January 2012 Grocery Challenge

bupster · 10 January 2012 at 11:04PM

NSD today, and got a book called Simply Italian out of the library which looks like it teaches you from scratch how to make all of the regional dishes of Italy, nom nom nom

On the downside, several unexpected things came out of the current account, including a DVD box set I'd forgotten I'd pre-ordered, and a subscription that I thought I'd paid up. Oh well. It's well within the month's budget (which is turning out to be super-generous when I thought I'd struggle, which just goes to show how stupid I'd got with my spending by December) so I'll just take the hit and not complain. It really only means that I'll be paying down a little bit less of the debt next month than I'd hoped for - and I was already planning to pay down more than I'd planned, if you see what I mean :cool:

Tomorrow will be a spending day though: I'm going to buckle and go to one of my local food co-operatives and bulk buy some seeds and things to go in breakfast bars and granola and bread, because it saves me so much money doing it that way. I do two or three weeks' worth of breakfast mix at a time, which I should probably cost properly, but given how much I'd spend otherwise (an absolute minimum of a fiver a week) is probably saving at least a tenner a month, before even thinking about what I'm saving on bread. Also I feel very virtuous and earth mothery. I feel like I'm wearing hand-made sandals and ought to keep goats, when actually I live in a flat full of books and chocolate.

PennyGrabber · 10 January 2012 at 11:27PM

Just this minute heard on the news that food has gone up by 3% recently (not sure how long that is). We've all been posting much more than 3% rises - how have they calculated this?!?!

Spent today, but need to sit down and work out what's gc money and what's not - bought a couple of magazines, etc which I don't count so need to take off.

Spent some time chatting up the reductions lady in morri$ons earlier, and she gave me some lush things - big ol' loaf for 19p, 5 choc brownies for 15p (the hm-tasting ones), pasties for pence, and the list goes on. The best thing was some ham ends from the deli, £1.03 for 51p, but I was nibbling that all the way home, well, scoffing really!! and i've just finished chopping it up into little bits to freeze then add to pasta etc and i reckon there's at least two meals' worth of ham there! Love it!!

PG x

janiepopps · 10 January 2012 at 11:28PM

bupster wrote: »

I feel like I'm wearing hand-made sandals and ought to keep goats, when actually I live in a flat full of books and chocolate.

Can someone help me sort out a problem we have seem to have with portion sizes? I've googled it to not much avail, but I always seem to cook (and therefore dish up) too much.

OH is a builder so needs more than a sedentary type. However I am most definitely not! Most evening meals leave me feeling uncomfortably full, although I always have considerably less than him.

Tonight we had Xmas Pie, a lovely mix of the leftover xmas dinner in shortcrust pastry (which was yummy) with mash & peas. What I now wish I'd done was leave some mash in the pan for tomorrow but I slapped it all on the plates

How much do you guys put on your plate, do you have any tips for me to stop me being so gluttonous...?

Linz4383 · 10 January 2012 at 11:37PM

janiepopps wrote: »

Can someone help me sort out a problem we have seem to have with portion sizes? I've googled it to not much avail, but I always seem to cook (and therefore dish up) too much.

OH is a builder so needs more than a sedentary type. However I am most definitely not! Most evening meals leave me feeling uncomfortably full, although I always have considerably less than him.

Tonight we had Xmas Pie, a lovely mix of the leftover xmas dinner in shortcrust pastry (which was yummy) with mash & peas. What I now wish I'd done was leave some mash in the pan for tomorrow but I slapped it all on the plates

How much do you guys put on your plate, do you have any tips for me to stop me being so gluttonous...?

i do exactly the same since i split from my ex... im terrible which makes me not cook so much coz of throwin it away

BUT tonite i did turkey steaks mash veg and yorkshires i put a dinner out for me and my little girl save a turkey steake to do a sweet n sour or something like that as well as puttin a dinner out for the little one tomorrow and one out for me to do as bubble and squeak

so thats 3 meals from one

quite impressed with myself as id usually just throw it

PennyGrabber · 10 January 2012 at 11:48PM

janiepopps wrote: »

Can someone help me sort out a problem we have seem to have with portion sizes? I've googled it to not much avail, but I always seem to cook (and therefore dish up) too much.

OH is a builder so needs more than a sedentary type. However I am most definitely not! Most evening meals leave me feeling uncomfortably full, although I always have considerably less than him.

Tonight we had Xmas Pie, a lovely mix of the leftover xmas dinner in shortcrust pastry (which was yummy) with mash & peas. What I now wish I'd done was leave some mash in the pan for tomorrow but I slapped it all on the plates

How much do you guys put on your plate, do you have any tips for me to stop me being so gluttonous...?

I have been a bit anal about things like pasta - I have weighed how much (dry) I cook, and then upped/downed it until I'm happy I've got the right amount. I know that I use 160g of dry pasta for the three of us for dinner, and 1 cup (not a tea cup, a random thing I have) of rice for the three of us. When I do mash, I always cook too much

, but I dish up what I know we'll eat, then use lo for fish cakes etc. I have been working really hard on portion sizes for a while, and I now eat off a side plate, and then give myself a bit of seconds/supper if I need it.

It's just a case of re-educating yourself - rather than dish up everything you've cooked, dish up what you need to eat, then do something with the leftovers!

HTH

PG x

tigerfeet2006 · 10 January 2012 at 11:51PM

Tonights dinner was Chicken and leek and philly pie (GF&DF)

I stripped the chicken off the carcass from yesterdays SC chicken. I softened 2 large leeksin a pan with a little butter (for DF use something like Pure), then sprinkled a tblsp of flour over them (I use Doves GF plain flour) and cooked for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time. Stir in 330ml of chicken stock (I use Bisto Best or HM stock) If you have some white wine to use up then you can put in half wine and half stock. Add the 100g of philly cheese (I use tesco own. For DF use Lactofree) and stir until melted, add a dash of water if it is too thick. Add the chicken and add a handful of coriander leaves or a couple of tsp of dried coriander leaves. Spoon into an ovenproof dish and leave to cool.

For the pastry I used 200g flour (Doves for GF), 100g butter (Pure for DF) into the food processor to mix together and then added water until it bound together. Wrap it in cling film and in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

I usually make this all in the morning and keep in the fridge and then put the pastry top, brushed with milk (use Lactofree for DF) on just before I bung in the oven on 190degC for 30-35 mins until golden.

Tonight I served it with roasted parsnip and carrot, in a roasting dish and drizzled with olive oil and a few crushed garlic. In the oven for 40 mins or so and then I drizzled honey over and roasted for another 20 mins. Also had some peas and corn on the cob with it.

REMEMBER TO CHECK THE INGREDIENT'S OF ALL SAUCES ETC. AS CONTENTS CHANGE AND WHAT IS NOW GF/DF COULD CONTAIN IT IN FUTURE. Lactofree products are lactose free but not casein free.

The carcass will be used for stock.

lula_moneybaggins · 10 January 2012 at 11:54PM

Third NSD for me in a row now, but I am now out of milk so will unfortunately have to face my enemy, The Supermarket, tomorrow. I vow not to let him seduce me with his delicious, yet overpriced goods. I am going in for the following:

Milk
Chopped tomatoes
Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Baking potatoes

And that is all. If I come out with more, please slap my wrists.

Today I had homemade soup (I remembered to defrost in advance! Yessss!). Dinner was as follows: diced pork, giant couscous, harissa paste, chilli, red pepper, peas, onion, veg stock and coriander. You have to treat the couscous like you would risotto and fry it in some oil for a couple of mins before adding stock. Stock/couscous ratio is 2:1, again like rice. Normal couscous is unsatisfying and bitty, but I love the giant stuff. Have enough for lunch tomorrow too.

Lula

Ches · 11 January 2012 at 12:07AM

OH bought some bits today and insisted on paying so a NSD for me. Yes I guess it is cheating but with OH and I keeping our monies and budgets seperate I can't be bothered to work out all the toing and froing of all the fine details. As long as my books balance I am happy.

Herbyme · 11 January 2012 at 12:16AM

Got fed a lovely lunch and cake by good friend today,:D out this eve so left DH and DSs with defrosted fish pie. If not made easy for them, they will get a takeaway:eek: so best make it easy for them

Just under £5 in Mr Ts, best was £6 worth of olives off the deli counter for 31p.:T:T:T Not whoopsied but they have 12 Danone yoghurt drinks for £2 (I think, ie less than 20p each), and as I got to Mr Ms after it shut I couldn't get their BOGTF on Youngs Fishfingers so got 30 BE for £2.49 which seemed not bad.
So far, so good!
Night all!

tigerfeet2006 · 11 January 2012 at 12:30AM

Meant to say there is a portion left which I have boxed up with the LO veg. For DH lunch tomorrow.

Some one was asking about portions, sorry can't remember who, I use the rule of thumb that it is about my fist size of the meat product I am serving for me, DH for him ( though I am trying to cut it down slowly) and a child's fist for the younger ones. I then make sure there is plenty of potatos/rice/veg etc.to fill them up.

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January 2012 Grocery Challenge

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