The Week that Was

Sweet juicy oranges - these ones we are eating, they are so juicy and sweet straight from the tree

We spent some money this week.- my darling surprised me with a new freezer. He used money he's been stashing away to buy it so it didn't impact our budget or our savings at all. He's such a romantic, he knows exactly what makes me happy.

Spent a morning sorting the big freezer and transferring the veggie packs and fruit packs to the new, smaller freezer. Updated the inventory and have a shopping list of what is needed. Now to wait until Tasman has a really good sale so I can stock up. Legs of lamb are between 50 cents and $1.50 more than they were last spring, and regular mince has gone up $3/kilo! We have enough homemade pasta sauce left to last until the end of the year! How was that for (not) planning last summer :)

Otherwise not much money spent - top up on fruit and veg, some milk and $1.50 at the op shop. I didn't even need petrol this week, still have 3/4 tank.

I worked in the vegetable garden, weeding, watering, feeding with worm tea.

Picked oranges and mandarins from the fruit trees for the fruit bowl.

These mandarins are so sweet and juicy - and this little tree just keeps on producing them, I haven't bought mandarins in months

Washed the car (it really, really needed it) using a bucket, a sponge, the banister brush and the hose to rinse off. Now it's clean and shiny again.

Baked some Cranberry Hootycreeks and some M&M cookies to take to friends who lost their mother to cancer this week.

Bought a very nice scone tray cover and a pretty doyley from the op shop for $1.50. I've taken a pattern off the scone tray cover to make some using fabric from my stash.

I haven't washed or ironed it yet, I have taken a pattern though. Vintage linens should only be handwashed and line dried, and never ironed until they are ready to be used.

Collected water from the showers and the kitchen sink. Poured some in the washing machine and used the rest to water the pot plants.

Dried the washing on the line - no excuse really, it has been so hot this week.

Kept the windows, blinds and curtains closed on the hot days. Opened the house up overnight to let it cool down.

Cooked all our meals from scratch using ingredients in the pantry, fridge and freezer.

Did some baking for the freezer and have started the Christmas cakes - the fruit is soaking in orange juice as we speak. I'll be making two tomorrow - one for us, one for my brother. Then I'll make another two smaller cakes for Mum and my Aunty and Uncle. After that I'll make another two, again for us and my brother - they freeze beautifully and I slice them, triple wrap them and freeze them for easy morning teas or treats (we all love fruit cake).

Next week I'll do the puddings - four all up, one for Christmas Day, one for New Year's Day, one for my brother and one to cut into single serves and freeze for next year. All the fruit has come from either Aldi or Hindustan Imports and the other ingredients are either Aldi or Coles Savings brands. Using these cheaper ingredients makes them very affordable, especially as gifts. Our gift budget is $15 per person for extended family and friends, and these cakes and puddings come in at between $9 - $12 depending on the ingredients.

Came down with either a very heavy cold or a dose of the flu on Friday and went hunting for simple remedies. Then Wayne came down with it yesterday and Hannah woke up with it this morning. Thank goodness for the frozen lemon juice, two cubes in a mug, a spoonful of Manuka honey and top up with just off the boil water makes a soothing drink for sore throats. Paracetamol for the aches and a drop of eucalyptus on a hanky for the stuffy head and we're all on the mend.

And lastly, a good stash of freezer meals made dinner easy for anyone who felt like eating on Friday and Saturday nights. I love those freezer meals, especially when the last think I want to do is get tea :)