June 2008 Grocery Challenge

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Thanks Mandy_moo!:j

Annie021063

Iday 77 – congrats on the pregnancy.
Have question for all you bread makers - we have cooked bread in our BM before and the kids turn their nose up saying it is too sweet. We follow the recipe in the BM book. Can anyone recomend another less sweet recipe, or can I just cut the sugar?
Thanks

OrkneyStar

lday77 wrote: »

Thanks Tashja and Morningstar yes this is my first, haven't been too sick today but have drunk 2 pots of lemon and ginger tea already. I think it's more economical out of a pot (and tastes better)

Yes this is my first, it's been a bit of a shock as it was our first month of trying so fingers crossed.

Am so glad I found this thread I think it'll help keep me on track, can anyone tell me what envelope money is??

I think we all manage our GC money differently. What I tend to do is set a budget for the month, but only withdraw £20-30 at a time, as I feel using cash helps me see how much money is actually being spent yet not have it all in my hands at once. Generally there is £1-3 left over from the shop- I stash this away in an envelope that I keep in my bag (biiiiiggggg bag as I have baby stuff to cart around with me lol). Gradually the loose change builds up and can itself be used for small top up shops. This is why I note what is left in the bank and have recently started keeping a total of the envelope cash too! I feel that if I only need £3 of things then I don't need to withdraw more money from the bank, just use the envelope. Other people might keep the leftover money separate and use toward something other than grocery, like a treat or something. Hope this explains without too much waffle.
Keep well.

MRSMCAWBER

Annie

You should be able to reduce the sugar in your recipe..
I very rarely put sugar in my bread..or fat..or milk powder:rotfl:

OrkneyStar

Annie021063 wrote: »

Iday 77 – congrats on the pregnancy.
Have question for all you bread makers - we have cooked bread in our BM before and the kids turn their nose up saying it is too sweet. We follow the recipe in the BM book. Can anyone recomend another less sweet recipe, or can I just cut the sugar?
Thanks

I was just saying to hubby on Sunday that my brown BM loaf was yummy but sweetish and wondered about the sugar, but then thought it might make the yeast not work properly (don't they need the sugar?).....would appreciate any ideas too. Ah someone has answered- might leave the sugar out next time then
PS Have a great oat/white bread recipe that we used to use loads when first got BM, will post on here some time when I get a chance.

lday77

Orkney Star Thanks for the tips I think I will try this envelope thing too sounds like a good idea, I had just got paid for a job last week in cash and did a shop with the cash it felt great knowing nothing had gone out of my account. Thanx

Annie I bought one of those posh panasonic bm and never really got to grips with it, made a few bricks with it, it's in the loft now. I never put any sugar in the recipe though (but that could be what I was doing wrong!)

Oh and mandy_moo1 thanks for the pizza base recipe I have all the stuff to make it so will give it a go this week, I'll let you know how I get on!!

Anitaj73

Hi all...i didn't get much time on here yesterday so have spent the whole morning catching up on the thread :rotfl:

Well i'm embarrased but also VERY proud that i cooked a whole sunday roast (for 2) all by myself yesterday and it was perfect :j I have well and truly got the baking bug now as i am about to do the Cheesy Biscuits recipe

Hoping to get a breadmaker off Freecycle and am deffinately gonna give it a go

Had to go and get 2 new pairs of school shoes this morning for the boys so inevitably i did a bit of shopping too :rolleyes: spent just over £8 on some stuff for the baby and some more fruit for the boys (have updated sig) but hopefully won't need anything else until the end of the week now :j

Thanks to MandyMoo for the washing powder tips i am gonna try it as soon as i have run out of my current tablets
And a big CONGRATULATIONS to Iday77 on the news of your pregnancy, i still remember falling pregnant with my first and Digestive biscuits did it for me

Have a good day everybody

Natty68

MRSMCAWBER wrote: »

Evening all
Just had a huge collander full of salad leaves out of the potio :T so did us a salad for tea.... It strange because i don't like many fancy salad leaves you get in the supermarkets -yet my own i love and i grow a much bigger variety
Hubby has a tuna and sweetcorn mayo salad and hm bread n butter for work tomorrow - well when i say mayo..its actually part tzatziki part quark... that bucket of tzatziki is never ending :rotfl: so this week it will be used to make naans too..i WILL get to the bottom of that tub

Right whilst i remember..
THAI STEAMED SALMON

1. 1 large red onion finely sliced - white is fine too
2. 1 clove garlic finely sliced
3. 1" chunk fresh ginger -peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
4. 1oz soft dark brown sugar
5. 4tbs fish sauce

• Throw it all in a pan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar dissolves
• That sauce is for 4 servings..although when i do 2 I still do the same mix
• Then you just get your pieces of salmon -I always use the skinless boneless fillests you get fresh in bags in tesco individually wrapped -but i know LIDL do boxes of 2 in the freezer..place the salmon portions on a square of foil and pull up the sides to form a bag
• tip over the sauce and scrunch up the bag
• stick on a baking sheet and place in a medium oven for about 10 mins -or until the salmon is cooked through
• if you let the sauce go cold first you can make the parcel up and stick it in the fridge over night -great for a prepare ahead meal..

I have it with stir fry or noodles, the sauce sounds like a strange concoction.. but it works really well with the creamy salmon

Now i don't really need anything this week but all the leaflets came again this morning -every week i get all the supermarket offers :T and REAL have 1 kilo tubs of fresh apricots for €1.49...which is just cruel..so i might have to partake of a couple have nearly demolished the 2 tubs of nectarines i got yesterday still at least i know i get my 5 a day :rotfl: ok its usually over 10 a day
right will get off...will post the thai curry concoction in the morning

Mrs M, do you think it would be possible to use this sauce on chicken instead of fish? The only reason I ask is that DH isn't that fond of salmon, and I never seem to find it cheap in MrA's

victory

iday77 congrats:j :j :j

I am buzzing today, thanks to the comp thread I have won a british pullman comp for lunch on the orient express:j just one ticket, one person ,me:D not paying for OH to come also because otherwsise I have not won anything and I won mine:D always wanted to go on the orient express, never had the indulgent money to go and now, lunch for one, yeah:D

Natty68

Afternoon everyone, I've updated my GC for this week with what we spent and the balance outstanding. I'm not too happy as DH put his slippers on the bill which means I haven't got anything left to spend on whoopsie's the rest of the week Looks like I am going to have to dip into my own money, which I am having to budget very very carefully this month.

I was hoping for a NSD today but I have to go into Nationwide to get some stamp money out for sending stuff to the States, and DH wanted me to pop into Asda to pick up something or other..way too much temptation for me..grr!!