December 2007 Grocery Challenge

frazzmunch

don't know if this will be any help....I am vegan so there may not be much that your family are used to eating..but who knows!! if you need any recipes for any of the dishes, just let me know....sorry about the length of the post too!!

Week One

Monday

Tuesday

Lentils & rice

Wednesday

Pasta & sauce

Thursday

Falafel & pitta

Friday

Tagine & couscous

Saturday

Nut loaf & veg

Sunday

Suet crust mince & tatie pie, millet mash, carrots & peas

Week Two

Monday

Valencian baked rice

Tuesday

Leftovers

Wednesday

Millet & quinoa bake with red pepper sauce

Thursday

Cabbage rice & beans

Friday

Pasta & red peppers

Saturday

Nut & millet burgers & potato wedges

Sunday

Seitan & veg

Week One

Monday

christmas eve

Tuesday

christmas day

Wednesday

boxing day

Thursday

Armenian blackeye peas & nuts

Friday

Sushi

Saturday

Polenta with tomato & bean sauce

Sunday

Roasted onions, lemon & oil beans, rosemary mash

Week Two

Monday

Lentil Pistachio

Tuesday

Tomato & nut balls, potato cakes & chutney

Wednesday

Moroccan style couscous, apples in sweet hot sauce

Thursday

Spaghetti bolognese

Friday

Hazlenut & potato bake

Saturday

Curry & rice

Sunday

Cashew rice roast & veg

Week Three

Monday

Fasoulia

Tuesday

Leek & potato soup

Wednesday

Stew & dumplings

Thursday

Chilli & wraps

Friday

Risotto

Saturday

Cumin & olive fried potatoes, falafel & salad

Sunday

Roasted veg with millet & spicy sauce

Week Four

Monday

Butter bean casserole with mediterranean potato bake

Tuesday

Pizza

Wednesday

Onion & oat roast with veg

Thursday

Spiced chickpea & potato dish, salad

Friday

Tuscan bean soup with potato foccacia

Saturday

Spaghetti bake

Sunday

Cashew nut & lemon loaf with veg

Week Five

Monday

Sloppy joes & homemade rolls

Tuesday

Veg soup & salad

Wednesday

Stir fried veg & noodles

Thursday

Ginger & basil pasta, crunchy baked tomatoes with lime & chilli

Friday

Gnocchi

Saturday

Mediterranean tarts, garic crushed potatoes, green beans

Sunday

Garlic & lemon potatoes

belfastgirl23

nopot2pin wrote: »

Not sure I could do this BG23..... I find it difficult to project for the one month, let alone 12 months:eek:

And what about those unexpected spends of persons visting ect ect... Is this included on your budget...... Or do you have a seperate budget for this ??

But, as you say.... "working towards a bigger target also somehow pleases me"

You could always try for 3 or 6 months at a time to climatise yourself

I just realised I explained badly You'd think I'd know by now that I don't think so well at night

What I've been thinking about is having a bigger target to focus on so that even if I go over a little bit for a single month I don't end up thinking 'stuff it' and going off the rails totally (which is what I did summer last year). I'd have a budget of £150 per month and would do the monthly GC as normal.

As for visitors ours tend to be regular in a way so I just count them in to the normal budget, we very often have an extra couple of people for dinner but very rarely for more than a day or two.

Hi everyone. Just a quick question. I often think about ordering groceries online but is it really viable to spend less than £40 on line when you consider delivery etc??? Can you use vouchers online for a spend of less than £50? And what delivery windows can you get? I could not afford-or bear to stay in for a full day waiting. Aany advice greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks


tattycath, IMHO it isn't really worth doing online shopping for less than £40 but others may have different views. For me I nearly always have to make it up to £50 to get a discount code to cover delivery and I won't do it if I have to pay delivery charge. So I tend to do online shopping monthly to make it worthwhile. Means I still need top up shops for fresh stuff tho.

I know I grumbled above about them coming outside delivery times Tesco do 2 hour slots - I always go for the cheapest one at £3.99 which is nearly always tues and wed late pm. I nearly always choose 9-11 as the option since I'm never sure I'll be in before then so I can understand why they might arrive 15 mins early and TBH it would be a right pain if they didn't arrive till 11 (has never happened!). I've always found the delivery staff helpful and good and they always carry the shopping right into the kitchen. They even wipe their feet on the way in

ask us if you want to know any more I do recommend it I have to say, it's a lifesaver when things are busy and a moneysaver the rest of the time since I'm not just firing stuff in the trolley...


And frazzmunch can I come and eat at yours? please? please?

My list would read pizza pasta bread pizza pasta bread lol!

tattycath

frazzmunch wrote: »

don't know if this will be any help....I am vegan so there may not be much that your family are used to eating..but who knows!! if you need any recipes for any of the dishes, just let me know....sorry about the length of the post too!!
Please can I have the following recipes? We aren not vegetarians or vegans but some of these dishes sound great!!! and maybe a change will do the kids (and us) good. We could do to eat a healthier diet anyway.

Lentils & rice
Pasta & sauce
Falafel & pitta Please excuse my ignorance but what is Falafel?
Tagine & couscous

Suet crust mince & tatie pie, millet mash, carrots & peas

Valencian baked rice

Cabbage rice & beans

Pasta & red peppers
Moroccan style couscous, apples in sweet hot sauce
Curry & rice

Leek & potato soup

Chilli & wraps
Risotto
Onion & oat roast with veg
Spiced chickpea & potato dish, salad
Spaghetti bake

Stir fried veg & noodles
Ginger & basil pasta, crunchy baked tomatoes with lime & chilli
Mediterranean tarts, garic crushed potatoes, green beans

Garlic & lemon potatoes

I bought some chick peas and black beans and lentils the other day but have no idea how to cook them or anything!!!
Many thanks.

mikeD

tattycath wrote: »

Hi everyone. Just a quick question. I often think about ordering groceries online but is it really viable to spend less than £40 on line when you consider delivery etc??? Can you use vouchers online for a spend of less than £50? And what delivery windows can you get? I could not afford-or bear to stay in for a full day waiting. Aany advice greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks

Hi tattycath. BG23 is right and it's not worth ordering for £40's worth of goods as the delivery charge would be a minimum 10% which is not economical. I do a fortnightly shop (delivered on Wednesday) with Mr T which normally comes to around £70 - £80 including delivery charges. Ocado (Waitrose) do a free delivery for orders over £80 but as their goods are so much more expensive I only use them for special occasions. If you've got the storage space available the best option is a monthly delivery.


Hope that helps.

Nothing much to report. Only spent £1.39 for 2 6 packs of Christmas crisps as a BOGOF

Have checked with my Lawyer who is now taking advice from his Barrister . Will keep you up to date.

MRSMCAWBER

Hi tattycath

Falafel are made from chickpeas... usually shaped like little chicken nuggets and they are really nice....
Could be the answer to using up your chickpeas :j

nopot2pin

Wow frazzmunch ......... thats some menu :T

And I gotta agree with bg23.... in that I too would like to eat at yours from now on:D

In addition to the list that tattycath has posted about recipes.. I would love to know your recipe for sloppy joes please.??

mikeD wrote: »

Have checked with my Lawyer who is now taking advice from his Barrister . Will keep you up to date.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

tattycath

Thanks everyone for the online grocery shopping advice.
Good luck with lawyer Mike:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Thanks MRSMCAWBER for info on chickpeas-just got to get a recipe now. Well done MRSMCAWBER on achieving your christmas target-that's fantastic!!! :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j :j

WELL DONE & CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

WelshWoofer

Just a quick post to report my non-spends!
Am really getting the hang of this meal planning and only buying what you actually need.
Still on £46 for the past two weeks and just need a few little bits and pieces to get me to the 23rd (when Xmas officially starts for me and my shopping).

I'm going to do the non-perishable Christmas food and drink shopping this weekend - I have a separate budget and my mum pitches in with the cost as the rest of my family stay with me too. It'll all get stored away in a big box in a spare room to avoid temptation before the big day. That leaves just the fresh stuff to battle for on 23rd/24th - fun to look forward to!

Keep going everyone!

rosieben

Had mr t grocery delivery for this month - total £71.77.

I went to the local market town this morning and despite passing 2 grocery stores, the market and a bakery :eek: I only bought my chrsitmas tv mag, and some knitting supplies (budgeted for separately); I've impressed myself with my self-restraint!

I'll need to buy veg, fruit, fresh cream and milk for christmas - should come in under budget or very near.

Well done to you all GC'ers who have much more complicated lives (and grocery lists!) than me :T :T :T :T :T

MRSMCAWBER

Thanks Tattycath

Only about another 6 stone to shift :rotfl: still i guess it means im more than 1/3 of the way there . This challenge helps -as now i think about how much money im eating too...not just the cals, and it seems to put me off quicker.... :T


Well we are off back to the UK on Monday for xmas/newyear... so tonight we are off to grab the crates of beer to take with us... well hubbies fave (Paderborner) works out at 19p for a half litre glass bottle :T -cheaper then pop isn't it .. so we will be picking up 8 crates -160 bottles .... although some is for family... honest ... but it will save us an absolute fortune... hubby likes those bottles at 4 for £5.. but prefers this anyway..so on 4 crates for hubby that we are going to pay £15.20 for it would have cost us £100 :j ..
Then im coming back in time to start Januarys challenge -on a mission.. i have most of this months budget left to stock up on stuff that is expensive here whils we are in the UK... then watch out im going to be super frugal