March 2011 Grocery Challenge

PennyGrabber wrote: »

Not feeling great today, as it's dd 6th birthday, but she's with her dad, so I only really saw her this morning before school. Was SOOOO tempted to go and spend spend spend, which is normally how I deal with things, so I was really pleased when I realised I'd left my mobile phone at home, so had to go home for it. Once I was home, I cba to go out again, and now I've had a glass of wine to make sure I can't go out!
PG x

Well done you Penny :T
jammydodger Sorry to read about cat hun :grouphug:

Well, my eggs were fine, so a NSD here

Can I ask what people use to make their shortcrust pastry with? I know my oven is playing up, and has been for several months, but I don't seem to be able to make a decent pastry -or at least pastry for a quiche - to save my life lately.

I've used ½ Marge & Lard all my adult life, but was just wondering what everyone else uses? as regardless of handling as little as poss, keeping my hands & kitchen cool, and chilling 30mins before rolling out, it still shrinks and is as tough as old boots

Yet the pastry I made for my pasties on Saturday, whereas not as good as I used to make, wasn't bad at all. And interestingly, on Saturday I used MgD0ugals flour which I bought a while back when it was on offer. Have used McD0ugalls all my adult life too, but in and effort to cut down, have been using SM Smart Price Flour.....hmmm :think: maybe I've answered my own question there...perhaps it's the flour??

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Well done you Penny :T
jammydodger Sorry to read about cat hun :grouphug:

Well, my eggs were fine, so a NSD here

Can I ask what people use to make their shortcrust pastry with? I know my oven is playing up, and has been for several months, but I don't seem to be able to make a decent pastry, or at least pastry for a quiche to save my life lately.

I've used ½ Marge & Lard all my adult life, but was just wondering what everyone else uses? as regardless of handling as little as poss, keeping my hands & kitchen cool, and chilling 30mins before rolling out, it still shrinks and is as tough as old boots

Yet the pastry I made for my pasties on Saturday, whereas not as good as I used to make, wasn't bad at all. And interestingly, on Saturday I used MgD0ugals flour which I bought a while back when it was on offer. Have used McD0ugalls all my adult life too, but in and effort to cut down, have been using SM Smart Price Flour.....hmmm :think: maybe I've answered my own question there...perhaps it's the flour??

i use value flour and butter, i tried half and half and then put it in the fridge over night and it was rock hard i had to leave it out to soften before i could roll it, then when i cooked it was like a brick lol

Hippeechiq wrote: »

Well done you Penny :T
jammydodger Sorry to read about cat hun :grouphug:

Well, my eggs were fine, so a NSD here

Can I ask what people use to make their shortcrust pastry with? I know my oven is playing up, and has been for several months, but I don't seem to be able to make a decent pastry, or at least pastry for a quiche to save my life lately.

I've used ½ Marge & Lard all my adult life, but was just wondering what everyone else uses? as regardless of handling as little as poss, keeping my hands & kitchen cool, and chilling 30mins before rolling out, it still shrinks and is as tough as old boots

Yet the pastry I made for my pasties on Saturday, whereas not as good as I used to make, wasn't bad at all. And interestingly, on Saturday I used MgD0ugals flour which I bought a while back when it was on offer. Have used McD0ugalls all my adult life too, but in and effort to cut down, have been using SM Smart Price Flour.....hmmm :think: maybe I've answered my own question there...perhaps it's the flour??

Hippieechiq, dont give up hope! I couldnt work out what I was doing wrong either and it was always either really good or my pies looked liked a patchwork quilt (and tasted like one too :rotfl:). The only thing that has worked for me is putting an egg into the mix. I saw Rachel Allen do it and tried it and it worked with any flour but it makes it more expensive though. Something to do with binding I think but I'm sure the more experienced will explain it better than me

quintwins wrote: »

i use value flour and butter, i tried half and half and then put it in the fridge over night and it was rock hard i had to leave it out to soften before i could roll it, then when i cooked it was like a brick lol

Yeah, mine is too, or at least it is when I make a quiche and bake blind, and it shrinks too - it's doing my head in!

Thing is, I've been making pastry with ½ Marge & Lard for 25 years, and it always used to melt in your mouth, and my kitchen used to be South facing, and now it's North......I've moved house by the way, I don't have a revolving house :rotfl:

If I'd always been pants at pastry, then fair enough, but I haven't, and now I think about it, the only thing I've changed is my flour (and my kitchen) and I never used to rest it either - made it, rolled it, baked it.

ab7 That's interesting - And what do you use fat wise when you use and egg? ½ Lard & Marge? or all Marge?
LMAO at your pastry tasting like a patchwork quilt :rotfl:

M0neysav3r I feel your frustration hun, but I don't have a bread maker, and indeed have never made bread, so I can't help. But if you keep asking, someone on here is bound to know the answer and offer some useful advice

BrownGun try to do some pasties with leftovers, they are usually quite nice even cold. I used to have soup, noodles or cereal when I was on a diet and had to take lunch with me. I had access to a microwave though. The cereal was handy for break. I discovered that Sugar Puffs and Cheerios had less calories than the Special K and around the same sugar, so I had those often with semiskimmed milk. Batchelors do some amazing pouches (not satchets, pouches) of beef and vegetables that have only 140kl or so and they are really filling and tasty. Tin soups are also ok. Sometimes I took Ryvita bread with Philadelphia or Salsa dip. I love seafood sticks and I often had those with a bit of salad cream if I had a fridge, the combination is tasty and quite low cal. Beans on toast only if you buy the 400g bread, preferible something like 50/50 Kingsmill, that has only 50kcal for slice or less. Otherwise each slice of bread is 110kcal (Warbutons Toastie White, for example). I sometimes bought chorizo or ham, made toasts and put a couple of slices inside of whatever and had them as a toastie. 4 slices of chorizo and the abovementioned bread were about 170kcal, so still really good. No sauces though, but a tiny amount of I can't believe it is not butter added only 20kcal or so. I lost a stone and a half just by switching to better alternatives, reading the packages and reducing portions but still had cake, chocolate and chips, only not all the same day and at one, maybe a small treat every day with a limit of 200kcal a day for treats. But it worked. Avoid fruit juices and soft drinks that are bought. Most of the bottles of juice/smoothies/soft drinks have about 150kcal each glass!!! That is more than a bag of crisps from multipack! the same as two small toasts!!! Swap to freshly prepared juice, water and cordial, herbal teas...


Congrats PennyGrabber on not spending. Why not making a tasting cake for your dd or similar? I am sure she will be excited at being back home with mummy and a nice tasty treat!