* Cleaned the dishwasher using bi carb, white vinegar and Miracle Spray.
* Used recycled bread bags to line the bathroom bins, store food in the freezer and to scoop the kitty litter.
* Picked strawberries and lots of raspberries each day.
* Planted a punnet of mixed lettuce seedlings. Generally the punnets only have 8 seedlings. This punnet had 15. BONUS !!! I always try to pick one with more than the usual amount.
* Megan bought a whole new professional wardrobe from Savers for under $180 ( including a few pairs of shoes and a handbag ). All the items look new and most are really good brands. The retail value would be close to $1500.
* Fed the chickens some kitchen scraps plus a couple of lettuce plants that have gone to seed.
* Bought 3 cooked chickens form Coles on clearance for $6 each. I used my saved flybuys dollars so they didn't cost me anything.
* Picked a couple of tomatoes every few days.
* Received our latest gas bill. It was down by $16 for the same time last year. I'm happy with that considering the supply and usage charges have increased.
* Cleaned the kettle using citric acid. I poured the boiled water on a few bits of grass growing in the concrete cracks.
* Megan baked a batch of choc chip muffins. Some have been frozen for future snacks.
* I baked a big batch of scones for morning tea at church on Sunday. They were served with my homemade plum jam. A big hit. The rest of the scones were frozen for our eating.
* I spent a few hours making new cards to sell in my Etsy shop using supplies I have on hand.
* Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness.
* Refilled the kitchen foaming hand wash pump. Then I made up another big bottle of diluted shower gel to use as a refill.
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| Megan's choc chip muffins |
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| From the garden |
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| Perfection |
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| New cards in my Etsy shop |
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| From the oven |
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| With homemade plum jam. |
Hi Wendy. What a great frugal list you had this week and well done on the gas bill! Your raspberries look divine! This is what we got up to in my house:
ReplyDelete- despite the constant rain I've been drying as much as I can in clothes horses and drying clothes on plastic coat hangers. Saved myself from using the dryer.
-made banana weetbix muffins with over ripe bananas and froze them for work
-ran out of vegetable stock (yes I do buy stock cubes because I'm usually so time poor) but rather than going to buy more stock and using petrol, I made a vegetable stock at home in about 10 minutes with vegetable peelings and spices I had in my cupboard. I think I will make my own vegetable stock from now on it was that easy.
- Maintained the two light rule and switched everything off at the wall where possible.
- used Skype to call family members overseas for free
- used bread bags as bin liners
- planted more lettuce, spring onions, coriander and beans in our veggie patch.
- Picked kale and some chilli from veggie patch
- made home made hommus and Pita chips when we had guests over, they really enjoyed them
I hope you have a good week ahead. Mine will be spent declutterung this week!
Amy
Skype is a great invention isn't it ?
DeleteI use Vegeta or Massell stock powder from time to time although I try to limit it's use. Glad you had a go at making your own.
Have fun decluttering. It's one of my favourite household chores.
Your scones look delicious, Wendy. Homemade plum jam too...Mmm! I worked three relief teaching days this week. It made for a busy week! I still made all meals here and snacks came from the freezer. I gave a lovely friend a handmade gift from my present stash as it was her birthday. I never got to making yoghurt so that's on my list for today. Have lovely weekend. Meg:)
ReplyDeleteThankyou Meg. The scones tasted delicious too.
DeleteI'm making yoghurt today as well. I haven't made it in months.
Hi Your raspberries look lovely. I have 2 raspberry bushes but they just put out 3-4 metres cane I have to cut off and only ever have a couple of berries to pick. Have you any ideas? I did try one year not to cut off the canes but still nothing.
ReplyDeleteOur raspberry bushes grow 2 - 2.5 metre canes. We feed the plants with Seasol when they are growing and tie them to the shed when they are too tall.. When they die back at the end of the season, Darren cuts the canes down to 30 cms. That's pretty much all we do.
DeleteI was gone for about 10 days, getting home at midnight Wednesday. Here are some things I did:
ReplyDelete(1) My coat was stolen the first day. Since I was in Minnesota and a blizzard was forecast, I needed a new one fast. I went to Goodwill and got a full-length Lands End squall on clearance for $7. It is exactly what I had before (although mine was a shorter version) and I'm happy with it. After all, it's red! Later I discovered that my pricey new gloves (a gift from DS) were in the pockets of the old coat. I went back to GW and got a pair of microfleece gloves NWT for $2.
2. One of the grocery stores here had a 12-Hour meat sale Thursday with whole boneless pork loins for US$1.68 lb. and 85% lean ground beef for $2.49. I bought about 10 lbs. of each for $41 total, and I will get about 20 meals from it.
3. I spent about an hour Friday getting everything ready for the freezer. I cut the pork into 12 chops, two small roasts and two packages of thin stir-fry strips. I pattied out about 7 lbs. of ground beef and made 6 half-pound packages as well. This way I can pick and choose just what I need for a recipe. Except for a few feet of plastic film, all of my freezer supplies were repurposed--foam meat trays, bread bags and plastic containers that other food came in.
(4) Wrote menus for the next week.
The purpose of my trip was to visit the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion. I was scheduled for surgery in late January and chickened out. Mayo thinks my condition can be treated without surgery. However, I had made and frozen about 25 meals for DH and DD for when I was in the hospital and recovering at home, and we are eating one tonight! Definitely a Frozen Asset.
I'm so sorry you had your coat and gloves stoles. Who does that ??? You have to hope they REALLY needed a coat. Great bargain at the Goodwill though. I have a red coat although mine is a short trench coat style.
DeleteGreat bargains on the meat. I package mine up into different sizes too. I never know if my girls will be home for dinner.
Maxine, what is a Mayo clinic ? It sounds familiar
The Mayo Clinic is one of the largest and finest medical facilities in the US, if not the world. They specialize in diagnosing illness, although they also treat illness and do surgery. (I live too far away for that). They have the original clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, plus clinics in Phoenix, Arizona, and Jacksonville, Florida.
DeleteThanks for explaining Maxine. I hope they are able to help you get better xoxo
DeleteWendy! Your counter top is the exact one that we put into our bathroom mini-remodel! Ours runs to white and icy blue tones. Love it!
ReplyDeleteI love my counter tops. I knew what I wanted. I just had to hope someone made it ( which they did ). I don't like dark benches.
DeleteWell I decided last week I would give up take away for lent. I really enjoy my take away coffee so it is a real test for me at the moment. Wendy the Mayo clinic is a bit like our Peter McCallum Clinic except they research all diseases not just Cancer related ones.
ReplyDeleteHaving a good declutter here too this week.
Went up your way to Avalon castle for my eldest niece's wedding on Saturday which was lovely. They had a wishing well wedding which meant you gave money instead of a present as she has been living away from her parents for many years and has all she needs for the household.
Blessings to all
Janine, you'll save a bit of money on the takeaway.
DeleteThanks for the info about the Mayo clinic
Wow, Wendy! I am feeling inspired by your task list this week. I just bought four types of berry plants and am planning to start a garden myself. Do you have any jam making tips for a first timer? I want to make sure that I get the most out of the harvest this season! Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteLindsey @ Nosto
Use clean sterilised jars. Add Granny Smith apples to thicken jam instead of Jamsetta etc. Have a look at my Strawberry and Apple jam recipe in the recipe section for further tips.
Delete