What do you not buy anymore because you’ve found a cheaper/better alternative?

[fateisdestined2025]

Cakes for me. Homemade cakes taste better.

Yes shein definitely make cheap copies. Also remember there's a reason it's cheaper - pay crap wages to poor people, exploitation, don't pay full corporate or import taxes, use cheap unsustainable fabrics full of chemicals, products don't have kite marks and other measures that show safety.

I used to do similar but have since learned that raisins on the go are awful for little teeth as the concentrated sugar sticks to them. Better off with real fruit.

Yes to ditching £100 a bottle Chanel. Perfume Parlour is great. M&S do some nice fragrances. Noted Aromas and Eden perfumes. Means I can be more experimental. I look up what notes are in my favourite expensive scents and then search for similar.

Same with clothes, for example fancy dress costumes sold on amazon and shein are very flammable.

I don't buy any branded products whatsoever. When people say they taste better I just laugh. You go ahead and pay double, I'll stick with shops own.

@HeatingFiddler it was me who linked that Etsy store! Such luxurious scents and brill quality. One of the bundles is brill as each melt lasted well over 14 hours before it lost its scent

Eden perfumes over branded ones, love their Rose one (used to use Penhaligon’s or Paul Smith Rose), but they do loads of dupes. Last longer and better for me!

Instant oats (for on the go breakfast or camping) whizz up jumbo oats in a food processor then put a portion in a pot/jar with some skimmed milk powder (and sugar/honey/salt to taste). Just need to add boiling water. Much cheaper and less packaging than instant oat pots plusa decent size portion rather than needing two

I’m not saying this is the best bread, but it is no knead, the measurements dont need to be exact, the proving time can vary and I bag up the dry goods ( flour yeast, salt, sugar in advance for the week, so I just tip it in to my ‘big bowl’ , add the water, quick stir and we are away. For pizza base, I only prove it for an hour. Then add flour to the outside only before squidging on to the tray and adding the topping. You can swap out the dried yeast with sourdough starter and it still works. Honestly I made bread the old fashioned way for 40 years and it was never as good or consistent as this way.

I made a no knead loaf this morning. 1 hour prove. Delicious.
250g wholemeal( both were strong as that’s what I had but don’t need to be, can also use spelt)
250g white
7g yeast sachet
1 tsp salt
1tsp sugar
In a bowl stir dry ingredients then make a well and add
400ml warm water and stir to combine
Prove for 1 hour
place in a loaf tin or plait as I did on baking paper on a baking sheet and put oven on 200c(180fan) and wait 15 mins.
Bake in centre for 55-60 mins

DH came in from a long bike ride as I got it out of the oven and demolished two slices with butter and declaring it delicious!

Both crap, I hate the fairy coloured on,much better bio d washing up liquid, lovely fragrances and un fragranced, more expensive, I wouldn’t dream of being fairy.
Awful over advertised stuff

Aldi/ Lidl washing up liquid and quilted loo paper is great. Barely wash up anyway as we have a dishwasher and their dishwasher tabs are also fab. As with perfume you’re paying for the ads and the packaging.

It is all but the same recipe. you have slightly more yeast and water. I haven’t tried with more water yet but will because they say it makes for more air holes. Interesting only proving for 1 hour. I will also try that. I do like 80% white with 20% rye - even though not as healthy as whole meal.

my yoghurt recipe. Small tub Yeo natural yoghurt as a starter, milk of choice, flask and thermometer.

1. measure how much milk fits in your flask, then put that milk in a pan and heat to just under boiling point. It is advised to heat slowly. Put warm water in your flask.
2. turn off milk pan and stir to cool. You can put pan in cold water to speed this up, but again slowly is better.
3. when 110-120 degrees, add 3 tbsp yoghurt stir quickly, empty water out of flask and put milk and yog mixture in flask .do all this quickly to avoid heat dropping further. Add lid . Leave on counter 24 hours. 4)open up. Tip in a bowl. If grainy use an Emerson blender to blend. Take out 3 tbsp and put in a separate container in the fridge ( that is your next starter) .put all yoghurt in fridge to cool. Remember to use your oldest or reduced milk because it doesn’t matter.

I make something very similar but less yeast, mix well, prove, knock back. Then let it rise overnight in a banneton basket or a large bowl. Then preheat a cast iron casserole in the oven, flour the base (or put in a piece of non-stick paper) and tip in the dough carefully. Put on the lid and bake for five minutes less than your normal time, remove the lid and bake for the last five minutes.

Nuts and herbs/spices are sold in big bags much more cheaply in the international foods section of the supermarket (or intl food shops) than in the actual nuts/spices sections

Could you share the seller please?

You can make your own quite easily. I’ve mad e a few using interesting bowls I find in charity shops and a candle making kit from Amazon. Can scent them with essential oils or leave plain. I use soy wax. Lots of videos on YouTube.

@SuperSange just remove the space between / and 'Battle' when you copy and paste the link!

There's obviously some truth in this but just because Shein, Amazon etc have used the same photo as other retailers that doesn't mean the actual product you are buying is the same - often they have nicked the photo and are selling a cheap knock-off

Oooh. What does putting on the lid do? Retain moisture or does it steam cook? Really interesting that you leave overnight.

Home made hummus is lovely! I make it with flageolet beans (so probably not 'hummus') and shove in any fresh herbs, dried tomatoes, olives, whatever i have. Yum. You'll never go back!

It's a combination of everything: Wet dough, slow rising and then cooking with some steam. I have made some loaves with almost the texture of ciabatta, though they vary. You need the last few minutes to crisp it up or there won't be any crunch at all. The recipe gives longer without the lid, but I don't like very hard crusts.
I first saw it on a Paul Hollywood programme, though it isn't actually his recipe. I can't find a link to a recipe at the moment, but this is very similar:
http://www.theintrepidreader.com/2018/01/weekend-cooking-no-knead-bread.html

Faaaarrr too much sugar in shop bought cakes

Me too. I use all sorts of beans. Butter bean and sun-dried tomato is nice.