June 2008 Grocery Challenge

chocolateteddy

annelouise wrote: »

CHOCOLATE TEDDY

Lettuces take 8 - 15 days to germinate so you could plant a small tray now and then again every 2 weeks for a steady supply.I use meat trays to start mine off in.MRSM is the gardening expert extrodinaire on this forum, her potio is a thing of beauty.

I think if you were to give it a try be adventureous and plant a few staple summer items - I've got toms,cucumber,lettuces,garlic and courgettes all were 29c for a packet so what have you got to lose.I had never planted anything until 3 weeks ago and it is so exciting,,,,,.....,,,,.....

Potatoes are also discussed alot on here.

Hope that helps,Lidi often do bargain seeds cheap as chips.

annelouise

Thanks Lidl is where I got lettuace seeds from.
Will try and plant tomorrow if it stops raining long enough fed up with this weather yesterday walked to school in brilliant sunshine in shortsleeved tshirt 3/4 trousers and sandals Today Hammering it down jeans jumper and walking boots more like winter again!!!!!!!!

The only problem I have in my garden is slugs and snails My DD bought a tomato plant home from brownies It is surviving just (has one green cherry tomato on it :T ) put slug stopper(no chemicals ) round it but the little B.......'s ate my hanging basket plants, that I was going to put in basket this weekend, overnight So wish me luck with the lettuaces. It is really annoying as I hardly see any but the evidence is very clear:mad:

Changing the subject My washing machine blew up on tuesday Foam coming out of the drawer :eek: I have just started using soda crystals Repair man couldn't be sure that they caused problem but please don't put too much in as a new washing machine i have discovered (last one lasted 9 years:T ) costs more than my food budget this month:eek: :eek: I have to admit it is rather nice clean ! and quiet.
Updated signature as forgot lidl bill (I always forget them as they don't accept credit cards!!)

Saving like mad at the moment as we are off on hols at beginning August and I will have to buy bread whilst we are in Nottingham:eek: :eek: :eek: Scary the price of a loaf haven't bought one for 3 months now.
I discovered tesco bread flour is also 48p and I have found loaf is a lot lighter than when I used lidl flour so will stock up on it this week when I use Mr M voucher - may also have to buy some more beer:rotfl: Worked out will then have enought to last OH to next May:D

Moniker

Hi Peeps - have been away at a conference for a few days and not been able to keep up with you all! Hugs to those who need them and well done to all those who are staying on course.

Have just updated my sig - I have just under £120 left to last to 3rd July. Went to Sainsbury's on the way home tonight and was disappointed not to find any 'whoopsies' - and I had to pay £1-48 for a granary loaf! That's nearly 30 bob! I must get my BM fixed or replaced soon.

Well have been at work since 8.30 this morning and haven't eaten yet so I must go. Hope everyone has a good day tomorrow and not too much rain!

Love Moniker

TheBees

Just popped in quickly to say that I looked in our local M&S food store and couldn't find a single reduced item! Had a quick look in Tesco, somerfield and Co-op but nothing reduced worth having.

Made a batch of hobnobs as DS eats them for his breakfast every day!

Have a good Friday

TheBees

chocolateteddy

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

I think lunch for me today is the hm coleslaw left from last nights southern chicken wraps -which were very nice again..i love just fetching the balls of dough out of the freezer


Those baguettes i made for instance... if i do my loaf as usual using 500g flour i can get about 3 lunches out of it for hubby... do the baguettes and use 600g flour -it makes 6 baguettes and hubby say 1 for lunch is plenty

Mrs M Can you tell me was going to make tortillas (got your recipe:D ) but can you freeze them once cooked or is it best to freeze before cooking

Also do you make dough in bm for baguettes? (I assume you must increase ingredients) if so then what do you do to get them to look like baguettes and how do you cook them (I have only bought bread or cooked it from start to finish in bm)
I like the sound of baguettes my ds is getting fed up with sandwiches
Many thanks

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there chocolate teddy

You can freeze the tortillas once they are cooked.. but if you want to reheat them you have to do it carefully so they don't dry out. I prefer to put the balls of dough on a tray in the freezer and then drop them into a bag.... when they are defrosted they are a bit stickier so need a bit more flour when rolling out but they will roll out bigger than when the dough is first made :T

The baguetter sound a lot of faff... but i have made them twice and straight away the 2nd time was much quicker as you know what you are supposed to do

The recipe goes like this... a bit more faff than a basic loaf -but they do feel and taste very different:D

• blend the 15g of fresh yeast with 550ml lukewarm water
• sift the flours (500g bread and 115g plain)and 2tsp salt together
• beat half of the flour mix into the yeast/water to form a batter
• cover with cling film/carrier bag and leave for about 3 hours or until about trebled in size
• add the remaining flour a little at a time -mixing in with your hand (i found i needed quite a bit more flour at this point -think the flour out here is very soft)
• tip onto a floured worktop and knead for 8-10 mins ... or as long as you can be bothered
• place in a clean bowl and cover for 1hr until doubled
• knock back and turn out -cut into 3
• shape each into a ball and then roll out to about 3"x6"
• fold the bottom third up lengthways and the top third down and press down to seal the edges and roll out to 3"x6" again.. allow to rest whist you do the other 2 and then repeat each 2-3 times -ending up with an oblong
• stretch each piece of dough to approx 14" -mine didn't end up that long .. i shaped mine by rolling up like a swiss roll and tucking the ends under
• sprinkle flour on a tea towel and place 1 on... pinch the tea towel to make a wall -place the 2nd on and do the same
• cover and allow to prove for 45-60 mins
• pre-heat the oven to maximum
• place rolls on a baking sheet -slash diagonally
• place on the top shelf and spray the inside of the oven with water and bake for 20-25 mins
• you need to spray the oven twice more during the 1st 5 mins

If you want to do it in the BM i guess you could mix the yeast and water and 1/2 flour bit and shove it in the pan of your machine..leave to prove and then throw the flour on top and set to "dough" (just check your BM doesn't put the dry stuff in 1st..if so throw the flour in and then add the batter bit)
I would make these instead of my usual loaf every time now..i think they are stunning.. the 2nd batch i made i did 6 smaller ones but they are still about 11" long... so 1 batch will do hubbies lunches all week instead of having to make at least 2 loaves :j ..if you need any more help -just give me a yell and i will try and help...
By the way ..can i ask what you are heading to Nottingham for? not being nosey as such just wondered if that is where you are from? Im originally from sutton -near notts... Notts is a cracking place to shop ...with a decent asian supermarket too....
right i wil get off now...

angelatgraceland

When I was a child my Aunt always had chesse and jam sandwiches for lunch. Yes-both cheese and jam in the same sarny. I eat this now quite often-weird maybe but its really nice as its both sweet and savoury. Anyone else have this?

jackk_2

angelatgraceland wrote: »

When I was a child my Aunt always had chesse and jam sandwiches for lunch. Yes-both cheese and jam in the same sarny. I eat this now quite often-weird maybe but its really nice as its both sweet and savoury. Anyone else have this?

My ex and his family eat cheese on their xmas cake, always seemed odd to me lol.

Jackie x

Olliebeak

angelatgraceland wrote: »

When I was a child my Aunt always had chesse and jam sandwiches for lunch. Yes-both cheese and jam in the same sarny. I eat this now quite often-weird maybe but its really nice as its both sweet and savoury. Anyone else have this?

My comfort food is cheese and marmalade on granary bread ! (how embarassing!)

Flylady_Flower

Seem to have had a bad couple of days where I've not been doing much, spending money and not cooking or even doing any housework which is really unusual for me - must be coming down with something, at least that's what i hope it is as I don't want to start returning to my old ways!!!! I didn't even cook anything for DS for after his exams as a treat and even had Chinese tonight, brought by hubby so not out of GC money, but a week ago there is no way I would have let him waste £15 on takeaway, we would have all had fun cooking it in the kitchen!

Spent £10.74 in Tesco's on 2 loaves of bread (none cooked for tomorrow so needed one and put one in freezer for emergencies!) a choccy Swiss roll - needed to pig out, it was a big one and I had 3 very large slices and it's all gone now :eek: , cream crackers, choccy for cooking and 2 packs of wraps on offer (BOGOF) also got DS a card for his Dad on Sunday and a little bag to put the aftershave we got him in.

MRS M - Made two loaves from the recipe you gave me and they were lovely, but when I made another couple in exactly the same way, they came out really doughy and when in the tin rising, they just fell all over the sides - any idea where I'm going wrong? I'm going to have a go at your baguettes next though, I love crusty rolls and these sound really scrummy...

You know, it's really funny, but just putting it in writing that I have been naughty seems to have bucked me up and I want to be good again :A Will have to have a good weekend and see how I go

PS: About Tesco's cooking choccy - value cooking bars are 36p for 100g, but on the sweet section they are 23p for 100g (I think these are the right prices, they're something like that anyway) but in the cooking section they also do a big bar of cake covering choccy 54p for 300g - works out 18p per 100g, much cheaper....

mandy_moo_1

mornin all :wave:

hope you get your motivation back soon denise thats happened to me a few times.its usually when i'm feeling run-down and have lost my get-up-and-go! then when i start reading all the brilliant things others are doing on here, it gets me back in the mood

am off in to town this morning to do my gran's shopping and i need a few things for myself. i keep looking at my total for this week so far (about £18 i think) and i don't want to spend any more! i've got it there in my purse, but i prefer putting it in my sealed tin at the end of the week!! i think i'll probably just get some fruit and veg, can't think of anything else i need off-hand

looks a bit brighter out there today, so i've risked putting the washing out ....just hope it dries before the rain comes again!

right best get off and get DS15 up for school. hope you all have a good day xx