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Wednesday, August 23, 2023

This Week's Non-Ration Shopping ... and Scrumping

 


The fridge was looking pretty bare so I decided it was time to go to the supermarket and pick up my non-rationed foods.  There's also an invader in amongst all the almost authentic WWII goodies.

A banana!!  ๐ŸŒ

Alan wanted one, and it seemed a bit much to make the cashier do a single banana as a separate transaction so it's on my receipt and therefore in my photo.

The single potato as well as the bag of potatoes is there because I could get 60 extra Nectar points by buying loose potatoes ... so one was enough to qualify me for that.


I weighed all the potatoes together before putting them away and I have just under 7lbs of spuds.  Enough for me to be able to have the recommended 1lb a day.  It's a good job I like potatoes!!


And on the subject of potatoes, I have really been fancying some crisps this past week, so I thought what are the oldest crisps around, I'll buy those.     In the UK seemingly it was Smith's crisps, and by 1934 they were selling 200 million packets of crisps in Britain each year.


Smiths Potato Crisps, now owned by Walkers and called Salt & Shake.  

I remember getting these as a child and loving the little twist of salt in the blue paper.  Now it's a sealed packet of salt but back then it was just twisted closed.  The thrill of getting two, and the disappointment of not getting one at all, is still in my memory.


Here's my receipt ... and the apples that I scrumped from the park while I was walking the dogs on the way to the supermarket.   There were some lovely looking larger ones higher up the tree but even shaking the branches a bit couldn't dislodge them yet.  I'll have to go back with Alan and see if they're ready to fall off in a couple of days.

 Free food ... yes please.  ๐Ÿ˜„

I know I went over my aimed for £10 per week spend this week, but as I was so far under it last week I thought I would let myself off with the overspend.  What took me over was buying the packet of fish portions.  


Fish was never on ration as it was regularly unavailable or only in the shops in small quantities.  So if you were near the front of one of the long snaking queues you might have been lucky.  I'll allow myself some sort of fish two or three times a month ... if I get in the queue in time.  ๐Ÿ˜‰


Sue xx





20 comments:

  1. I rarely (never) eat crisps otherwise I would be so tempted - I remember those little blue twists and the frustration when it was right at the bottom of the packet refusing to be retrieved.

    Bag End Gardener
    (who just left a comment at your other blog, this is the same browser, the same tab, 5 minutes later and Blogger won't let me sign in ❓ ๐Ÿคจ ❓ )

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    1. It's funny but now that I've got them I don't fancy them anymore ... but they are there for emergency snacking, or for taking on a picnic.

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  2. My, that looks incredibly healthy. Why do I have this irresistible urge to go scrumping! I remember those crisps too and the scrabbling in the packet for the salt.

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    1. I loved the look of my supermarket trolley for once, I was a bit miffed by the amount of plastic, but that's something I can work on over the next few weeks.

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  3. Once a week, aged 5, I went to our next door neighbour after school, as Mum had a regular appointment. Mrs Lakey always have me a piece of home made chocolate cake from her tin. But if she had none left, I had a bag of Smith's Crisps. Both of these were a real treat!

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    1. Aww, what a lovely memory. I'm finding that doing this rationing challenge is throwing up all sorts of memories for me too, especially of my Gran and Nana.

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  4. Nice variety of vegetables and free apples are always a bonus!

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    1. I'm trying to eat as seasonally as I can, and this is proving to be a very good season. :-)

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  5. We are nearly at the end of a packet of sharing crisps and I told Phil he can't have any more but maybe I'll get some salt and shake. My Gran used to work for Smiths Crisps in Plymouth ,her job was to put the little twisty blue packets of salt in . I have lost three pounds after our first week and I have eaten really well, when shopping yesterday I found fresh fish very well reduced so that was a treat and I spent a lot less than I usually do :)

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    1. It would be a good compromise for him. Sooo, it was your Gran's fault if my little blue bag was missing!! Seriously though, what a fantastic job and one that is no doubt done by machine now. It's a nice thought that people used to do all the little tasks like that. Mechanisation is not always a good thing.

      I've been eating well too, so many potatoes and slices of bread and yet I've lost a pound this past week ... it might have been more if I hadn't had that bottle of wine. :-)

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  6. Oh my goodness, I remember the little salt packets in the crisp bags...and yes, the devastation of there not being one!! I told my eldest about that not so long ago and they were bewildered at the idea of having to salt your own crisps :D I didn't realize that Smith's was now Walker's (Lays, over here)...probably not a surprise, they seem to be the potato snack giant. Thanks for the boost of nostalgia...:)

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    1. It just wasn't the same was it having to sprinkle some from the salt cellar at home. That little blue bag was everything! I didn't even spot on my multipack that it was Walkers now, although it does say in the red banner above the word Salt, 'Originally Smiths' which I think is a nice touch.

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  7. So funny. As soon as I saw the photo of the box of Smith's crisps, I immediately thought of the salt twist. It always seemed like a little extra treat. Growing up in the UK way back when meant that was a familiar sight--though not something I was allowed too frequently. Can't think of anything that was done like that with crisps (called chips) in the US.

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    1. They are instantly recognisable aren't they. I had a packet last night and I had truly forgotten how lovely they were. Lovely and pale and just salty enough ... once I had sprinkled.

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  8. Smiths crisps were a real treat when I was a child but I don’t think I ever had a whole packet to myself. I was that strange child who liked them without salt and my Dad would tip both portions on to his. Catriona

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    1. I used to try having them without the salt, thinking it was very grown-up of me, but they are much better with. :-)

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  9. I also remember the little packets of salt:) Amazing that you only paid thirteen pounds eighty pence for your shopping, it would be double that here if not more:( Loved the photo and the babies in their prams♥

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    1. Prices are just crazy in some parts of the world aren't they. Processed food prices here are reaching all time highs at the moment, hence the reason for my Ration Challenge. I will mostly be buying in-season fresh foods and the very basics of packs from now on, which should help keep my costs as low as possible.

      Remember the day when it was safe to leave your baby outside a shop so that it got fresh air while you shopped inside. Passing Mums would check up and let you know if there was any problem or pop an errant dummy back in.

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  10. Jon's late mum was obsessed with Smiths Salt 'n' Shake crisps, when we used to do her shopping we'd often have to travel miles to find them! xxx

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    1. Typical, but they seem to be in a lot of shops now. Maybe it's since Walkers took them over, there might have been a lull in their availability during the changeover period. I'd forgotten how nice they were, I'm going to HAVE to have a crisp butty at some point. :-)

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