Alan was going shopping and as I needed to pick up my tablets from the pharmacy I said I would go with him. I only really needed some bleach but as you can see I got tempted ... doesn't that just always happen!! It's one of the reasons I try not to go to the shops unless strictly necessary.
The tomatoes were one of this weeks Super Six so they greeted me as soon as I walked in the front doors of Aldi. The bleach was what I went for, the paracetamols because I either me or Alan pick up a couple of packs whenever we are at the shops ... it's awkward that you can only buy two packs on each shop visit when two packs is only a four day supply for me, but we manage.
The Tenderstem Broccoli wasn't really needed but I enjoyed the last lot so much, and as I'm making soup again tomorrow I thought it would be good to use the stems in this for added fresh goodness, and finally I got the Heinz vegan mayo because I don't think I've tried this one before and it was cheaper than the Hellman's that I'm currently on my last jar of.
Rather neatly my total came to exactly £5 ... I like it when that happens.
Alan wanted to have a cup of tea and get his lunch in the Booth's café, he did offer me some but I had had a good breakfast so I just had a toasted teacake and a glass of iced water. They gave me three of these with my teacake and even being generous with my spreading I only needed two, so I also brought this home with me, a nice little freebie.
I really wanted this to be a No Spend Week but in the grand scheme of things a £5 spend is not bad is it, and it brings my total up to now in January to £20.82 spent over three shopping trips. 😃
I've also got to re-adjust my menu plan again as Alan's reason for going to Aldi was to get some
neeps and tatties for a late Burns Supper tonight, he was away for meetings on Burns Night and he wants to use up the vegetarian haggis that we were gifted in a hamper at Christmas ... so I'm out for tea tonight.
While I was making the other day's Hot Dog lunch I decided to make up some mashed potato for the little
Potato Pizzas so I could steal a little bit of onion to add to the mash for the pizza bases, and like in yesterdays mentioned food prep I put aside a portion of the mash for the Shepherds Pie which has now moved to be a Sundays meal.
I decided to try cooking the Potato Pizzas in the Remoska, but it didn't work out too well. They were very tasty, but also very sloppy and doing it this way the mash didn't 'set' properly ... hence me taking a photo of them while they were still on the foil and not after I moved them to my plate.
If I make them again I will add a good heaped tablespoon of flour rather than just a sprinkle and try frying them as the YouTube video said you should. Perhaps this will give them a firmer texture. Anyway it was worth a try as they were delicious, they were just more like pizza-flavoured mashed potatoes than a potato pizza. 🍕🍕🍕
Sue xx
I have yet to try vegan mayo. I saw the Heinz one was on offer, but then I forgot to pick up a jar.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've had this one before, so it will be interesting to see if it's like Hellman's. They are all starting to taste better and very similar to each other now, at first vegan mayo was very bland ... or maybe it's just a taste I've gotten used to!
DeleteA fiver is good and it is pretty much the end of January, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIf Alan was with you, he could have bought some tablets as well.
xx
Yes we do usually get two packs each, even sharing the same trolley you can get away with doing this in Aldi, not in Booth's though they ask if you are from the same household. However this time there were only three packs left on the shelf and it seemed a bit mean to take all three when there's been such a shortage of them in Aldi since Christmas.
DeleteOh, I didn't know that - we don't have a Booth's around here. OK, fair enough! :-)
Deletexx
Your potato pizza bases are similar to the potato cakes my Mum taught me to make, simply add flour to mashed potatoes (the sort with butter or flora, and a splash of milk) until you get a loose dough which is stable enough to roll out. Cut out discs to the size and depth you require then bake in the oven on a greased oven tray. Flip once during cooking to brown the other side. These would be firm enough to hold a pizza topping (otherwise enjoy them slathered with more butter/flora!)
ReplyDeleteYes this sounds like it would work so much better. When I did the wartime rationing Challenge I made potato pastry which was much firmer and would make a brilliant pizza base. You live and learn, and at least this was nice and tasty so nothing was wasted.
DeleteThe potatoes look tasty. The extra flour and frying would definitely hold them together better. I assume you sprinkle vegan cheese over the top.
ReplyDeleteI did and it completely melted in ... so you can't even see it in the photo.
Delete£5 is not a bad spend at all. Would you mind letting me know what you think of the mayo please Sue? I buy the Hellman's mayo but it does seem to be going up in price. The potato pizzas look ok to me. I haven't got around to trying them yet, but I will! I'll think of you tonight enjoying your Vegetarian haggis ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the frustration of only being able to buy 2 packs of paracetamol a time as we use rather a lot between us. I usually add 2 to the weekly shop but then G goes to the pharmacy and buys another 2. Our January challenge has drained our supplies a bit so we'll need to begin stocking up again from next week.
Everything is going up in price isn't it. I can't work out if we are mad or just sensible to be doing the Challenges that we are doing just as prices aim for the ceiling!!
DeleteIt does make it difficult only being able to buy two packs at a time, even pharmacists realise how silly the rule is ... I heard one saying exactly that to a lady who was restocking a school first aid cupboard (she did inform her of something she could apply for as a business user, because she had been buying two packs at a time for years and it was driving her mad). If you wanted to do yourself some serious harm all you would have to do is go round a few shops and you would soon build a good stash of tablets.
I've decided that my paracetamols are not always strictly to be included in the Challenge, if Alan brings me some back when he shops or I run out I will just buy them outside of the budget. But in cases like this when I am just buying a few things and I have enough money I will include them.
I had to google your paracetamol and found it is acetaminophen. Our equivalent is Tylenol. I buy mine at Costco for the best price. I get a bottle of 250 tabs with a small container of 50 free. Why can you only buy such small amounts over there?
DeleteIt is simply the law here, shops can only sell up to 16 tablets (which is two packs) per customer per visit to the shop.
DeleteThat seems like an awful limit on your paracetamol! It's been in short supply here, empty spaces on the shelf of multiple stores. When I went to see my son and daughter-in-law, I was surprised to see that it was available there. I bought a 200 count bottle.
ReplyDeleteI guess I've never actually seen tender stem broccoli. When I heard people talking about it, I assumed it just meant young broccoli. I was quite surprised to see a picture of it.
I think you did quite well on your little trip.
We used to be able to buy bottles of 100 tablets at a time from an actual chemists/pharmacy, but since the rules changed the tablets only come in packs of 16 and you are only allowed to buy two boxes per visit to a shop of any description.
DeleteTenderstem broccoli is lovely tasting and cooks very quickly.
Tenderstem broccoli is something I have never seen in my city in Canada. I bet it tastes lovely.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
It is a lovely mild tasting broccoli flavour and cooks so quickly.
DeleteYou do amazingly well keeping to a budget. The grocery stores are increasing prices regularly. I seem not to be able to grocery shop without spending 60 to 80 dollars weekly. Historically, I spent around 40 dollars a week.
ReplyDeleteIt's no doubt going to get much harder as my store cupboard runs down, hence me keeping the spending really low for the first couple of months if I can. I guess my old regular spend was around the £30-£40 a week just for myself.
DeleteAre you watching Matt Tebbit about Vegetarians and Vegan cookery. I'm sure he made mayonnaise but I may be wrong. He's made some lovely recipes. We'll done on the budget.
ReplyDeleteI am watching it, but to be honest I'm not that impressed with the show. The first week for instance he cooked with Parmesan which had vegetarians and vegans up in arms as it isn't even vegetarian! He seems to be making veganism look hard, when it really isn't at all.
Delete