My third and final storecupboard challenge and this week is the cheapest yet at £31.53 for 7 dishes for the whole week for a family of 4. I am really pleased with this as all 7 dishes are going to be delicious, wholesome and homecooked and in my opinion (for what it is worth) supports the idea that you can not only eat cheaply but eat some fantastic and varied dishes on a tight budget. The recipes are simple to make and it all boils down to choices - you can choose to eat well or not. I have shown that over the past 3 weeks that you can make 23 dishes for around £100 and that equates to £4.30 per dish or £1.08 per person.
I am generally not a fan of supermarkets but if your budget is tight and you stick to your list then you can get good quality, fresh ingredients at a low price (today I went to Adsa). I love my local market and my next 'challenge' will be to make some comparisons between the two.
This is more or less what I will be cooking over the next 7 days:
Thai fishcakes
Chicken with tarragon / Chicken spanish style
Roast stuffed breast of lamb with roasted vegetables
Spaghetti with arriabiata sauce
Courgette frittata / Courgette carbonnara
Summer vegetable soup
Pasta with chorizo, mushrooms and peas
Staples
plain flour
salt and pepper
sunflower oil for frying
marigold vegetable stock
olive oil
All of the above I bought a while ago and still have plenty of them
Storecupboard items
Pasta (1kg) x 2 - 73p (500g penne and 500g spaghetti)
Chopped tinned tomatoes (400g) x 2 - 31p for basics, 59p for own brand and 98p for Napolina
Bread, unsliced (800g) - £1.20
Thai red curry paste - £1.21
Tinned salmon (400g) - £1.58
Rice (500g) - 54p
Canellini beans (tinned, 400g x 2) - 88p
Total: £6.76
Fruit and veg items
Herbs (coriander) £1.07
Thyme - 65p
Tarragon - 65p
Onions - 34p (2)
Garlic - 30p (clove)
Carrots - 65p (1kg)
Courgettes (3) - £1.00
Brocolli - 87p
Butternut squash - 84p (95p per kilo)
Spring onions - 83p
New potatoes - 94p
Mushrooms (organic, 250g) - 87p
Mixed peppers (3) - £1.00
Leek (1 small) - 39p
Total: £10.40
Fridge items
Cheese
- Parmesan (pecorino) - £2.00 (250g)
Cream - 95p (300ml)
Eggs (15) - £1.50 (free range)
Whole chicken (medium) - £3.50 (standard, medium)
Chorizo sausage (cooking) - £1.96
Frozen peas (907g) - 85p
Frozen broad beans (500g) - £1.00
Lamb (new season, breast of) - £2.61
Total: £14.37
Basket Total: £31.53 (basics)
Showing posts with label the definitive shopping list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the definitive shopping list. Show all posts
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Storecupboard Challenge - New List (plus summer vegetable risotto)
A new list and summer vegetable risotto
A somewhat beleted start to week 2 of my attempt to feed my family for around £36 a week on everyday basics. On the whole last week was a success but the trick, I think, is to do this week in week out and keep it interesting. I found there were some ingredients that I didn't use and wished I had more of other things. In reality last weeks shopping kept us for about 9 days, with a little repitition of dishes, particularly pasta, but to my mind that is better than giving your kids rubbish or having takeaways.
OK my list has changed a little as I have certain ingredients left from last week. Items like chorizo, rice, curry powder, peppers, basil and dried mushrooms I still have. I have replaced some of these items as you will see below.
Staples
4 types of flour - plain, self raising, gram and bread
caster sugar
milk
salt and pepper
sunflower oil for frying
marigold vegetable stock
All of the above I bought a while ago and still have plenty of them
Storecupboard items
Pasta (1kg) x 2 - £1.00
Chopped tinned tomatoes (400g) x 2 - 31p for basics, 59p for own brand and 98p for Napolina
Bread, unsliced (800g) - £1.20
Cashew nuts (90g) - £1.44
Arborio risotto rice - 96p
Tortilla wraps - £1.00
Soy sauce - £1.14
Dried egg noodles (4) - £1.04
Total: £9.04 (basics)
Fruit and veg items
Herbs (coriander) £1.44
Onions - 31p (2)
Garlic - 30p (clove)
Potatoes (baking) - 70p (4)
Carrots - 65p (1kg)
Lemon - 30p
Tomatoes - 72p (450g)
Spinach - £1.50
Beetroot (cooked) - 56p
Courgettes (4) - £1.60
Rocket (salad leaves) x 2 - £1.00
Cabbage - 69p
Ginger - 60p
Total: £11.37
Fridge items
Cheese
- Parmesan - £2.30 (250g)
Cream - 95p (300ml)
Natural yogurt - 54p (basics) or £1.00 (own brand)
Ham - 85p (basics, 200g) or £3.00 (breaded, own brand)
Parma ham - £2.00 (70g) or £2.69 (85g)
Eggs (dozen) - £1.40 (barn) or £2.50 (free range)
Whole chicken (medium) - £4.00 (standard), £6.00 (free range), £8.00 (organic)
Minced beef (500g) - 96p (standard mince) or £2.96 (minced steak)
Bacon (thick cut, streaky) - £1.79
Total: £14.79 (basics)
Basket Total: £35.20 (basics)
A lovely cheap and healthy meal.
1 carrot peeled and finely diced
75g butter
½ onion, finely chopped
250g risotto rice
50g grated parmesan
1 ½ ltr veg stock
How to do it
A somewhat beleted start to week 2 of my attempt to feed my family for around £36 a week on everyday basics. On the whole last week was a success but the trick, I think, is to do this week in week out and keep it interesting. I found there were some ingredients that I didn't use and wished I had more of other things. In reality last weeks shopping kept us for about 9 days, with a little repitition of dishes, particularly pasta, but to my mind that is better than giving your kids rubbish or having takeaways.
OK my list has changed a little as I have certain ingredients left from last week. Items like chorizo, rice, curry powder, peppers, basil and dried mushrooms I still have. I have replaced some of these items as you will see below.
Staples
4 types of flour - plain, self raising, gram and bread
caster sugar
milk
salt and pepper
sunflower oil for frying
marigold vegetable stock
All of the above I bought a while ago and still have plenty of them
Storecupboard items
Pasta (1kg) x 2 - £1.00
Chopped tinned tomatoes (400g) x 2 - 31p for basics, 59p for own brand and 98p for Napolina
Bread, unsliced (800g) - £1.20
Cashew nuts (90g) - £1.44
Arborio risotto rice - 96p
Tortilla wraps - £1.00
Soy sauce - £1.14
Dried egg noodles (4) - £1.04
Total: £9.04 (basics)
Fruit and veg items
Herbs (coriander) £1.44
Onions - 31p (2)
Garlic - 30p (clove)
Potatoes (baking) - 70p (4)
Carrots - 65p (1kg)
Lemon - 30p
Tomatoes - 72p (450g)
Spinach - £1.50
Beetroot (cooked) - 56p
Courgettes (4) - £1.60
Rocket (salad leaves) x 2 - £1.00
Cabbage - 69p
Ginger - 60p
Total: £11.37
Fridge items
Cheese
- Parmesan - £2.30 (250g)
Cream - 95p (300ml)
Natural yogurt - 54p (basics) or £1.00 (own brand)
Ham - 85p (basics, 200g) or £3.00 (breaded, own brand)
Parma ham - £2.00 (70g) or £2.69 (85g)
Eggs (dozen) - £1.40 (barn) or £2.50 (free range)
Whole chicken (medium) - £4.00 (standard), £6.00 (free range), £8.00 (organic)
Minced beef (500g) - 96p (standard mince) or £2.96 (minced steak)
Bacon (thick cut, streaky) - £1.79
Total: £14.79 (basics)
Basket Total: £35.20 (basics)
Summer Vegetable Risotto
A lovely cheap and healthy meal.
2 courgettes, diced
Handful frozen peas (defrosted)1 carrot peeled and finely diced
75g butter
½ onion, finely chopped
250g risotto rice
50g grated parmesan
1 ½ ltr veg stock
- In a large pan melt half of the butter and then add the onion. This needs to be cooked for about 5 minutes but with no colour. Then add the carrots and courgettes and cook for a couple of minutes longer.
- Now add the rice and stir
- Now add the stock 2 ladles at a time until it has almost evaporated and so on until rice is cooked(add the peas 1 minute from the end as the don't need much cooking). Ensure it is not too sloppy as you now need to add more butter and parmesan to finish the dish. Turn the heat off.
- Season as you wish, spoon the risotto into 2 large bowls and serve with a little more grated parmesan.
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Feed your family well on a budget
A definitive list
I had a recent conversation with someone on mumsnet.com who said that they always stocked certain 'storecupboard' ingredients thus ensuring a nice family meal when stuck. If you have read my blog you will see that on the whole my family eat well but not always. I now feel that a 'definitive' list of storecupboard and fridge items, that can cost as little as £36 per week (or £5 a day), can sustain me and my family well for a week.
Personally, I am on a tight food budget but find myself breaking it every week and largely because I am tempted by offers when in the supermarket. Today however, I went to my local supermarket today (in my case Sainsbury's) and just bought the ingredients that I will need for the week. To make this work I must stick to the list and this way I can still buy the produce that I like such as free range chickens and parmesan cheese without compromising my food values or budget. Normally, I would buy some food from the supermarket and some from my local produce market and will be doing this next week.
I don't like the supermarket driven idea of feed your family for £50 because it prioritises price over quality. I like to make good food a priority in my life and see it as one of life's great joys. Every meal I will endeavour to make simply and well without too many convenience products, aiming to show that you can eat well for very little. Pricewise, I am going to give prices for the 'basics' range and also for branded and premium products so that if you wish to do this with me then you can tailor it to suit your budget.
I am going to give this list below and each day I will tell you what I cooked from it for the next 3 weeks. After that I will revise and amend it for the sake of variety. Please note that I will include the odd breakfast and lunch item but I am focusing on an evening meal, or tea where I come from.
OK lets see what I bought. I already have in my cupboard the following items that I feel I won't have to buy each week and I see as staples. Yes they have to be bought but not every week. My first post will be tomorrow - some kind of chicken dish, any suggestions anyone?
Staples
4 types of flour - plain, self raising, gram and bread
caster sugar
milk
salt and pepper
sunflower oil for frying
marigold vegetable stock
Storecupboard items
Pasta (500g) - £1.00
Chopped tinned tomatoes (400g) x 2 - 31p for basics, 59p for own brand and 98p for Napolina
Medium curry powder (80g) - 99p
Extra virgin olive oil (500ml) - £1.99
Rice - basics long grain 45p for 1kg or £1.46 for 500g basmati
Bread, unsliced (800g) - £1.20
Cashew nuts (90g) - £1.44
Dried porcini mushrooms (25g) - £1.78
Total: £9.47 (basics)
Fruit and veg items
Herbs - 2 for £2
Onions - 98p (kg)
Garlic - 30p (clove)
Potatoes (new) - £1.00 (kg)
Mixed peppers - £1.35 (600g)
Carrots - 75p (1.5kg)
Mixed chilli - 54p
Lemon - 30p
Tomatoes - 72p (450g)
Frozen Peas - £1.75 (900g)
Total: £9.69
Fridge items
Cheese
- Parmesan - £2.30 (250g)
- Cheddar - £1.50 (330g, basics) or £2.50 (300g own brand)
Chorizo (cooking) - £2.39 (225g)
Cream - 95p (300ml)
Natural yogurt - 54p (basics) or £1.00 (own brand)
Ham - 85p (basics, 200g) or £3.00 (breaded, own brand)
Parma ham - £2.00 (70g) or £2.69 (85g)
Eggs (dozen) - £1.40 (barn) or £2.50 (free range)
Whole chicken (medium) - £4.00 (standard), £6.00 (free range), £8.00 (organic)
Minced beef (500g) - 96p (standard mince) or £2.96 (minced steak)
Total: £16.89 (basics)
Basket Total: £36.05 (basics)
I had a recent conversation with someone on mumsnet.com who said that they always stocked certain 'storecupboard' ingredients thus ensuring a nice family meal when stuck. If you have read my blog you will see that on the whole my family eat well but not always. I now feel that a 'definitive' list of storecupboard and fridge items, that can cost as little as £36 per week (or £5 a day), can sustain me and my family well for a week.
Personally, I am on a tight food budget but find myself breaking it every week and largely because I am tempted by offers when in the supermarket. Today however, I went to my local supermarket today (in my case Sainsbury's) and just bought the ingredients that I will need for the week. To make this work I must stick to the list and this way I can still buy the produce that I like such as free range chickens and parmesan cheese without compromising my food values or budget. Normally, I would buy some food from the supermarket and some from my local produce market and will be doing this next week.
I don't like the supermarket driven idea of feed your family for £50 because it prioritises price over quality. I like to make good food a priority in my life and see it as one of life's great joys. Every meal I will endeavour to make simply and well without too many convenience products, aiming to show that you can eat well for very little. Pricewise, I am going to give prices for the 'basics' range and also for branded and premium products so that if you wish to do this with me then you can tailor it to suit your budget.
I am going to give this list below and each day I will tell you what I cooked from it for the next 3 weeks. After that I will revise and amend it for the sake of variety. Please note that I will include the odd breakfast and lunch item but I am focusing on an evening meal, or tea where I come from.
OK lets see what I bought. I already have in my cupboard the following items that I feel I won't have to buy each week and I see as staples. Yes they have to be bought but not every week. My first post will be tomorrow - some kind of chicken dish, any suggestions anyone?
Staples
4 types of flour - plain, self raising, gram and bread
caster sugar
milk
salt and pepper
sunflower oil for frying
marigold vegetable stock
Storecupboard items
Pasta (500g) - £1.00
Chopped tinned tomatoes (400g) x 2 - 31p for basics, 59p for own brand and 98p for Napolina
Medium curry powder (80g) - 99p
Extra virgin olive oil (500ml) - £1.99
Rice - basics long grain 45p for 1kg or £1.46 for 500g basmati
Bread, unsliced (800g) - £1.20
Cashew nuts (90g) - £1.44
Dried porcini mushrooms (25g) - £1.78
Total: £9.47 (basics)
Fruit and veg items
Herbs - 2 for £2
Onions - 98p (kg)
Garlic - 30p (clove)
Potatoes (new) - £1.00 (kg)
Mixed peppers - £1.35 (600g)
Carrots - 75p (1.5kg)
Mixed chilli - 54p
Lemon - 30p
Tomatoes - 72p (450g)
Frozen Peas - £1.75 (900g)
Total: £9.69
Fridge items
Cheese
- Parmesan - £2.30 (250g)
- Cheddar - £1.50 (330g, basics) or £2.50 (300g own brand)
Chorizo (cooking) - £2.39 (225g)
Cream - 95p (300ml)
Natural yogurt - 54p (basics) or £1.00 (own brand)
Ham - 85p (basics, 200g) or £3.00 (breaded, own brand)
Parma ham - £2.00 (70g) or £2.69 (85g)
Eggs (dozen) - £1.40 (barn) or £2.50 (free range)
Whole chicken (medium) - £4.00 (standard), £6.00 (free range), £8.00 (organic)
Minced beef (500g) - 96p (standard mince) or £2.96 (minced steak)
Total: £16.89 (basics)
Basket Total: £36.05 (basics)
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