June 2008 Grocery Challenge

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there Mandy_moo

another x stitch addict :T
I got this kit for myself after i fell in love and it is sooooo not my normal kind of thing... then i was out with mum (another avid x stitcher) and she saw the kit too and said that she loved it...but wasn't going to buy it as she has quite a few waiting to be done allready ..haven't we all so i decided to do it for her and frame it for xmas.... got to get a riggle on mind now i have got back into it im quite quick...
I have quite a few waiting to be done for myself :j plus it keeps me out of the shops and my head out of the fridge





And this is one i have started for hubby but its a biggy so NO chance of getting that done for xmas


Hi denise....i will go and change it for you :rotfl:

Bobbykins

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Afternoon all

now have 7 little stockings for the tree

Hi Mrs M....what a great idea, these sound lovely, could you possibly tell where you got the pattern from? I'd love to have a go at this.


Well, just back from our hollies (AGAIN! - 2 hols in 2 months, can't cope!!!!. Still, we are at home now until September and then only a week away in our caravan in bonny Scotland). Spent a fortune on food while away but this was from a separate budget. Been to Aldi this morning for F & V but got tempted by a few other things and ended up spending £34 :eek: :eek: . Not to worry, I am still within budget for this month and am determined to empty both freezers over the next 3 or 4 weeks, so we won't starve!.

Can't believe that I've been doing this challenge for almost a year now! We have saved bloomin' LOADS! Thanks for all your help.

Keep up the good work everyone. (((hugs))) to those who need them. Am off to try and catch up on 20 pages of posts which I missed while away. blimey, you lot can talk for England! :rotfl: :rotfl:

cheers

Bobby

Flylady_Flower

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Hi denise....i will go and change it for you :rotfl:

Thanks Mrs M, sorry to give you more work. By the way the cross stitch looks really lovely... I know it's not quite the same, much more work involved in what you do, but reminds me of my 'touch tapestry' days when I was about 11 yrs old, you had to push various coloured wools through a canvas type thing with a little metal 'pusher' thing :rotfl: (sorry, really don't know what it was) - My mum still has a framed horse's head I did somewhere (no, we're not the mafia )... Ohhh, the 70's were great

MRSMCAWBER

Hi bobbykins

Here are the first few i have made... jut not sewn up yet.. not sure how clear they will show up and the colours are a bit off but you get the idea .. they are quick to do and im thinking of knitting the candycanes to go in some they instructions make them come out at about 4" but im making the smaller ones for higher up just by using smaller needles... just need loads more different colours to play with..they are quick to do too :T
I thought that they would also make a great advent calender...with little pegs holding them onto a ribbon, or even attatched as a gift tag or to the front of handmade cards so they can then hang them on the tree afterwards



I will try and PM you the pattern tomorrow

Bobbykins

Ooooooh, Mrs M, they are SOOOOooooooo sweet!. What a lovely idea for an advent calendar and Christmas cards too. (wish I was on your Christmas card list!).

Thanks very much

Bobby

Sunny_Donny

Hi All
Mrs M, the x-stitch and the little bootees look fab!!

Have done a big shop this weekend. Had an all day bus saver ticket £3.50 on Saturday so did 3 trips -
1-town for hairdressers, market, M&S and Mr t
2 - down to parents to drop off fathers day card, then to Netto for 2 large boxes of washing powder reduced to £10 each (surf), couldnt carry much else so caught bus home. Lidl for veg that didn't get in town.
3 Back to town cos OH forgot to get prescription filled, so got that, went into Sainsbugs and only bought reduced items.
Handed saver ticket to woman at bus stop with a couple of kids and she asked me if I wanted any money for it, said no, just pass it on to someone else when she had completed her journey.
Started to fill up new freezer, fridge I bought at the same time is now for sale - advert in corner shop. Lots of books, videos to advertise as well, so hopefully will add to coffers later this week.

£24.41 to last til 28th - pay day, so just fruit and veg to be bought at the weekend. Just defrosting a 6 pinter of Mr A's special offer milk, so will thin that out when it is less of an iceberg.

Tiny green tomatoes appeared on my 3 plants at the moment, plum, beef and cherry, beetroot, carrots and onions growing like mad. Raspberry canes have given up the ghost, but at least can use large plant pot to put next lot of carrots in.

Will keep trying new recipes that are posted here. I'm copying and pasting the ones I like and then stapling into an old exercise book I discovered during my great decluttering explosion!!:T

catnap53

TheBees wrote: »

Evening everyone

Just caught up on a load of pages again....

Mummzyof2 - here is the recipe for Potato, Onion and Bacon Hotpot. This is not my recipe. I found it on one of these grocery challenges a few months ago but am afraid I have no idea who posted it originally.
We thought it was really tasty and simple to do.

Slice a medium potato per person into thin slices (2mm thick)
Slice one large or 2 small onions
Chop up some bacon or ham (1 rasher of bacon per person?)
Make a basic white sauce (we made ours cheesy) Half pint milk quantity.
Grease a deep oven proof dish. Layer the potato, onion and bacon, season with pepper. When you've half filled, put some of the white sauce in then continue filling and finish with white sauce on the top.
Bake in oven at 200c covered for 1 hour then remove cover and finish for another hour at 180c.
DELICIOUS.

If anyone knows who originally posted this please tell us all.

Have a lovely evening.
TheBees

Just had this with sliced chicken and broccoli, DS said 'This is properly good', and clean plates all round. Wasn't really sure about whether to risk it, but I rescued some potatoes before they were cooked a couple of nights ago.

DH has always prepared the potatoes and it is one job that I refuse to take over. He always prepares too many and until recently they would have gone in the bin. Also had some milk on its use by date, and cheese that was fine after a little shave, so this was ideal.

So thanks to TheBees and the originator of this recipe, definitely one worth repeating.

Just finishing the glass of wine now before desert. Can't decide whether to have fresh fruit salad and cream or apple crumble and custard......mmmm might just have a bit of each if I can find the room, they both need using and I need the fridge space.

Zzzzz

gunsandbanjos

Well, my budget exploded today:o I was never going to be in budget this month as i did some stocking up. Trying not to go too far over. Not had a chance to read the thread, hope everyone is doing ok.

*BigBird*

Is there anything I can do with chicken giblets? Would normally boil them up for the cat, but he's on a special diet cos he's overweight, so not allowed any treats. Following this thread has had such an effect on me that I now can't bear to throw anything away if I might be able to use it somehow So if anyone has any ideas, they'd be much appreciated.

Just boiling up a couple of eggs so I can make some egg mayo to take to work with some pitta bread for lunch tomorrow. One of my major vices was buying stuff to make lunches to take to work, then being too lazy and/or rushed in the mornings to get it prepared, so ending up having to buy a sandwich at work and throwing out the stuff I'd bought. But I managed to take my own lunch to work every day for the last 2 weeks. Just a small step, but I'm feeling very proud of myself :T

chocolateteddy

:j just realised I have had 6 NSD in a row. :T I suppose I shouldn't be surprised as before I started the GC I used to go shopping on a Monday and that was it unless we needed milk on the following sat or sun. So only buying what I need when I need it has been hard but it means they is no wastage of veg not used and going yucky. And I have found our spending has gone down. We had chicken for tea tonight like others I now try to buy free range at local butchers. Bought 3 chicken breasts for £5 :eek: but to be fair we only used 2 between the 5 of us and it was so much more tastier than the supermarket stuff I used to buy. And their ribs are to die for, the kids complained that there were hardly any bones, no pleasing them as there was a ton of meat on them OH instead of eating 5-6 ribs from Asda now only eats 2 sometimes 3 of the butchers ones. So although more expensive per kg the meat goes alot further IYSWIM
I too am a crossstitch addict currently am doing a japenese scene for my mum, last one I did for her of 2 geisha girls took 6 years (and 2 kids)to complete. Don't get much time to sit down and do it. Probably once a fortnight for a couple of hours!