June 2008 Grocery Challenge

mummygems

annelouise wrote: »

Will be having chicken and prawn paella ( all in fridge and storecupboard )tomorrow as our house guest goes early am Saturday.


annelouise :rotfl:

Annelouise - do you by any chance have a recipe for your paella? I really want to try it but am scared lol.

Thanks
Gem

Mrs_Toast

Hi Girls,

I'm new to this site but I think it's great. I'm planning on doing the July Grocery Challenge but I was after some advise to last until pay day. I have a whole 80 pounds left but I need to but a wedding outfit with that too. My husband and I gave ourselves a budget this month and I've not touched my old student overdraft at all this month which I'm so chuffed about. I need that money to stretch to petrol from Cheshire to Nottingham and back, some fridge food if required, a wedding outfit and a present for my Gramps who's not very well. Do you knowledgable lot think I can do it?

Ess-six

Hi Everyone

Well I'm about 10 days behind reading all the posts due to a variety of reasons - the main one though is that out broadband connection has been playing up and we've had several visits from engineers and they finally sorted it out yesterday - and as we go on holiday for 2 weeks tomorrow, my chances of catching up are nil.

On the budget front, I've done well, although there's very little in the freezer and cupboards, so the July budget will have to allow for that.

Mrs Mc - can I declare my June total at £143.10 please, and I'll set my July budget when I return aroubd 7th July.

I hope everyone is doing well - hugs to those that need it.

annelouise_2

mummygems

My paella is as follows - child and seafood phobic friendly.....

I use precooked chicken from our roast - usually scraps and 1 whole breast chopped roughly.
2 sauted onions
Bacon/Lardons/Chorizo/Spicy Sausage ( Whatever you have lurking )
Red pepper sauted
Garlic cloves or lazy garlic
Any rice even a packet of store own savoury rice - usually chicken or I cook off rice with a chicken stock cube until almost cooked
Paprika to taste
Salt and Pepper
1/4 pint chicken stock
Dash white wine
For adults if not SFP (Seafood phobic) Handful of prawns

1.Cook onions and bacon then add pepper about 6-8 mins,stirring occasionally.
2.Add garlic & paprika -stir.
3.Cook rice separately as instructions adding a chicken stock cube,when cooked add to pan and stir until well coated.
4.Season well.
5.In a large pan add stock and wine,chicken,veg and rice stir until heated through and most of liquid has been absorbed.At this point add the prawns as they only take 3 - 4 mins to turn pink and its ready to serve.

Looks a faff but as rice is cooking everything else can be ready in 12mins.It is really good to add ay sad looking veg at bottom of fridge.I sometimes add grated courgette,grated carrots.

I have just made the kids a "run round the table lunch" - this is anything that they like served with crackers,bread or toast that needs using up.

So they had -

Pate,cheese,carrot and pepper sticks,alioli,pickled onions,boiled eggs,salad leaves,cucumber,mini bread sticks,crackers,watermelon,oranges,1/2 strawberry jelly.

I have a pastryless quiche with red pepper and bacon cooling -I made it in a loaf tin so I'm hoping the middle is cooked and I can cut it up like a terrine and freeze in portions.

Tea is HM passatta with bargain ravioli 49c per kg.:j

Have a good weekend everyone,the sun is shining the kids are in the pool and the house is tidy......Time for a read of my book me thinks.

annelouise :rotfl:

SAV3R

Morning Everyone

Sunny Donny The Title of your post really made me smile.

Well, typical English weather, we planned to go strawberry picking, just phoned and they're closed due to the rain. I don't have time to go in the week, DS2 was looking forward to them dipped in choc. S'pose it saves a bit on the money front. LOL

annelouise_2

Pastryless quiche has turned ou really well,cooked throughout and didn't stick - RESULT.

Will take a large slice to my neighbours and slice the rest for the freezer for my lunches.

Have just found a bag of Millies cookies in freezer so have hidden in cupboard and not put in biscuit tin or they would disappear, a few krispie bars and 20 twinks to date.So will manage not to bake until after Monday.

annelouise

annelouise_2

sav3r

Have just seen how you display your spends -weekly.I like that I think rather than do it adhoc when shopped I will do it every 7 days that makes more sense.Thank you.

annelouise

findingmyfeet

hi mrs toast - welcome to the challenge. firstly i would work out what money you will need for the petrol, most important that you can get there. second - is it possible to reuse an outfit you already have for the wedding or try matalan/peacocks etc for a cheap n cheerful outfit(sales on in many shops as well at the moment). grandpa- try something lovely from thorntons or home bargins have thorntons choccies for £2.49 this week should be £5.50 usually. food - check out aldi, netto, lidl etc, everywere is worth a look at least

hope you manage it

findingmyfeet

hi annelouise- do you slice your quiche and freeze it sliced ? does this work ok, i usually freeze it whole but then end up eating it all !!!

Pip-squeak_3

Hi
This week I came in at £14.58 which means a total spend so far of £67.38. Hope to beat my £100 target. All the prices are going up but am using potatoes, beans, chard, mange-tout and salad leaves from the allotment and that really makes a difference to the spend. If only I could grow bananas I would cut out the supermarket F&V all together in the summer. Started watering down whole milk and we don't notice the difference at all. OH is all for it if it saves money and tastes good.

Denisef Swede is great mashed with a bit of marge or butter and some nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Good luck everyone.