2025 Frugal Living Challenge

suzeesu2000

Frugaldom said:

What has happened to white cabbages? I've tried buying them from Aldi and Morrisons but they are tiny! Talk about shrinkflation!! Or perhaps it's just our area. Has anyone else noticed the shrinking white cabbages? As a huge slaw fan throughout summer, it's most disappointing. I usually grate cabbage, carrot, apple and cheese then throw in a handful of sultanas. A cabbage would make at least 4 big bowls but now only makes 2.

Same here but with cauliflower. Now reduced to the size of a tennis ball, but still charging nearly £2 each. Your recipe for slaw sounds really tasty, will give that a try, thanks for the idea.xx

ladybird1106

I think the weather is effecting the size of the veg as I’m finding the same issue at the plot.
love 🐞

Topher

If anyone has membership to the Company Shop, and if you were interested in the Dubai chocolate Dupe to home make (in the MSE newsletter recently) then they had near to sell by date Kadayif (shredded filo pastry) in today, 30p for 400g I’m going to give it a try since I bought (rather rashly) some Pistachio cream from Costco earlier this year. I’m debating whether or not to invest in the chocolate bar mold - thinking: maybe an old plastic takeaway box could be used. I’ve got some cheap chocolate which I may use for my first go, but if I’m going to indulge and use up my “sweet treats” ration I may prefer a better quality chocolate. 

Topher

suzeesu2000 said:

Frugaldom said:

What has happened to white cabbages? I've tried buying them from Aldi and Morrisons but they are tiny! Talk about shrinkflation!! Or perhaps it's just our area. Has anyone else noticed the shrinking white cabbages? As a huge slaw fan throughout summer, it's most disappointing. I usually grate cabbage, carrot, apple and cheese then throw in a handful of sultanas. A cabbage would make at least 4 big bowls but now only makes 2.

Same here but with cauliflower. Now reduced to the size of a tennis ball, but still charging nearly £2 each. Your recipe for slaw sounds really tasty, will give that a try, thanks for the idea.xx

From old guides of seasons for vegetables, I think White cabbage is only just in season in August and seasonal further into Autumn, winter. I would guess those traditional Fruit and vegetable seasons have started to skew somewhat with the changes in weather & climate. Maybe importing from all over the world changed our seasonal expectations (of what we can buy when) I’m old enough to remember our households eating according to season but memories of what we had when are a bit hazy, I think I recall White cabbage and carrots as Autumn into winter and there being winter and summer coleslaws.  

joedenise

We ate seasonally as well as dad had 2 allotments.  I don't remember much about when like you @Topher but I do remember lots of casseroles and stews with virtually no meat!!!  The only meat I really remember was a Sunday roast, usually shoulder of lamb and a capon at Christmas.  Chicken was too expensive to eat regularly throughout the year unlike these days when it seems to be the cheapest and most versatile meat.

Highlanddream

I had a shock today, I always take my own lunch to work but ran out of time today so I bought a sandwich at a shop on the way through, won't be doing that again. What a price. Does anybody have a passata machine at all? I make my own tomato sauce and am fed up with sieving it, it takes such a long time. Wondering whether it is worth the money. Tried a mouli but that isn't brilliant either

joedenise

I found just cooking the tomatoes and then whizzing in a blender did a job enough job.

Highlanddream

joedenise said:

I found just cooking the tomatoes and then whizzing in a blender did a job enough job.

I do that before sieving, it gets the perfect texture for tomato sauce / ketchup. I should have said ketchup

MrsCD

I saw a YouTube short where he cut the large tomatoes in half then grated them, leaving the skin in his hand. Then you can simmer the pulp and add whatever you want to make your sauce. I haven't tried it but thought it could work.

maryb

Hmm knowing me I'd grate my fingers and you wouldn't be able to see the blood!