velcrobott How do manage to eat organic on£60 a week

[tarantula]

please let us in on your secret.

[velcrobott]

Well I make everything from scratch,.... As we speak I am making 2 loafs of breads.

I buy my fruits and vegetables at a wholesaler, I spend about £20/week. This also includes things like rice, cereals, pulses, pasta, fruit spread and eggs (one week 12 the other 6).

I buy meat at a byodynamic farm - I spend £80 every 6 weeks and I freeze a lot.

We don't eat meat everyday - maybe 3 or 4 times a week and I will buy a whole large chicken whick makes for 2 or 3 meals - they are £5.95/kg each.

I buy fish once a week and try to get wild salmon for the kids, because it is very pricey they get a small piece but still it is the best quality salmon.

I buy cheese, ham, milk, yogourt, bananas, butter, single cream, houmous (when I don't make it myself) at Sainsbury - all organic.
I may on occasion buy non-organic things which are on offer such as raspberry this week, and I will buy fresh ravioli or covent garden soups when on offer. And this week we went for Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

I don't count the alcohol in this - though we don't drink much.
We don't snack adn we drink very little tea or coffee. Though we do have herbal teas.

That's basically our food shop every week.

[RnB]

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[Heathcliffscathy]

velcrobott...v v impressed. where is your wholesaler and can anyone get their food there?

[tarantula]

so am I our budget is 50 a week 60 at a stretch but I dont have a car so cant bulk buy meat etc.

[Socci]

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[BubblesDeVere]

velcrobott, could you please share your recipe for houmous.

[velcrobott]

Well I do have a car to go to both the bio-dynmic farm and my whole saler. They are in Sussex and the wholesaler does do home deliveries but I don't think he goes further than Brighton, East Grinstead,...
I could not do this if I only bought at Sainsbury's.
I did not include washing powder and dishwasher tablets for example though again I am very economical when I use those.

I don't buy biscuits the vast majority of the time... small things like that do add up... though I made oat and chocolate chips biscuits this afternoon with the kids and they are yummy and I know what's in them !

The buy bulking is not very heavy for £80 I get about
5 or 6 packs of 4 sausages (they won an award for best organic sausages last year), I buy 16 chippolatas, 1kg of mince beed, 1 or 2 chickens, some lamb liver and either braised beed or some lamb.

[tiddlypom]

I think you should run a course. Or have your own how-to-do-it website - or can you have a page on MN?

At the very least write a book. I'd love to have more details.

[velcrobott]

Houmous... i don't really measure....
Chickpeas - soak overnight +cooked 1h30 (save water)
or 2 cans of chickpeas
1/2 lemon - juice
1/2 cup of oil
garlic to taste - 3 cloves
1 or 2 tablespoon of tahini - to taste

all mixed in blender...

[RnB]

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[mrspink27]

velcrobott... i'm in east grinstead! do you go to plawhatch and tablehurst near forest row ??? who is your wholesaler???!!! v curious now.. and very keen... collect a veg box once a week from lady in lingfield but feel like i am paying thru the nose for it....want to know your secret... you can cat me if you dont want to advertise!!

[RnB]

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[velcrobott]

1 1/2 cup chickpeas - the dry ones
2 lemons
2 cloves of garlic
5 tblspoon of olive oil
3 tablespoon of tahini
salt to taste

that's the actual recipe

[RnB]

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[velcrobott]

Sorry have been on the phone....
The wholesaler is Harvest supply in Ashdown Forest - I'll try to find their tel. number - I always go there myself
I do go to Tablehurst - that's where I get my meat
and I don't go to Plawhatch anymore as it hasn't got anything that I specifically need. I did use to go years ago.

I do work part time. DH is a SAHD.

[RnB]

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[velcrobott]

Just found it on the web:
Harvest Supplies
Address
Harvest Home    Chuck Hatch  Hartfield East Sussex  TN7 4EX
Telephone
01342823392

[RnB]

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[velcrobott]

I should add he charges more to deliver so you should probably aim to get to him.... though Brighton is probnably 30 mins away.... speak to him (Dave).
Been going there for 6 years and regularely compare his prices, he is regularely MUCH cheaper. He sells everything except meat.
I just bought some Kamut grass......

[mrspink27]

thanks very much VB! much appreciated, will be calling tomorrow! especially if he delivers! Do you live nearby? ( sounds a bit stalkerish but honestly not!!)

[ionesmum]

I am seriously impressed. Am always deeply ashamed of our food bill and the fact we could cut it down if I cooked more.

Do you freeze your bread? Do you use the oven or a breadmaker?

[velcrobott]

I live 30 mins from Forest Row - that's why I only go once every 6 weeks.
I cooked the bread - am eating it now.... in the oven.
I don't freeze it as it keeps for 2 or 3 days and then there isn't any left!

[mrspink27]

dont want to sound dim but what is Kamut grass???

[RnB]

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