Perchy's purse watching

[Mad Chick]

I think I have things at the bottom of my freezer that are probably fossilized by now

[perchy]

I think I have things at the bottom of my freezer that are probably fossilized by now

Search as I may I cannot find a recipe for fossilled soup

Have been to Al and Di tonight, loving butternut squash at 49p and parsnips, red onions, I bought two butternuts, so soup being made for the freezer and will roast some and put them in some savoury rice (26p) with courgette, I can have all these on S world

Have signed up for aldi email, so hope to get that before the shopping list and menu planning each week

[p.penn]

To get you going. If you eat the 'german name' tinned soups.
Adsa has them for 50p a tin. We have saved £7.00 today buy bulk buying

Same with their baked beans at W/rose - 2 x 4 tin packs for £4

Have been to Al and Di tonight....

When I read that I honestly thought you had been to friends for dinner

[jaynetheweed]

Your frugal challenge makes me think of my butcher. I pop there now and again and buy a full 5 kg pack of chicken for £20. Its breast of the bone. Tesco do some "tesco value" (water filled) 1kg pack for £4.75. My fresh chicken has no water(it never shrinks to nothing), no fat, no skin & the lovely butcher packs it in individual bags of 2 or 3 breasts. And its cheaper than Tesco! Check your local butchers....
We buy the chicken, freeze some, fridge some - I usually buy the Maggi "so good" roast-in-bag + spices (packet) if on offer at 50p and cut up 2 breasts per bag - then i get some cheaper roasting bags and split the mix between two, or make my own mix - i cook at least 8 breasts in the oven at a time to save on fuel costs - as the spicy chicken is good for today's meal, tomorrow's pasta, the sandwiches, etc. It can be refrozen when cooked too, if you don't use it all. Any leftover chicken makes a great soup with any juices left from cooking in the bag making a great base. The garlic one makes a lovely gravy.

[perchy]

Jayne that is exactly right, thinking about what you can make with it before buying, one of our Butchers has a reduction at about 4 pm on a Saturday, I have in the past had 2 cooked hocks for 50p, enough meat for a stew or casserole and then enough for soups and stocks, essential at the moment broth mix, dried one in aldi under 50p will bulk out any casserole or soup

[perchy]

To get you going. If you eat the 'german name' tinned soups.
Adsa has them for 50p a tin. We have saved £7.00 today buy bulk buying

Same with their baked beans at W/rose - 2 x 4 tin packs for £4

Have been to Al and Di tonight....

When I read that I honestly thought you had been to friends for dinner

[Freeranger]

She raids their cupboards while she's there!

Am trying to have a week of not buying anything at all food-wise, and just using things from the freezer or cupboards. I reeled off a load of possible meals to OH, and thought there was probably enough there for about three week's worth, though was getting a bit Famous Five by the end of it. Most of what's in our cupboards is there for choices we never choose. The list is a great idea, which I shall do - thanks for the suggestion - and maybe we should have a competition for most fossilised fossil? Am also baking and freezing a batch of bread rather than buying, and making better use of eggs in evening meals.

Re your squashes and soups, Perchy, Nigel Slater made a squash soup and kept a little bit back to water down then use as the liquid in a risotto, with added herbery spicery and grated parmesan. Guess it would work equally well with any winter veg soups.

[Mo]

Cheap chicken from the butcher may have been raised in Broiler sheds the same as the big supermarket cheap offerings.
Unless it says Free Range, it probably isn't.
And if you ask some traders (not your butcher of course) will tell you what they think you want to know. I was quite impressed that when I asked our local farm shop about the eggs used in the 'home-made' cakes they rang up the lady who made them, to find out. Less impressed that they weren't free range, but the local co-op own brand cakes are so I went there instead.

A free range chicken may be dearer but you can get several meals if you pad out with veg and rice.

[jaynetheweed]

Unless it says Free Range, it probably isn't.

A free range chicken may be dearer but you can get several meals if you pad out with veg and rice.

You're right, of course. We're so used to banging on about our free range eggs but I don't think many stop to think about free range chicken meat - in fact, apart from the cooked hen meat Kievs that were recently features on TV, i don't think i've seen it advertised as free range where i live.

I will ask the butcher - he stocks free range eggs and locally produced "abnormally shaped" veg - natural not "production line" stuff. It's a shame there's too much red tape for us to simply be allowed to buy our locally produced meat - we live near several meat farmers. Costs would be lower - to us and the environment.

I'd love to be able to avoid Tesco, Asda, etc, in terms of cost and ethics, but it's not practical is it?

[Mo]

In a lot of cases it's the big supermarkets who are responding to consumer pressure with 'finest', 'taste the difference', etc. lines that claim to meet more animal friendly standards.
Can you trust them to inspect properly?
I think if my milk has a Soil Association label on it then I can trust it. I know a few years back an undercover BBC reporter worked in a meat packing plant supplying T. Fairly horrendous. And to judge by recent horse-scandal things haven't tightened up.


I've strayed from the frugal theme - sorry. But life is a balancing act. Yes it would be better if we could get everything locally and know what went on.

[perchy]

Well we are nearly there!! so far

The stocktake has been made and the pantry has been organised, I seem to have lots of beans, tomatoes, kidney and mixed beans, so my first menu will include some sort of chilli's or make rice / pasta and mixed beans for lunches etc and some will be put into mixed salads. This is ok to go hand in hand with Slimmmming W.

Cleaning cupboard looked at too, I am not buying anymore, I have washing powder bought on offer and shall be halving the amount I use, all tea towels will be soaked in the sink before washing, so will only need an economy wash. I have bicarbonate and lemon juice that will be my cleaner if I run out.

I will be withdrawing Cash on a Friday to do the shopping, but will be planning what I need daily and writing it down, I will spend time thinking about what I have and what I need, can I make something else with what I have? and do the menu accordingly.
The veggie man is in the village on a friday and Mr P will go and get those, he has basics, leeks, sprouts still on the stalk which is great as you only have to use what you need and the hens can have it after, cabbage, potatoes, carrots. Will ask if he has any bits for the hens.

Alanddi seems to be the cheapest for grapefruits, I do need those everyday, I will buy 7 and then no need to pop in for anything else, hence not going after work and "thinking" I cannot live without something else! Will only have the fruit that is on offer.

I am attempting to use one pan for cooking, with a steamer on top for the veg/rice/pasta, saves fuel and washing up.

I am conscious of the amount of lights I have on, I cannot bare to be in a dark room, so I will be moving a lamp so I have good light where I am for crocheting etc and so I don't feel too yuk! and don't need so many lights on.

Heating is back on a timer, we have both been feeling a little under the weather and have had the heating on probably more than we needed and so that will be somthing to get use to again. My last heating bill was 37p in credit, I gained the bonus for paying by direct debit etc. Will check to see how it equates from now now on.

Have started dates in the diary for sorting new deals with suppliers, I will be finishing my contract for my phone when it is due, I don't need all the aspects, I need to text, ring and take a picture, so am hoping that will be a saving of £10 per month and it will be capped.

So seems alot really, lots more to add, but lets see how it goes

[mrs boodles]

Crumbs Perchy you are soooooooooo organised, I have got lots of to do stuff in my head for frugal feb but have`nt put it down yet (on my to do list today) Think laners have covered quite a bit of what I want to do.
If we have any what we think are frugal recipes where should we put them, in food and drink or on here.
Just reading everybodys stuff is inspiring.

[MissEllie]

Wow good luck Perchy.

[perchy]

Crumbs Perchy you are soooooooooo organised, I have got lots of to do stuff in my head for frugal feb but have`nt put it down yet (on my to do list today) Think laners have covered quite a bit of what I want to do.
If we have any what we think are frugal recipes where should we put them, in food and drink or on here.
Just reading everybodys stuff is inspiring.

That's a good idea about frugal recipes, will ask the boss, and if she is not in I will ask Richard

[perchy]

Well a day to go, just to answer a query from Mrs Boodles, we are going to put some ideas for recipes/tips on a tight budget in food, then we can continue it instead of just for Feb

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Looking forward to reading the tips etc

Well, after doing the stock take, sorting the pantry and freezers I decided to sort the other cupboards out too, found lots of plastic tubs etc, so when I cook will make a little extra and freeze some, have cleared a space in the freezer and already have a tub in there for any leftover veg, rice etc and when I have enough will make something with it
I also found a stash of jelly pots, can't believe I use to buy these, since SWorld I have been making sugar free jellies, with these little pots one packet of SF jelly makes about 3 or 4, add a little fruit and a nice sweet snack for next to nothing
I don't have alot of kitchen work surface so I have made the halogen oven, slow cooker more accessible and so will be using these, halogen for baked potatoes and the slow cooker for soups, stews, chilli's etc, meaning it will be done when I get in from work, saving putting the main oven on. When steaming veg will do an extra carrot, couple of sprouts, half a leek etc to go into the tub in the freezer, should have a "made up meal" once a week at least.
I also found some rolls in the freezer, they have now been bashed for breadcrumbs, I won't have them (SW) but I will do something with them for Mr P, maybe a mushroom something or other.

Are you all nearly ready?