Tuesday 7 February 2023

Three, YES Three Lots of Shopping ... including Rule Breaking

 


I broke a rule, but hey, it was only my rule, so I've given myself permission to break the rule.  The thing is, when you break a rule and you've gotten permission ... it's nowhere near as much fun!! 😁

Haha ... well I saw that Jack had brought out a new book, read a bit about it, including from all the twizzoks who always knock her down when she's barely gotten up from the last attack, ignored all that and thought I would treat myself to it and make my own mind up.  I decided to actually buy it because I know me ... and borrowing it from the library would have only delayed the inevitable purchasing anyway.

First spend of February - Book £10 


Second Spend - Aldi £20.41

Alan went to Aldi, 'Do you want to come?' he said.  'I don't really need anything except bread' I replied.
The outcome is in the photo.  Gosh there were a lot of good things to tempt me and as you can see some of them did!!

Having space in the freezer is a dangerous thing.

(The corned beef is for our next visit to Mum's, for Alan and Mum to have on their sandwiches.  I do not eat corned beef.)


We had to call to Sainsbury's and they had the recently launched plant based Cathedral City ... I just had to try it.  I'm not entirely sure why I bought the Puff Pastry, but I did.

Third spend of February - £4.70

Total Spend up to now this month - £35.11

I think I just need to stay away from the shops and start planning my Spring seed sowing instead, I really do not need to buy any more food ... as we all so clearly know!!


Sue xx




29 comments:

  1. Foods your catnip, dresses are mine. My buying ban lasted four days! xxx

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    1. It really is ... it's good job I don't roll around in it and go cross-eyed the way Ginger does!! ;-)

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  2. None of it will go to waste, that's the main the thing. BTW that Aldi Pinot Grigio is very good value isn't it?
    I've not come across Jack Monroe - I'll have to google
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. It is very good value, one of my sons bought me four bottles of it for Christmas, I could blame him for my addiction ... but I was already buying a couple of bottles a week. :-)

      She is a very good food writer, cookery book author and political activist. She spends her time championing the rights of foodbanks and people in food poverty, and it all comes from her own personal experience.

      Her blog and recipes are here - https://cookingonabootstrap.com/

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    2. Thank you'd
      Alison x

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  3. Looking forward to a review of Jack's book. Alison - be warned, Jack has a heart of gold, determination to make the world a better place, and she defends minorities with the ferocity of a lioness, but occasionally uses extremely strong language!

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    1. I've just started it, so I'll let you know, if it's anything like her others so it will be cheap to cook from, straightforward and with some good writing thrown in with the recipes. I've flicked through and the photographs in this one are top notch.

      I LOVE your description of her - spot on!!

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  4. You have just exemplified why online shopping is definitely cheaper for me! I walked to the small Sainsbugs on Sunday for milk and it cost me £14!! All food items, but could have waited until I did the home delivery!! Catriona

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    1. I'm happy that I came away with just what I did. They had so many new vegan options in the freezer section that I really fancied trying, but I settled on just the Ice-Cream Cones and headed for the check outs before I could change my mind.

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  5. Look forward to your thoughts on Jack's new book, I didn't know about this one but have most of her others. Love Vixs comment that food is your catnip! Books are mine mainly second hand as, although I would like to buy books as they are published, my purse can't stretch that far.

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    1. Yes, I have all of her others, the only weaker one in my opinion (and Jack's actually as she was dismayed at the cover price) was the second one, A Year in 120 Recipes.

      Vix is spot on with the catnip remark ... books come a very close second to food as my weakness. Ginger just likes the actual catnip and gets as high as a kite sometimes.

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  6. Oooh I'm very interested in what you think of Jack's new book. I saw it in the window of Waterstones but didn't dare go in, in case I bought it at full price!
    Thanks for the heads up on the new Cathedral City too. I've cut down drastically on my cheese consumption and would really love a decent substitute.

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    1. Yes, it's only just come out ... I was so easily tempted!! And yes, I have bought many a book at almost full cover price from Waterstones when we lived near the Llandudno branch, just so that I could sit in the café and read it straight away with a coffee and a cake.

      It tastes exactly like a strong cheddar, it just doesn't grate very well which disappointed me as I use most of my cheese grated. But the flavour is definintely there. I will buy it again when it's on offer in the future if I need cheese, but Violife is cheaper and grates perfectly.

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  7. I would be interested to know what you think of the Cathedral City " cheese ", there are very few dairy free cheeses that I like ,Aldi have really increased their vegan range haven't they , I had their tofu last night ,made sticky chilli tofu it was yummy ,I am trying not to have so many convenience vegan foods but it's hard when there is so much choice now.

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    1. See my reply to PP above for my Cathedral City cheese review.

      The vegan range in Aldi always grows massively for Veganuary, the reason that some vegans were boycotting Aldi during January was to let them know that they do not approve of this temporary 'cashing in' on a trend and then removing a large percentage of the new products from the shelves a few weeks later. Hopefully this year more of the new products will stay as they should be proving very popular.
      It's so easy to get tempted to try all the new choices isn't it.

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  8. I've just treated myself to a book too - a cheaper version of the one I saw at £8.50 yesterday. What's more Keith has encouraged me to buy a copy of Brecon Castles when I can park down the town next! I don't mind being led astray.

    Your shopping was an investment - you ARE going to use these things, you have just bought them early!

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    1. Good for you, books are just lovely aren't they ... we need to treasure them, they are so happy to live with us. ;-)

      I have already eaten a good percentage, almost half the cheese, one bottle of wine, half of the bread and half of the fishfingers. Funnily enough the only thing that I haven't been tempted to eat ... up to now ... are the ice-cream cones!!

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  9. I just read a scathing review of Jack's new book. And a scathing review of Jack herself along with it. That's not an unusual thing from one of her many detractors. I have most of her other books and will be interested to hear your own review of this one. I don’t think it's available here in the US yet.

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    1. There are always those out there who will leave a scathing review of anything that Jack does, even if they haven't read the book or understand what it is she is actually doing. You should take their 'advice' with a pinch of salt.

      I am a quarter of the way into it at the moment and up to now it is really good and well worth having. The recipes are straightforward, simple to make and seem to be done to her usual well tested standard ... and the photos in the book are beautiful.

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  10. You shouldn't create rules for yourself. Then you wouldn't have to feel guilty for breaking them. Just lead the good life that you have always been leading and enjoy yourself. You are a nice person, Sue!

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    1. It's all a bit of fun!!

      The 'rule I created for myself for this year was simply not to buy any books, but instead to start making inroads into the ones that I already have. Failing at any of my 'rules' is always done very happily and does not mean that I am not enjoying my life.

      Where does it say that I feel even one iota of guilt? I'm much too nice to feel guilty. :-)

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  11. Those ice cream cones are addictive and the Cathedral City cheese is my new favourite although I think it's more like a Cheshire than Cheddar.

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    1. Funnily enough I haven't eaten any of them yet, but I know that they are there. ;-)

      It is a bit more Cheshire like thinking about it, and it's as crumbly as Cheshire cheese too, it crumbled away to little pieces when I grated it.

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  12. I was glad to see you bought bread. I usually forget the must have even with a list.

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    1. It's my favourite loaf from Aldi, the Ancient Grains one. Handily all the breads are right next to the checkouts, so even if I have omitted it from my shopping list I get reminded while I'm in the queue.

      I eat it fresh for the first couple of days and then loosen the slices and freeze the rest of it for eating as toast, to be toasted straight from the freezer. One loaf usually lasts me between 2 - 3 weeks this way.

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  13. Sometimes rules need breaking. Just as long as one does not do it too often. You did get a great deal for your money.

    God bless.

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    1. I think my real weak spot is cookbooks by my favourite people, and I am in no doubt whatsoever that the rule will be totally ignored at least another couple of times this year ... but I do try. :-)

      Yes, there's a lot there considering that there are two bottles of wine!!

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  14. I am interested in this new book, and have a couple of others of hers which I've used and enjoyed. Look forward to reading your comments if you share them. You did well for rule breaking!

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    1. Up to now it's looking really good, and I will be trying some of the recipes for sure. The photos are beautiful too, I do like to drool over kitchen photos in between reading recipes. :-)

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