April 2008 Grocery Challenge

carolt2

Good afternoon everyone:hello:

Quick update, went to Mr M's last night on way home and spent a total of £22.33.
Got a few reduced things which have gone into the freezer and also got a few offers that will be used next month.

Got round to making some HM pesto the other day, using fresh basil from the plant we bought last week.... Wow it was lovely.
Can definatly taste the difference between HM and shop bought.

Someone posted earlier in the thread asking how other people add Bogof offers to their grocery challenge.

We set a GC target but buy things that we see on offer that we can use over the following months.
As one month ends i add that months spend to my signature. When it gets to the end of the year I am going to divide the total spend for the year by 12 and then get the average.;)

Bobbykins

SAVVYMUMMY wrote: »

Just a question about the HM bread, how do you keep your bread fresh for longer?. I Have to freeze what I don`t use, once I have made the packed lunches as the bread goes stale very quickly(usually within 24hrs or less). Just wondering if other people seem to experience the same problem?.

Hi Savvymummy, I seem to remember reading on one of the threads that it's the amount of fat in your loaf that determines how long it keeps, ie the more oil/butter or whatever you use, the longer it keeps. Doesn't help too much if you're after a healthier diet!.

I use about 25g butter or 1 tablespoon of oil to 500g flour in my bread and it usually keeps at least 2 days - it might possibly keep for 3 days but there's never been enough left for me to test that out! .

HTH

Bobby

funkyfunkymonkey

victory wrote: »

ffm can I use honey instead of golden syrup as have no syrup?

I never have, but I think someone posted once that they did and they still tasted fab.

FFM

skintscotslass

Afternoon all

I am very late this month!! Mrs M can you put me down for £120 again this month please? I am hoping it will be 3rd time lucky for me this month :rolleyes:

I would have come in at £114.67 for March if I hadnt spent £27.35 on posh Easter Eggs from M&S to impress BFs family :rotfl: Lesson learned for next year

ifonlyitwaseasier

hey victory

i use honey and they come out fab!

Oh has demanded( i know, how cheeky!!) i make more tomorrow as he is hooked

angelatgraceland

Well I had to go to Iceland to make a buffet lunch for my unexpected guests and ended up spending £36! however, im sure Im very well stocked now and there was nothing silly in the trolley.
I made my vegetarian chilli with
the pinto beans Id cooked yesterday/3 cloves garlic/1 stock cube ? 30p
half a bag of quorn 1.00
2 tins chopped toms 42p
frozen onions (Iceland) 33p
frozen peppers (Iceland) 33p
3 dried chilli peppers(optional-homegrown
3 spoons of hot chilli powder 15p
half a bag of brown rice 50p

Total 2.73 served 6 people-all popped in baco tubs and now in the freezer as we had the buffet food today!

45p per serving

Also picked up 2 large chickens for 2.75 each(reduced) so Ive cooked one for tomorrow and the other one is in the freezer.

Now run out of tubs so may buy some more-they last a couple of years so are good value and I can reheat the contents in the microwave in them.
Id now like to make some chicken curries with whatever is left from the chicken tomorrow so I will go out with just a fiver in my purse for the tubs! Unless I settle for the cheap version which are only £1 but don't wear so well.

mikeD

Hi one and all

So sorry I haven't thanked all of you for your posts as I 'aint read too many of them. We've just got back from our spring hols with our extended family (about 18 of us). Great time was had by all, two birthdays to celebrate. Cost of hol came to around £300 which included food, booze and cottage rent, which is in my holiday budget. Not bad eh? Our kids were great, transporting myself and DW there and back, and also all around the north Cornish countryside. Like I've always said, "Treat your kids well when they are young and they will treat you well when you are old".

Gotta go now as DW wants her Sunday tea.

Love the FM

Kaz2904

DH spent £10 ish today. Not sure how much but don't want to push him as he's not a happy bunny today. He spent the day surfing the net trying to find out how much he has to do to get the fireplace in but he doesn't think he can do it so we'll have to get someone in. Argh! Off to work in a bit so will see you all tomorrow!

JennyBee_2

Hiya - have had to walk away from the television as I'm fed up of watching adverts for credit cards followed by adverts for loans for people in debt!!

Spent an invigorating 4 hours digging the veg patch today getting it all ready for my little seedlings that are currently in the greenhouse (they'll save me a fortune one day!)

Anyone know the cheapest place to buy rice at the moment? I'm running out and figure that I might as well start buying in bulk as we use quite a lot of it!

We had beef casserole last night with a few cannellini beans and lots of veg in it and it was lovely! Two extra portions and lots of mashed potato now i the freezer! Hurrah!

MRSMCAWBER

Evening all

Managed a NSD today...hubby didn't pick anything up from the naffi on his way back from golf
Well we had the lamb for lunch and i have enough sliced up to make 2 pies with leeks, carrots and potatoes with a puff pastry top.. so 6 servings out of a €3 joint will do me
Have to nip out for some gardening bits tomorrow(seperate buget though) so might pick some carrots and oranges up whilst im next door ...

Spent the best part of the day outside filling containers with compost and setting more seeds... mainly carrots and spring onions today.... but the raddishes i set a couple of days ago are allready breaking through :j can't wait to be able to fetch in enough salad stuff for 1 meals at a time... just think of the extra fridge space i will have .
Hubby is using up the last batches of soups this week for lunch and then he is going on to tortillas, sandwiches, pasta salads etc... so i will have even more freezer space too :T ... hoping to be filling it with veggies out of the garden soon -im easily pleased aren't i :rotfl:

right i had better get off-have a good evening everyone