January 2008 Grocery Challenge

nopot2pin

rosieben wrote: »

Hi Nopot, I just use normal rice pudding quantities; I sometimes heat the milk to put in first, sometimes dont bother and cook it on high for longer, depends on how quickly I want it to be done.

Here's a link to the complete Slow Cooker collection http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?p=1332010#post1332010

You might find more ideas there, lots of links to check out

Wow.... thanks rosieben - The rice recipe looks really easy :T

Although, I have just discovered I dont have any pudding rice ... I was sure I had some

I wonder if sushi rice would work :eek: :cool:

JoJoB

£15 quid went round the corner shop cos OH nipped out for a couple of beers and came back with 6 beers, a small bottle of scotch, cake and milk. :rolleyes:

Ridiculous really. I wasn't putting OH's alcohol in the grocery budget but think I will now as it will encourage me to be firm with him! It only takes him to nip round to the corner shop twice in a week and that's 30 quid down the swanny. 30 quid is what we are supposed to be living on for the week!

tattycath

Hi everyone. Well I finally managed a nsd today-thank goodness. I am so annoyed though, I have a bm... somewhere!!! I haven't been able to find it for so long since I moved (ages and ages ago). We still have unpacked boxes in loft and storage (family storage not paying storage) Anyway, I have been meaning to make some bread by hand-scary stuff for me!!!:eek: But I have kept putting it off and haven't got round to it!!!:o
So I guess it'l have to keep to one night in the week-I must look out a recipe. I have got some dried yeast in readiness and bread flour, but don't know rest of recipe...unless it's on the flour bag.
Well done MRSMCAWBER-you are doing so well!!! i'm almost green with envy. but not quite, you have given me the motivation to try harder with my challenge though. So thank you for that, and of course to all the other posters who help enormously.

TroysMum

Ok i'm starting my grocery challenge from payday on the 17th, is this ok?
Hoping to make it £275 for the month.
Have already started cutting back but want to really keep a check on it.

MERFE

Been shopping today, spent 25 pounds, bit more than i wanted to but thats what happens in sainsburys, they only have one seat in the trolleys so I was too busy making sure dd didn't run off to concentrate on what i was putting in the trolley. Does include nappies we didn't need too, since they are on special offer and i had a 2 pound off voucher, so nappies normal price 8.98 today 3.74 bargin. Also managed to get a few things that were reduced so might pop in again next sunday afternoon, I used to be put off cos you have to pay to park but they do give it back to you and you have to remember to take a pound for the trolley. They didn't have many loose bananas though and the kids get through so many had to get some packaged ones, didn't have a chance to check the price difference as dd was off.
This should last till next sunday as we still have some milk in the freezer that oh got from work, still have all the meals for the rest of the month and just need top ups of milk, bread and fruit, 32 pounds left so 16 pounds a week should be ok.
Gonna make flapjacks tomorrow as i got some cherries to put in them so they'll be a special treat yum!

nopot2pin

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hubby will be taking a flask of soup and some HM bread for lunch, this batch is made from the water that i boiled a gammon with and then had lentils and broth mix oh and veggies added to it..and blitzed... i even make it really thick so it takes up less room in the freezer, and then hubby "lets it down" when he warms it up .

OOOHHHH just had another thought... in a few months i will be harvesting a lot of my own veggies ..........

MrsMc ... Thats a fab idea with the soup :T . My freezer space is soooo limited, so this will be a regular occurance when freezing soup in this house now. Many thanks:D

With the growing stuff... I am also going to grow tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce this year. And possibly courgettes. I had some friends over last night, for a light refreshment, and we have decided to plant swap... in that I have 2 types of toms.. and they have 2 different to mine. So we are going to swap so that we have all the variety without the additional cost. I am growing peppers, they are growing chillis... so they will also be swapped.
Hopefully will get them started this week

MRSMCAWBER

TATTYCATH

this is my bread recipe is and i always make it by hand:- using lidl flour it comes in at just ubder 20p a loaf

300ml warm water -use part milk part water if you want a softer crust
14g fresh yeast -or 1 sachet dried
1/2tsp sugar

500g bread flour
2tsp salt

and you can also a 1oz butter/marge to help it stay fresh longer -but mine either gets demolished by hubby or i slice and freeze in 2s

• just mix the flour and salt in a large bowl-make a well in the centre
• mix the water, yeast and sugar in a jug and pour into the well
• cover the liquid with flour from around the sides
• cover with a carrier bag and leave until the liquid starts to bubble through
• mix well into a smooth ball
• leave in bowl and cover with carrier bag -like a tent
• once doubled in size, knead and shape
• place in 2lb loaf tin and cover with carrier -again so the dough can't touch it
• once about 2"above top of tin put in a preheated oven 230 for about 30-40 mins or until nice and golden -when tipped out-if you knock on the bottom it should sound hollow

If you want less crusty bread you can use part milk and part water -but we like crusty.

if using dried yeast -mix 1 sachet in with the flour, sugar and liquid -start mixing and then add the salt -it stops the salt trying to kill or slow down the yeast

Nopot2pin... i can't believe how long it took me to realise that i could save space that way :rotfl: I also do it with stock..reduce it right down so its concentrated and then add water to it when i use it

I got carried away with seeds -but only as i was top of a list for allotments.. only hubby got an extra 5years in the army so we are now in Germany instead... but im not letting them go to waste- im growing in pots like last time:T ... I couldn't resist the other day as a store here was doing 10 packs of veg seeds for €1.50 about 13p a pack :eek: so i got some more :rotfl:then of course i also plan on planting tomatoes and peppers from the seeds of those in my fridge

redmel1621

FIRST TIME EVER, That I have managed to go the whole week without needing to buy top-up groceries mid-week, I will try again for next week.
If I can manage to do this on a regular basis it wil save me a fortune. Usually if I run out of, say, potatoes i would nip round to somerfield and probably spend between £10-£15 easily....
I will be under this week now, but was over last week so need to keep a close eye on what i'm spending now untill the end of the month.

Oh and that Spendingdiary Website is absolutely genius...

Mel x

nopot2pin

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Nopot2pin... i can't believe how long it took me to realise that i could save space that way :rotfl: I also do it with stock..reduce it right down so its concentrated and then add water to it when i use it

I got carried away with seeds -but only as i was top of a list for allotments.. only hubby got an extra 5years in the army so we are now in Germany instead... but im not letting them go to waste- im growing in pots like last time:T ... I couldn't resist the other day as a store here was doing 10 packs of veg seeds for €1.50 about 13p a pack :eek: so i got some more :rotfl:then of course i also plan on planting tomatoes and peppers from the seeds of those in my fridge

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
I cant believe that I didnt think of it before either... 39 years of age and still missing the obvious. I blame the blonde hair dye :rolleyes: .
And they say life begins at 40, so there was no point in knowing it before.
It would have been wasted on me :rotfl: :rotfl: .

I was looking for something the other day.. and came across some seeds from last year.
So, waste not, want not... will be planting them to see how they grow . And have got some seeds from one of my peppers to try also. ...

Ohhhhh ... I cant wait to grow stuff

lauradora

Nipped to netto today for loo roll and milk and ended up getting drawn in by the bargain biscuits! But spent £8.41 which I still don't suppose is bad. I bulk bought sugar and loo roll so i'm stocked til well beyond the end of the month.

MrsMc, I too started putting in some seeds for the green house this weekend! Really looking forward to, and hoping for a good harvest this year since it was all riuned last year in the floods.:(

So running total for the month is now £38.18. And with 18 days to go and a freezer still packed I think i've cracked it!!:A

Thankyou all again xxx