My Menu Plan For Oct / Nov 2024

 After the latest round of media stories,  I thought it was time I shared our latest menu plan.  Many people on social media thought we didn't eat meat.  Others thought we had a high carb diet or didn't eat at all.  It was quite hilarious to read so many assumptions.

We eat meat most nights of the week and while there's not a lot of meat in the meals,  it's still there,  we can taste it and see it.

It's hard to explain everything in our menu plan,  the cost of each item,  when I bought it and how much I use,  but I will explain a few things.

*  Legs of lamb were bought earlier this year from Tasman Meats.  They were $7.99kg and I think I bought 3 or 4 legs.  The butcher was quite happy to cut them in half for me and wrap them up.  I cook legs of lamb in the slow cooker and a full leg won't fit in.  I used leftover grocery money I'd been saving for a sale like this.  It's called my grocery slush fund.

*  Chicken drumsticks were also bought from Tasman Meats when they had them for $1.99kg last month.  I bought 10 kilos and portioned them up into meal sizes and froze them.  

*  The chicken dump bags are drumsticks in a snap lock bag with diced veggies,  liquid chicken stock,  sauces and seasonings. I did these meals in bulk when I bought the drumsticks.   I defrost the meal in the fridge then ' dump ' it all into a casserole dish and cook it in the oven.

*  The fish we eat is Woolworths Basa fillets.  The current price is $8 for 1 kilo.  I coat them in seasoned flour then pan fry in a tiny bit of oil.  I also cook them in the oven in foil with seasonings.

* Tuna casserole,  tuna pasta bake and Massaman beef curry are the only meals that use tinned soup,  ready made pasta sauce ( I mix it with a tin of tomatoes to stretch it out ) or a packet of seasoning.  I buy these items because that's the recipe,  it tastes better or it works out cheaper.   Everything else is completely made from scratch.

*  Many of the meals are made in bulk,  portioned out and frozen for future menu plans.  For example,  lasagne costs about $20 to make.  I get 12 serves from my big dish.  Even more if I use TVP and add extra veggies to the sauce.  I only need to make lasagne twice a year and I always have the ingredients on hand.  I don't go out and buy it all in one hit when it's on the menu and we don't eat it day after day until it's gone. 

*  We grow many of our veggies and freeze excess.  We eat in season too.

*  " Get Your Own " on the menu means we can eat whatever is in the house.  That might be leftovers,  bits and pieces from the freezer or something simple like pancakes,  toasted sandwiches,  soup,  eggs on toast or ' wing wong for a goose's bridle " as my mother in law would say.

*  Sometimes we move the meals around if our plans change.  If food has been defrosted in the fridge it's safe to keep for another day.

All the recipes for these meals are in the recipe section.

Some of our garden produce

Some of the fruit we grow

The latest menu plan

Some of the meals we eat

We eat chunky,  hearty soups.

Tuna pasta bake before adding cheese

Chop suey

Slow cooked lamb with silverbeet and mash

The big 12 serve lasagne

How I serve lasagne

Roast beef ( a rare treat now ) with lots of veg

Do you write out and use a menu plan ?

3 Recipes To Stretch Beef Mince A LONG Way.

 Pretty much all meat prices have skyrocketed lately almost making it a luxury item on the menu.  Beef mince has increased from $5 a kilo in 2013 to $13 a kilo in 2022.  Considering beef mince is usually a family staple,  that increase really hits the family food budget hard.

We still eat beef mince but some recipes are now off our menu or rarely eaten.  I do stretch beef mince with TVP ( textured vegetable protein ) to help keep costs down.   We don't notice the ever so slightly different texture and color of TVP but I think the trick is to choose your recipes wisely and add lots of veggies.

Here are the links to 3 main meal recipes that I've successfully used TVP and beef mince in and still feel like we are getting plenty of meat.  Maybe you can try them on your family.  Just don't tell them about the TVP until they have finished eating.

As per usual,  use whatever veggies you have on hand or can afford.

                                                                                    Chop Suey

Lasagne

Beef Mince Pasta Bake

How do you stretch beef mince in your recipes ?

What is your best beef mince recipe ?

Our $100 A Month Grocery Budget - Part 1

Due to the uncertain times we live in and irregular work hours over the last 18 months, we have been spending just $100 a month for food,  toiletries and cleaning products.  At times,  that money has stretched to feed up to 5 people depending on who's coming and going in our home at dinnertime.  The $100 includes food and supplies for our cat as well as three meals a day for Darren and I.

I will be the first to admit,  it's been a struggle at times.   We didn't go out and stockpile extra things just to reduce our spending down to $100 a month..  Thankfully we had a reasonable supply of basic pantry items, a good stockpile of meat and an excellent stockpile of toiletries and cleaning supplies.

Back in early 2020,  our budget was cut in all areas with food and gifts taking the biggest hit.  In saying that,  these two areas of our budget are easier to cut than other areas.  We can grow more food and I can make more presents.

To cut the food budget from $150 a month ( on average ) down to $100,  we had to make some hard choices about what is a necessary food item and what is a luxury.  It has been a bit of an adjustment and at times the fridge looks quite bare.  Through all of this,  there is always food on the table,  it's tasty and filling.

I thought I'd share with you how we've eaten on such a small budget and a few tricks I've learnt along the way.

*  Any food that goes into the fridge is carefully used within the right timeframe so it doesn't get thrown out.  With a slightly bare fridge,  it's easy to keep track of what we have.

*  When serving dinner,  our portions have been slightly smaller so we can freeze at least another two portions.  Some meals we've been able to freeze 3 - 4 portions.

*  Soup has featured in our menu plan for dinner at least once or twice a week when the weather has been cold.  Teamed up with leftover bread stick or a dinner roll from the freezer,  it makes a hearty meal that costs about 10 - 20 cents per serve.  Generally the soup is made from a chicken carcass which most people would throw out.  I also cooked up the last leg of lamb from the freezer and used the bone to make a delicious soup.

*  I have deliberately avoided my more expensive recipes especially the ones where you only get four serves and the meal costs $5 or more.  Meat pie,  rissole casserole,  salmon patties and chops have been a rare treat on the menu due to the high meat content and / or cost.

*  My shopping list is revised over and over again to eliminate any unnecessary purchases.  Groceries such as biscuits ( except for Christmas ),  dips,  chips,  chocolate, soft cheeses and roasts have not been purchased since we cut the budget. 

*  I've been adding TVP ( textured vegetable protein ) to beef mince to stretch it further.  I had my doubts about using TVP but in the right ratio we don't notice it at all.

*  Our vegetable garden has given us plenty of greens to add to the dinner plate all year round. Growing silverbeet and kale has been a big money saver.  I've been blanching and freezing excess broccoli and corn.  Even our potato haul earlier this year saved us more than $20.  I didn't buy potatoes for 5 months.

*  Any store bought snacks are only purchased as part of our present for birthdays,  Mother's / Father's Day and Christmas.

A simple Summer dinner

How do you stretch your meals ?

Super Cheap 28 Day Menu Plan

 There's no doubt that meat prices have sky rocketed over the last couple of years.  It doesn't seem that long ago that Coles supermarkets ran a big advertising campaign highlighting their 1 kilo trays of beef mince for $5.  That same tray now costs $12.  Lamb prices have doubled now making it a luxury piece of meat.  Roast legs of lamb and roast beef are now off our menu and we can forget about steak.  Not that we had steak on a plate for a meal but now cooking a beef stew is too expensive.  I just can't justify paying close to $20 a kilo for the cheapest steak no matter how far I stretch it in a stew -  and yes,  I can stretch it far.

The main meats we have been eating are chicken drumsticks,  chicken fillets,  beef sausages,  frozen fish fillets,  tinned tuna and salmon and beef mince.  Last year when meat was hard to come by I did manage to buy one corned beef ( silverside ) and one tray of cheap steak.  Over the last 14 months I've rationed that steak out to make Massaman beef curry and beef stew.  I think I now have one 300 g piece of steak left in the freezer.  Unless beef prices drop I will not be buying steak in the foreseeable future.

So with all this in mind,  it's been a real challenge writing a menu plan with variety yet keeping to our $100 - $120 a month food budget.  This budget includes food and kitty litter for Princess ( our cat ) and food,  basic toiletries and cleaning ingredients for Darren and I.

I was blessed a few months ago with a large amount of TVP  ( textured vegetable protein ) for free from a friend.  When I first heard about it years ago I vowed I'd never use it.  But desperate times call for desperate measures and TVP has been a real blessing for stretching beef mince without really noticing a difference in texture.

Below is the latest menu plan I have been using.  Keep in mind it's just the two of us but I still cook for 4 - 6 people as per the recipe and freeze all leftovers.  It's very rare that leftovers are eaten as lunches.  They end up being dearer than a toasted sandwich and we don't need to eat meat twice a day.  

 From memory,  all recipes for the meals below are in the recipe section.

My Abundant Life: Recipes (myabundantlife07.blogspot.com)

Day 1  -  Chunky Chicken Soup made from slow cooker stock.

Day 2  -  Meatloaf,  potato mash and steamed veg.  Leftover meatloaf frozen

Day 3  -  Leftover Chunky Chicken Soup with crusty bread

Day 4  -  Salmon Patties ( bulk cooked and in the freezer ) with rice and steamed veg

Day 5  -  Honey Mustard Chicken with rice

Day 6  -  Sausages,  potato mash and steamed veg

Day7  -   Get Your Own - maybe toasted sandwiches,  eggs on toast,  leftovers

Day 8  -   Lasagne ( made in bulk and frozen ) with steamed broccoli and silverbeet from the garden

Day 9  -   Chicken Drumsticks Lemon Flavoured with potato mash and steamed veg

Day 10 -  Massaman Beef made in the slow cooker served with rice.  Leftovers frozen in single serves

Day 11 -  Tuna Casserole served with steamed green veg.  

Day 12 -  Chop Suey served with rice.  Leftovers frozen into single serves

Day 13 -  Curried Sausage Casserole in slow cooker served with mashed potato.  Leftovers frozen 

Day 14 -  Leftovers of some description

Day 15 -  Tuna Pasta Bake ( bulk cooked and from the freezer )

Day 16 -  Cottage Pie ( I call it shepherd's pie )

Day 17 -  Chunky Chicken Soup from the freezer

Day 18 -  Beef Stew in slow cooker served with potato mash

Day 19 -   Homemade Chicken and Pineapple Pizza

Day 20 -   Silverside with potato mash and steamed veg

Day 21 -   Spag Bol ( sauce made in bulk and in the freezer )

Day 22 -  Chicken,  potato and veggie bake. Kale and broccoli used in bake came from our garden

Day 23 -   Freezer meals or eggs on toast 

Day 24 -   Fried rice with small amount of chicken added. 

Day 25 -   Family Meat Pie ( portions from the freezer ) served with steamed green veg  

Day 26 -   Leftover fried rice

Day 27 -  Fish portions ( from Aldi ) cooked in foil with lemons, served with potato mash and steamed veg

Day 28 -  Honey Soy Chicken Drumsticks served with rice and steamed veg

   

Chop suey in the making.

Slow cooker Massaman Beef Curry

Homemade pizza

Bulk Chunky Chicken Soup for the freezer

Honey Mustard Chicken

How are you fighting rising meat prices ?

Do you have any super cheap meal ideas ?

Salmon Patties

Salmon patties are wonderful to eat all year round.  Served with rice,  mash or salad,  they make a wonderful tasty meal.

1 410 g tin of pink salmon
1 stick of celery finely diced
1 large potato cooked and mashed
1 medium carrot grated
2 eggs
Salt,  pepper,  parsley,  dried onion flakes and garlic granules to taste
1/2 cup of dried seasoned bread crumbs
Juice of 1 lemon

¾ cup of milk
1 cup of plain flour
1 ½ cups of dried seasoned bread crumbs
Olive oil for cooking

 Drain the juices from the salmon and flake it in a large bowl.  Add the celery,  potato,  carrot,  1 egg,  lemon juice, 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and seasonings.  Mix well.  Line up three bowls on the bench.  One with flour,  one with egg and milk mixed together and the last one with the seasoned bread crumbs.

Spoon the salmon mixture into balls using a dessert spoon.  Roll in the flour,  roll in the egg mixture then coat with the bread crumbs.  Once all the patties are done,  cook in a fry pan with some olive oil until browned on each side.  Flatten the patties with a spatula while they cook. Alternatively,  spray the patties with olive oil and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees.

Makes about 12 - 15 patties which is enough for  5 - 6 people.

NOTES –

*  Patties can be frozen.  I freeze them in meal sizes as well as in bundles of 2 or 4

* Salmon patties are wonderful in a wrap with salad or as a toasted sandwich.

 *  This recipe can be multiplied. I use 4 – 5 tins of salmon at a time and freeze most of the patties for future meals.

 *  Other veggies can be grated and added to the mixture.  Zucchini and pumpkin work well.

Scrambled Eggs

I love scrambled eggs as a treat for breakfast,  lunch or a cheap dinner.  There's scrambled eggs and then there are tasty scrambled eggs.  Here's the recipe for how I make tasty scrambled eggs -

2 eggs
dash of milk ( maybe four tablespoons )
pinch of salt,  pepper
sprinkle of dried onion flakes,  dried garlic granules or powder and chives
knob or butter

Place the eggs and seasonings into a small bowl and whisk together

Heat a small frypan or saucepan on a medium heat.  Add a small knob of butter and melt

Add the egg mixture to the pan / saucepan and gently scrape a wooden spoon over the bottom. Ribbons of cooked egg will form. 

When the mixture turns from liquid to cooked egg,  turn off the heat immediately.

Serve with your choice of ingredients.  Bacon,  ham,  spinach,  cooked tomatoes,  mushrooms or toast work well.  I like mine on toast with a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Bread Pudding In The Slow Cooker

    

 I found a similar recipe  to this in a slow cooker cookbook years ago.   I had to adapt it as the original recipe was American - which means LOTS OF SUGAR. I'm guesstimating the amount of milk I use as I never really measure it. I always seem to pour a bit more over the bread if it looks like it needs more.

I use the crusts from the end of a loaf of bread. I save them up in the freezer until I have 6 - 8 truly making it a cheap dessert.   You can use wholemeal, multigrain or white bread. I have also made the milk up using powdered milk. It works out just fine.

6 - 8 slices of bread
600 - 800 mls of milk
4 eggs
1/3 cup of brown sugar
Dash of vanilla essence
Good shake of nutmeg and cinnamon
Jam - any flavour
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

Turn on slow cooker first - high if it's a slow,  slow cooker or low if it's a fast slow cooker  

Spray the slow cooker with canola oil

Very lightly spread the jam over the bread and cut into large squares - perhaps 6 per slice. Place evenly in the bottom of slow cooker with jam facing up.

In a bowl mix eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over the bread in slow cooker dunking the bread under the mixture.  

Sprinkle the walnuts on top.

Cook for 3 hours and serve with cream or icecream.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2 days and heated up in the microwave as needed.

Bread pudding starting to cook.

Bread crusts with jam

Poured the egg mixture over the bread.

Dessert with cream.  Yum  !!!

Chop Suey - Aussie Style

 Chop suey was one of the first recipes I learn to make as a newly wed.  It's cheap,  easy and quite good for you..  It's full of flavour and full of veggies.

250 - 300 grams of mince beef
2 cups of frozen beans, corn, peas ( combined )
1 stick celery finely sliced
3 - 4 mushrooms sliced
Broccoli and cauliflower florets cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt, pepper and chives / parsley to taste
2 handfuls of cabbage,  spinach or silverbeet finely chopped
1/2 pack 2 min noodles
1/2 packet of chicken noodle soup
Dried onion flakes and garlic granules ( or fresh )
I medium carrot,  peeled and finely sliced 

Cut all veggies and place in microwave veggie steamer and cook in microwave on high for 8 mins. 

While the veggies are cooking, cook the mince in large electric frypan.  

Put the chicken noodle soup into a measuring jug and add 1 cup of boiling water and stir. Add to the meat  

When veggies are cooked, add them to the meat. Add curry powder and seasonings to taste. Stir well. 

Add cabbage / silverbeet / spinach on top of the meat and veggies and place the lid on for 5 mins. Stir everything together and add extra water if needed. 

Add cooked and drained 2 min noodles just before serving. 

Serve with a dash of soy sauce and  rice or mashed potato on the side.  

Serves 4 - 5 people  

*  Yummy as leftovers on toast 

*  Can be made with chicken and bacon as an alternative - known as Chop Chicken 

*  Leftovers can be frozen 

*  You can use any veggies you want and as many as you want 

Running Out Of Groceries Or Grocery Money

Running out of food can be a scary situation to be faced with. What to do ? What to do ? I guess the first question you need to ask yourself is " Have I really run out of food or do I have food but don't know what to cook ? " If you have run out of food just because you didn't buy enough,  then it's time for a new plan of attack. Writing a menu plan for the week might be a good place to start. Then write your shopping list from the menu plan. Don't forget to include breakfasts, lunches and snacks as well as the main meal.    Once you've mastered shopping for a week then you could try fortnightly or monthly shopping.

You might be in the situation where you haven't run out of food but feel like the food you do have isn't going to make great meals. This is the perfect time for experimentation. Grab your cookbooks or use the internet to try something different. There are websites where you can search for recipes with certain ingredients. This could be the making of a new family favourite recipe.

If you have run out of grocery money for whatever reason, you have a few options. Can you make meals out of the food you DO have ? Can you find some extra money from another area of your budget ? I'm not talking about hundreds of dollars. $20 or $30 could last a week or two with a carefully planned shopping list if you have basic ingredients on hand like herbs, spices and a few baking ingredients like flour and sugar

Once again a menu plan will help you through a tough time until money becomes available again. A packet of quick oats will give you a filling breakfast for a week. Two loaves of bread will be enough for lunches. Buying one piece of the cheapest fruit available per person could be a snack. In Winter apples, pears and citrus fruits are very cheap. In Summer it could be stone fruit or grapes.

Dinner doesn't have to be fancy if money is tight. Here are some cheap meal ideas -

* Boiled potato with steamed veggies, seasonings and a little grated cheese on top is very yummy and cheap.
* 300 grams of mince can be bulked out with rice, rolled oats and cheaper vegetables like beans, cabbage or carrots.
* Eggs, baked beans or spaghetti on toast
* Pasta with tomato sauce and cheese
* Pasta with a tin of tomatoes and grated vegetables
* Fried rice without any meat.
* Pancakes

Remember,  water is free ( or almost free ) so drink lots of it.  If you are after a hot drink,  then tea is cheaper than coffee.

Have you ever run out of grocery money or groceries ?  What did you do in this situation ?

Planning A Christmas Menu On A Budget

With Christmas just around the corner, I'm sure you have all been very busy decorating your home and Christmas tree with special ornaments. Table runners, candles and Christmas lights can also bring the festive feeling to your home.   A couple of months ago I  started planning my Christmas Day menu too. Although I want this special day to be perfect, it is so easy to go overboard with the food.

Providing two meats, a couple of salads or roast veggies and two or three desserts is all that is needed to satisfy the hungry souls at your table. The more you have to choose from, the harder it is for the eaters to choose. How to fit it all on the plate ? There is only so much you can eat at one meal and many people travel from table to table ( family home to family home ) in one day.

Also, the more you provide, the more likely you are to be left with leftovers for a week. To avoid gastro,  food should be refridgerated between courses and consumed within 2 - 3 days of cooking. You are less likely to forget what is left in the fridge if it is consumed within a small time frame.

I've cooked traditional and casual Christmas lunches in the past. Here's what I've provided for my guests

TRADITIONAL

roast lamb served in gravy
roast chicken
roast potatoes, pumpkin and carrots
cauliflower and broccoli with white sauce and cheese on top
mint sauce
sticky date puddings in muffin size with caramel sauce, cream and icecream

CASUAL ( BBQ )

rissoles
bbq steaks ( cut into smaller pieces )
sausages
mushrooms and onions
bread stick
green tossed salad
potato salad
pasta salad
plum pudding ( no name ) with home made custard, cream and icecream
mini pavlovas ( home made ) with cream and berries


Both have been hugely successful and everyone is full and satisfied. The casual meal had a lot more leftovers. We just ate salads and sausages for the next two days. The best thing about these meals is that I have most of the ingredients on hand already so there are no grocery blowouts. The only extra expense is the meat and a few veggies / salad things.

Here are some handy hints for cutting costs

*  Grow your own lettuce and salad things.  Lettuce grows all year round in pots or the ground.

*  Buy your leg of lamb in Spring when it's about $6.99 a kilo.

*  Keep a look out for bbq meats on sale at the butcher.  Freeze ahead of time in smaller portions.  It's so easy to pull out the exact amount of meat needed from the freezer.  Less waste and quite often dinner guest numbers are not known until a couple of days before.

*  Spread the workload around and ask guests to bring a plate / dish.  Most people are happy to help.

*  Not everyone likes plum pudding.  Single serve puddings might be your answer to reducing costs and left overs.  I've found no name/ generic brands to be mild in flavour and well received by guests. Making your own could be another option.

*  Buy your bon bons on  Boxing Day at half price.  I always buy enough for a couple of years.  A cheaper option is to make your own from wrapping paper tubes,  wrapping paper,  ribbon,  your own printed jokes and a trinket / lolly.  Making your own costs next to nothing.

*  Snacks like nuts,  dried fruit,  chocolates,  chips,  soft drinks and lollies should be bought ahead of time.  Most of these items are on sale from week to week.  Just check out my grocery specials post every Wednesday.

With some forward planning you can have a fabulous Christmas Day full of delicious food without blowing your budget.

Have you started planning your Christmas Day menu ?

How I Freeze Food

A couple of weeks ago I showed you what was in my freezers and gave you the list.

This week I thought I'd explain how I store the food to avoid spoilage and waste.

Here's what I use -

*  Plastic containers of all sizes.

*  Takeaway food containers

*  Cling wrap

*  Foil

*  Freezer bags,  large and small

*  Cereal packets cut up into squares are used as go between to stop cut of meat or soup sticking together.

*  Masking tape and permanent markers for labels

*  Recycled plastic fruit and veg bags

*  Recycled bread bags
 

When I make soup,  I always make a big pot to save time and energy.  As yummy as it is,  we can't eat it quick enough.  So I always make sure I freeze some.  I have small flat containers that I use for this purpose.  They are the Starmaid brand but I don't think they are sold any more.  I fill up each container as this represents one single serve.  Once cooled in the fridge,  the lids are put on and frozen in a stack.  Once frozen,  I pop the soup out of the container.  I slip a piece of cereal packet on top of the soup and pop another soup serve on top.  Then they are double wrapped in freezer bags and placed back in the freezer.  If I have multiple types of soup in the freezer,  I label the soups and date them.

I pop the soups out of their containers because even though I have lots of containers,  I very quickly run out.

Lamb chops are taken off their trays and portioned into meal sizes which is usually one chop per person.  Once again I slip a piece of cereal packet between each chop then double wrap in freezer bags.

Mince is portioned into 300 gram and 400 gram serves.  300 grams is for chop suey and spag bol, 3 x 300 gram does lasagne.  $00 grams is used for meat pie,  meatloaf and cassroles.  Each portion is wrapped in cling wrap.  Then a few portions are put into large freezer bags and labelled and dated.

Diced beef is portioned into 500 gram lots for stew.  I pack it into a snap lock bag,  flatten and label.

Roast beef and silverside is always cut in half as it's way to big for the four of us.  I wrap it in cling warp, label and date then wrap in a freezer bag.

Sausages are portioned into meal sizes which is six for us.  I wrap in cling wrap then multiple portions are put into a large freezer bag.

Single serves of leftovers are put into the flat takeaway food containers.  They are dated and labelled.

For chicken fillets,  I take the skin off,  trim the sinues off  and place individually into frezer bags.  Multiple fillets are then placed into a larger freezer bag.  It's easy to grab the amount of fillets needed when they are single.

Hamburger patties are stacked on top of each other with the cereal bag squares put inbetween.  We only have one atty per person and they are double wrapped.

Lemon ice cubes are placed either in snaplock bags or takeaway food containers.  Same with tomato paste.

Any baking is double wrapped.  Cakes are dated and labelled so I know what the flavour is.

Final notes -

*  Bread bags are used  for the outer wrapping for many items
*  I always rotate all meat,  baking and meals to avoid food being frozen for too long.
*  I delegate one shelf for each type of meat where possible.  All beef mince and hamburgers on one shelf,  all chicken on one shelf,  all roasts on one shelf,  all soup on one shelf,  leftovers in one drawaer etc etc,
*. I label meat with masking tape on the first layer of plastic then wrap again.  It prevents the label falling off.
*  I don't have glass containers in my freezer because they are too expensive and I'd need so many.
*  It sounds like I use a lot of plastic bags and wrap but I try to recycle where I can.  I bought a big roll of large freezer bags from Tasman Meats a couple of years ago.  This has saved a lot of money and I reuse them..
* I use everything within one year. 


I think that's explained most of the ways I freeze things.  I guess the most important things to do is to double wrap,  rotate and label.

If you have any questions,  please feel free to ask.

Freezer meals - free food

Chicken curry ready for the freezer

Pasta sauce in meal sizes

One of my freezers

Freezer equipment

Starmaid containers

Takeaway food containers given to us.

Cobbler Dessert

This is a wonderful Winter warming dessert.  I originally heard about this dessert on the Oprah show years ago when she popped into her neighbour's house unannounced.  They were having this dessert with their meal that night.  So I googled it and came up with my version of this American favourite. 

1 x 410 gram tin of fruit in juice or stewed fruit
1 cup of SR flour
1/3 of a cup of sugar ( white or raw )
About 1  1/2 cups of milk - enough to make it a slightly runny batter

optional extras - 
chopped walnuts
cinnamon and sugar to sprinkle on top,
sultanas or other dried fruit.

Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.

Empty slightly drained tin of fruit into a casserole dish, cutting up any large pieces.
In a mixing bowl mix the flour, sugar and milk until it's a smooth, slightly runny batter.
Pour evenly over fruit and sprinkle with nuts,  cinnamon and sugar.
Bake on 180 degree Celsius for 40 mins. Serve with cream,  ice cream or custard.

NOTES -

*  A couple of weeks ago I made a cobbler using stewed apple from the freezer.  It was a big hit with the family.  Darren said it tasted like apple pie.

*  Other fruit I've used with success are plums ( make sure you take the stone out ), peaches,  apricots and pears.

*  This dessert can be cooked 2 - 3 days ahead of time and reheated as needed.

*  If you don't have any tinned fruit,  grab a couple of apples ( even the wrinkly ones ),  peel,  cut and slice into a casserole dish.  Cover with cling wrap and cook in the microwave on high for about three minutes.  Then pour the batter over the top.

Chicken Flan

This is a wonderful all year round recipe.  In Summer,  served with a side of salad.  In Winter some crusty bread or steamed veggies make it a hearty meal.

4 eggs
1/2 C plain flour
1/2 C grated cheese
1 small chicken fillet cubed and cooked or 1 cup of leftover chicken
1 onion finely diced or 2 teaspoons of dried onion flakes
1 medium tomato finely cubed
Zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 3/4C milk
Dried or fresh parsley

Small sprinkling of garlic powder or granules

2 – 3 leaves of Silverbeet finely chopped – optional

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celscius

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well

Pour into a greased quiche dish and sprinkle with a little extra cheese..

Cook for one hour until golden on top.

Slice and serve with veggies or salad.

Freezes well.

NOTES -

*  Any leftover meat can be added instead of chicken.  I've used roast beef and lamb with great success.

*  Leftover roast veggies can be added instead of the tomato and lemon zest..

*  This can be made in muffin tins as a lunchbox treat

With crusty cheesy bread made by Megan

Straight out of the oven

Tuna Pasta Bake

This recipe has become a recent family favourite.  Our mouths are drooling when it's cooking and leftovers are fought over.   The recipe below is very budget friendly.   Another alternative to this recipe is to combine one tin of tomatoes with one jar of the Aldi brand Remano Pasta Sauce ( chunky garden vegetable ) omitting only the sugar .  Mix well and use half the mixture in this recipe and freeze the other half for a future meal.

1 x 425 gram tin of tuna in brine or spring water.

1 x 420 gram tin of diced tomatoes

½ cup of cream

2 teaspoons of dried basil

2 teaspoons of dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of onion flakes

1 teaspoon of garlic powder or dried garlic granules

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

350 grams of spiral or penne pasta

1 cup of grated cheese

Cook the pasta for 10 minutes or as directed.

While the pasta is cooking,  in a large bowl add the drained tuna,  cream,  tomatoes,  basil,  oregano,  salt,  pepper,  garlic,  onion flakes,  sugar and tomato paste.

Drain the pasta and add to the tuna mixture.  Pour into a large casserole dish and top with the grated cheese.  Bake for 45 minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned.  Serve with crusty bread.

Serves 4 - 6 people and can be frozen.

Notes – grated carrot,  zucchini or finely shredded silverbeet can be added to the pasta bake before cooking.

Pasta bake ready to eat

Straight from the oven and piping hot - how Darren likes it.

Chunky Roast Beef And Vegetable Soup.

This soup is a great way to stretch a couple of leftover slices of roast beef.  I cook my beef in the slow cooker with beef stock and half a packet of french onion soup mix.  I always keep the leftover liquid to make this soup.  

2-3 slices of roast beef cut into very small pieces
reserved beef and French onion stock from slow cooker approx 600 - 800 mls
3/4 cup of soup mix rinsed well
4 large potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes
2 large carrots peeled and cut into small cubes
5 or 6 button mushrooms sliced
1 stalk of celery cubed
1 broccoli stalk. Remove outer layer and dice the remaining stalk
1 small onion diced or use dried onion flakes
2/3 cup of small shell pasta
parsley and pepper to taste
Boiled water
Beef stock powder - maybe 1 tablespoon if needed to enhance flavour.

Place all ingredients into a large saucepan. Top up with boiled water until everything is just covered. Bring to the boil then simmer for 1 hour or until carrots and potato are soft.

Serve with buttered bread or toast or have it on it's own.

I'm sorry,  I forgot to take a photo of it cooking.  This photo was taken when it had been frozen.

NOTES -

*  As always,  you can chop and change the vegetables to suit what you have on hand.  If you need more potatoes to make it thick,  then add more.

*  If roast lamb is what you have,  then use that.

Homemade Pizza

There is nothing like the taste of homemade pizza.  The smell,  the crispy base and the delicious toppings.  Yum,  yum.  Yes,  I've had many pizzas over the years.  Darren's first job after we were married was as a delivery driver for a well known pizza chain.  He was there for five years eventually becoming a store manager.

As you can imagine,  we went off pizza for many years.  We'd just eaten too many during those five years.  When we tried the takeaway pizzas again about two years ago ,  we were disappointed.  The topping were scarce,  you now pay extra for pineapple and no matter how quickly you pick them up,  they are lukewarm by the time you eat them.

We started off making our own pizzas years ago using pita bread as the base.  They are cheap and ready made.  As our girls got older we needed something more filling.  I went to a demonstration class at a local shop called The Mixing Bowl where I learnt to make bread,  rolls,  hot cross buns and pizza bases from scratch.  Here's Anne's recipe from The Mixing Bowl -

2 teaspoons of dry yeast
450 grams of unbleached bread flour - I use no name plain flour
2 teaspoons of bread improver
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
300 - 310 mls of warm water
2 teaspoons of olive oil.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl or with a mixer
Add the warm water and oil and mix until combined
Tip the dough onto a floured bench / board and knead for 30 seconds to a minute.
Place back into a bowl and cover with a plastic bag. 
Put the bowl in a warm place until it has risen and doubled in size.
While the dough is rising,  prepare the toppings
Tip the dough onto a floured surface and divide into two.
Roll out into a circle keeping it floured and place onto a lightly greased pizza tray.  Press the dough out to the edges of the tray.
Put your sauce and toppings on.
Cook for approx 20 minutes at 220 degrees Celsius until brown underneath.

NOTES -

*  I make two double batches of the dough which gives me dough for eight pizzas.  Six are frozen for future use

*  Dough can be frozen after the first rising.  Cool the dough down first then wrap in cling wrap and freeze

*  My girls and I like a mixture of tomato and bbq sauce on the base with mixed herbs,  cooked chicken,  cheese,  tomato,  pineapple and cheese.  Darren likes capsicum,  chilies,  mushrooms,  chicken and cheese.

*  When we see ham at a cheap price,  we freeze into 300 gram lots in snap lock bags.

*  Pizza trays with lots of holes in the base are excellent for a crispy base.

The finished product

Mixing the dough

Letting it rise

The dough has doubled in size