June 2008 Grocery Challenge

dink1

Hi guys,

hoping for a nsd today. We shall see.....

Catnap53 - wow you had a crap day!!!! hugs to you, Mothers where do I start? I know exactly what you mean, and am with you on the feeling guilty that you feel annoyed. But remember you are human! Angelatgraceland said it all, keep going there will be a time when you are pleased that you did.

Mrs moneyspinner - keep your chin up hun, I am struggling to keep within budget, its not easy or we would be rich

Big mumma F - keep it together you will be good tomorrow. You have just gotta do better than me as when I do the "Do I need it when would I use it" I always say yes! :rotfl:


Have a great day everyone. dink1

miecherox

kiwi88 wrote: »

Just a quick question for you all.

I have just rearranged my freezers to accommodate (sp?) my batch cooking and have found lurking at the back 2x bolognaise sauce previously batch cooked with an 08/07 date! Will it be alright to use them if DH is adding it to a meal to be eaten tomorrow?

I personally would say yes, it's only 10 months or so - we quite often have things lurking in the freezer that long and are well and truly ok.!! I would assume that as long as it's packaged ok and there's no chance that the freezer has defrosted without you knowing it'll be ok.

My usual approach if unsure is the sniff and nuke approach:rotfl:

Will await the health inspectors :rotfl:

dink1

KIWI 88
its a yes from me too. According to my freezer booklet you can keep beef frozen for use upto a year. BUt again like mecherox sniff and nuke approach and bin if at all iffy a bout it. dink1

miecherox

Feeling super industrious today... have 2nd load of washing on have made a yummy yogurt cake (courtesy of MSE), have made carrot and coriander soup, continued the theme by planting some carrot seeds (thankyou MrsMcawber you inspired me a few pages back), and all this with the help of ds1 & 2 - I say help loosely - it's more of a hindrance but they're keen!!:D

Off to work at six til two in the morning :eek: so am putting my feet up with a cuppa (I Wish!)

M x

kiwi88_2

:rotfl: :rotfl: LOL to the "Sniff and Nuke" approach :rotfl: :rotfl:

annelouise_2

After probably the best party ever last night - a 40th Luau am busy with housework.

Have my 3rd NSD in a row and may make 4 as I don't need anything tomorrow if the kids will have pasta salad or salad for packed lunch instead of sandwiches only 2 slices bread.DS4 will eat filled milk rolls but the girls WILL NOT.

Have made broccoli and cauli cheese for the freezer and individual toadie holes as the sausages needed using.

Planted out my courgette plants but the lettuces have died a death so I am waiting on the next lot to emerge then I'm keeping them in the shade I think the others died of heatstroke!!Poor things.

Have Twinks,Chocolate Fairy buns in my box and secret babybel for the week.Also bananas,nectarines,tangerines,red and green apples,tin fuit cocktail,tin of Pinapple and a couple of jaffas.

I would also like to try to make Cauliflower Cheese Grills if anyone has any advice re quantities.They are a staple for me and although convenient they are very pricy over here.

I have breadcrumbs in the freezer and cauliflower so I'm halfway there.I'd like to make and freeze a few to have on hand.

OH is still in the Red Sea but has passed his Dive Master today so I'm pleased for him but it's a long time to be apart even though we only see each other every fortnight I haven't seen him since 29th April ,much too long and he's not back over here till 26th June.

My ebaying is doing really well with 34 items listed which is a record for me.

I'm really enjoying keeping up with everyone's successes and recipes and gardening.I would never had planted anything edible had I not come upon this thread.

Have a good afternoon all

annelouise:rotfl:

MRSMCAWBER

Afternoon all

Well i have 17 balls of tortilla dough tooked up in the freezer,

have made a double batch of naans (finished the tzatziki off at last:T ).. instead of making 8 i have made 6 larger ones -more economical as with the smaller ones i give hubby 2, me 1 and hubby usually has the other 1 as a snack-apparently it looks so lonely on its own :rotfl: ..this way we can have 1 each so gain an extra meal out of them

Have the baguettes just about to come out of the oven :j instead of 3 huge i have made it into 6 this time... but they are still big -about 11" long 3"wide and 3"tall... had to do them in 2 batches. Hubby will probably take 2 for lunch(so still the same amount) but now i can have 1 too... 1 was far to big before :rolleyes: .
They were much quicker to make this time now i know what im doing

Just about to stick the braising steak and onions in the oven for the thai beef i have decided to do for dinner this evening -once it has cooled down a bit:D
I had left 1 pack of steak in the fridge and there was no way it was going to fit in the freezer..and i do soooooo love thai curry
i have a few beans, peas, some pak choi and chard that i will add to the curry for the last couple of minutes -all from the tubs outside :j

I am NOT going shopping tomorrow... hubby is on duty -so won't be back until Tuesday morning so after a quick watering of the veggies i will be x stitching all day :j -well i will have no cooking to do as i will be eating salad/fruit etc :T

right i will get off and get some more sewing done... have a great day everyone

Flylady_Flower

Hi all,

I asked about some spinach recipes the other day, and I think Mr A must have heard me because they have a load in their little mag. Thought I would post a couple that looked especially nice. Quantities and cost is from their book, but sure us OS's can do it cheaper...:rolleyes:

Spinach & Cheese Rolls
Makes 12, ready in 2 hours - they estimate works out 30p a roll!!!
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
500g white bread mix (do they mean strong white flour or is this including yeast?)
25g chilled butter
125g mature cheddar, grated
50g pumpkin seeds
50g sunflower seeds
160g baby spinach - Details of how to prepare for those who don't know below
1 medium egg
some flour for kneading and oil for greasing

Prepare spinach - put in large bowl cold water and swish around to clean, then put in a large pan with water still on from wash and cook for 3 mins, stirring occasionally until it wilts. Put in large colander and squish until as much water is out as possible, leave to cool then squish some more with your hands. chop.

1. Stir cayenne pepper and mustard powder in with bread mix
2. cut butter into small pieces and add to mix
3. rub in with fingertips until resembles breadcrumbs
4. add cheese, seeds and prepared spinach and mix well
5. add 300ml tepid water and mix to make a dough
6. put on lightly floured surface and kneed for approx 18 mins
7. shape into 12 rolls and put on greased baking tray
8. lightly oil some clingfilm and use to lightly cover rolls
9. leave in warm place until doubled in size (approx 1 hour)
10. Preheat oven to 220c/gas7.
11. brush rolls with beaten egg and bake for approx 20 mins or until golden brown

Spinach & Feta Tartlets

Makes 12, ready in 50 mins, price per tartlet 89p:eek: (special occasions only?:D )
6 sheets filo pastry
50g melted butter
1/2 bunch spring onions (trimmed & sliced)
175g spinach (prepared as above)
1tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried
small pinch ground nutmeg
200g crumbled Greek feta
50g Parmesan, grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4tbsp creme fraiche

1. Preheat oven, 190c/gas mark 5
2. put 3 sheets of pastry on top of each other on a board
3. cut out 6 x 10cm rounds and separate into 18 rounds
4. while you work, cover rest of pastry with a damp tea towel
5. brush each round with butter and stack in piles of 3 again
6. press each stack into a bun tin to make six tartlet cases
7. repeat with other 3 sheets (make 12)
8. cook the spring onions in remaining butter for 2-3 mins
9. remove from heat and add other ingredients
10. season well, and divide between the cases
11. bake for 15 mins

Spinach & Potato cakes

Serves 4, ready in 2 hours (this is mainly cooling time, prepare earlier for quicker cooking), £1.05 per serving :eek: (getting worse - I'm SURE we can reduce this one as they sound sooo scrummy!)

600g potatoes, peeled and cut into even sized chunks (they recommend Maris piper or king Edward)
1tbsp Dijon mustard
25g butter
250g smoked, streaky bacon (chopped)
175g spinach (prepared as before)
2tbsp chopped chives
1tbsp olive oil

1. simmer the potatoes in lightly salted water until tender
2. drain then return to the pan and sit on low heat for 30 seconds to allow excess moisture to evaporate
3. remove from heat, season well and mash with Dijon mustard and half the butter
4. cook bacon in pan until starting to crisp
5. stir in potato with any fat that has run out of the bacon
6. add spinach and chives
7. leave until cold
8. shape into 8 cakes and put on greased baking tray
9. chill for about 1 hour (I would presume you could freeze them for another time at this point?)
10. preheat oven to 220c/gas mark 7
11. melt rest of butter with oil
12. brush cakes and bake for 18/20 mins

These sound really nice so might try them later - Enjoy!

PS: Let me know if you make any changes and they come out nice - I'm sure we can adapt to suit...

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there Denise mmmmmmmmm

I love spinach and have it growing in tubs outdoors... feta is also another fave we eat lots of that..so i might have to have a play with those recipes

They mean bread mix on the 1st recipe -but just use the same amount of flour and add your yeast as normal...about 14g fresh for me..

I have a lovely greek cook book i got in Kefalonia last year and it has lots of lovely recipes like those... must have a bash at some things in there soon

Ooooh whilst i think about it..if you want to make it easier to get the water out of spinach/courgettes etc..when its cooked -dump it in the middle of a clean tea towel, gather the edges and twist it ove the sink to form a ball..you will be amazed how much more liquid you can get out ...

Tesco-shopper

catnap53 wrote: »

Had to take my mother shopping today. She hasn't been to shops for a few months, usually gets my sister, neighbour, hairdresser, etc to get her shopping. We have tried to get her to sort out her shopping for once a week, but she is so used to going out for a few bits each day that she can't understand that when she is relying on others she has to be a bit more flexible. She even asks for things when she doesn't need them for at least a week. Anyway on Thursday night she told my sister not to bother going today as I was going to take her out! It wouldn't have been too bad, but I didn't know.

I feel so guilty that I am annoyed, but I only get weekends off and with being away for the BH, and having to work most of last WE, I am so far behind. Even the secret days leave I took yesterday to try to catch up backfired. I hadn't realised it was an 'inset' day and the teenagers would be at home, but didn't worry too much as they would stay in bed late. What really messed it up was that at about 9pm Thursday DH said he was taking the day off to watch cricket on TV, not even to do anything to help, just get in the way.

She used to shop at Somerfield, can see the car park from her flat about 100 yards away, but she is now used to Tesco things and wanted to go there, 17 miles round trip, for her first time ever.

I wasn't planning on spending today, but as I was going to be there I didn't want to waste the opportunity, so armed with my first ever list, (I'd have forgotten everything, she gets me so worked up) I had a lovely :rolleyes: 3 hours that I couldn't afford, and spent almost 50 pounds, going over on the list by about 15 pounds.

Never again on a Saturday afternoon, big car park, full so I had to drop her off, drive to the opposite side, and then negotiate the one way poorly designed system to go back and pick her up from the front again, getting in everyone's way, when we had finished. Not even a compensating whoopsie in sight at that time of the day. Definitely prefer going late, even if I am tired.

I thought at least she would stock up while she had the chance and could see what they had, but she got some bread, biscuits and one ready meal. She didn't even get any milk to save someone a trip tomorrow!

Not long finished eating the HM pizza, at least they all liked it, and about to have apple crumble that I made yesterday, think it will go well with the cider I am half way through, :beer: therapeutic purposes of course.;)

Congratulations to those with things to celebrate, hope things get better for those with worries.

I can empathise with people losing jobs, I heard about DH's redundancy on the radio driving home from work when I was 7 months pregnant with DS. He finished work on the Friday and DS was born on the Monday morning. This was nearly 18 years ago, during the 'bad times' and he was out of work for over 2 years. He got so depressed thinking he would never work again, just kept getting sent on useless training courses, so he couldn't even be of use with the childcare as I had to go back to work.

Realised why I am extra tired tonight. Waited up for DS to phone for a lift home from a friends last night. He phoned to say he would walk with some other friends. After they split up at the end of the road he passed a group of young lads hanging about in a shop doorway. One of them followed him on a bike and kept running the bike into him and tired to stop him getting by and 'asking' for his phone and house keys. We reported it, then had to wait up for the the police to come, and then for DS to calm down enough to go to sleep.

Wonder if they want the crumble now? Not sure I can be bothered.

Zzzzz

Sorry to hear you have had a bad day yesterday, and have been having bad days in general recently. I am sure we all hope you have a better day today. It is good to post your troubles as they say a trouble shared is a trouble halved. I am sure that posting your troubles here does not actually halve them, but hopefully it helps for you to know that people are sympathetic and concerned about you.