May 2008 Grocery Challenge

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all -again

Back from shopping..again.. i swear we get through so much salad n fruit... anyway i was good and picked up 2 icebergs.. now €1.19 in aldi :eek: last week they were 59c :eek: ....2 pots of tiny tomatoes, another pineapple mind at only €1.49 and it is huge i guesss it makes up for the lettuce;) , another tub of krautsalat -im an addict 2 extra tins of tuna and a tub of tzatziki for hubby to munch with the HM breadsticks.... i normally make it but this is really nice (the one the gyros places use) and is actually cheaper than making it so i spent €9.13 .... wedging it into the fridges was not easy ..but i have to keep my fruit in there too ... im sure i will clear some room soon
Just made a fresh pineapple n grapefruit juice for my brekkie -it was lovely.one of my faves...

Victory ... its nice to know im not the only one doing it ... usually anything i make I describe as "rustic" but they worked out lovely ..nice and uniform ...

Well its a little overcast n drizzly here...but still warm -so brilliant conditions for the veggies:j they seem to be off to a good start..fingers crosse for mega crops :rotfl:

gunsandbanjos

Going for my 4th grocery no spend day:D Would have been my 3rd NSD on anything, but i need to go into town to buy sandals for my LO:rolleyes:

shaz_mum_of__2

victory wrote: »

In Mr S they have BOGOF for £1 mCvities jamaica ginger cake, very good deal, I asked the bakery if you could freeze it but she said as it does not say on the packet you can't, anyone know if you can because OH loves the cake and at 50p each bargain but only got 2 because of the no freeze:rolleyes:

Went to Aldi today and sunmaid oat biscuit pack there to make up, just add egg and water think it said £1.35,previously I would have picked that up but no not now I have entered the twinkies world, I know I can get 40 odd biscuits out of my mix and the kids love it:D

mrsm I think it was use saying what spoon you use for the mix ,have you got a pic or could you describe it a bit more so I can get 42 bikkies out of the mix also:D thank you:D

I have frozen that cake bafore with no probs................


Re spoons etc i use an ice cream scoop (the old fashioned one which has a "blade)that cuts the ice cream out of the scoop) to fill fairy cakes and muffin cases evenly


Shaz

wanted a nsd but i need compost and a hosepipe(my grocery budget pays for everthing that isn't a bill)

so about £20 down the garden centre later

on the plus side i bought loads of veg seeds yesterday at lidl for 15p a packet and bought loads of cucumbers and made this

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2007/05/pickled-cucumbers.html

i am amazed i wasnt sure what pickled cucumber were like they are sweet and sour with a hint of chilli

anyone who hasn't read rhonda jeans blog i can't recommend it enough
the latest page is here

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/

Flylady_Flower

ifonlyitwaseasier wrote: »

sadly tho a rellie died tuesday night so i think the funeral is sometime next week. depends on if it's going to be a small affair or all of us can go.

Sorry to hear of your news, I hope everything goes well (as well as these things do go).
Denise

MRSMCAWBER

Shaz..

My mum makes that bread n butter pickle -not that recipe though....and im the only one not to like it..:rolleyes: ..everyone else adores it.. yet i love cucumber and onions in vinegar like my grandad used to do ..i think the pickle is just a bit too soft for me..
Think i will have a look at that thread as i have just counted up and i have 38 tomato plants outside :rotfl: .... now IF i get a glut i will roast some off with olive oil n rock salt and make passata for the freezer..or bottled perhaps..but it would be nice to find some other uses...
problem is there are only 2 of us and hubby isn't muc of a pickle man..so if i open a jar its off before i can use it :rolleyes: ..
off to read that thread now ...,..thankyou

clair2305

shaz_mum_of__2 wrote: »

the facts and figures were fascinating about population growth etc but can't help thinking panic buying will kick in soon ...................ooh i do that already(blush)


Shaz

yes Shaz, the fact and figures were interesting....as pork will be off the menu soon, shall we all start buying belly strips.....yum.....I love belly strips but have already noticed they are getting harder to get

may have to stock up on barbie food (not the doll) so that we have it for the warm weather that hopefully will come back

mandy_moo_1

ifonlyitwaseasier wrote: »

sadly tho a rellie died tuesday night so i think the funeral is sometime next week. depends on if it's going to be a small affair or all of us can go.

will be thinking of you, and as denise says, hope it goes as well as can be expected xx

mandy_moo_1

gonna have an NSD today, or at least that's the intention :rolleyes: been up since 5.30 helping my friend clean her B & B cos she's got loads of guests coming for the w-end, so i'm worn out already! got home about 1/2 an hour ago, so i'm gonna have a quick coffee, then get cracking with my own h-work

i've just put the BM on.....i'm making garlic dough balls to go with some spag bol i've taken out of the freezer for tonight's tea, and the kitchen smell gorgeous with the italian herbs i've used

really want to motivate myself today and make another choc yogurt cake as the last one lasted 3 or 4 days and it was lovely. i also NEED to make some more "Twinks" as they get called in our house :rotfl: only thing is, DD17 & DS14 , have realised i hide half the batch in the freezer

well hope you all have a good day xx

ooh nearly forgot, Mrs Mc, i planted some lettuces in some window boxes, about 5 in each one, but they seem to be growing really slowly....you don't have any tips do you? my spuds are nearly to thye top of the bags now so i'm dead excited :j just hope there's some flippin potatoes in there when i come to harvest them :rolleyes:

ifonlyitwaseasier

thanks denise & mandy, it was an eldery auntie who wasn't in the best of health, had an inkling it wouldn't be too long.

i'm sure it'll be ok, just depends on if we can all go or it's just the older generation.

Moniker

Have just got back from Sainsbury's and managed to stay within the £55 I had allowed for this week. I spent £49-36, which included £2-99 on toiletries. I bought a few things that weren't on the list though - they had NZ lamb chops BOGOF - packs of 6 or 7. I bought these to freeze and £6.95 has gone into my PMS fund. I also bought their basics trout fillets and got 4 quite decent sized ones for £2-38, and a pack of 8 lean boneless British pork chops for £4-65. I wrapped the fillets and chops in pairs in foil for the freezer so lots of meals for next month too.

I was also dead chuffed to find that our water board have reduced our monthly payment from £20 to £13 per month. We have a water meter and now there's only the two of us at home most of the time and I recycle as much water as I can (using the cold that comes out of the hot tap before the hot gets there to flush loos and water plants) - it has made quite a difference. We are also in credit with gas and elec this quarter - only 84p, but we usually have a £60 ish bill this time of the year. I have been fanatical about turning off lights and keeping an eye on the thermostat, so again it obviously pays to be careful!

Am feeling optimistic about this month - hope I am not proved horribly wrong!

Good luck everyone.

Moniker