I did quite well from the start of this month with no shopping being done until the 5th, well I guess it seems good when there was so much shopping done in bits last month. 😉
I was determined to make good use of all the tiddly bits in the fridge before venturing out and by virtually sticking to my menu plan all through last week not all in the right order or on the right days, but of the fifteen meals I had on the plan I made and ate eleven of them, with the other meals being made from leftovers the next day.
So no dahl was made and the lentils lived to fight another day!! The curry was delicious and as I have another pouch in the cupboard this will be replicated at some point, and I still have another portion of the curry to have for my tea tonight.
The first shop of March came to £18.15 and included some wine for a weekend treat. It was low on fresh fruit and vegetables as I do still have some salady bits in the fridge drawer and I'm determined to use everything I have in before stocking up again. So really this was just a shop for the weekend ... with a cucumber and a banana thrown in for good measure.
Just a couple of days later and Alan was going to Aldi. It would have been rude of me not to go with him and have a coffee at Booths while he partook of a cooked breakfast. Seemingly now he understands the mantra of never shopping on an empty stomach. 😁
Neither of us needed much but we both seemed to come out with quite a bit, although Alan more so than me as half of the shopping in my trolley was for our local Food Bank and could be dropped off before I left the store.
So all the crossed out items were just the pet and toiletry items that went straight into the food bank trolley on my way out.
Eleven days into March and I have shopped twice, but not for any huge amount of food. Lots of little top up things to complete the meals I have in mind along with a few treats to keep me sane and a couple of packs of beetroot as I have been reading up on how this is supposed to be really good for high blood pressure. If next time you see a photo of me I'm tinged a bit purple you'll know I took it too far!!
Sue xx
Oooh that curry looks good, Sue, I'll have to look out for vegan butter chicken sauce. It would make for a quick meal for me when G is at work.
ReplyDeleteNow you've got me craving a glass of wine and there's not a drop in the house! You have a good amount of shopping for your money there....
I've added a photo of the curry pouch so that you know what to look for. It's not actually a 'vegan curry sauce' just one that is accidentally so, and obviously I'm guessing but I think it would also be lovely with chicken in it. :-)
DeleteThanks so much for that! I'm on the lookout now ;)
DeleteI will look out for the butter chicken sauce, just love when something is 'accidentally' vegan. It does sound delicious and a useful cupboard item for a quick dinner. Made 3 portions of mixed bean chilli today, 1 for dinner and 2 for the freezer but was a little too generous with the chilli spice! I'll still eat it though.
ReplyDeleteYes, there are so many things that 'accidentally vegan' aren't there, it always amuses me when someone eating one of them or even a piece of fruit states categorically that 'I would never, ever eat vegan food, it's disgusting'. I'm literally quoting relatives here!!
DeleteIsn't it funny.....I used to like curry, but since stopping eating meat I no longer like it - I prefer to just taste the veggies. Maybe I only liked curry before because it masked the taste of the meat?!
ReplyDeleteI have always loved curry, I used to love the curry sauces in Manchester chip shops, sadly since moving away I have never found anything even remotely similar. But the search goes on. :-)
DeleteSounds like you are doing well with your grocery shopping and meal planning. :) I eat curry all the time, but, I've never eaten butter chicken!
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely mellow tasting curry sauce, absolutely delicious with rice.
DeleteI often crave curry these days, especially the lighter ones.......veggie or fish, and if I have time ( and inclination 😉) I enjoy flat breads more than rice so will make my own.
ReplyDeleteCucumbers have got quite expensive haven't they?
Beetroot - she humble but so good for us 😀
Alison in Wales x
I have never had a fish curry, somehow that is one that I really don't fancy. A flatbread is a good alternative to rice and I do occasionally have my curry that way, but I LOVE rice, so any opportunity to have it suits me just fine.
DeleteI guess cucumbers are pretty expensive because they are out of season in the UK at the moment and they have to fly them over here strapped into a seat each in first class. :-)
So humble 😄
ReplyDeleteAlison x
I quite liked 'she humble' ... she sure is and very tasty. :-)
Delete😄😍x
DeleteAlison in Wales x
I pulled some lentil curry from the freezer last week. It really hit the spot. You did very well on your shopping.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Lentil curry is delicious isn't it, and the flavours mellow so well with storage. I do need to get round to making that dahl. I remember having it for breakfast most days during one of the refugee rationing challenges that I did a couple of years ago. I think I may have to eat it for breakfast again as I'm getting a bit fed up of my breakfast choices at the moment.
DeleteI've heard that about beetroot, especially beetroot juice - such a shame I really don't like the juice (love the vegetable though). xx
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could drink the juice, I would rather eat the vegetable. I really love it and don't eat it as often as I should. I am going to try to eat at least one beetroot a day, in fact I am going to have one now ...
DeleteYour meal looks delicious, I've never seen that make of sauce, altho we rarely buy sauces I think I'd like that.
ReplyDeleteIt was the first time I had seen it when I bought it last year, I just couldn't resist it. I'm glad I got it now that I've tasted it. 😃
DeleteHello, found you from John's Going Gently blog.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading some of your previous posts, I've had a change in circumtances and am now eating frugally. Are there any books you can recommend for this? I'm a vegetarian and don't like cooking, but I'm getting stuck for ideas for hot meals that are frugal, veggie, easy and simple. I'm on my own and like simple things, a bowl of dhal (shop bought) and crusty bread for my tea today. I prefer to read rather than trawl the internet so any book suggestions would be appreciated.
Thank you, Clara (in Lancashire)
Welcome to my blog. I've been friends with John for years (through our blogs at first and then in the real world from when we lived in Wales 😃).
DeleteI would highly recommend Miguel Barclay's One Pound Meals books. I showed the first one of his on a post one day last week Easy to follow recipes with minimal preparation, and they have always turned out well for me. Jack Monroe's books are also really budget friendly as are a few of Jamie Olivers. You could join the library to check some of them out before buying them for yourself. Or just photograph any recipes you like the look of before handing the books back.
Sue (also from Lancashire) xx
Thank you for replying and for the ideas, they sound to be what I'm looking for. I'll look in the library and your suggestion of photographing the recipes is a good one, thank you.
DeleteI'm glad I could help. xx
DeleteOur corner shop sells Kohinoor - I've also seen it for sale in India. Butter sauce is very North Indian in flavour - too rich and creamy for both Jon and I, we much prefer South Indian food, which I know you're not a fan of as we like things blow the top of your head off, chilli hot. We've taken their chilli paneer and Kolhapuri to festivals in the past - authentic and tasty, quick to prepare and - most importantly - not in a glass jar. xxx
ReplyDeleteOoh, so it's pretty authentic in flavour then if it's also for sale in India, good to know. Yes, you both have a MUCH better heat tolerance with your spices than I do. :-)
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