Another favourite ready made food for me are these garlic Kyivs from M&S. I picked up a few M&S delights on our way home from Llandudno but these were the last things from that little haul to be eaten.
I'm trying to get back to more fresh fully prepared at home foods but a little treat like this, and a simple meal helps keep me on track.
I only realised the other day that I just hadn't been out and done a proper supermarket shop for quite a while. So when our local church Foodbank put out an emergency appeal on Facebook for food on Friday I suggested to Alan that we both go and do some shopping for them instead.
It was quite liberating going around Aldi and filling one of the big trolleys knowing that when we got home we wouldn't have to put anything away. We packed it all into carrier bags and took it straight around to the foodbank, luckily we timed it just right and someone was there to help us carry it straight to the storage room at the back of the hall.
I'm not going to say how much we spent but we were both pleasantly surprised at what we managed to get for our money, buying four of each thing that the Foodbank had appealed for and extras that we thought would be useful, as well as some things that would just be treats for children.
While we were at the hall dropping off the food, we asked the lovely guy that was helping us if the foodbank trolley in Aldi was theirs, and found out that yes it was. So from now on we have decided that we will be putting things in every week rather than the more sporadic way we have been doing it recently.
Afterwards we treated ourselves to a toasted teacake and a bacon roll with a cup of coffee at Booth's to replenish our energy after the big shop ... well it is a Bank Holiday Weekend here in the UK.
Sue xx
That was a lovely thing to do, Sue, you both earned your treat afterwards. From the length of the till roll you bought a very generous amount of food. Since we moved we can't find a foodbank trolley anywhere so have lapsed a bit with our donations. We must try harder with the cold weather coming.
ReplyDeleteYour food looks delicious :)
Thank you, it just looks long because she rang everything through individually. Each of our supermarkets has a foodbank trolley but it was nice to find out that the Aldi one literally goes to the foodbank that is just around the corner from it and us. In our Sainsbury's there is also a pet food/supplies donation point which I like to pop something into for the local rescue organisation.
DeleteWhat a kind and generous thing to do - looks like you did the Food Bank proud too. A lot of needy people will benefit from that. I try andadd to the one in T**co regularly, but not on this scale.
ReplyDeleteOh I have only done it on this scale a couple of times before, but when I saw the video that they published on the church's Facebook page showing that all the baskets on their shelves ... except for the ones containing beans and soup ... were empty I knew I would have to do something, and Alan said straight away when I mentioned it that we would shop for them instead of us this week.
DeleteYou truly are an example to us all, really. Consider my conscience pricked. Thanks Sue. x
ReplyDeleteIt served as a good reminder to myself that I need to something little and often instead of waiting and doing a big shop sporadically when the mood takes me.
DeleteSuch a lovely thing to do, what would people do if there were no such places to help them. Every so often we look at the local foodbank's website to see what they are short of then go to Aldi and get those things and like you put some treat things in too, they often request tinned meat and fish which aren't very cheap so we just get what we can. Sometimes when Mum gives us money for a take away treat we have used that ( we still do have the occasional take away as my halo is a little tarnished :) x
ReplyDeleteOurs was short of everything except soup and beans, so we knew what we needed to buy. Tarnished halo's are the best sort ;-)
DeleteI have your other comment but won't publish it, and will wait with baited breath. Thank you. xx
I give cash to our FoodBank. That way they can buy what ever is in short supply be it baby formula or toothbrushes. Even $5 helps them
ReplyDeleteYes, I have donated cash before, but this time ours specifically asked for food rather than cash as it was Saturday and they had to fill the bags for people ready for the Monday collection day. The few people that run the foodbank would not have had the time to do the shopping and get ready.
DeleteI noticed our village foodbank is closed at the moment - not sure why maybe short on volunteers. They have 3 big wheelie bins in our Sainsbury's to donate to and they are always full - I think they usually go to the Welcome centre in our major town. Well done you for your kind donation.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame that would be if it has closed down. They are really needed in small communities so that the donated food can go to really local people who perhaps could not afford to travel.
DeleteMy co-op grocery has bags made up at various prices that contain things our food bank here is always requesting. I always try to pick up a bag and move it into the trolley to be taken by the store to the food bank. Thank you for thinking about those who are in need.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
What a brilliant idea!! It would make a lot more people pick up a bag if they knew the price point, that the foodbank really needed those specific items and that they did not have to use up their time debating what to buy.
DeleteThat really is a wonderful idea, Jackie. Everyone is so busy, and this make everything so much easier. I also like it when the store itself has a collection site for the local food banks.
DeleteNot Bank Holiday in Scotland, Sue🥲 so business as usual for us. I donate to the food bank here too-I usually look to see what is needed and buy those things. I used to always donate sanitary products but they are now free to women in our council area so other personal hygiene products, especially children’s toothbrushes, have been substituted. Pizza looked just my thing. Catriona
ReplyDeleteOooh yes, sorry ... but then you do get one more than us at the New Year don't you :-)
DeleteI was going to get more cleaning and personal hygiene products but we couldn't fit anymore into our trolley, they will be top of my list for this week instead. Those pizzas are delicious.
You and Alan are so lovely, that's such a generous gesture.
ReplyDeleteThat pizza looks delicious! xxx
The pizza really was, and Alan enjoys it too.
DeleteI've slipped recently and not bought as much as I perhaps should have done, but now that I know which foodbank the food is going to and a few of the people that actually use it (I met them through the Olio donating I've been doing) I will be doing smaller but more regular donations instead. I won't publish about it on here though because this makes me feel a bit 'showy'. I'm sure you know what I mean.
That is such a kind thing to do. I usually pop a few things in the store trolley but I like your idea.
ReplyDeleteIn our local Tesco a while ago they had a display and staff there collecting, I popped a few things in their trolley, when I got back to my car there was a five pound note sitting by my car door, so I went back and gave it to the food bank staff.
I will be popping food into the trolley every week from this week onwards, this was just for the emergency appeal that they put out for this weekend. They literally had empty baskets in the store room and people due to come for pick ups on Monday.
DeleteWhat a lovely thing for you to do, that cash would have nicely plugged any gaps that they had in donations. I once picked up a leaflet on my way in to Tesco in Wales when we lived there, from the foodbank people with a display asking for donations, and bought a few of everything on the list, filling the trolley. I wheeled the trolley over to them after paying and the lovely lady peered into the trolley and asked 'Which items are for us?', and I loved being able to say 'All of them.'. Then of course I had to go round the supermarket again getting my own shopping.