March 2011 Grocery Challenge

martafdz wrote: »

I keep reading abiut slow cookers and I was wondering how many different kind of dishes can you do there. Can you do anything else other than stews? Without knowing anything about SC I kind of wonder if there is any other use other than braised beef, meatballs, bolognese, mince meat fillings.. I use my oven a lot, 80% of the time, I love roasted/grilled stuff. I would like to know what the slow cooker could bring to my home if I were to buy one. I know my next purchase should be a chest freezer, but then maybe either a Breadmaker or a Slow Cooker. I need to think what I would use the most :think:

:kisses3::grouphug:Big hugs to those who need them.

Nearly all those cuts of meat you got from DR are ideal for slow cooking.

Over the last two years or so, I've been using my slow cookers more, the rising fuel costs were a big factor in this, my energy consumption was around £500 per month:eek::eek::eek: Indeed!
I've got it down to £135-£145 dual fuel. Its been that way for about 2 years.

One of the things I did to bring the fuel costs down, was change the way I cook, I use the slow cooker more, I was around 80% oven use like you, now its 20%, I batch cook meats, 3 chickens at a time ( I prefer M+S Oakham chickens they are tastiest,) I strip them, have a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings, then bag and freeze the rest, I freeze the breasts whole in portions, then I boil the bones, strain the liquor then bag and freeze my own chicken stock. The time this saves alone is worth the effort.
When the oven is on for meat, I use any empty shelves for baking, sometimes when I'm just baking I turn the oven up full and start of a joint in the oven, then transfer it to the slow cooker to finish it off, that way you get the look of an oven roast + the taste.

My daughter got me a halogen oven for xmas, I did the best ever roast beef in that. Makro has them at the moment for £14.99 + Vat that works out at about £18.

Our household was bleeding money all over the place, even with my 2nd +3rd purse. I was so disciplined with that, yet frittering the money away in other ways. All the leaks have been plugged now, and we are starting to reap the benefits of all the changes that we've made. Between the fuel and GC its around £700-800 per month. Thats serious money. One interesting development is the complete change in my spending habits, I hardly EVER visit the grabbit board now. And I can walk into a SM and JUST get what I need. This is only my 3rd month on the GC. It truly is a wonderful place to be, you cant buy what we have here, a BIG thank you for the Originators and the folk who maintain this board.

I have a bread maker, I got it on sale for £8, my OH threw out the instructions LOL, thats another story, he loves cleaning and throws anything he can find out.
He's BANNED from the kitchen when I'm cooking , he has on several occasions, nipped in behind me and cleaned the pan my stock was in, thinking it was dirty water. AAAAH! cant complain too much, the house is spotless. My friends want to clone him LOL.

HIPPEECHIQ LOVE THE CAKE!

Morning all,

One spend for me this week and that was yesterday at A*DA. I spent £35.76 and got a 67p voucher off the next shop (due to ASDA not being 10% cheaper than Mr T). Spent around £10 on meat and the rest on cupboard stuff. Off to update my signature now.

Another 77.08 spent over the last few days in a variety of SMs, trying to avoid just shopping in one place to see if it is cheaper. That's nearly half my monthly budget gone and it's only the 6th:eek: That said i do have a lot of food in the freezers and have meal planned until 16th so maybe not so bad after all.

I have a SC too but tend to be boring and just do stews and casseroles in it. I will have a look at the SC thread - thanks.

Good morning everyone,
just had sausage sandwich for breakfast, made from Saints & Scholars Irish pork sausages, which I love. Bought them when they were on offer at A**A.

Planning to make chicken curry in slow cooker this week for the first time. Will make large amount and then divide into portions and freeze.

Agree with everyone who comments on massive rise in food prices. I am one of those who would rather have less of a good thing than lots of an inferior offering. So I am on the lookout for organic/free range meat bargains. Believe it or not the organic minced beef I bought last week cost less than non organic. Pays to compare prices.

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend and sniffing out the bargains.

£3 in tesco on soy milk(which has gone down by 7p hmm), nutella and golden syrup. didn't need the last two atm but they were on a good offer so decided to stock up.