July 2012 Grocery Challenge

fozziebeartoo · 3 July 2012 at 1:41PM

If anyone is going to try the Artisan 5 Minute bread but hasnt started yet....

My 1/2 quantity has already outgrown the original lock & lock I had it in, so I would suggest get the container you THINK you need............and then double the size of it!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I just made some cherry muffins, gave 1/2 to a poorly neighbour and DGS and I shared one.....he pulls the hot juicy cherries out (I use frozen) and yomps them and I get the left over muffiny bit

:D

liz-paul · 3 July 2012 at 1:57PM

Oh don't worry I will tell him!!! Otherwise I'll come home to find 30 pints of manky milk and a huge bill lol

jumblejack · 3 July 2012 at 2:14PM

Aldahbra wrote: »

JumbleJack is there really only half a cup of water in the rose petal Jelly. How did you get two jars full?

The rest of the volume was the sugar which turns to liquid and makes up part of the volume.

It is a good quantity to start with though if you are a first timer (like me!)

jasmin10 · 3 July 2012 at 2:34PM

jumblejack wrote: »

Do you jam makers use wax lids? I've been thinking about getting some from eBay. About £2 for 200.

No I dont use them. I save all my proper jam jars, honey jars etc (the ones where the have the white circle type plastic thing in the lid, feels a bit foamy to touch)

Then I wash them in the sink and let them soak to take the glue and labels off, then put them through the dishwasher and store them. When I come to make the jam I wash them again to freshem them up and them boil the kettle and pour over the lids and fill the jars. Once the jam is ready I empty the jars at the last minute and fill them to the brim (no air) and then screw the lids on really tight and keep them upside down to cool. you will notice that once they have cooled the popper bit in the lid has been sucked in, like when you buy the new from the shop.

I also save pretty looking blouses/shirts or scrap of material and cut out large circles using my zigzag scissors and then put an elastic band round the neck to hold it on and then tie some matching ribbon around it in a bow. I also print out some little labels in a nice curly font and put a boarder round the label to make them look nice.

I have given loads of these to people as gifts, not for any particular occasion and they are so appreciated - its good what you get back in return too.

bit of a swappsie

hth

Long_tall_sally · 3 July 2012 at 2:52PM

Hi. trying again for my usual target of £450 per month. One month I might actually make it. A whopping £199 spent already!

Thanks to everyone who helps run the thread.

LauraJo · 3 July 2012 at 3:02PM

Having a post of MFW I think posting on here will help as well. Target for July is £175. There are only 2 of us so that should be achievable. £20 spent already though so not going too well!! OH doesn't want to budget where food is concerned so need to find a way to get him to stop spending too. Thats not so easy when he does all the cooking!!

jumblejack · 3 July 2012 at 3:15PM

Need to add a spend of £6.75. Bought more milk, bananas, carrots, cereal, hot choc... and I can't remember what else

We had sea beet omelettes for dinner. There is a curry for later so will be making a few chapatis to go with that. I am thinking banana fritters drizzled with rose petal jam for afters

bossymoo · 3 July 2012 at 3:48PM

Have been shopping.

£14 on pullup nappies should last the month.
£2.40 on white vinegar
£1 dishcloths
£1.80 on wild birdseed

Think that's it. Also got some curtains for bedroom as I finished decorating about a month ago... And a new light pendant. Room finally done. Except the missing patch of skirting...

PennyGrabber · 3 July 2012 at 4:02PM

Welsh_Poppy wrote: »

Morning

JJ
Thanks for info will have a look for Artisan bread and see about making it.
I do have packets of AF white bab mix stocked up whilst it was on offer.
I made Strawberry jam yesterday all Strawberries from garden and it tastes so scrummy it only cost the sugar so not too expensive I rather homemade jam infact anything Hm is delic and better than sm I also make a mean chilli jam ,marmalade and chutney's my cupboards are usually bulging under the weight of them.

Any recipes you could post up would be gratefully received!! Mine will be a homemade Christmas this year, and I'm keen to get started, but also to have a variety of items in my hampers.

Boodle wrote: »

For hampers, I try to get some shoe boxes to cover neatly in Xmas or birthday paper then cellophane it with ribbon and a gift tag to explain what is inside.

I find fruit preserves expensive to make too if using bought fruit so this year I am concentrating on floral/herbal jellies and foraged fruit. For the summer birthdays I have lavender, rose and elderflower jellies (next year I will be at the dandelions ) which I plan to pack up with some green tea I got on Approved Foods.

For Xmas, my plan so far is Rosemary and Vanilla Jelly (as I mentioned yesterday tho, I am yet to experiment with this!) Bay and Molasses Chutney (carrots and a marrow so not too expensive + bay from the garden, in the past I have done apple chutneys from foraged windfalls but my nanna can't have fruit so to make it easier, everyone is having the same), Fruity Gin with a mixture of hawthorn berries, rowanberries and blackberries from my garden (not for nanna, sorry nanna!) then will tuck in some nice crackers and Nairn's dark choc chip oatcakes (yum!)

I find the nicer the hampers are presented the more appreciated they are, but it has taken a while to get the hang of it. At first, they were not usually met with great enthusiasm (not sure if they actually thought "cheapskate or what just my paranoia!) But I think now people expect the hampers, they sort of look forward to seeing what it will be this time

I like seeing what everyone plans to put in theirs, so thanks for sharing

Great ideas, thanks! Again, recipes please, if you're willing to share!

jasmin10 wrote: »

No I dont use them. I save all my proper jam jars, honey jars etc (the ones where the have the white circle type plastic thing in the lid, feels a bit foamy to touch)

Then I wash them in the sink and let them soak to take the glue and labels off, then put them through the dishwasher and store them. When I come to make the jam I wash them again to freshem them up and them boil the kettle and pour over the lids and fill the jars. Once the jam is ready I empty the jars at the last minute and fill them to the brim (no air) and then screw the lids on really tight and keep them upside down to cool. you will notice that once they have cooled the popper bit in the lid has been sucked in, like when you buy the new from the shop.

I also save pretty looking blouses/shirts or scrap of material and cut out large circles using my zigzag scissors and then put an elastic band round the neck to hold it on and then tie some matching ribbon around it in a bow. I also print out some little labels in a nice curly font and put a boarder round the label to make them look nice.

I have given loads of these to people as gifts, not for any particular occasion and they are so appreciated - its good what you get back in return too. bit of a swappsie

hth

Good tip with the old clothes for covers - will remember that one. Anything to bring the cost down, but still look beautiful!! Last year, I made some chutneys for Christmas, but when I looked for Xmassy fabric to cover, it was around £12 per metre! Prob cost more than the actual chutney!!!!

Bluegreen143 · 3 July 2012 at 4:35PM

jasmin10 wrote: »

No I dont use them. I save all my proper jam jars, honey jars etc (the ones where the have the white circle type plastic thing in the lid, feels a bit foamy to touch)

Then I wash them in the sink and let them soak to take the glue and labels off, then put them through the dishwasher and store them. When I come to make the jam I wash them again to freshem them up and them boil the kettle and pour over the lids and fill the jars. Once the jam is ready I empty the jars at the last minute and fill them to the brim (no air) and then screw the lids on really tight and keep them upside down to cool. you will notice that once they have cooled the popper bit in the lid has been sucked in, like when you buy the new from the shop.

I also save pretty looking blouses/shirts or scrap of material and cut out large circles using my zigzag scissors and then put an elastic band round the neck to hold it on and then tie some matching ribbon around it in a bow. I also print out some little labels in a nice curly font and put a boarder round the label to make them look nice.

I have given loads of these to people as gifts, not for any particular occasion and they are so appreciated - its good what you get back in return too. bit of a swappsie

hth

What a fantastic idea about saving old clothes for covers! You could pick up blouses etc from the charity shop to do the same thing with so I'm definitely going to do that.

Also going to take a look at the foraging thread, it's a challenge for me as I live in Glasgow and don't have a car or bike, but I would love to make sloe gin for Christmas and jam out of foraged berries! Might try the rosemary jelly if It works well as I have a rosemary bush in the garden.

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July 2012 Grocery Challenge

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