I hope you all enjoyed the Easter break last weekend. Darren, Jessica and myself flew over to Tasmania for a 4 day visit. We visited Darren's Dad and family in Devonport, did some bargain shopping, as well as lots of eating and talking. We stayed at a lovely B & B in Latrobe which is about 7 minutes away. We arrived back home Sunday night, unpacked then got a good nights sleep.
We celebrated Easter with Megan and the boys on Monday. Darren made hot cross buns from scratch. My contribution was to make the crosses on the buns, bake and glaze them. We've been enjoying them toasted with lashing of butter.
Here's what else we've been up to -
* Cleaned the inside of the dishwasher with vinegar and bi carb and ran it on a long hot cycle to clean out the pipes.
* Made chicken stock from a carcass then make a big pot of chunky chicken and veg soup. We had the soup for dinner and the other 11 serves went into the freezer.
* Used the solar lanterns each night after dinner instead of turn lights on. Out latest electricity bill says we are using 11% less electricity than for the same time last year.
* Cleaned the inside of our kettle with citric acid. It comes up looking like new for just a few cents.
* Saved the washing machine rinse water and shower warm up water. It was all poured back into the machine for the next cycle.
* Darren made a dozen hot cross buns. One of the dried fruits Darren included was pears from our tree that I dehydrated last year. We've been enjoying the hot cross buns for morning teas.
* Baked three loaves of wholemeal bread with extra goodness. I reuse the same bread bags over and over again to store the bread in the freezer.
* Made Massaman beef curry using beef stir fry meat Darren picked up on clearance a few months ago for $2.80 down from $14. I used beans and potatoes from our garden to keep costs down. For a total of $5.85 I got 9 serves from that meal. We had Megan over for dinner that night so the remaining 6 serves went into the freezer.
* Made up 2 bottles of diluted Dynamo laundry liquid to use for the washing. I find it works perfectly well diluted and saves a lot of money. I only use it for smelly washing.
* Picked raspberries, tomatoes, blackberries, pears, beans, lettuce and 1 small feijoa from our garden.
* Bought 6 pairs of socks when in Tasmania for a total of $2.50 ( on clearance ). I needed some new ones too.
* Mended Bryson's bunny soft toy and gave him a washing in the washing machine. He how almost looks new.
* Made chop suey using 250g of beef mince and 2/3 cup of TVP to stretch the meat. It still seemed quite meaty ( Darren didn't notice a difference ) and I got 11 single serves from the meal. We ate it for dinner that night and 9 serves went into the freezer. Who needs a day of batch cooking when leftovers are frozen after each big meal ????
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| Dahlia's my Mum is growing |
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| Easter cupcakes from the men in our family. |
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| Luka and Bryson decorating the cupcakes |
Roses my father in law is growing in his garden in Devonport
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| Bryson's bunny gets mended |
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| Massaman beef meals for the freezer |
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| Homemade hot cross buns |
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| My bargain socks |
LINKS -
Wholemeal Bread With Extra Goodness
Hi Wendy. How lovely to be able to visit Tasmania. We've been to Tassie twice and hope to go back again one day. Your father-in-law's roses look very beautiful and Darren's homemade hot cross buns look delicious too! We've had Easter and school holidays and, for the most part, have kept spending to a minimum. Our one special trip is that we are going to a concert in a regional city tonight and will stay overnight. We have booked a cheaper motel room (We have stayed before and it's clean and has a microwave and small fridge), will take all our own food/water and I topped up fuel using the 7Eleven fuel lock price (which saved considerable $) ready for drive. I have made dinner for tomorrow night and it will be waiting for us when we get home. No expensive takeaway! Here's our other savings:
ReplyDelete* Kept Easter gift spending to a minimum. I made up a small basket of tiny
eggs and six tiny Lindt bunnies for our son. I gave bulbs to my
Mum and my mother-in-law who love gardening.
* Easter lunch was roast marinated chicken and roast lamb - both
bought at very good markdown prices. Served with roast veg and homemade
gravy. Leftovers too! I used the rest of the chicken in a big stir fry to stretch it
even further.
* Made mini date puddings for Easter dessert. I had all the ingredients already in
my pantry. We had them with fresh cream.
* Our little local shop sells cold roast chickens at 2 for $12. We got two and had meat on toasted sandwiches for many lunches and I also made 2xchicken and veg pies. We shared one of these pies with friends who came over spontaneously for dinner.
* Made double batches of spaghetti bol sauce and green mac/n/ cheese for meals + a sweet potato impossible pie (to take with us to concert -it's delicious hot or cold with relish!)
* Purchased new school shoes and sports shoes for our son - so expensive!
We got best prices we could by shopping around and not going for the most expensive brands. He also needed several pairs of shorts (as he won't stop growing!) and I was able to get kind he likes for $10less per pair than more expensive brands.
* My son has a semi-formal coming up. I purchased a pair of tailored grey pants for $8 at my local op-shop. They are in perfect condition! We already have a shirt he can wear with them.
* Picked spring onions, mini capsicums, garlic chives, perpetual spinach from our garden and have planted more spinach, beans and lettuces. I also potted up 6xstrawberry plants.
* All the usuals - saving shower warm up water, turning off lights, powerpoints at the wall etc.
That's been our savings the past couple of weeks. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!
Meg
Meg, your trip away sounds great and you do what I do by taking food with you. There's nothing like home cooked meals.
DeleteYou have been busy in the kitchen cooking all those meals and treats. The chicken prices are really good.
Op shop are great for all sorts of occasions aren't they ?
Very encouraging! I have a few questions-if you have time? My citric acid has turned solid and hard. Have you had problems with yours doing this? What percentage do you dilute the laundry detergent? I've never seen that brand before. How do you save the water and then reuse it? Thanks in advance.
ReplyDeleteCitric acid only goes lumpy when it's exposed to moisture. I've only had this happen ever so slightly when used around a steamy kitchen.
DeleteDynamo is a well know Australian laundry detergent and smells quite strong. I dilute it one part to about 8 or 10 parts water.
I have a really big tub I put under the water outlet hose. When the washing cycle is on rinse I angle the hose into the container to catch the water. When the cycle has finished and I empty the clothes out I pour the water back in for the next cycle.
I have never used TVP. Where do you find good and cheap TVP. Seems mince is cheaper, but is TVP more filling?
ReplyDeleteI've never had to buy TVP because I had a friend give me heaps. I'm about to order more and I've been told 2 Brothers is the cheapest place to buy from ( internet site ). When using TVP, I add 1/4 cup of TVP to a bowl and pour 1/2 cup of boiling water over it. Place a lid on the bowl to keep the heat in and leave it there for 5 minutes. When it is soft, add it to 250g of mince as you start to cook it.
DeleteI don't know if it's more filling but it certainly stretches the mince and saves money.
DeleteThose cupcakes look delicious
ReplyDelete