another great thread for this still fairly new member. We have always had a "Forfear" (For fear you wouldn't be able to get to the shops for a while) cupboard in our house, as did my mother and grandmother before her, but not quite several months worth.

I have been feeling really rough as my asthma's right out of control despite three lots of steroids since Christmas, but my house has been getting me down as I've not been keeping up with the cleaning, so today, in between Ventolin doses, I've turfed out all my kitchen cupboards, washed down all surfaces (with Stardrops:T) and now know just how much I don't need to buy for a few weeks. Thank you.

Kaz2904

We have just finished our tea. Roast lamb shoulder, mmmmmmm!
BiL and his family came round just after 2 and SiL said ooh we're having lamb shoulder too.
She was following Jamie Olivers recipe and cooking it for 4 hours at 170 deg C. So I chucked a load of rosemary over it seasoned it with salt and shoved it in for 3.5 hours. It was lovely and tender. Back later- putting kids to bed now, TTFN, Kaz.

Kaz2904

OK, they're in. Nice cup of coffee and river cottage on more 4 +1!
Can't see me getting much done tonight but I could bring it all in here and do the washing sorting and ironing?
I'll just have a browse first!
Anyone else joining in the great big declutter? I've sooo much to get sorted and get rid of. Maybe I'll have room to move come the end of the year!!

D&DD

Its been very hectic here since xmas so not even had a chance to check out the site :eek: Been doing our post xmas finances check and things are looking quite good for a change!*mainly thanks to MSE *

Have recovered the suite today and got some bargain fabric to make curtains so the lounge looks nice and fresh but my hands are crippled :rotfl: I forgot just how heavy chenille is to sew on..the boys are now under threat not to wipe anything on them..that'll probably last about a week ...

Not done ANY baking hardly as been out for appointments and meetings most days and this weeks is the same :mad: gah hate it when I can't get in the kitchen..the boys are also wasting away through lack of cakes :rotfl:
Must upload the latest pics of the cupboards..I've followed Rhonda's example and decanted a lot of the dry stores into jars etc and its given me so much more room..so I can buy lots more :shhh:

Hope everyone is feeling better I've only skimmed through vaguely will read more tomorrow evening but hope you are all on the mend now
Off to my bed now got SN dentist tomorrow which is always an experience!!
Dee XX

jcr16

i decant alot of my stuff into air tight containers etc. find it so much more usable in the kitchen. wanna come a recover my sofa ? it a gorgeous sofa , but it a horrible type of material. it plain navy and u only got to look at it and a stain appears, and with 2 kids it awful. but hey we were given it , so not gonna complain too much.

i made some rainbow magic cakes yesterday as my little girl wanted some. but she is poorly today. she woke at 3 with high temp, we watched a dvd and by 5 she was cool again and dozed off. but she woke at half 8 with really high temp again.so she chilling on sofa playing ds.

i also took 6 bakewells out freezer for lunchboxes this week, hubby was well impressed.

Hubby spent ages last night working out plans in kitchen and he convinces me he can get a range cooker in there , plus an american fridge/freezer if we turn the whole kitchen round the other way. so kitchen at dinner end and dinning table at kitchen end. i'm not convinced, not that he can't do it , but we need to do all that at the mo. think i might tell him to not do anythign for a year or so. plus can't afford to buy new oven and fridge at mo.

car got taken to garage on friday, they gonna let us know hopefully tomoz on weather it needs a new code to identify the key or if we have to order a new key from france. both fairly simple job's , but still costing between £100-£200 by time everything included.

def gonna shopping from cupboards for main meals and just buying fresh bits in.