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August 2010 Grocery Challenge

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  • Hippeechiq
    Hippeechiq Posts: 1,103 Forumite
    Sorted out some paperwork last night and am very annoyed with myself as I found my lost asda reward vouchers given to me at Xmas and now expired 2 months ago! £12 down the drain! It will NOT happen again!!!
    Did some cooking today and made the butternut squash tart. Tasted very different to butternut squash in its "normal" form because of the garam masala. Not sure if it is supposed to be a savoury or a sweet but personally Id use it as a sweet and reduce the sugar by about 1/4 next time-a little sweet for me but everyone loved it.
    Reminded us of treacle tart without the stickiness or the sickliness-that is the best way to describe it-so if you like treacle tart you will most likely enjoy butternut squash tart. Made double quantity-it made 5 smallish tarts each serving 4 people so 20 servings for less than £2. Frozen 2 of them for next week.
    DD loves the apple curd and I think ate half a jar tonight!
    I made peanut and pumpkin seed butter last night but only half the recipe as Ive already got some peanut butter on the go(shop bought stuff). That was also a sucess but I may cut down on the pumpkin seeds or maybe even omit them.
    Ive done so many new dishes this week Im feeling proud.
    No spend day today although dh said he wanted beer-it will wait until tomorrow or monday.
    Had chicken salad for lunch-salad from garden and the chicken I cooked on Thurs evening which made 5 portions of chicken/chickpea curry and 5 portions of chicken salad as dh didnt manage to get his mitts on it!
    Now cooking beetroot in the slowcooker-not tried this method before but fail to see why it wouldn't work. DH dug them up yesterday.

    I have £4..23 in my purse from the £100 I put in last week so I will put in same again next week-i am so happy that I've had 2 weeks at under £100 on grocery shopping and this week I spent £20 on petrol and a meal out for myself-£6(Im cheap) and Ive included that.
    This will get me back on track for next month.
    Tomorrow Im making a veggy chilli and rice (already cooked the beans yesterday)so it will be a cheap dinner. Ive got another chicken in the fridge so I will also cook that tomorrow and hide it from dh-I will wait until he is stuffed with chilli before the chicken gets displayed!!!
    Hoping I may even get away with £90 next weekbut we shall see!

    Oh to have a family that will eat anything :o

    Well done you on both keeping within your budget and all the new recipes you've tried :T

    Quite surprised about your findings on the Butternut Squash Tart......for some reason (based on nothing more than it's shape :rotfl: ) I'd expected you to report back that it was more like a savoury tart - is it not a vegetable? :huh:

    Like the sound of your Veggie Chilli - I do a Spicy Mushroom Bean Chilli & a Vegetarian Bean Curry (both found recently on the net) but you can never have too many veggie recipes - I try to have two per week to help keep my grocery spends down and also because it's healthy.

    I also like the sound of the chicken/chickpea curry too if you wouldn't mind sharing one of those recipes - or both :D

    I'd never had a chickpea before this year, or sweet potato or lentils, and have discovered I love all three :)

    Am loving the stuffing OH with Chilli before displaying the chicken ploy! lol
    Aug11 £193.29/£240

    Oct10 £266.72 /£275 Nov10 £276.71/£275 Dec10 £311.33 / £275 Jan11 £242.25/ £250 Feb11 £243.14/ £250 Mar11 £221.99/ £230
    Apr11 £237.39 /£240 May11 £237.71/£240 Jun11 £244.03/ £240 July11 £244.89/ £240
    Xmas 2011 Fund £220
  • angelatgraceland
    angelatgraceland Posts: 3,342 Forumite
    edited 14 August 2010 at 11:09PM
    For the chicken/ chickpea curry:
    Soak a mug of chickpeas overnight and rinse as often as you can in between-I soaked mine the previous afternoon.
    Boil as per instructions on packet-I boil rapidly for about 10 mins then cook until soft.
    I used 2 chicken legs-stripped off the meat and chopped it up into pieces approx 1.5 cm so it goes a long way.
    one chicken stock cube
    2 or 3 onions chopped
    one tin chopped toms
    2 teasponns garam masala
    one2 teaspoons hot curry powder
    half a teaspoon chilli powder
    one jar value curry sauce(cos I got it for 5p in Asda/tesco)or an exta tin of toms and an extra spoon of curry powder.
    I wash out the tins and jar with about half tin of hot water to get every little bit from them-transfering from one to another(Im just tight)
    Lightly fry onion, add the chopped cooked chicken and spices. Lightly fry. Chuck in everything else and cook for about half an hour to develop the flavours-make sure its runny enough-may need a little more water-just add half a can at a time
    That is what I used "this" time but it varies as I'm geenrally a "chuck it in" type of cook! The recipe for the butternut squash tart-courtesy of Weezl and her folk is as follows:
    500g butternut squash
    50 ml veg oil
    230g self raising flour
    4 slices home made white bread, crumbed
    150g sugar
    2 heaped teaspoons garam masala
    Method


    Cook the squash in a pan with water, garam masala and 130g sugar, (cover with a lid so any bits poking above get steamed.

    Remove lid when it’s all mulched together. Keep adding water/reducing until you have a thickish wallpaper paste consistency.

    Crumble in the breadcrumbs, don’t add all of it if it’s getting too stiff: the consistency of a buttery mashed swede would be about right here.

    Squidge the flour, cereal, 30g sugar, oil and approx 4 tbspns water until you have a soft stretchy dough. Press this out into the base and sides of an 8 inch pie dish or flan case.

    Bake at gas mark 5 for approximately 5-8 mins until just beginning to brown, then remove, fill with the squash mixture and bake for a further 10 mins until edges of pastry are dark golden. Makes 8 portions so be very disciplined and freeze half for next time!
    The butternut squash was the first one Ive ever prepared from scratch and you get little waste. I peeled with a knife as couldnt get the peeler to do it but Im rubbish with peelers as Im left handed and peel away from me!
    Weight peeled and chopped was just under 900g.
    Im guessing its more sweet than savoury as it has a fair amount of sugar added to it but this coulld be substituted if you were feeling brave-Id try adding onions and red peppers and only a few spoons of sugar for a savoury one but Im very much into exxperimenting! Still got another squash to use so may indeed make a savoury version next time! Yes its a veg but its naturally on the sweet side as are carrots.

    p.s. It mentions adding the cereal but its not in the ingredients so I didnt put any in!
    http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/recipe-bnstarts.html?opt=rdinner

    Now if I don't stuff him with veggy chilli first he will "pig out" on the chicken and I won't be making anything-I have a wardrobe full of teashirts for falling for that one! I also put a notice on the dish in the frige "do not touch"!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
    Annual Grocery budget 2018 is £1500 pa £125 calendar month £28.84 pw for 3 adults
  • MindaJ
    MindaJ Posts: 41 Forumite
    Just popping in to say well done everyone so far, and good luck for the rest of the month! I still haven't spent any of my money. It's easier now, the habit of wandering into the shops whenever I'm walking past is gone. I went in last night for some toilettries (not part of the grocery budget) and had a bit of a look around but I didn't get anything. Luckily none of my usual items have been on special, either. The only problem is I'm spending more money in other areas. I'm not sure if it's related, or if it's just bad luck that I decided to start this at the same time as my local dvd store decided to have a massive sale. Oh well. The dvds I bought were ones I've been holding off on buying for ages anyway, and I got them really cheaply. I haven't bought any dvds for ages, I didn't go into debt buying them, and by buying them all at once I'm probably not going to get anymore for ages, so I guess it balances out.
  • muffin_man_7
    muffin_man_7 Posts: 784
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    edited 14 August 2010 at 11:24PM
    had bad week go worse bg upping my payments for gas and electric so will be an extra £26 a month on top of every thing else so i decided to stay in yet 1 more day with only £45.66 left after taking off £6.10 from the little shop i did the other day I really need to be carefull if i spend more i wont have the extra for the gas and electric and that not an option so really do need to get the food budget under £120. sooner rather than later so the more i use up the better for now but when its gone i'm not sure what we'll do i've always had food in because of kids they came 1st it took me a very long time to get my cupboard so full and with prices going up more than down it has helped a lot when its gone this time restocking won't be so easy so will have to have a very strict list for a while i'm thinking two week shop at a time no bulk buys unless it will be used by end of this year and i'm going for the four no more till after xmas with exception of baking stuff as i've been asked to make muffins for family for xmas easy for me to spread cost and will keep me warm too i'll just pick a really cold day to do a baking session and freeze them should be just fine will look forward to it it will also keep me out of shops at xmas and that has got to be good
    2nd purse challenge no040£0 Sealed pot challenge ???? £2 trolley find not counting small coins till end year
  • ASC
    ASC Posts: 153
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Sorted out some paperwork last night and am very annoyed with myself as I found my lost asda reward vouchers given to me at Xmas and now expired 2 months ago! £12 down the drain! It will NOT happen again!!!

    Someone may have already suggested this, but it may be worth contacting customer services? I had the same problem with some Mr T vouchers and a very helpful chap said although he couldn't re issue the vouchers, he could put the points back on my account.


    A x
  • weezl74
    weezl74 Posts: 8,701 Forumite
    The recipe for the butternut squash tart-courtesy of Weezl and her folk is as follows:
    500g butternut squash
    50 ml veg oil
    230g self raising flour
    4 slices home made white bread, crumbed
    150g sugar
    2 heaped teaspoons garam masala
    Method


    Cook the squash in a pan with water, garam masala and 130g sugar, (cover with a lid so any bits poking above get steamed.

    Remove lid when it’s all mulched together. Keep adding water/reducing until you have a thickish wallpaper paste consistency.

    Crumble in the breadcrumbs, don’t add all of it if it’s getting too stiff: the consistency of a buttery mashed swede would be about right here.

    Squidge the flour, cereal, 30g sugar, oil and approx 4 tbspns water until you have a soft stretchy dough. Press this out into the base and sides of an 8 inch pie dish or flan case.

    Bake at gas mark 5 for approximately 5-8 mins until just beginning to brown, then remove, fill with the squash mixture and bake for a further 10 mins until edges of pastry are dark golden. Makes 8 portions so be very disciplined and freeze half for next time!
    The butternut squash was the first one Ive ever prepared from scratch and you get little waste. I peeled with a knife as couldnt get the peeler to do it but Im rubbish with peelers as Im left handed and peel away from me!
    Weight peeled and chopped was just under 900g.
    Im guessing its more sweet than savoury as it has a fair amount of sugar added to it but this coulld be substituted if you were feeling brave-Id try adding onions and red peppers and only a few spoons of sugar for a savoury one but Im very much into exxperimenting! Still got another squash to use so may indeed make a savoury version next time! Yes its a veg but its naturally on the sweet side as are carrots.

    p.s. It mentions adding the cereal but its not in the ingredients so I didnt put any in!
    http://www.cheap-family-recipes.org.uk/recipe-bnstarts.html?opt=rdinner

    Now if I don't stuff him with veggy chilli first he will "pig out" on the chicken and I won't be making anything-I have a wardrobe full of teashirts for falling for that one! I also put a notice on the dish in the frige "do not touch"!:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
    you are right angelatgraceland it is meant to be a pudding, think 'pumpkin pie' as a guideline. Sorry I need to make that clearer.

    I use the skin, as it is edible, I just cook for longer and puree in my food processor. This also ups the vitamin C and calcium of the end result :)

    One of our vegan testers has suggested a savoury version tho, without sugar and with onion and garlic.

    If anyone does try this, I'd be delighted to know how you get on :)

    :hello:Jonathan 'Fergie' Fergus William, born 05/03/09, 7lb 4.4oz:hello:
    :)Benjamin 'Kezzie' Kester Jacob, born 18/03/10, 7lb 5oz:)
    cash neutral gifts 2011, value of purchased gifts/actual paid/amount earnt to cover it £67/£3.60/£0
    january grocery challenge, feed 4 of us for £40
  • gailey_2
    gailey_2 Posts: 2,329
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Been shopping again. usually we do big food shop at lidls and top up at sainsburys but trying something new this month.

    Was aiming to go lidls and morrisions.

    But in reality 2tired parents, 2tired kids sat nite just did mr m.
    Hubby was bit worried as we brought a lot but I kept reminding him we ran out of basics last month so brought.

    4 value choc bars 30p each cheaper than sainsburys
    value 6pack ready salted crips 26p perfect for eldest as we spend small fortune on crisps in this house..
    passata value think maybe slightly less weight than lidls which is 45p mr m value 25p cleared them out and brought 12.
    Tins of chopped tomatoes were cheapish too so brought 15tins.
    Got value tortilla chips 25p for chilli or hm salsa.
    There were no good reductions apart from panche beer 29p a bottle and tasted grim.
    Got hubby jar value curry sauces 13p.
    lots of packet mixes mr ms own brand seemed cheap useful standby.
    cheap red wine under 3quid for cooking.
    Pampers pullups on offer at 4quid.
    annabel karmel sauces for baby 3 for 2quid might be ideal with pasta.
    Got 3bags plain flour, 1 sf and 1bread plus huge bags of pasta which porobably last longer than a month.

    I stopped buying pasta sauces as prefer my own so might make huge batch and freeze if I can make space in freezer.

    we have roughly 35quid left until 15th septemeber.

    we get through 8 4pints of milk a week so going back to farmfoods as its 6quid so another 15-18quid on milk this month.
    breads 2 for 1 at farmfoods so forsee with making some bread another 4quid on bread this month.

    Hubby works near aldis so going to look at super 6 on fruit and veg for kids each week.

    off to co-op later for reductions really could do with some reduced chicken.
    We may need to top up coffee, squash and butter but thats it.

    we have some veg still growing in garden.
    will continue foraging bit behind with blackberry picking.
    need to start jams and chutneys soon.

    Trying to stay positive that we will keep to 250 would prefer 200 but set higher this month as maybe 200 is unrealistic.

    For those with babies and kids greek yogurts fab as less mess as sticks to spoon I ether mix with hm pureed or stewed fruit of just fresh berries.

    I read you got to introduce as many tastes in 1st 18months before they clam up and get fussy.

    Round here its cakes and biscuits dont last 5mins so aiming to do a cake and a biscuit per week.
    pad by xmas2010 £14,636.65/£20,000::beer:
    Pay off as much as I can 2011 £15008.02/£15,000:j

    new grocery challenge £200/£250 feb

    KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON:D,Onwards and upward2013:)
  • wssla00
    wssla00 Posts: 1,875 Forumite
    Good morning all. A NSD today :) going to make some cakes and a few loaves of bread. I will then have to clean out my fridge and see how it goes as it seems to be packing up on me! :( Oh well..... will keep my fingers crossed!
    Feb GC: £200 Spent: £190.79
  • fedupandskint
    fedupandskint Posts: 10,358
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Oh no, I've totally blown the budget this month by buying some Christmas baking booze items, stocking up on some stuff for autumn and winter and quite a few treats

    just totted up the totals to £158.05/£120 - oh dear!

    Looks like its back to the storecupboard and freezer for me for this week and see how much I can get through without buying anything else
    final unsecured debt to repay currently £8333
    Proud to be Dealing With my Debt
    DFW Nerd 1154 Long Haul 155
  • gailey_2
    gailey_2 Posts: 2,329
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    Oh no, I've totally blown the budget this month by buying some Christmas baking booze items, stocking up on some stuff for autumn and winter and quite a few treats

    just totted up the totals to £158.05/£120 - oh dear!

    Looks like its back to the storecupboard and freezer for me for this week and see how much I can get through without buying anything else

    In some ways challage hard as some fluntucations each month.

    Im planning xmas now as been foraging and want to make lots of food gifts so need more

    jars
    sugar
    vinigar
    pectin
    booze.
    spices

    So maybe a suggestion for people planning for xmas pressies is

    count it as xmas budget not grocery and keep a running tally so you know how much extra stuff cost and work out unit cost its still much cheaper than buying in supermarket of farmshop.

    Or you could allocate extra 10-20quid within you figure to cover xmas extras.
    pad by xmas2010 £14,636.65/£20,000::beer:
    Pay off as much as I can 2011 £15008.02/£15,000:j

    new grocery challenge £200/£250 feb

    KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON:D,Onwards and upward2013:)
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