August 2009 Grocery Challenge

kezlou · 8 August 2009 at 6:18PM

Flat_Eric wrote: »

Its beef casserole tomorrow. I intend to add lots of veg that i have lurking in my freezer and thought I also might add some lentils. Do I need to do anything to the lentils first i.e. boil them etc ??or can I just add them straight from the packet? I have green and orange lentils. Also I thought I might make my own stock with beef bovril/hot water, herbs and red wine, do you think this would work? and how much stock should I allow? I have a 1.25 litre pyrex dish and normally would use two of those schatz casserole mix satches. The stock in the past has been a bit too watery which i am keen to avoid.

Lentils not need to cook before hand just put straight in, the stock sounds good as well. thanks for tip will try that.

Just came on to update sig, having fish pie tonight so off to look for a recipe as i've never cooked or eaten it before.

moneytree1 · 8 August 2009 at 6:23PM

Hi there all just been totalling up spends have spent £47.37 of budget so far £85.13 left till end of month. Good luck to all
Moneytree1

jackieglasgow · 8 August 2009 at 6:25PM

babyhead (great name by the way) there was a thread on the special occasion board about buffet / party food a couple of days ago with some great ideas, try searching there.

Haven't managed a mealplan as such, I'm just too bust, but am planning meals the day before. Did a big stock up at Mr T the other day, but will need to haed out tomorrow for f&v from Aldi and veggies sausages and mix from MR A. Will take what I need in cash plus £2 extra per store in case of bargain emergencies. Mr S is doing 2l of 1% scottish milk for a £1 now, which is just like The One at Mr T's, so we've been stocking up on milk, my boys drink gallons of the stuff!

Will be experimenting with new lunch ideas for the boys next week in preparation for school the following Monday. Anyone got an idea for how do do sweet treats like the caramel Rice Krispie Squares? My kids love them, and I only let them have a sweet for Friday snack at school, and usually try to do homemade, would really like to try this, but don't want to risk wasting the ingrediants.

Cheers, Jackie! X

Notjusta_Mum · 8 August 2009 at 8:20PM

Well half way through the month and £145 (half of budget) spent. :j

Went to Mr T today and used some of the vouchers from Daily Mail- total spend was £56 but didn't get any meat as we have enough in freezer for the next week.
The problem is going to be sticking to this amount from next week when supplies start to run out! I'll just have to be creative I suppose.

3106catherine · 8 August 2009 at 11:24PM

Well I set my initial target at £300 although I'm hoping to get it down to around £200. That said I'm almost at £100 already! And ust put an order in with Mr T for around £60. I really dont know where its going, I buy their own value brand too.

What do you do with a husband who thinks nothing of going to the cupboard and eating a whole pack of biscuits, or eats the whole tub of ice cream from the freezer that I was hoping would see us most of the way through a month? He likes to pick and nibble in the evening but the knock on effect it has with our food costs is quite high I think.

queen_of_string · 9 August 2009 at 12:42AM

Catherine, sounds like you might have to resort to making your own biscuits and things! Industrial quantities of Twinks' hobnobs and Millies' cookies might be in order.

If you ask about or have a look here and on Weezl74 's thread there are lots of recipes in the first couple of posts all collected together there. Maybe you could try cucmber and carrot sticks and some dip in the evenings for your OH or some pita bread toasted and something to put on. Maybe wean him onto toast? I'm sure someone will be along in a mo with better ideas than me. Or perhaps a snacks budget, where he gets his own and any money saved is put towards something he wants or wants to do?

HTH

redmel1621 · 9 August 2009 at 7:33AM

Flat_Eric wrote: »

Its beef casserole tomorrow. I intend to add lots of veg that i have lurking in my freezer and thought I also might add some lentils. Do I need to do anything to the lentils first i.e. boil them etc ??or can I just add them straight from the packet? I have green and orange lentils. Also I thought I might make my own stock with beef bovril/hot water, herbs and red wine, do you think this would work? and how much stock should I allow? I have a 1.25 litre pyrex dish and normally would use two of those schatz casserole mix satches. The stock in the past has been a bit too watery which i am keen to avoid.

Yes you can just add your lentils straight to the dish:D

BlimusOreilly · 9 August 2009 at 9:35AM

Hmmm - having swine flu and doing the grocery challenge don't mix! Having other people getting your shopping for you is very kind but doesn't work out as cost effective as when I do it. I hate being out of control!! :rolleyes:
Have to buy for DS1's birthday next week so hopefully I can get out and do it myself.

highland_fling_2 · 9 August 2009 at 9:46AM

Will be experimenting with new lunch ideas for the boys next week in preparation for school the following Monday. Anyone got an idea for how do do sweet treats like the caramel Rice Krispie Squares? My kids love them, and I only let them have a sweet for Friday snack at school, and usually try to do homemade, would really like to try this, but don't want to risk wasting the ingrediants.

Hi everyone
re question above: my mum used to make us coconut balls for snacks. Just dessicated coconut mixed with evaporated milk and rolled into balls and then rolled in chocolate and placed in petit fours cases. She also made us macaroon bars using icing sugar and mashed potato which was then dipped in melted chocolate and rolled in toasted coconut. I know that sounds awful but we loved them when we were children.
I understand that they are definitely not what you would call healthy eating but we only were given them occassionaly and were very seldombought sweets.

highland_fling_2 · 9 August 2009 at 9:59AM

Hi everyone
hope you are all having a productive weekend.

Jackieglasgow: perhaps you could make what we used to call "bounty balls". Just dessicated coconut rolled in condensed milk and then dipped in melted chocolate. Or maybe maccaroon bars. I think you mix icing sugar and mashed potatoes then roll cut into small bars and dip in melted chocolate and then roll in toasted coconut.
Neither is any good if your boys don't like coconut but we used to love them as children especially when my mum used to let us help her make them.

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August 2009 Grocery Challenge

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