August 2020 Grocery Challenge

PerfectChristmas

Mouth is watering just from the picture, what time are you expecting us?

Good luck, @thriftwizard! and thank you @elsiepac

Mrs_Cheshire

Hi Elsie, could you put me down for my usual £450 please. Hoping to come in lower but as the kids are off school and we're away quite a bit so may have the odd meal out which i'll include. 

storybookgirl

First spends of the challenge made!!  £12.50 at the fruit & veg shop and £3.86 on essentials at Asda.

£16.36/£300

elsiepac

Budgets updated to here

@thriftwizard the profiteroles look AMAZING.  Before I was vegan they were my favourite dessert.  They are actually something I've never seen veganised - wish someone would as they are sooo delish!

elsiepac

I went to Makr0 yesterday.  I've never been before but a friend gave me his barcode!  I spent £76.50 which was way more than intended, but I didn't get anything "frivolous" and made sure it was only stuff I actually use.  I took my mum with me and we were checking prices as we went around.  Surprisingly things like loo roll bulk packs were significantly more expensive than in Tesc0 for the same ones!  So again, we only got things that were genuinely good value.  Here's what I got:

• 2.55kg tin chickpeas - £1.99 (equiv. of just over 6 tins in supermarket @ 55p each - can freeze when opened)
• 1.52kg tub capers - £5.69 (I use these in salads and sauces - love them.  Equiv. supermarket = £1.80 for 190g)
• 280g tub Old Bay Seasoning - £4.79
• 530g tub white sesame seeds - £6.19
• 550g tub black sesame seeds - £6.99
• 30g (massive tub) bay leaves - £1.69
• 2x 2kg red lentils - £2.99 each (£5.98)
• 400g almonds - £4.99
• 400g brazil nuts - £4.99
• 2x 400g sunflower seeds - 99p each (£1.98)
• 2x 400g pumpkin seeds - £2.49 each (£4.98)
• 3 pack big white onions - 99p
• 2x 3 pack red onions - 89p each (£1.78)
• 10 pack of foil roasting tins - £6.49 + VAT so £7.79 (useful to keep in cupboard if taking food to contribute to a meal etc)
• 8 pack of rolls of 20 caddy liners - £9.99 + VAT so £11.99 (use these all the time - equiv. £2.70 a roll in supermarket)

The onions are about the same price as in the supermarket but I didn't want to go to one specially and had randomly run out!  Especially pleased with the nuts and seeds!

MazzieD

Monthly shop split between Ald1, T*sco and Asd!.

Mainly meat and fish and store cupboard essentials.  Think I bought more than I needed but fish was on offer and meat was very reasonably priced.

I'll leave buying veg until later in the month, still using up batch cooking and butternut squash. Haven't even touched frozen veg bought last month.  Just as well really after reducing my budget, August is going to be tough.

Total was an eye watering £48.88, leaving £41.12 for the rest of the month.  

[Deleted User]

Here you go @elsiepac - never tried them myself as I always hated profiteroles even before I was vegan! 😂

FOR THE DONUT PROFITEROLES 

120ml (1/2 cup) almond milk 

5 tbsp vegan spread 

250g (2 cups) plain (all-purpose) 

flour, plus extra for dusting 

2 tsp baking powder 

pinch of sea salt 

50g (scant 1/2 cup) icing (confectioner's) sugar 

1.5 l (61/3 cups) vegetable oil, for frying 

FOR THE CREAM FILLING 

320ml (11/3 cups) coconut cream 

1 shot Baileys Almande or vegan liqueur (optional) 

1 tsp vanilla bean paste 

2 tbsp icing (confectioner's) sugar 

FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE 

300ml (11/4 cups) almond milk 

3 tbsp agave nectar 

100g (31/2oz) dairy-free dark chocolate, finely chopped 

FOR THE SUGAR STRING 

200g (1 cup) caster (superfine) sugar   

-First up, make the donut profiteroles. Put the milk and spread in a small saucepan over a low heat to melt and mix together. 

-Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then pour in the melted spread and milk and mix with a spatula until it forms a wet dough. Lightly flour your hands and your work surface. Pick up around 2 tablespoons of dough at a time and roll it in your hands to form neat balls. 

-Line a baking tray with kitchen paper and preheat a deep-fat fryer to 170°C (340°F) or half fill a large saucepan with the vegetable oil and set over a medium heat. Test if it's hot enough by dropping in a little piece of dough. If it bubbles and floats to the surface, the oil is ready. 

-Fry 3 to 4 balls at a time for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. You may need to flip them over halfway through cooking. When cooked, lift them out of the oil using a spider or slotted spoon, gently shaking off excess oil, and transfer the profiteroles straight onto the lined tray and set aside to cool. 

-To make the whipped cream, put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together until thick and creamy. Set aside until you're ready to serve. 

-To make the chocolate sauce, pour the milk and agave nectar into a saucepan and place over a low heat to warm gradually. Meanwhile, tip the chopped chocolate into a mixing bowl. When the milk is piping hot, pour it over the chocolate and stir until smooth and all the chocolate has melted. 

-Cut the profiteroles in half lengthways. Pipe or spoon generous amounts of the cream onto the bottom halves and stick the tops back on. 

-Before serving, melt the caster (superfine) sugar in a heavy-based pan until golden. 

-Stack your profiteroles on a serving plate then drizzle over the chocolate sauce. Finally, using a spoon, spin the melted sugar around the stack. Be extremely careful as the sugar will be super hot.

lantanna

£40 across the butchers and the garage. 

pamsdish

Quite a haul there @elsiepac, some of those will last you months before you need to buy again.

MrsSnowy

elsiepac      please put me down for   £150    ,I will do better
Thank you
MrsS