Grocery Specials Wednesday 30th September 2015

The caralogues are full of footy finals food.  I'll let you decide if you think it's a bargain.

Here are this week's best specials -

COLES -

*  Cadbury Sharepacks 160g-180g 1/2 PRICE Was $4.59, Save $2.30  Now $2.29 each.  Might be worth stocking up now for Christmas stockings.

*    Fountain Tomato Sauce 2 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $5.50, Save $2.75  Now $2.75 each.  A great itme to stock up for Summer bbqs.

*  Willow Cooler 25 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $42.00, Save $22.00  Now $20.00 each  A Christmas present maybe ?

*  Mars Celebrations Box Chocolate 300g 1/2 PRICE Was $10.00, Save $5.00 Now $5.00 each.  Great for Kris Kringles

*  Alfa One Rice Bran Oil 3 Litre, Gold Choice Canola, Vegetable or Sunflower Oil 4 Litre
1/2 PRICE Was $18.00, Save $9.00  Now $9.00 each

*  40% off all Bonds underwear and socks.

*  Dove Body Wash 1 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $13.70, Save $6.85  Now $6.85 each


WOOLWORTHS -

*  U by Kotex Tampons Pk 16 2 for $7.00 Save $2.38

*  Morning Fresh Dishwashing Liquid 900ml Now $3.49 each 1/2 Price, Save $3.50

*  Energizer Max Battery AA Pk 10 Now $6.58 each 1/2 Price, Save $6.59

*  Energizer Max Battery AAA Pk 8 Now $6.79 each 1/2 Price, Save $6.79

*  20% Off iTunes Gift Cards Excludes iTunes $20 & variable cards.

*  John Frieda Precision Foam Haircolour 2 for $25.00 Save $20.98

My stockpile.

Whole Orange Cake

This cake uses the whole orange - yes,  rind and all.  To save costs,  buy oranges in Winter when they are cheap,  whiz in the food processor and freeze in containers.   The fragrance of this cake is just lovely and the texture is rustic.  There's nothing artificial and the flavour is real.

1 whole orange cut into eighths
1  cup of  sugar
3 eggs
1 cup of Canola oil or 1/2 and 1/2 with olive oil
2 cups SR flour

In a food processor whiz one whole orange.  Make sure there are no pips.

Add the eggs,  sugar and oil and whiz until well combined

.

Add the flour and whiz again.

Pour into a large greased fluted ring cake tin or two medium loaf tins

Bake in a 180 degrees Celsius oven for about 40 minutes until  the middle springs back

.

Turn onto a cake rack when cool

This cake can be iced with lemon icing and dusted with coconut.

Notes -

*  This cake freezes well without the icing.

* The batter can be made into cupcakes.

This Week's Frugal Tasks 26th September 2015

*  Saved the Wheat Bix crumbs from the bottom of the bag and poured them into the Dried Seasoned Bread Crumbs container.

*  Fed the compost with lots of leafy greens and veggie scraps.

*  We went to the Melbourne Show on Tuesday.  Darren went for free as his sister's companion ( she has a disability ).  Megan and I bought our tickets online and got the early bird discount on a student ticket and a concession ticket.

*  Baked Cranberry Hootycreek biscuits to take to the show as snacks.  We also took our water bottles.

*  Ate freezer meals one night this week and also added to the stockpile with two single serves of sausage casserole.

*  Saved lots of water from the shower to pour into the washing machine. Also saved the final rinse water for the next load.

*  Cleaned the dishwasher and filters with Miracle Spray,  bi carb and vinegar.  I try to do this once a month and run it on an empty hot cycle.

* Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread.

*  Dried all the washing on the line and clothes horses.  The weather has been lovely.

*  Went to a Cheapskates card making afternoon.  I learnt to make a few different cards and flowers.  We also had a swap table.  I was blessed with some material,  plants and craft supplies.  I blessed other with glass jars and lemons.

*  Washed out some snap lock bags that were given to me.

* Picked broccoli and spinach to go in a few meals.

*  Sold two dozen eggs at the card making afternoon.

*  Bought four crumpet rings from Savers for $1.80.  I think they usually retail for about $4 per ring.  As soon as we've finished eating our store bought crumpets,  I'll try making my own with a recipe on the Cheapskates website.

*  Only spent $4 on groceries this week and that was on milk.  With all the fruit and veg bargains I bought  1 1/2 weeks ago,  we didn't need anything else.

*  Continued de- cluttering and took two bags of goodies to the op shop and received two discount stamps for future purchases.

*  Turned the heater off when possible and made sure the curtains were wide open to let the sun stream in.

Our raspberry plants are growing so quickly.

This photo was taken 11 days ago

Darren's proud of his flowers grown from cuttings.

Little raspberry plants popping up everywhere

Gracie

Dixie

Sophie

The girls who won't keep still for a photo

Crumpet rings

Princess - the only place to rest.

What's on your frugal list for this week ?

My Menu Plan Saturday 19th September - Tuesday 20th October 2015

We've tried really hard to stick to the menu plan lately  but sometimes life gets in the way.  That's ok.  As long as I have a menu plan on the side of the fridge,  I feel in control of our grocery budget and we rarely eat out.  Here is out latest menu plan.   Of course,  it can change depending on what the weather is like or if we've had a hard day.  Rice,  mash and salad will be decided on depending if the weather turns warm.


Sat 19th -   Freezer meals
Sun 20th -  Tacos

Mon 21st -  Nasi Goreng
Tues 22nd -  Melb Show - freezer meals when we came home
Wed 23rd -  Spag bol
Thurs 24th -  Sausage casserole with mash
Fri 25th -   Tuna casserole and greens
Sat 26th -  Chops,  mash and veg
Sun 27th -  Get your own but feed me

Mon 28th -  KFC drumsticks,  mash and veg
Tues 29th -  Pita bread pizzas
Wed 30th - Meat pie and greens
Thurs 1st -  my birthday so I chose roast chicken,  roast veg and greens
Fri 2nd -  Tuna pasta bake and greens
Sat 3rd -  Chunky chicken and veg soup
Sun 4th - Get your own but feed me

Mon 5th -  Honey soy drumsticks with rice and steamed veg
Tues 6th -  Lasagne and steamed veg
Wed 7th -  Freezer meals
Thurs 8th -  Salmon patties,  baked potatoes and salad
Fri 9th -   Sausages and salad
Sat 10th -  Beef stew and mash
Sun 11th -  Get your own but feed me

Mon 12th -  Lemon chicken drumsticks,  mash and veg
Tues 13th -  Roast beef,  roast veg and greens
Wed 14th -  Chops and salad
Thurs 15th -  Fish in foil,  rice and veg
Fri 16th -  Spag bol
Sat 17th - Nasi goreng
Sun 18th - Get your own but feed me

Mon 19th -  KFC drumsticks and salad
Tues 20th -  Hamburgers and wedges

Roast beef

Tuna casserole

Krispy Fried Chicken drumsticks

Spag bol

Grocery Specials Wednesday 23rd Septmember 2015

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

*  Berri Fruit Juice 2 Litre or 2.4 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $4.25, Save $2.13  Now $2.12 each

*  Nabisco Captain’s Table Crackers 125g Was $1.80, Save $0.80  Now $1.00 each

*  Moccona Freeze Dried Coffee 200g Was $18.36, Save $7.36  Now $11.00 each

*  Continental Cup a Soup 2 Serve 50g-75g 1/2 PRICE Was $2.00, Save $1.00  Now $1.00 each

*  BabyLove Nappy Pants 20 Pack-28 Pack 1/2 PRICE Was $16.99, Save $8.50  Now $8.49 each


WOOLWORTHS

*  Peters Drumstick 475-490ml Pk 4-6 Now $3.99 each 1/2 Price, Save $4.00

*  Riviana Basmati Rice 5 kg Now $8.99 each 1/2 Price, Save $9.00

*  Australian Broccoli Australian Grown. $1.88 kg

*  30% off all Tressemme and Lynx

*  Pine O Cleen Disinfectant 1.25 Litre Now $2.49 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.50

*  1/2 price all Decor Realseal and Tellfresh containers

*  Inspire Memory Foam Pillow Pk 1 Now $13.00 each Better than 1/2 Price, Save $15.00

*  30% off all Arcosteel Frypans

Biscuits For Presents

I just love homemade biscuits.  They are delicious,  decadent and absolutely yummy with a cup of tea.  More importantly,  they are very frugal to make.

Whenever I'm stuck for a present,  homemade baking comes to the rescue.  My favourite biscuits to give are Cranberry Hootycreek biscuits, Anzac biscuits and Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits.

For hungry teenage boys I've made giant Peanut Butter Choc Chip Biscuits.  I place a large amount of dough on a lined baking tray,  flatten out with the palm of my hand then neaten the edges with my fingers to give a lovely round shape.  They do need a few extra minutes for baking.  I place 2 or 3 in a large cellophane bag tied with a tartan ribbon  Placed in a gift bag with a can of Lynx deodorant,  it makes a great male birthday present. for about $5  Let me tell you,  birthday boys have gratefully received these giant biscuits.  One of Jessica's friends bought one to school in his lunchbox and woofed it down at recess.  His friends were drooling.

Sometimes when I get a present out to wrap,  it looks like it needs something extra.  That's when I whip out a log of biscuit dough from the freezer and do some baking.  Neatly placing 8 - 10 medium sized biscuits in a large cellophane bag and tying a bow with ribbon,  lace or netting  achieves an elegant present worth $10 - $15 retail.  Realistically it costs less than $1 to make.

For a family present or Kris Kringle,  I buy glass jars from the $2 shop and fill with homemade biscuits.  I print out the recipe and place it in an envelope and tie it to the lid.  You can add a small decoration or garland to the bow to add extra style.    

Here are some photos of biscuit presents I've made -

A male Christmas present.

.A jar of biscuits from the Christmas story I filmed last year.  Total cost of this present was about $3 - $3.50

 

Presents tied with homemade gift tags and ribbon made from netting -

Here is a link to a blog post I wrote on making gift tags.

  

This Week's Frugal Tasks 19th September 2015

We've had a wonderfully frugal week in the kitchen and around our home.  Our garden is coming to life with the fruit trees blooming and growing.  So much is happening outside that we need to take regular " tours " to keep up with it all.  Here's what else we got up to this week -

*  Gratefully received some tomatoes.  I cooked and froze them into meal sizes for spag bols and pasta bakes.  I filled 11 takeaway food containers.  Tinned tomatoes were on my shopping list for my Summer stockpile.  I've now crossed them off.  Very grateful for the saving.

*  Baked two banana cakes with bananas given to us.  I took one to church on Sunday for morning tea and the other one is in the freezer for a future morning tea.

*  Used the lamb bone from a roast to make a big pot of soup in the slow cooker.  There was enough soup to feed the four of us for two meals.

*  Fed the compost bin very well this week with banana skins,  lettuce leaves,  and other veggie peelings.

*  Defrosted one of our freezers.  It's a 120 litre that was given to us as a wedding present and is the only one that isn't frost free.  It needs defrosting a few times a year to help it run effectively.  I find it helpful in sorting out what's in there and restacking it better.

*  Jessica bought a top from the op shop for her Year 12 muck up day.  They are dressing as film characters and Jessica is going as a pirate.  The top only cost a few dollars but had a rip on a seam which was easy to fix.

*  Darren needed a new pair of troussers for work.  He found some in the op shop for $8.50.  They needed to be taken up so my sewing machine was put to use again.

*  Blanched lots of broccoli bought for $1.99 kg.  I'm trying to build a small stockpile of broccoli bought cheaply so that when the price goes up,  we'll be eating out of the freezer.  We try to eat broccoli with most hot meals.

*  Started my Summer stockpile by buying extra toiletries and cleaning supplies.  I'll be writing a post on this shortly.

*  Darren chopped and froze lots of bananas given to us.  We'll be using them in smoothies,  fruit icecream and banana cakes over Summer.

*  Ate freezer meals one night and continued to eat out of the freezer where possible.  I'm gradually getting more room.

*  Had the heater off for three days and nights in a row.

*  Darren baked some Cranberry Hootycreek biscuits for his sister's birthday present.  We also gave her a tote bag I made for $2.  She loved her presents and I loved how budget friendly it was.

*  Gratefully received a plate of sliced cake from a friend.

*  Had shorter showers.  Saved the washing machine water and dried most of the clothes on clothes horses and the line.

*  Juiced and froze a big bowlful of lemons off our tree.

* Picked silverbeet for two meals.

*  Froze two single serves of Tuna Pasta Bake.

Using my Nicer Dicer to make the job easier.

Tomatoes and onion flakes

cooking away

Ready for the freezer

Freesias

Silverbeet finally taking off

Our plum " stick " is blooming

Raspberry plants coming to life.

Handmade tote bag for Darren's sister

Banana cakes

Some of our broccoli harvest



What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?

Grocery Specials Wednesday 16th September 2015

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

*  Mars Maltesers 360g, M&Ms Peanut 440g or Celebrations Box 300g 1/2 PRICE Was $10.00, Save $5.00  Now $5.00 each

*  Peckish Rice Crackers 100g 1/2 PRICE Was $2.00, Save $1.00  Now $1.00 each

*  SunRice Medium Grain Brown or White Rice 5kg 1/2 PRICE Was $13.60, Save $6.80  Now $6.80 each

*  Tip Top Raisin Toast 520g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.20, Save $2.60  Now $2.60 each

*  Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner 250mL 1/2 PRICE Was $5.44, Save $2.72  Now $2.72 each

*  Norsca Anti-Perspirant Deodorant 150g 1/2 PRICE Was $5.99, Save $3.00  Now $2.99 each

*  Brut 33 Deodorant For Men 150g 1/2 PRICE Was $6.29, Save $3.15  Now $3.14 each

*  Energizer Max AA Batteries 10 Pack 1/2 PRICE Was $13.19, Save $6.60 Now $6.59 each

*  !/2 PRICE on all Olay excludes clearance items.


WOOLWORTHS -

*  Abbott’s Village Bakery Bread Varieties 680-850g Now $2.69 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.70

*  Olive Grove Spread 500gNow $1.99 each/1/2 Price, Save $2.00

*   Cinnamon Donuts Pk 12 Now $2.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.00 

*  Alfa One Rice Bran Oil 4 Litre Now $12.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $12.00

*  !/2 PRICE on all Dove Products

* Pantene Shampoo or Conditioner 350ml Now $3.94 each 1/2 Price, Save $3.95

Spaghetti Bolognaise

300 grams of minced beef

Salt,  pepper,  onion flakes,  oregano,  basil and garlic granules

1 x 420g tin of chopped or crushed tomatoes

1 heaped tablespoon of tomato paste

350 grams of pasta

Grated cheese

Place the pasta in salted boiling water and cook as per instructions.

Brown the mince in a medium fry pan.  Drain any fat. 

Add all the seasonings to taste and toast for one minute with the meat.  

Add the tinned tomatoes and stir until combined.  

Simmer for 5 minutes then add the tomato paste and stir well.

Drain the pasta and serve in bowls.  

Spoon the meat sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Serves 4 people.

NOTES -

*  Grated carrot,  zucchini or shredded silverbeet can be added to boost the family's vegetable intake.

*  I like to make this in bulk by quadrupling the recipe and freezing the sauce in take away food containers.  This makes a handy and very quick meal for those busy nights.  If planning ahead,  defrost the sauce in the fridge for 1 - 2 days to save on microwave time. 

Ready to eat

Cooking the pasta sauce.

You can never have too much grated cheese

This Week's Frugal Tasks 12th September 2015

After having a crazy busy week last week,  we tried to slow down and rest a little for this week.  To be honest,  I just tried to keep on top of the basic housework and cook all our meals.  My frugal list isn't as long as it usually is but everything I do saves us money in some shape or form.  Here my frugal list -

*  Gratefully received some oranges from my sister in law. Some were kept fresh to eat and the rest I blitzed in the food processor and froze to make orange cake.

*   Made an orange cake for a Father's Day family get together.  I used a blitzed orange from the freezer.  I'll be posting the recipe for this cake shortly.

*  Bought a jumper from the op shop for $4.  They had a 50% off sale on Monday.

*  Gratefully received two jam jars.

*  Made a huge pot of chunky chicken and veg soup using two chicken fillets and homemade stock from the freezer.  The soup was enough to feed the four of us for two meals and Jessica took some to school for lunch.

*  Received two coffee samples in the mail as freebies.

*  Refilled my conditioner bottle and diluted it by 1/3.

*  Made a chicken flan using our chicken's eggs and some silverbeet from the garden.

*  Bought some fruit and veg bargains for $16.55.  This included two bags of potatoes at $1 each for 5 kilos.  This will be enough fruit and veg to feed us for the next 2 - 3  weeks.

*  Kept the heater off or turned down for a few days.

*  Saved the washing machine water.  Dried most of the washing on clothes horses and the clothesline

*  Baked some peanut butter choc chip biscuits to go with a Father's Day present.

*  Sold some of our chicken's eggs.

*  Pulled out some weeds and fed them to the chickens.

*  Gratefully received some glass cordial bottles from Cath.  I'm hoping to make cordial for some Christmas presents.

*  Baked some pita chips in the oven while I was cooking the chicken flan.

My $16.55 fruit and veg haul

A bird's eye view

Pita chips for snacks

Orange cake

Darren's tulips

Peanut butter choc chip biscuits - YUM  !!

What frugal tasks did you complete this week ?  I'd love to see your list.

Grocery Specials Wednesday 9th September 2015

Here are this week's best grocery specials -

COLES -

*  Kleenex Cottonelle Toilet Tissue 18 Pack 1/2 PRICE Was $12.00, Save $6.00  Now $6.00 each

*  Cadbury Family Block Chocolate 190g-200g 1/2 PRICE Was $4.99, Save $2.50  Now $2.49 each

*  Streets Magnum 4 Pack or 6 Pack 360mL-468mL 1/2 PRICE Was $7.99, Save $4.00  Now $3.99 each

*  Gold Choice Canola, Vegetable or Sunflower Oil 4 Litre or Alfa One Rice Bran Oil 3 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $18.00, Save $9.00  Now $9.00 each

*  Cottee’s Jam 500g Was $3.35, Save $1.35  Now $2.00 each

* Redwin Sorbolene Moisturiser 1 Litre 1/2 PRICE Was $6.25, Save $3.13  Now $3.12 each

*  Morning Fresh Dishwashing Liquid 400mL 1/2 PRICE Excludes Eco 400mL.Was $3.95, Save $1.98  Now $1.97 each

*  Chux Scourer Scrubs 6 Pack Was $4.49, Save $1.49  Now $3.00 each

*  Seasol Concentrate 500mL.Was $7.50, Save $3.50 Now $4.00 each

*  MasterFoods Squeezy Tomato Sauce 500mL 1/2 PRICE Was $2.85, Save $1.43  Now $1.42 each

*  TRESemmé Shampoo or Conditioner 750mL-900mL 1/2 PRICE Was $10.50, Save $5.25  Now $5.25 each


WOOLWORTHS -

*  Creative Gourmet Frozen Fruit 300g Now $2.82 each 1/2 Price, Save $2.83

*   Real Foods Corn Thins 125-150g Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.00

*  Campbell’s Chunky or Country Ladle Soups 495-505g Now $1.64 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.65

*    Continental Standard Pasta & Sauce 80-105g or Rices Standard Pack 115-135g Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save up to $1.15

*  John West Tuna Tempters 95g Now $1.00 each 1/2 Price, Save $1.00

*   Inspire Pillowcases 180 Thread Count Pk 2 Now $2.40 each 40% off, Save $1.60

*  Inspire Microfibre Fitted Sheet Set or Quilt Cover Set QB Now $12.00 each 40% off, Save $8.00

*  Australian Strawberries 250g Punnet Australian Grown. Now 2 for $3.00 or $1.98 ea, Save $0.96

Please feel free to add any bargain grocery specials you find.