March 2008 Grocery Challenge

Bobbykins

Hi Jackie,
sorry I've only just noticed you asked about freezing the tabouleh. I don't think it would freeze very well due to the high water content, but it keeps in the fridge for 2 or 3 days if you keep it in a container with a lid on.

HTH

Bobby

jackie_w

Bobbykins wrote: »

Hi Jackie, here's the Tabouleh recipe:-

60 - 100 g bulgar wheat
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 fl oz boiling water
1/4 cucumber, diced
2 spring onions, chopped

for the dressing:
1 fl oz olive oil
1 fl oz lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, crushed.



Mix the bulgar wheat and salt. Pour the boiling water on it and leave to stand for 15 - 20 mins until the water has been absorbed.
Mix together the ingredients for the dressing and pour it over the soaked bulgar wheat. Fold it in lightly with a spoon.
Add the chopped cucumber and spring onions.
Serve

Dead easy and really tasty. I hope you get chance to try it out and that you like it.

Hi Bobbykins,

Thank you for posting the recipe. It sound delicious. I will definetly be trying that one out.


Jackie xx

skintscotslass

jackie_w wrote: »

Yes, I do get a kick out of sticking to a budget. I used to be a really wasteful person, but, not I absolutely hate waste, and will try to use absolutely everything I can. The way I look at things now is that if I can save on food, I can use the money ive saved on other things ie, taking the kids out bowling, or saving to take the kids to a restaurant etc.

Jackie xx

Do you have a compost bin? I'm a fairly recent convert and I love it. I dont feel that fruit and veg peelings are wasted anymore

I'm the same with DD, but also with stuff like DVDs. I would buy her the latest DVD as soon as it came out and when it came to birthdays and Christmas all the relatives would be asking me, what shall we get her?? So now I dont buy things like that. I cant believe the difference in my spending habits.

TheBees

Evening all
Nopottopin - Thanks for the baked bean soup. It sounds lovely and would be nice with some freshly made bread I reckon. Will give it a go soon.

Someone asked for meal ideas using rice but for a hubby who likes meat and two veg. I found this recipe in a leaflet at the butchers and it goes down well in our house.

All in one mince supper

1lb/500g batch of your normal savoury/shepherds pie mince

4 rashers of bacon

2 sweet peppers deseeded and chopped

1 x 400g can tomatoes

150ml hot beef or veg stock

2 teaspoons paprika powder

200-300g cooked rice

herbs of your choice and seasoning

Method

Cook bacon in frying pan until lightly coloured

Add peppers and cook 3-4 mins

And the mince which you've already cooked, tomatoes, stock and paprika. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 3-4 mins. Add the cooked rice and cook a further 3-4 mins until rice is hot.

Garnish with herbs and serve immediately.

This makes a tasty alternative mince meal and you can add plenty of hidden veg to the original mince mix. By the time this has been all mixed together nobody will notice!

........................................................................................

NSD for me as I was at work all day! Made the Jamie Oliver mozzarella pasta bake and it was very nice but TBH I think grated cheddar on top would have worked just as well as the mozzarella which probably costs a lot more. Luckily it was huge so I frozen the leftovers for another meal. :j

Have a good weekend everybody and get those running shoes on for Sport Relief!

jackie_w

skintscotslass wrote: »

Do you have a compost bin? I'm a fairly recent convert and I love it. I dont feel that fruit and veg peelings are wasted anymore

I'm the same with DD, but also with stuff like DVDs. I would buy her the latest DVD as soon as it came out and when it came to birthdays and Christmas all the relatives would be asking me, what shall we get her?? So now I dont buy things like that. I cant believe the difference in my spending habits.

Hi Again,

Im afraid I dont have a compost bin, but, FIL and BIL do, so they get to fight over who gets all the scraps lol.

I keep saying that I will get one, but, I never get round to it.

Jackie

TheBees

JackieW - Sounds to me like that woman at work has more money than sense! :mad: My friends at work are all trying to cut back on their spending but none of them have got around to doing something about it and joining MSE like us! We often have discussions about our shopping but its all very light hearted and friendly.

TheBees

Frugaldom

jackie_w wrote: »

Today when at work, I was talking to one of my collegues, and I was telling her all about my "grocery challenge", and she looked at me like I was daft .
In her household, there is only her, DP and their 2 kids (aged 9 & 4), and she said she spends approx £170 per week on food:eek: :eek: :eek: ...

... Has anyone else had any sort of reaction like that?

Jackie xx

Yes, often, and the usual **** about being insane and how ridiculous it was that, in this day and age, there are still people prepared to 'live like that'. What's worse, I am just a frugalite who appreciates the odd freebie, I am not a freegan! But I have witnessed the hatred and abuse that they often must have to endure.

Well done for highlighting this, as I think that your colleague's attitude is one of the contributing factors to the amount of food that gets wasted. You should invite said colleague & partner for dinner and prepare them a superb, three course frugal-style meal, then announce the total cost after it's been consumed. :rotfl:

mumzyof2

angelnikki wrote: »

Any sugar should work fine for the shortbread. I would use white sugar if I didnt have soft brown sugar. Not sure about the condensed milk though. (btw it's on offer at tesco 2 for £2.20)
Nikki
x

Edit: I've just found this recipe for making condensed milk if you have milk powder. I've never tried it though.

Thankyou so much i will make my own condensed milk i will let you all know how i get on

Danni

Went to Asda in the early hours of this morning, and spent a total of £40.79. Not all of that was groceries though- some of it was Easter eggs and sweets and chocolate (which comes under a different catagory of my budget). There was also a lot that I bought for my friend for taking me there (he drives, and he's the only one who can take me there when it's quiet).

Total amount spent on groceries there: £26.58. My cupboard is full now, and I have no choice but to make it last until my friend is available again. Shouldn't be too hard though- I asked him what food I like to eat (while making a shopping list) and he said, "You don't".

rosieben

gtx wrote: »

hi, i'm new to mse and wondering what i have to do to join this thread (why is it called a thread?) or am i too late for this month

Hi gtx, you're very welcome to join us. Have you any idea what you normally spend on food? or do you have a budget that you need to stick to?

Sometimes its best to keep all receipts for a couple of weeks to see how much you're spending now, and then try to reduce it gradually. The very first post of this thread has a lot of useful advice so would probably help you if you read through that.

And here is a good place to look for basic information about starting out with Old Style.

ps a thread is just a series of posts on any particular subject. We have a new grocery challenge thread each month

Good luck!