It's getting tough out there. Feeling the pinch?

euronorris

in_my_wellies said:

euronorris said:

I also popped to supermarket to get some bits in for my mum, who has special dietary needs. There were so many big gaps in the store. I did also get some gammon on a 3 for £10 deal, as I find we can usually get a good meal out of one, with several rounds of sandwiches too (I do it in the slow cooker). It's certainly considerably cheaper than buying pre sliced ham! 

I use my pressure cooker for gammon but would like to try the slow cooker. How long does it take  please?

I put it on low around 8am, and lift it out around 5pm ish. I don't think it's necessary as such, for it to be that long, it's just how it works around my work day. I put a cm or two of water in the bottom and drizzle some honey on the top and leave it to it.

Our dinner tonight was chicken korma, done in slow cooker, with some rice (done on the hob). And portions left over for another time  

elsien

Random question - making a job lot of spag Bol tomorrow to use up some stuff, mince bulked out with lentils.
Got a surplus of courgettes and was pondering grating some of those in - I tend not to like soft courgettes as a rule, but am thinking that ideally they may be less noticeable grated and with a splosh of red wine. Any thoughts? 

YorksLass

I would think they'd be fine, elsien.  I don't think you'd notice them too much, they might even "disappear" IYSWIM.  

elsien

Disappearing would be good. Getting some benefit without noticing.  

in_my_wellies

euronorris said:

in_my_wellies said:

euronorris said:

I also popped to supermarket to get some bits in for my mum, who has special dietary needs. There were so many big gaps in the store. I did also get some gammon on a 3 for £10 deal, as I find we can usually get a good meal out of one, with several rounds of sandwiches too (I do it in the slow cooker). It's certainly considerably cheaper than buying pre sliced ham! 

I use my pressure cooker for gammon but would like to try the slow cooker. How long does it take  please?

I put it on low around 8am, and lift it out around 5pm ish. I don't think it's necessary as such, for it to be that long, it's just how it works around my work day. I put a cm or two of water in the bottom and drizzle some honey on the top and leave it to it.

Our dinner tonight was chicken korma, done in slow cooker, with some rice (done on the hob). And portions left over for another time  

Thank you so much. I picked one up in Lidl yesterday with 30% off - £3.90 down to £2.75. Like you we have a hot meal from it then sandwiches and sometimes cut into cubes and used in a chicken and ham pie or more often a quiche 
The new in date ones at Lidl were £5.30, same weight!!!

Spendless

Rosa_Damascena said:

@Spendless from what I can see you have cooked 3 times today. It's been a hot day, was the work and fuel involved really necessary?

I have just looked through my fruit bowl for stuff that's getting ripe and made a small fruit salad, which is just right for me.

I would say so. The bacon sandwich / veggie sausage & hash browns was because DD and DH were about to embark on an hour's commute to her job as no trains got her there in time. She ended up feeling unwell later so left her lunch so just as well she had something. The items went in the grill/air fryer so not a lot of work involved

Lunch for me and DH was something light. I talked him out of his original idea as too filling. The oven wasn't used for either things made. He made his own lunch, I popped mine in the soup maker  so not a great deal of work. 
The soup has portions left that can be microwaved tomorrow. It wasn't a sandwich (as breakfast had been) and I don't have enough fresh stuff in to create a salad. I also have no fresh fruit. I have some frozen fruit only, that I usually add to porridge. It's also been warm here but certainly not a 'hot' day 

Evening time was so we could sit as a family and eat together (even if doing 2 different dishes). There has been 1 portion of curry left over which has gone in the fridge. Again this is likely to be microwaved tomorrow  or if uneaten, frozen and microwaved another day. All items went in the oven at the same time as explained, so everything was being done together.

Most items unless they are eaten cold/ambient, start off life by being cooked and then microwaved at the second serving. 

borefest

anybody doing any thrifty for the jubilee? or you giving it a miss?

linz

Well ive just been for one of my regular evening walks to the co-op with my soft plastics for recycling. Needed some bread and they had some with the orange sticker on (32p). I also got 2 x small chicken pies (20p each), 2 x packets of stir fry chicken (65p each), packet of cumberland sausages (97p) and some hot cross buns (27p). Plenty still left for other people too. All gone in the freezer apart from one of the packets of chicken i'm cooking now for a stir fry for tomorrow's tea. I also got some reduced beef mince yesterday from Morrisons daily which i made a big bolognaise with so I should easily be ok for meals this week now.    

joedenise

elsien said:

Random question - making a job lot of spag Bol tomorrow to use up some stuff, mince bulked out with lentils.
Got a surplus of courgettes and was pondering grating some of those in - I tend not to like soft courgettes as a rule, but am thinking that ideally they may be less noticeable grated and with a splosh of red wine. Any thoughts? 

I often grate or finely dice courgettes into mince, it definitely disappears if grated although you might see flecks of the skin.  I also grate in carrot as well as it's a really cheap veg and helps stretch the mince that little bit further.

otb666

we had a massive beef joint today £25 but seriously got enough left for rest of week in sandwiches stir fry salads curries etc.  So although expensive will last along time and got me thinking perhaps its best to go big is cheaper in long run To get all the cooking over with.