I just know I am going to regret this but come scrutinise my shopping...

[Ceolas]

Week's shopping for 5 - 2 adults and 3 children (including dairy allergic DD)

£80.22 delivered. (might be slightly less as a few offers)

Meal plan for the week -

Friday - thai chicken curry
Saturday - spag bol
Sunday - roast chicken
Monday - bacon/mushroom risotto
Tuesday - chicken chow mein (with leftover chicken)
Wednesday - Macaroni cheese
Thursday - burgers

1 Bisto Original Powder For Gravy227g Each £0.82 £0.82
1 Oxo 12 Beef Stock Cubes71g Each £0.82 £0.82
1 Lyles Golden Syrup 454g Each £0.60 £0.60
2 Tesco Fresh Sweetened Soya Milk 1 Litre Each £0.94 £1.88
1 Tesco Valpolicella 75cl Each £2.98 £2.98
1 Vitalite Sunflower Spread500g Each £0.66 £0.66
1 Tesco Scottish Porridge Oats 1kg Each £0.61 £0.61
1 White Potatoes 2.5kg Pack Each £1.12 £1.12
3 Granny Smith Apples Class 1 Loose Each £- £0.57
1 Unwaxed Lemons 6 Pack Each £1.29 £1.29
1 Loose Limes Class 1 Each £0.15 £0.15
1 A Bag of Red Seedless Grapes Class 1 Loose (approx. 500g - 650g per bag) Each £- £1.28
1 Tesco Fairtrade Bananapack Each £- £1.14
10 Gala Apples Class 1 Loose Each £- £1.60
1 Tesco Salad Onions Bunch Each £0.49 £0.49
1 Tesco Broccoli Loose Each £- £0.49
1 Closed Cup Mushrooms 250g Each £0.62 £0.62
1 Peas And Baby Corn 200g Class 1 Each £1.19 £1.19
1 Loose Garlic Each Class 1 Each £0.20 £0.20
3 Tesco Onions Loose Class 2 Each £- £0.45
3 Tesco Carrots Loose Class 1 Each £- £0.21
1 Fresh Coriander 25g Each £0.69 £0.69
1 Scottish H/Eating Steak Mince 500g Each £2.24 £2.24
1 Tesco Organic Whole Chicken 1.00-2.40kg Each £- £8.46
1 Tesco 8 Smoked Back Bacon 250g Each £1.25 £1.25
2 Tesco Fresh Sweetened Soya Milk 1 Litre Each £0.94 £1.88
1 Tesco Value Full Flavour Coloured Cheese Medium Each £- £2.60
2 Alpro Soya Oy Yofu Based Yogurt 4 X 125g Each £1.39 £2.78
1 Tesco Organic Eggs Medium Box Of 12 Each £2.99 £2.99
1 Tesco Thin Crust Cheese Feast Pizza 350g Each £2.15 £2.15
1 Tesco Value Bourbon Creams 400g Each £0.34 £0.34
1 Alpen No Added Sugar 1.3kg Each £3.22 £3.22
3 Tesco Finest 2 Aberdeen Angus Burgers 340g Each £0.99 £2.97
1 Robinsons Special-R-Orangedrink 2 Ltr Each £1.73 £1.73
1 Robinsons Speciality Rapple Blackcurrant Drink 2 Ltr Each £1.74 £1.74
1 Finish Dishwasher Powder Lemon 1kg Each £2.57 £2.57
1 Tesco Luxury Soft Toilet Tissue White 12 Roll Each £4.36 £4.36
1 Dolmio Original Bolognese Sauce 320g Each £0.99 £0.99
1 Lyles Black Treacle 454g Each £0.60 £0.60
2 Closed Cup Mushrooms 250g Each £0.62 £1.24
2 Tesco 8 Smoked Back Bacon 250g Each £1.25 £2.50
2 Warburtons Sliced Sandwich Rolls 12pk Each £1.25 £2.50
1 T No Added Water Corned Beef 175g Each £1.28 £1.28
1 Tesco Arborio Risotto Rice 500g Each £0.73 £0.73
1 T No Added Water Cooked Ham 150g Each £1.58 £1.58
1 Lurpak Lighter Spreadable 500g Each £1.94 £1.94
2 Muller Little Stars Fromage Frais 6 X 60g Each £1.38 £2.76

i did buy a lot of ice lollies as i was hoping it would be warm in half term
my kids just do water or milk
we do have desert every night which is a habit i cannot seem to break .....they seem to expect it ...grr
Hence that cheapo icecream - its veggie though!

How do you find the monthly shop works out? Do you spend a lot in between?

Ceolas there is enough protein for humans in virtually every food except fruits and some vegetables. Grains are a useful source of protein, as are peas and sweetcorn.

You said she is allergic to nuts and lentils - does that include beans (I am presuming not as you buy soya stuff) and seeds? You could easily make a bolognese with beans instead of meat, tofu is good in things like stir fries and kebabs, and beans could also be used in curries, shepherds pie, etc.

She'll also get protein from the soya yogurts and milk. A couple of vegan meals per week is good for everyone - I would try it for both cost and health reasons.

No, she can have beans.

Will definitely give it a try. Do you have any recipes, Franny? What about a bean casserole? Could do a veg chilli instead of meat too.

Ceolas - it works out great! I shop less - spend less - cook more and eat healthier. I just need to supermarket shop to make life easier but do not want to do it often - I will add maybe another hundred pounds to that plus lunches out. That is for 7 people . i do eat all salad for first week -2 weeks and then move onto the pasta sauce that i make when the veg is fresh for the next phase! Still buy more salad stuff but from greengrocers on foot with pram so i am not tempted to buy more crap. My supermarket 'trash' is the only trash we will buy in the month. We may do holland and barrett for seeds etc in between
I swear by it. It has made me WORK much harder at budgeting but we ae aboout to move to my dream house with a shocking mortgage . Cutting back on food expenditure has been a real eye opener. One can waste SO much each month! sorry to drone on!

Are you free for coffee otter? Sounds like a sound plan!

I have a lovely bean stew, will dig up some recipes

where are you Ceolas!

erm, near Glasgow!

Bean stew sounds lovely Franny

( franny I have strted to add lentils to my veggie bolognaise and to baked beans ...my children love them and fantatsic value)

Rats Ceolas!

I love lentils. DH does not and DD is allergic

Bean + veg stew:

Fry garlic, 1 lb leeks, carrots, mushrooms (chuck in any other veg you have or whatever is in season) until tender. Add tin tomatoes, 1/2 pint stock, 1 tbsp paprika, splash soy sauce. Bring to boil then cover and simmer for 20 mins. Add tin kidney beans, good amount of frozen sweetcorn and you can add dumplings at this point (not healthy but bloody lovely - mix 4 oz self raising flour, 2 oz suet or veg suet, 1 tbsp dried herbs, 5 tbsp cold water into balls and plop on top of stew). Cover and simmer for 20 mins.

Freezes v well. Good on its own in a bowl, but cheaper to stretch it out with baked potatoes, crusty bread, dumplings, rice or quinoa. You can mess about with it and add extra beans, or extra root veg in season is nice too(parsnips, swede etc)

Plus found this chickpea curry one which is v nice also. Leave out the nuts for your dd, I am leaving them in the recipe in case other people want to make it:

Fry say 2 onions, and garlic if you like it, until tender, then add garam masala, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric (or whatever spices you have and like), say about 3 tbsp in total? (I am guessing btw please don't blame me if it's too hot). You could also add mushrooms and peppers and fry them too.

Meanwhile steam some diced veg such as potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sweet potato, cauli, squash, swede, whatever. I think you could saute them in with the onions instead, but that takes so long I can never be arsed to do it. Steam so they are basically cooked but still have a fair bit of bite to them. Save the water used to steam them.

Mix the veg with the onions, and add ground almonds (erm, say 6 oz?), a block of creamed coconut, a few handfuls of raisins, and enough of the reserved steaming water to just barely cover it all. I usually add frozen peas, green beans or sweetcorn at this point as well, and a tin or two of chickpeas. Simmer gently until the veg is all tender and the sauce has thickened a bit. If still too sloppy more almonds may rescue it, or take some of the veg out and liquidise to thicken it.

Anyone who can cook proper Indian food will probably be appalled at this bastardised version but it does taste quite good

We usually eat it with rice or quinoa, although it would be good with Indian breads like naan as well. It freezes very well and children like it

Mmm, I like the sound of the stew, Franny. Will definitely give it a try. Even if we had 2 meat free dinners a week to begin with, that would be a start.

Will try to think of some more beany meals

stir fried tofu, and tofu kebabs are v nice

a salady meal once a week? Bean salad, rice salad and mixed raw veg salad?

We have things like pittas and hummus with salad about once a week - very cheap, filling, healthy, quick, lots of protein

plus quinoa is high in protein - not cheap to buy in supermarket from what I hear though - try Holland and Barrett. You just serve it like rice or couscous

What is tofu? soya?

yes it's erm soya bean curd

whatever that means

it's kind of white floppy stuff and you can cut it in chunks and grill or fry it. It's nicest if marinated first (soy sauce etc)

quinoa is priced lower in waitrose organic than in the standard section !

i got a gorgeous veggie chilli recipe from someone on here back in march cheap and cheerful - but veggie (vegan even) and very tasty

tuna balls (or whatever their proper name is) are good too...]will find recipe

I think veggie chilli would go down well. The kids often pick the beans out and leave the mince!

Just veggies in a tomato sauce with chilli and beans?

here

but i use cheap tinned tomatoes instead and sometimes use cheddar instead of parmesan

let the tomato sauce cook on low for ages until it is chutney-like
yum
cheap and cheerful

let me find it for you

Could I miss the cheese out do you think?

yes - i am sure you could - it just adds a bit of flavour
can she have eggs?