Time to slash the shopping budget and use up the store cupboard

Sun_Addict

My first ever boyfriend was from Toronto. He was in the UK temporarily with his family, something to do with his dad’s job. His little sister was very disappointed with our lack of decent snow 🤣 I still have the raccoon fur key ring he gave me. 

threepenny_bit

Sun_Addict said:

My first ever boyfriend was from Toronto. He was in the UK temporarily with his family, something to do with his dad’s job. His little sister was very disappointed with our lack of decent snow 🤣 I still have the raccoon fur key ring he gave me. 

@Sun_Addict What a lovely memory! I had never seen a raccoon until I went to Ontario - cute from a distance but not when they are at the rubbish bins defending their territory and want to know what is in your bin bag lol! 

threepenny_bit

Four_Seasons said:

I love Alberta my daughter lived at Rolston just outside Medicine Hat for 4 years when her girls were little we visited again 8 years ago and are busy trying to save for a future visit, stay warm xx

Thanks @Four_Seasons bit warmer today and only minus 38 with windchill. Busses not running so much of the population happy not to have to go to school lol! 
I visited Medicine Hat for the 1st time a couple of months ago, it is about a 3 hour drive from me as I am nearer to Banff and the mountains. I have knee surgery planned and my surgeon works out of Medicine Hat so I will be going again late Spring. 
Hope you get to visit again soon x

threepenny_bit

A little warmer here today at minus 38 F, still had to conserve power yesterday to avoid rolling power cuts and our area was lucky in that we didn't get any. 
I had to go out but didn't do any shopping. I did call at the Food rescue shed and managed to get 2 bread loaves, tinned tomatoes, a mixed vegetable tray to use in stir fry, and a turkey sandwich. Lots of other things but nothing that we would eat to be honest. I was grateful for the bread as we have used a lot this past few cold days by having a slice of toast or toasted sandwiches to stay warm and provide a quick snack with soup. 
Hope everyone is staying warm as I see the UK has some nasty cold weather moving in. 
x

threepenny_bit

I forgot to add my meal plan for the week - days are in no particular order but will need to be using the veggie tray I got at the rescue shed and some mushrooms which need a little love so stir fry, and the Maggi bag will feature early on. 
Items with * means I will make extra and put away either a meal for both of us or a portion for the freezer for lunches. 

week 2

1- *maggi bag butter chicken and rice

2- salad, breaded chicken strips and chips

3- steak, mushrooms, salad

4- *spaghetti bolognese

5- frozen prawns stirfry with noodles

threepenny_bit

Went a little bit off piste today! Hubby worked from home and once I got home at lunch time it was really chilly so I made a quick soup using frozen peppers, mushrooms, onion, a small piece of leftover steak from Tuesdays tea, a tin of pasta sauce and some broken spaghetti pieces. It went down well and was a nice warm lunch, tea time came and we just had beans on toast. I forget that I don't need to make big meals every day or plan everything. 

Took the turkey out of the freezer and will cook that over the Weekend and then I will have a lot of meat for meals to put away. 

Need to do a quick shop for bread, eggs, bananas and milk but hubby has a voucher for $10 off a spend of $10 for the local grocery store and his bread that he likes is on offer starting tomorrow - will spend just over $15 on what I need  probably but then his voucher will reduce it . 

 Haven't been as active after work as the cold weather is really bothering my knee, I don't want to slip outside in the extreme cold and snow so am staying in as much as I can .... it means I haven't been anywhere to spend anything either though!

threepenny_bit

Just checked the little hydroponic garden; I had noticed a couple of the seed pods had not grown and so swapped them out for others. Now have 2 lettuce growing, a Genovese basil and a thyme. These were all from the older box of pods which I was going to throw out with the exception of 1 lettuce. Give it a month and I can start to use the lettuce so that is a bonus.
Will try to keep rotating the older seed pods in the hope that they grow as well. Wondering if I can germinate some and then add them to the veggie box in summer to grow outside hmmmm .... anyone done that? 

threepenny_bit

Needed to shop today for milk, eggs, bread, veg  but local store had offers on the bread and it was half price off you bought 3. It is a particular rye bread that my husband eats and normally I have to drive to Costco 30 mins away to buy it. I got extra eggs as I want to make fruit loaves for the freezer and breakfast sandwiches for this week. I saved an extra $10 as hubby had a discount code for the store as well as a free online pick and collection which is normally $ 2.95, online pick with delivery varies between $4.95 and $9.95 depending on day and time. 

I spent $48.70 also bought peppers, cheese slices, a piece of cheese to grate, milk, English muffins for the breakfast sandwiches, avocado, orange juice, bananas, and my grand total so far this month is $188.45 plus spare change  and this leaves me $19.55; I will need milk again next weekend for $6 but probably that is all. 

The little free turkey is cooking this afternoon and will make some dinners this week and more for the freezer too. I will make the loaves tomorrow and hope to use the mixture, which I quadrupled, into 5 or 6 2lb loaves

threepenny_bit

Had to tweak this weeks menu plan a little to use things in the fridge. Going to have a bulk cooking day this week and will use the 3lb block of minced beef I have to make dinners to put in freezer. 
I took a box of beef bourgignon out of the freezer by accident so added that in for todays tea; need to be better at adding freezer labels and thinking I can remember what is in the bags and boxes as I put them away lol! 

week 3

1- *spaghetti bolognese 

2- Beef bourguignon from freezer, mashed potatoes, Yorkshire pudding  and veg

3- *chicken breakfast sandwiches using ground chicken and bacon from freezer - make 12 and freeze

4- fish and chips and mushy peas

5- salsa turkey and rice casserole

threepenny_bit

Did my batch baking session today but had to take a few breaks as my knee was just so sore. 
I cooked 3lb ground beef and made 2 large chillis, put 2 boxes of mince away just fried with onions and will use for shepherds pie bases, one smaller box of mince for a taco salad and one small box of chilli for a lunch for hubby to take to work. 
I used 2 chicken breasts to make 2 salsa chicken and rice casseroles  - one for tonight and one for the freezer, and one small box for a lunch for hubby. All labeled and in the freezer.  
I still have the ground chicken out to make meatballs or patties with -  might do that tomorrow as I took the box out of the frizzer on Monday and dont want it to sit in the fridge for long. 
I also used spices,  a tin of corn, kidney beans, black beans, crushed tomatoes, basmati rice, mushrooms and jar of salsa all from the pantry - didn't buy anything so felt good to use up a few tins and meat from the freezer. Cant see any spaces as the casserole dishes and lock and lock boxes filled the shelf back up lol!

Still have $19.55 for shopping if needed but doing ok right now.