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Take part in the Colman's cook once eat twice challenge - £150 M&S voucher to be won!

(83 Posts)
AngelieGransnet (GNHQ) Mon 02-Sept-13 16:10:56

We're looking for 10 Gransnetters to take part in a 2 week 'cook once eat twice' challenge.

Here's what Colman's say about the challenge:
"Wasting food costs families up and down the country money and has an impact on the environment too. Bulk cooking is a simple way to reduce this, as it can help with meal planning and provides a solution for those mealtimes when you just don't have the time or inspiration to cook. So join us in making your family's favourite dishes go further and save yourself time and money in the process!"

The aim of this challenge is to encourage GNers who don't often cook in batches, to try some of the Colman's recipes to make enough meals to last for the week by freezing and reheating when needed.

Those selected to take part will be sent a selection of Colman's packet mixes including:

- Colman's Chilli Con Carne Casserole (suitable for vegetarians)

- Colman's Chicken Casserole

- Colman's Beef Casserole

- Colman's Sausage Casserole (suitable for vegetarians)

You'll also receive Colman's recipe cards, information on food waste as well as some tips for freezing meals from Love Food Hate Waste.

Testers will then need to cook a couple of the recipes in one go and freeze into portion sizes for use over the 2 weeks.

You'll then need to add feedback to a thread on GN about how you found the recipes and whether or not you saved time and money and reduced the amount of food you usually waste.

Everyone who adds their feedback to the thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will receive a £150 M&S voucher.

We know many GNers are seasoned pros at cooking in bulk and freezing leftovers and we'd like those of you who have top tips to share to help the testers out on the feedback thread so do keep a look out for this - there'll be an extra prize to win grin.

If you'd like to take part, please sign up here.

Thanks and good luck,
GNHQ

whenim64 Wed 04-Sept-13 09:52:57

I wonder how many people over 60 actually use Colman's sauces? You would think by that age they knew how to knock up a sauce without relying on a few spoons of processed powder containing unnecessary additives.

Nelliemoser Wed 04-Sept-13 09:38:10

Ariadne That's the bit I like. "That'll learn them" not to try to pull the wool over the eyes of today's Grans. (Before we have knitted our Shreddies!

merlotgran Wed 04-Sept-13 09:33:11

I don't feel like we're being rude, Nellie, They're only too happy to take our money if we're daft enough to part with it.

#thecustomerisalwaysright

Ariadne Wed 04-Sept-13 09:25:48

Once again, manufacturers, like people doing surveys / making TV programmes, have seriously misjudged to population of GN! Yippee!

Maybe one day the image of sweet little old ladies in pinnies knitting breakfast cereals will be banished. Huh!

JessM Wed 04-Sept-13 08:51:55

Bit like the TV chefs who make their dishes tasty by adding salt, butter and cream in large quantities. Sea salt bugs me too. Not healthy. Larger crystals dissolve more slowly in the mouth and distribute through food less well, Encourages you to use a lot more than fine crystals.

shysal Wed 04-Sept-13 08:42:35

And there was me thinking the spoof was based on Jamie Oliver's new series!

Nelliemoser Wed 04-Sept-13 08:27:31

These comments feel a bit like being rude to guests but J0s spin off is hilarious.
I am only telling the truth about the products though.
#wickedunrepentant grin

Aka Wed 04-Sept-13 08:10:59

Light the blue touch paper J0!!!!!

Nelliemoser Tue 03-Sept-13 23:44:24

JO8 Indeed it is not just you!

Just for comparison I looked at some jars of sauce from my larder.

Aldi Madras curry sauce.
Loyd Grossman, Tomato & Red pepper pasta sauce.
Colman's BBQ chicken packet mix sauce

Aldis Curry sauce Salt Per serving 1.34grms 22% of RDA
Loyd Grossman, Pasta sauce Salt Per serving 0.83grms no RDA info
Colman's Sauce mix. Salt Per serving 2.40g 40% RDA

It was surprising to me how much more salt was in the Colman's mix.

That is me off the voucher list as well.
Sleep well and mind your blood pressure!

j08 Tue 03-Sept-13 23:00:20

Lara! This is not my fault anymore!

shock

Nelliemoser Tue 03-Sept-13 22:47:51

Look at the salt content of a dish made with one of these sauces.
The Bar B Q Chicken. I copied this from the recipe details.

Guideline Daily Amounts:
Each serving contains:
Calories 273 14%
Sugars 5.0g 6%
Fat 9.2g 13%
Saturates 4.1g 20%
Salt 2.40g 40%
of an adult's guideline daily amount

Wake up at the back there Mr Colman! That is very high salt.
It is why I don't buy these packet sauces made by anyone. They taste disgustingly salty.

merlotgran Tue 03-Sept-13 21:48:27

I've never bought a packet sauce in my life. Are the instructions like IKEA?

Ariadne Tue 03-Sept-13 21:42:35

absent Perfect! grin

Nonu Tue 03-Sept-13 20:09:43

Also the price of their English mustard is ridiculous , we always used to buy it , not any more.

So sorry Mr Coleman .

grin

Nonu Tue 03-Sept-13 20:06:38

Every time I look at this thread the Coleman advert. comes on at the top of my screen.
They don"t impress me much .
Rather make my own sauces .

smile

absent Tue 03-Sept-13 19:47:06

I think Colmans has just won the Teach Your Grandmother to Suck Eggs challenge.

Ariadne Tue 03-Sept-13 17:44:59

#beenmarriedtoascotfrotoolong

Ariadne Tue 03-Sept-13 17:43:55

Jingl has started a wonderful spoof thread going on this!

I think these artificial sauces are just horrible. So that's my M&S voucher doon the stank.

Jendurham Mon 02-Sept-13 23:02:35

Used to be called chilli sin carne. Like in Greece where there was no word for vegetarian so you had to say without meat and without fish. Forgotten what the Greek is for that now.
Last week I took one of my granddaughters to visit my mother-in-law.
We went out to a farm for lunch. As we were ordering the food she suddenly said she had to go home as she'd left her second dinner in the oven. She does it to save the gas. It cost me petrol to take her back home, then back to the farm.

absent Mon 02-Sept-13 20:11:39

How the hell can chilli con carne be suitable for vegetarians? Carne means meat or flesh.

j08 Mon 02-Sept-13 19:19:05

I'm not obsessed about Angelie's name Stansgran. Just wondering. Never come across it before. smile

j08 Mon 02-Sept-13 19:08:15

Oops! I have been a naughty girl.

Of course, Colemans sauces are the most delicious culinary delights since the Romans invented slow cooking.

#rappedknuckles grin

merlotgran Mon 02-Sept-13 18:24:11

Same here, Aka. We've just had moussaka and DH asked what the meat was. I told him it was minced lamb but it could just have easily been beef but on second thoughts it was probably quorn. hmm

I can tell the difference (of course) but by the time I'd chucked everything else in I was past caring.

Stansgran Mon 02-Sept-13 18:15:22

J0you're becoming obsessed . It might be pronounced Ann jellee or Ann jay lee or on plus previous. Go and live in France for a while and see how they can mangle names.

j08 Mon 02-Sept-13 16:51:10

And do you pronounce it On sh lee? envy