Oh No! Our High Class Butchers Is Shut..For Now
By Janey1966
@Janey1966 (24170)
Carlisle, England
July 5, 2011 8:51am CST
There I was all psyched up for another food shopping expedition, armed with my well-compiled list and the first item I couldn't find was a rolling-pin! I looked in Debenhams and they had one of those really heavy marble jobs for £17.99! I then went in M&S and they didn't have ANY! All this cookwear but no rolling-pin. What a disgrace! I knew I should've ordered one from the Denby website and I shall because there's an amazing half-price sale on..so there lol.
What really upset me though was Pioneer Butchers being shut. It IS being refurbished so it's not like it's shut permanently or anything but, oh, the INCONVENIENCE of it. Not open now until the back end of July. They do have a shop on an estate somewhere so I might ask John to take me in the car on Saturday.
Anyway, I've stocked up on various things (and gone a bit mad to be honest) such as Cayenne Pepper, Turmeric and the like. The lemons looked miles better in M&S than in Morrisons so I've bought two more, plus two limes! I also got some organic chipolata sausages, purely due to the fact they looked good lol. Do you ever do this? I'm sure I can do something amazing with them!!
The meat in general though, was a bit poor and Tesco wasn't much better nearby. However, I did buy some eggs, grated parmesan (amongst other things) plus some dried oregano they'd ran out of in Mark's. Oh, and I've picked up some amazing balsamic vinegar from Tesco that must be good 'cos it's got Italian writing all over it.
Amazingly, ALL the ingredients I bought today I have NEVER bought before. Granted, John has bought eggs occasionally but not for use in cooking on a regular basis. Sad that isn't it?
Well, my cupboards and fridge certainly aren't bare now.
Salmon today..and probably those ace looking chipolata sausages tomorrow.
How much did I spend today? Too much! £24.04 to be exact BUT, considering the size of some of the jars I won't have to spend that for a while, which is what you lot keep telling me all the time. Stocks can be replenished gradually..not all at once.
By the way, is chilli powder a suitable substitute for chilli sauce as I couldn't find any.
What really upset me though was Pioneer Butchers being shut. It IS being refurbished so it's not like it's shut permanently or anything but, oh, the INCONVENIENCE of it. Not open now until the back end of July. They do have a shop on an estate somewhere so I might ask John to take me in the car on Saturday.
Anyway, I've stocked up on various things (and gone a bit mad to be honest) such as Cayenne Pepper, Turmeric and the like. The lemons looked miles better in M&S than in Morrisons so I've bought two more, plus two limes! I also got some organic chipolata sausages, purely due to the fact they looked good lol. Do you ever do this? I'm sure I can do something amazing with them!!
The meat in general though, was a bit poor and Tesco wasn't much better nearby. However, I did buy some eggs, grated parmesan (amongst other things) plus some dried oregano they'd ran out of in Mark's. Oh, and I've picked up some amazing balsamic vinegar from Tesco that must be good 'cos it's got Italian writing all over it.
Amazingly, ALL the ingredients I bought today I have NEVER bought before. Granted, John has bought eggs occasionally but not for use in cooking on a regular basis. Sad that isn't it?
Well, my cupboards and fridge certainly aren't bare now.
Salmon today..and probably those ace looking chipolata sausages tomorrow.
How much did I spend today? Too much! £24.04 to be exact BUT, considering the size of some of the jars I won't have to spend that for a while, which is what you lot keep telling me all the time. Stocks can be replenished gradually..not all at once.
By the way, is chilli powder a suitable substitute for chilli sauce as I couldn't find any.2 people like this
9 responses
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
5 Jul 11
I don't think you can substitute chili powder for chili sauce. The sauce has chili peppers in it, not chili sauce. You can dress up some ketchup with a little horseradish sauce and get a similar outcome if you need to.
I don't know how much £24.04 is in USD but it still sounds like you came out well.
I often cook without worrying about having any meat in the menu. Dried beans are a good substitute for the protein.
Tonight I'm doing some chicken and dumplings all from scratch. Except for the chicken of course. I don't have any chickens in the yard.
Keep up the good cooking, Janey. You're doing well.
Keep up the good cooking, Janey. You're doing well.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Jul 11
If I'd bought all the spices from Tesco as opposed to M&S they would've been cheaper, as in under £1 each. However, the jars are very bib and will last me a long time, so I guess that justifies the cost..but only just!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Jul 11
Thank you. I will try to make dumplings when the winter comes as they are the ultimate comfort food aren't they?
£24.04 = $38.61. Hope this helps.
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
5 Jul 11
Wow what a shopping expedition. lol, these days I do not enjoy grocery shopping. I use to when the kids were home. Now that it is just my boyfriend and I, I prefer not to have to. I guess I have become lazy in this area. But my boyfriend makes it easy to become lazy as he enjoys grocery shopping. There are many times he will do it on his own and since he knows what I like and don't there are usually no problems with him doing so.
I can't see chilli powder as a substitute for chilli sauce, and as GG says usually it is in the ketchup and or spaghetti aisle here. Th sausage you mentioned is quite good and so many things to create from it.
How odd that you could not find the rolling pin? Hmm do they not think people cook from scratch anymore? Well the good thing is that you will now get it cheaper online. lol
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Jul 11
I cannot understand why rolling-pins aren't served anywhere. They serve knives so it's not as though they class it as an offensive weapon or something (and that marble one weighed a ton I can tell you) but £17.99? Are they kidding?
I shall check my PM for a chilli sauce recipe..hope I've got the ingredients.
Hahahaha!
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Jul 11
Unfortunately, I'm running out of time now BUT I have improvised by finding something else online I can try, involving paprika (which I have) and my chilli powder. I haven't got the mixed herbs but I do have parsley flakes, so that'll do lol.
It's not a marinade, what you do is fry it. I shall let you know if it's a success.
By the way, I love the smell of paprika, I think I'll be using that a lot!
It's not a marinade, what you do is fry it. I shall let you know if it's a success.
By the way, I love the smell of paprika, I think I'll be using that a lot!@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
5 Jul 11
Oh boy are you in for a treat, I will send you not one but many. There are so many different ways to make chilli sauce and this one I will send will be countless ways. 
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
5 Jul 11
No, chili powder does not substitute for chili sauce. You will find it near the ketchup and mayo. Hubby sometimes makes his own. It is ketchup and I am not sure what all else. Yes, if you have to go buy it all it costs a fortune, but if you just buy one thing at a time it will be much easier. If chipolata sausage is like what we call chipotle, you will have a spicy meal, but it will be good. We buy scads of eggs,and I use them all of the time. They are good for breakfast as they do not wear off and leave you hungry. It sounds like you have a lot of yummy stuff going on.
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
5 Jul 11
So I went and looked up your sausage, they sound yummy and they are not what I thought at all, with chipoltle pepper. I would like to order up a case of them, when you have time. I looked up a chili sauce recipe that is supposed to duplicate the kind sold the most here in the US and I will send it as a PM. A side bar says if you stir a couple teaspoons of horseradish into it it is what they call cocktail sauce--as in shrimp cocktail.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
5 Jul 11
I haven't got round to buying horseradish yet but I shall! The chipolatas were 2 packs for £5 which isn't bad considering they're the organic versions. Shame I couldn't buy them in bulk, I'd send you some!
@leeloo (1492)
• Portugal
6 Jul 11
That was quite a shopping expedition. It does seem that you got quite a few bargains. £24.04 is not much for what you bought. The thing is it does seem that all the stores are remodelling lately maybe to keep up with the competition.
In relation to the rolling pin, while you wait for yours to arrive, you could use just about anything that is round. On more then one occasion I have not been able to find the rolling pin and in an emergency a bottle, preferably smooth - something like an old milk bottle works fine or a thickish tall glass depending on what the size of dough you are rolling out will work fine.
Can't help with the chilli sauce. Sorry.
It does sound delicious, hope that all the food comes out great.
@leeloo (1492)
• Portugal
7 Jul 11
Oh! Never used one of those before. I have two, one is a large wooden one, basic design works fine. For icing though I have what looks like a short stainless steel tube, it works beautifully.
I have seen various chefs use the silicone ones for pastry, one of them said that they don't stick as much and he places it in the fridge before using it so it gets quite chilled and allows him to work pastry without making it soften/melt. Don't know if it really works. It shouldn't take to long now. Hope you have fun cooking.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Jul 11
It did come out great, thanks. I didn't do a marinade in the end so prepared a drier coating, if you like. It helped that the salmon fillets themselves were really nice, even without anything on them lol.
This rolling-pin thing is starting to give me a headache. The thing is, I'm after one of those white, poly--something or others BUT they tend to be used for fondant icing and the like. Pastry isn't mentioned. I don't want a wooden one.
@anklesmash (1412)
•
7 Jul 11
I remember when we first bought spices for the first time we bought them all in one go and it cost us a fortune but the stuff lasts for ages and we have only had to replace a couple of them.If i am honest there are a few we havent tried in a recipe yet one of them being balsamic vinegar.I hope you make good use of your new ingredients and enjoy experimenting with them.I buy things because they look nice it results in some lovely meals but it puts the shopping over budget so we try to make a list to to stick to inorder to save money and not waste any food.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
8 Jul 11
I'm sure I can find a recipe that has balsamic vingegar in it. Either way, the bottle's stunning lol.
@anklesmash (1412)
•
7 Jul 11
I remember when we first bought spices for the first time we bought them all in one go and it cost us a fortune but the stuff lasts for ages and we have only had to replace a couple of them.If i am honest there are a few we havent tried in a recipe yet one of them being balsamic vinegar.I hope you make good use of your new ingredients and enjoy experimenting with them.I buy things because they look nice it results in some lovely meals but it puts the shopping over budget so we try to make a list to to stick to inorder to save money and not waste any food.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
7 Jul 11
The thing is, no amount of ingredients will posh up cheapo chicken. I've found this out a few times this week. Can't wait until we go to the butchers at weekend for some proper meat. Sick of the supermarket stuff.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
5 Jul 11
Time to go hunting out good farm shops and farmers markets even an ordinary market. Those with butchers. The next one in Carlisle is in August: See here: www.madeincumbria.co.uk/whatson_details.asp?id=12 . If you are ever in Appleby visit Ewbanks butchers. They raise and slaughter their own meat and once tried you will find it hard not to move there so that yoiu can go there daily. LOL. You may feel that you have paid out a lot but you now have a store cupboard reserve and good things always cost a little extra. Try to buy free range eggs as the chickens will have livded a happier life. These days lots of people keep their own hens and sell the surplus at their gates. You'll possibly pay less (I pay £1.60 a doz) and definitely get better than the battery suopermarket offerings. Plan your meals so that you can stretch elements to more than one meal. When it comes to meat get chatting to the butcher. Ask him to show you the various cuts - many people today don't really know what they are eating as supermarkets label meat as "Beef" or "Lamb" etc. He may well be able to give you recipe cards and ideas as well. Find a good baker too. Local bread is so much tastier than the supermarket stuff. Even the bread baked in store is pre-frozen usually. A recipe for a lovely and simple salad dressing using balsamic vinegar. Take a tbsp of Virgin Olive Oil. Half a tbsp balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper and mix it all together. Pour over a green salad. Adjust quantities to taste. Chilli powder can be a constituent of Chilli sauce. Use it sparingly as an additive to sauces etc. ENJOY!
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• India
6 Jul 11
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@changjiangzhibin89 (16789)
• China
6 Jul 11
You are so busy at food shopping recently.You are really a bargain hunter and a thrifty housewife.From what you have bought,I know your diet differs greatly from ours.We have never eaten turmeric and oregano that are traditional Chinese medicine and seldom take the lemon.As to parmesan and balsamic vinegar and so on,we have never heard of them before.We fill the sausage by ourselves every year.We like red pepper too and the more peppery the better.
@Janey1966 (24170)
• Carlisle, England
6 Jul 11
I like the "thrifty" and "bargain hunter" tags. I suppose I've become that way because I have to. When I worked I would've spent way more than I did and - maybe bought things I wouldn't use, therefore wasting money.
It was a shame the lovely butchers was shut but they do have another one somewhere. John will have to take me!
1 person likes this
