March 2008 Grocery Challenge

JayneC

BTW went to get choc brownies out of the tin for afters and there was one! left. After careful interrogation we discovered that 'no-one' had eaten them He's a very naughty boy that 'no-one':rotfl:
Anyway there was hobnobs left so we had those instead. Have to get baking again tomorow...

Moniker

Pleased that today was another NSD for me (the 5th in a row!). I was going to buy some coleslaw on my way home from work but decided I didn't have time and DH didn't complain! (I let him have butter on his jacket potato instead of marg so he knew he was well off - I was about to say he knew which side his bread was buttered!)

Have just sat down and worked out my menus for the next 2 weeks starting tomorrow:
Chicken with rice and cheese
Pasta with hm tomato and mushroom sauce
Sausage casserole
Vegetable gratin
Hm beefburgers
Italian roast chicken
Cold chicken and salad
Chicken fricassee
Shepherd's pie
Lamb navarin
Soup bread and cheese (Good Friday!)
Chicken marengo
Eating out Easter day
Roast lamb and peach pavlova

Was trying to decide if I could get away with doing chicken again as main Sunday lunch this coming weekend and decided that I could as DH doesn't really remember what he eats each day - he is quite easy to please really!

BTW Twink's HobNobs taste much better if you make them with butter instead of marg! But only if you buy the butter on special offer of course!

Well done to everyone -hope you are all safe and sound after the storms.

Moniker

rosieben

I've been mia, sorry, and I haven't posted my march budget. I'm living from my store cupboard this month so
Mrs Mcawber, would you please put me down for £20 for March. and apologies for my tardiness

.

WendysWorld

Moniker wrote: »

Hi everyone - just popped in to update my signature. I have about £100 to last me till the end of the month (that's two 'big' shop days) which for me is 28th March. We have DD2 and her BFfor Easter but will be visiting my parents for Easter Day, so not too bad. I think I can do it.

We had a nice roast chicken for lunch today and I hope to make two more day's meals out of it, plus I have plenty of veges so will be able to concoct something I am sure.

Have spent most of the afternoon and all of yesterday sorting out the home office which my DH is refitting for me (bless). Have shredded masses of old bills etc and hope that when it's finished I will be able to keep even closer tabs on all my spending! But it's very tiring!

Quick question - is there any alcohol in wine vinegar? I have a great barbeque sauce recipe which I was going to do with lamb on Easter Monday, but DD2's BF doesn't touch alcohol for religious reasons. Should I leave out the wine vinegar (the recipe uses malt vinegar as well)?

Off to do the ironing !

Moniker

By the time I get to reading to the end of this thread this will probably be answered! But vinegar is acetic acid which is a conversion product of alcohol. They simply use wine as a source of the alcohol. I'm 'almost' certain it's 100% converted as I don't think alcohol would last long in the presence of vinegar. What I don't know is how far the religious beliefs are taken and whether something that's made from alcohol would be banned.

mumzyof2

weezl74 wrote: »

Hi, thanks for that! I think my 'stages of MSE OS detox' were like this

1. Worked out what we spent on food (£200-300 per month):mad:
2. Had a good old look at what things were easy, but quite costly (we used to get those already roasted chickens and a bag of salad, share it and maybe just get one sandwich out of the leftovers- cringe!) so that was £5 evening meal without pudding!:o
3. Had a look at what things were costly little rituals (tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream whilst watching the apprentice on telly, £3.50 a week for a 12 week season!!!):rolleyes: Started making my own alternatives...
4. Thought about ways of trying the basic, cheap but filling foods from each culture, for loads of variety, but on a budget. (Dahl and rice from India, toad in the hole and onion gravy from the UK, penne and arrabiata sauce to go Italian...)
5. Took on the whole idea of batch cooking, and acquired an extra freezer to accomodate!:eek:
6. Looked even harder at what we spent and looked for alternatives (DH used to get through £3 of golden syrup on his porridge per month, I got my thinking cap on and have made a HM cinnamon syrup instead for 40p for the same amount!)
7. Kept looking on here to see what others do...
8. Started making my own bread by hand (18p a loaf)
9. HM sarnies with HM hummus or pate for lunches

Gradually (since september 08), have got it down to £45 a month for us both.:j

I love it here!

Hope some of my ideas help, and thanks for the compliment, made me smile!;)

Weezl x

Hi there, i am really intrigued to know how you live off £45 a month for 2 of you, i think your very inspiring... would you mind if you posted your monthly shopping list and also what meals you make off £45 a month for both of you.
Thankyou very much :T :T :T :T

TheBees

Evening everyone, we are shattered as we only got about 3 hours sleep last night due to wind and rain. We were tossing and turning all night, DD came in our room to tell us she couldn't sleep then our cat decided to bring us in a mouse.:mad: No damage to our house but a neighbours fence was blown down and there was a large branch across a path on the way to school.
Took DD down to the beach to see the waves and about 15 beach huts have been smashed to bits. Such a shame as they were only put up recently ready for the spring.

Hello GettingSortedSarah - we're about 25 miles east of Exeter and we were excited to find someone near us on MSE! Hope you get your fence sorted soon.

Thanks for the drinks bottle ideas. I will have to look at your suggestions as I can't afford to keep buying cartons.

Made some more Twinks hobnobs tonight and they are lovely. Frozen most of them and I can't have any as I went to WW tonight and I've stayed the same again!:mad:

DH bought another sack of spuds and f r eggs tonight from the farm shop and I bought more milk.

Night night - off to bed now.
TheBees

skintscotslass

betterlatethannever wrote: »

No prob Mumof2...:D

Here and HERE
I used the first recipe.

Coriander is lovely and used a lot in indian cusine, so if you like the quite strong flavour of a proper curry then use plenty, if not then less of the stuff.
I used half a packet of it at a copst of 80p a pack, but i also used some ground coriander.

Its a lovely, warming soup.

Mumzyof2 - I tend to buy my herbs at an Asian shop. I think Sainsburys/Tesco etc cost 80p for 20g. I can buy a huge bunch for 60p or so. I must weigh them next time.

mumzyof2

Just want to say those iced buns i just made are so loverly and soft mmmmmmmm well recommened..well done MR M

mumzyof2

skintscotslass wrote: »

Mumzyof2 - I tend to buy my herbs at an Asian shop. I think Sainsburys/Tesco etc cost 80p for 20g. I can buy a huge bunch for 60p or so. I must weigh them next time.

Hello our nearest asain shop is agessssss away and under a railway bridge i dont like going under lol its scary lol. Il ask my fella if there is one nearer than me that i dont know about as he is from where i live and im not LOL

weemissy

Hi everyone
Don't get a chance to post as often as I would like but here goes.
Spent the weekend cooking and baking. Went to M&S on Sat was very good and only bought 2 tins corned beef (on special), 2 packets of sausages (93% pork and on special) and my 2 chickens. So cooked the chickens and got 4 vgood sized portions of chicken (may split this more) and two soup stocks, made a lasagne, made 2 quiche, cooked and mashed a big bag of potatoes (on special in tesco), 1 doz ham and cheese muffins - for the kids packed lunches, forgot I had this recipe until I realised I was making the same boring lunches for them everyday - now determined to vary this, apple crumble using shortbread I had made too thinly (and actually also overcooked ) - this would normally have been thrown to the birds, Twink's hobnobs - DS calls them topnobs and DD calls them bobinogs!:rotfl:, chicken pie and a flan case. On the down side I had to buy the pastry as I am hopeless, but my mum has given me her old food processor :j and I also dropped 1/2 pkt of mince on the floor and the dog got to it first, was going to salvage it to give to OH but the kids were witness to the whole unfortunate event. So all in all along way to go but sooooo much better than before thanks to your postings. Anyway I have £70 left out of my £200 March budget and most of my meals planned and in, next month may manage to post meal plan - but one thing at a time. Will still have to buy perishables, dog food, loo rolls etc but think I will be in budget for my first official challenge. DD's 4th birthday next week so planning to buy her cakes (need 2) from the budget - but was hearing from a mum that birthday cakes sometimes get reduced near their use by dates - so may not buy until day before birthday. Rambling now so night night everyone.