For Your Insterest....
The trade mag has been quite interesting this week. Seems that Morrison's will be setting up an online grocery order site (yippee!) but not until 2013.
No Rudolphs on sale this year at Lidl as reindeer meat has been withdrawn from its festive range. Instead choose succulent Moose Leg Steaks, or Moose and Port Pies. Myself think I will still stick with turkey.
Interesting words from Morrison's who say that half their shoppers are now taking the time to check the price of every item in their trolley, "as the downturn forces consumers to become increasingly professional" the retailer said.
This just about proves that most of the problems with trying to keep within a housekeeping budget is BECAUSE most people who shop to feed their family are NOT dealing with their purchases in a professional manner. Myself discovered years ago that being 'just a housewife/cook etc' is as much a 'profession' as any other, so if we approach it as though we were 'trained - as a chef would be - we might improve our own standards, as well as saving money.
A new 'jam' is mentioned. Possibly more like the 'marmalade' made from vegetables than the sweet stuff, and although doubt it would appeal to me, feel that my Beloved would enjoy it. If interested in this 'savoury preserve' (believe sold in Spar and Selfridges et al) look for Village Stores Bacon Jam (made with smoked bacon, onion, coffee and whiskey).
Morrison's have a 'festive coup' with an exclusive Jamie Oliver Christmas Turkey Kit. This is a box containing a breast joint and a leg joint stuffed and deboned to make them easier for home-cooks to roast and carve. Turkey is free-range and the breast joint stuffed with apricots and cinnamon and topped with Jamie Oliver pancetta, while the leg joint has a cranberry and clove stuffing, Also included is a bag of bones and wings to make gravy.
These kits will be sold exclusively through Morrison's and through the jamieoliver.com website and go on sale during the week of 19th December, priced at (wait for it) £39.99p!
As I wish to deal with a couple or so other topics in more detail will hold these over until tomorrow as am leaving home early this morning to visit Barton Grange.
Just time for me now to reply to comments:
Was reminded of the Mormons when minimiser deb said the US feel people should stock up with a year's supply of food to cover emergencies.
Even though I was not of 'their faith', apparently had enough knowledge worth knowing for the Mormons to ask me to give a few talks to their younger folk re the storage of food (they were expected to keep six months supply ready for their imminenet Armageddon). Apparently most of their adults had always kept a huge bag of dried beans under their beds for this reason, and eventually the weevils got in. I explained that the longer beans are kept the more they dry out and after a very few years can never soften even after lengthy soaking and cooking. Oddly they seem never to have learned or been told that before. My suggestions was that, people should keep in a stock of food but not to hoard, but to begin using it, and keep replacing as uses so there was always the same amount in their stores, but all would have a good shelf-life. They thought this was a brilliant idea. But in truth this is what I've always done, and why I still try to persuade readers that the canny cooks of today, when keeping their larder shelves full, can sope with all sorts of difficulties weather or otherwise. Just remember when anything is used - then replace.
Let us hope the year's supply in the US is also 'used and replaced' in the same way- and even this would work only if people could remain in their own homes after a disaster struck. Can you imagine having to leave in a hurry with all that food? Personally feel that a few tubs of multivitamins (with minerals), some packs of dried milk and a few bars of chocolate might just see anyone through a few weeks/months. Just pray for rain to give water (and take a sharp knife for foraging - and killing wild-life). Plus a few boxes of matches to light fires.
As mentioned above Wen, old pulses take ages to cook. Even new dried beans etc can take up to an hour. There are two 'easy' ways to cook beans. One is - after fast boiling for 10 minutes on the hob - then put them in a slow cooker for several hours (overnight) to cook. The other way is quite the opposite. Cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker (no need to pre-fast boil in this instance) where they will then take only a few minutes to become soft.
A small pressure cooker would make a good gift for your daughter if she doesn't already have one. Maybe several of the family clubbing together to buy it for her - they are not expensive but neither are they cheap.
Thanks Deb for giving us the www.glutenfreegirl.com site details. Have not yet had time to view it, but am sure several readers of this site will be grateful.
That - I'm afraid - is all I have time for today. Will be back again tomorrow, usual time. See you then.
No Rudolphs on sale this year at Lidl as reindeer meat has been withdrawn from its festive range. Instead choose succulent Moose Leg Steaks, or Moose and Port Pies. Myself think I will still stick with turkey.
Interesting words from Morrison's who say that half their shoppers are now taking the time to check the price of every item in their trolley, "as the downturn forces consumers to become increasingly professional" the retailer said.
This just about proves that most of the problems with trying to keep within a housekeeping budget is BECAUSE most people who shop to feed their family are NOT dealing with their purchases in a professional manner. Myself discovered years ago that being 'just a housewife/cook etc' is as much a 'profession' as any other, so if we approach it as though we were 'trained - as a chef would be - we might improve our own standards, as well as saving money.
A new 'jam' is mentioned. Possibly more like the 'marmalade' made from vegetables than the sweet stuff, and although doubt it would appeal to me, feel that my Beloved would enjoy it. If interested in this 'savoury preserve' (believe sold in Spar and Selfridges et al) look for Village Stores Bacon Jam (made with smoked bacon, onion, coffee and whiskey).
Morrison's have a 'festive coup' with an exclusive Jamie Oliver Christmas Turkey Kit. This is a box containing a breast joint and a leg joint stuffed and deboned to make them easier for home-cooks to roast and carve. Turkey is free-range and the breast joint stuffed with apricots and cinnamon and topped with Jamie Oliver pancetta, while the leg joint has a cranberry and clove stuffing, Also included is a bag of bones and wings to make gravy.
These kits will be sold exclusively through Morrison's and through the jamieoliver.com website and go on sale during the week of 19th December, priced at (wait for it) £39.99p!
As I wish to deal with a couple or so other topics in more detail will hold these over until tomorrow as am leaving home early this morning to visit Barton Grange.
Just time for me now to reply to comments:
Was reminded of the Mormons when minimiser deb said the US feel people should stock up with a year's supply of food to cover emergencies.
Even though I was not of 'their faith', apparently had enough knowledge worth knowing for the Mormons to ask me to give a few talks to their younger folk re the storage of food (they were expected to keep six months supply ready for their imminenet Armageddon). Apparently most of their adults had always kept a huge bag of dried beans under their beds for this reason, and eventually the weevils got in. I explained that the longer beans are kept the more they dry out and after a very few years can never soften even after lengthy soaking and cooking. Oddly they seem never to have learned or been told that before. My suggestions was that, people should keep in a stock of food but not to hoard, but to begin using it, and keep replacing as uses so there was always the same amount in their stores, but all would have a good shelf-life. They thought this was a brilliant idea. But in truth this is what I've always done, and why I still try to persuade readers that the canny cooks of today, when keeping their larder shelves full, can sope with all sorts of difficulties weather or otherwise. Just remember when anything is used - then replace.
Let us hope the year's supply in the US is also 'used and replaced' in the same way- and even this would work only if people could remain in their own homes after a disaster struck. Can you imagine having to leave in a hurry with all that food? Personally feel that a few tubs of multivitamins (with minerals), some packs of dried milk and a few bars of chocolate might just see anyone through a few weeks/months. Just pray for rain to give water (and take a sharp knife for foraging - and killing wild-life). Plus a few boxes of matches to light fires.
As mentioned above Wen, old pulses take ages to cook. Even new dried beans etc can take up to an hour. There are two 'easy' ways to cook beans. One is - after fast boiling for 10 minutes on the hob - then put them in a slow cooker for several hours (overnight) to cook. The other way is quite the opposite. Cook the soaked beans in a pressure cooker (no need to pre-fast boil in this instance) where they will then take only a few minutes to become soft.
A small pressure cooker would make a good gift for your daughter if she doesn't already have one. Maybe several of the family clubbing together to buy it for her - they are not expensive but neither are they cheap.
Thanks Deb for giving us the www.glutenfreegirl.com site details. Have not yet had time to view it, but am sure several readers of this site will be grateful.
That - I'm afraid - is all I have time for today. Will be back again tomorrow, usual time. See you then.
posted by Shirley at 7:56 am
<< Home