Mother's Day Gift Ideas Day 5: Prettily Packaged Soaps

I love good soap. A pretty handmade soap. I love the scents, and the often spend time in my dressing table or bedside drawers before I use them. I even keep some in the linen cupboard, tucked in amongst the towels and sheets to keep them smelling sweet.

So if I were to receive a very prettily packaged bundle of lovely soaps I would be thrilled.

You can get handmade soaps from craft shops, pharmacies, gift shops  - my local post office even keeps them. They run from $1.95 a cake up depending on where you buy them they can be expensive so be aware. This week Aldi have Dove soap for $1 a bar. This makes a nice gift too.

Being a block soap is very easy to package up nicely.

Here are two ways pretty packaging can make a $1 bar of soap look like it cost a whole lot more.

Wrapping paper, ribbon and a bit of bling

You will need:
1 bar soap (I use Dove bought for $1 or less per cake, it smells nice and wraps nicely in the box)
Wrapping paper
Co-ordinating or matching ribbon
A dazzling buckle*
Double-sided sticky tape

Step 1. Wrap the bar of soap in the wrapping paper, using the double-sided tape to secure.

Step 2. Slide the end of the ribbon through the buckle. Wrap the ribbon around the length of the soap, positioning the buckle in the centre of the top. Secure underneath with double-sided tape.

Step 3. Use a glue dot to hold the buckle in place if  necessary.

(This packaging idea comes from The Bluebirds are Nesting,  Annabel has beautiful craft ideas on her blog, please visit to check them out).

A stack of soaps

You will need:
3 rectangular or square bars of soap - all the same size. You can have them all the same colour or a mix'n'match set.
Clear cellophane
Wrapping paper
Baker's twine to coordinate with your wrapping paper
A button
Cardstock (for printing the sentiment - or a pre-made embellishment)
Glue stick or glue tabs
Clear sticky tape
Double-sided tape

Step 1. Wrap the individual soaps in cellophane, using clear sticky tape to secure. Stack.

Step 2. Cut a 4cm strip of wrapping paper to fit around the stack. Secure underneath with double-sided tape.

Step 3. Wrap the stack with the baker's twine four times, securing underneath in a knot.

Step 4. Print the sentiment onto cardstock. Trim and attach to the top of the stack with double-sided tape at an angle. Stick the button to the sentiment to finish.

Menu Plan 10th - 16th May 2015

Since the ACA story aired, I've had a lot of emails asking for my meal plan. I always post my monthly meal plan to the Member's Centre and include it in the Journal each month so Cheapskates Club members can download it if they wish to.

But it seems some of you want to see it here to so I'll be posting a week at a time on a Friday morning from now on.

A warning: we do not eat fancy food. We do eat food with lots of flavour and textures and we do eat lots of vegetables with our meals. So if you want gourmet meals, are not fond of interesting flavours or textures and don't like vegetables you'll need to modify my meal plan considerably to suit your tastes.

This meal plan fits within my $320 a month grocery budget.

Sunday 10th: Roast chicken with stuffing, baked potato, pumpkin, onion, beans, broccoli and carrot with cheese sauce, gravy

Monday 11th: Mexican Meatballs over Spanish Rice, green salad (lettuce, capsicum, cucumber, onion, crumbled feta)

Tuesday 12th: Spaghetti Bolognaise, salad (lettuce, tomato, onion, capsicum, crumbled feta), garlic rolls

Wednesday 13th: Crumbed fish fillets, MOO wedges with sweet chili sour cream, coleslaw (shredded cabbage, grated onion, grated carrot, sliced celery)

Thursday 14th: MOO Pizza (tomato sauce, grated cheese, sliced mushrooms, salami, olives, pineapple, jalapenos)

Friday 15th: Veggie Burgers, MOO wedges, sweet chili sour cream

Saturday 16th: Toasted sandwiches (ham, chicken, tomato, cheese, onion, pesto)

This is flexible. If you've been following the newsletter you'll know that this week's meal plan has been completely ignored. All good intentions went out the window along with our schedules and plans for the week. It's not a disaster, we just ate different things. What we didn't eat will be carried over to another month.

Here's hoping this week isn't as hectic!

The Value of Picturing Your Goals

Several years ago I did a goal setting course, and one of the things we did during the class was to make ourselves a poster with pictures cut from magazines or wherever we could find them of the things we wanted to achieve for the year, and we also made a list on a piece of paper.

I had a slogan from my bank's letter head as it was my goal to save money, I also had a booklet from the Spa Resort at Hepburn Springs among other things on my poster.

I did as our teacher suggested and hung it near my bed so it was the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing I saw at night so was constantly reminded.

By the end of the year I'd saved more than double what I'd set myself, and I spent 3 days in Hepburn Springs and had a day at the spa resort getting all sorts of pampering done, and all my goals were reached that year and most since.
Contributed by Vicki

Lipstick on Your Collar?

I love the new lipsticks that stay on for just about forever, when they are on my lips.

I'm not so fond of them when they're on my clothes or hankies - they are hard to shift.

Here are three tried and true methods for getting lipstick stains out of clothing:

1.Rub the spot with white bread, from the edge in towards the centre, until it has disappeared. Launder as usual.

2.Smear petroleum jelly (good old Vaseline) over the stain, then dab with dry cleaning solution, swapping to a clean spot on the cloth, until the stain has disappeared. Launder as usual.

3.Pat a few drops of vegetable oil onto the stain, gently massage in, from the outer edge towards the centre, leave for 5 minutes then launder as usual.

Deli Counter v Deli Cabinet

Deli foods are delicious, there is no denying that. And most of us buy some form of deli items in our shopping on a regular basis.

But they can be very expensive and add a considerable amount  of money to your weekly or monthly grocery shop. In fact just a few regular deli items can easily add $10, $15, $20 or more to your food bill depending on just where in the supermarket you buy them.

I put the theory to the test yesterday at the Coles supermarket at Tooronga Village for A Current Affair (and you can see the whole story here). I did two identical lots of shopping, one just from the deli counter and one from the deli/chiller cabinets.

The results? The deli counter won hands down, coming in at $92 for 17 items, while the same 17 items from the deli and chiller cabinets came in at $120.36, a huge difference of $28.36!

That's a lot of money. What difference would it make to you to free up $28 a week in your grocery budget?

For example the individual packs of ham or salami or chicken loaf. They are convenient, being pre-packaged and pre-portioned. But when you compare the per kilo cost of that convenient package of ham to the deli counter price it can be anything from 50% to 120% more! Same meat, same store, different packaging.

The same goes for cheeses. A good example is the Jarlsberg from the Coles deli counter for $22 a kilo, sliced. A wedge of Jarlsberg from the dairy cabinet costs $30.20 a kilo - $8.20 a kilo more!

Camembert from the deli costs $32 a kilo, from the dairy cabinet $48 (or more, depending on the brand - some of them were up around $70 a kilo).

Ricotta from the deli is roughly the same price, but you'll find a big difference in price between deli counter Feta and dairy cabinet Feta - $4 a kilo or more, again depending on the brand and type you buy.

I'm sure you are all aware that supermarket meat is expensive, but the difference in price for chicken between the meat cabinet and the deli counter is again huge. Thigh and breast fillets from the meat cabinet were $14/kilo yesterday when I checked, but only $10 a kilo at the deli counter.

Chicken schnitzels are cheaper from the deli counter at $2 each, as is chicken kiev.

But not all things are cheaper at the deli counter.

Shortcut bacon was $17 a kilo at the deli counter and just $15 a kilo, pre-packaged in the chiller section. And a 500g knob of strasburg was just $5.95 or $11.90 a kilo, while the same brand of stras from the deli counter was $14 a kilo.

On the two lots of deli items I bought, one cost $120.36, the other just $92, a difference of $28.36.

The lesson here is that convenience costs, and in a big way.

When you buy from the deli counter you do need to take a number and wait in line. But  you can request the exact quantity you want, have it sliced or shaved fresh to your desired thickness and ask advice from the deli staff, and for the most part pay a whole lot less.

I explain it like this: think about how much your time is worth.

By standing at the deli counter for 5 minutes I saved $28. If I were to earn $28 for five minutes of my time, I'd be earning $330 an hour (and planning a very early retirement)!

Now do you think it's worth taking a ticket and waiting at the deli? I know I do!

Of course you don't need to buy anything from the deli. You can roast and slice your own beef; bake your own ham, slice your own chicken, pastrami and silverside; smoke your own chickens, dry your own tomatoes; roast your own capsicums; make your own ricotta and feta cheese; pickle your own olives. They are all easy to do and will cost you even less than buying them from the deli.

So is it true? Do you prefer to pay for the convenience of pre-packaged deli items regardless of the cost? Or do you prefer to take a few minutes and buy from the deli counter to save around 25%?

Mother's Day Gift Ideas Day 6 - A Candle in a Tea Cup

Pretty cups and saucers can be used for more than just afternoon tea. This candle in a tea cup is gorgeous, and cost almost nothing to make.

I used a 50 cent cup and saucer from my favourite Op Shop, a candle we already had that was a little out of shape, a length of cotton string from the kitchen drawer and a few drops of lavender essential oil to scent it.

They are quick to make too, about 15 minutes all up. This candle cost me 50 cents. I saw a similar thing at Coles yesterday, in their Mother's Day display, for $11!

A Candle in a Tea Cup

You will need:
1 tea cup and saucer
2 or 3 coloured candles
Cotton string (or a candlewick if you have one)
Your favourite essential oil
Hot glue gun
An old fruit tin or similar for melting the candles
A large saucepan

Step 1. Using your hot glue gun, glue the cup to the saucer.

Step 2. Break your candles into smallish pieces. Put them in the fruit tin. Fruit tins are ideal for this step as you can throw them away when you are finished. If you do use a saucepan, don't use one of your favourites or you'll be cleaning it for ages. Wax is very difficult to remove completely. Use a fruit tin and avoid the stress (and the work).

Step 3. Sit the fruit tin in a large saucepan. Fill it with water to about half way up the side of the fruit tin. Bring the pot of water to the boil, all the while stirring the melting candles. Once the water is boiling, turn it down to a simmer. Continue to stir the candles as they melt.

Step 4. Cut a length of string twice the height of your cup. Dip the string into the melted wax a couple of times to stiffen it.

Step 5. Carefully pour a tiny blob of melted wax into the bottom of the tea cup. Stick one end of the wick to the bottom of the cup.

Step 6. Holding the wick straight (you might need someone to help you here) fill the cup to the brim with the melted wax. As the wax cools it will form a slight dip in the centre. Melt any remaining wax and fill the dip.

Add embellishments to the rim of the cup, the handle and/or the saucer if you wish to.

Are You a Financial Ostrich?

If you ignore your finances in the hope that they will manage themselves, don't!

They won't and all you end up with is a huge mess, a potential pile of debt you'll spend years repaying and a whole lot of stress.

Don't ignore a bill because you're afraid of what it says, that is a sure-fire way to get into serious financial trouble.

Don't believe the myth that most people live pay to pay, getting further and further into debt.

Don't believe the myth that you must live on credit to survive.

And don't believe that the financial mess will one day magically disappear, leaving you to live happily ever after.

Always read your bank statements, your credit card statements and every bill that comes into your home. Compare them to the previous bills, check for inconsistencies or errors and deal with them immediately. A few minutes at the time will save you a lot of money, lot of stress and a lot of time.

Nacho Taters

Stuffed potatoes are such a simple meal to prepare. They're great for a family dinner or for larger gatherings too, with much of the preparation being able to be done ahead of time.

Nacho Taters

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes (about 500g each)
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup salsa
1 cup grated cheese
1 can baked beans
3 spring onions
2-3 jalapeños (pickled or fresh)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Wash the potatoes well, then dry with a paper towel. Coat each potato in vegetable oil, then prick the skin a few times with a fork. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and transfer into the oven. Bake for 45 minute to an hour, or until soft all the way through.

While the potatoes are baking, prepare the toppings. Slice the green onions and jalapeño, grated the cheese and allow the corn to thaw. Open the salsa and baked beans.

Once the potatoes are cooked through, remove them from the oven (but leave it on, the potatoes will go back in). Cut each one lengthwise down the centre, then once across. Open the potatoes up and mash the insides slightly.

Drizzle a couple tablespoons of salsa over each potato, then top with baked beans, corn, jalapeños, and a handful of cheese. Transfer the potatoes back into the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Remove the potatoes from the oven, drizzle with more salsa if desired, then sprinkle with sliced spring onions.

The Week that Was

I picked a handful of these pretty roses that grow along the driveway for our bedroom

Last week was such a busy week, and this one is already shaping up to be the same. All the usual homemaking jobs of course: washing, dusting, vacuuming, beds, bathroom cleaning, ironing, gardening, bill paying, meal prep and cooking - you know how it goes.

My mother told me years and years ago, before we were even married, that once you have a home and a family you always have something to do and it is so true. Even if I didn't have Cheapskates I'm sure I'd have more than enough to do in and around our home, looking after my family to keep me busy.

There have been a few extra things on this past week. The fun stuff has been making the samples for the Mother's Day Gift Ideas series. I love handicrafts of any kind and would happily spend hours knitting, sewing, working on tapestries, making cards, quilling and trying other crafts so "having" to spend time doing these things has been a real hardship as I'm sure you'll understand, especially if you love crafting too.

I'm also working on the materials packages for the Art of Living the Cheapskates Way workshop. Only two weeks away, I'm hoping to get everything finalised early this week so I can be sure the workshop will run smoothly and everyone will not only have a great day but learn some of my secrets for living on a tight budget.

On SaturdayI had the absolute pleasure of going to the Hampton Park Library here in Melbourne and spending almost two hours talking to  the loveliest group of people about the Art of Living the Cheapskates Way.

It was lovely to see my friend Tracey come in. I've known her since I was 12, so a long time, and while we haven't seen each other face to face for about five years, she has been a member for a long time and we keep in touch via facebook. And it was fantastic to have Wendy sitting up the back offering encouragement too.

Apparently I was invited to talk at the library because I have a stalker! Deirdre and her "plus one" sat in the front row and I think she was like a bee in a bottle with excitement.

The questions came thick and fast as we went through my presentation, and then for almost an hour after. It was so nice to be able to share ideas with like-minded people and offer encouragement. I'm sure there is a young man went home and sat down with pen and paper, to work out how he can pay cash for the new care he wants in four years after I explained how we save to pay cash for everything and some advice from Wendy.

Then there's the young mum with four daughters who wants to learn to sew. Like me she worries about the fashions for little girls these days and struggles to find clothing she and her husband feel appropriate without having her daughters dressed like dowdy old ladies. I had some suggestions for her, having been in the same position when Hannah was small.

And it was thrilling to have a Tip of the Week winner in the audience too, encouraging everyone to share their tips for their chance to win a one-year membership. I love reading the new tips that come in and adding them to the Tip Store and the Journal and the newsletter. On that note if you have a great idea for saving money, time and/or energy share it! You might just be a lucky winner too!  http://www.cheapskates.com.au/contactform/default.cfm?form_id=125

Here's my tip for today: keep an eye out at your local library for guest speakers. Library events are (usually) free and they have some fascinating speakers (and you never know, I might just be one of them!). I'm at the Knox Library on Wednesday 13th May, you can contact the library for bookings, and I can't wait. Meeting so many lovely folk who don't think I'm odd (or are too polite to let me know if they do) is pure joy.

Then, to top off a perfectly lovely day, I followed Wendy home for what was to be a quick cuppa and chat. Two and a half hours later and we were still chatting even as I was getting into the car. Afternoon tea with Wendy and Darren is just wonderful. Beautiful china, a lovely table setting and the most delicious homemade treats.

Darren blessed me with two bags of coffee grounds for the compost! Oh the fragrance in the car on the way home, to a coffee lover like me it was perfume indeed. Wendy blessed me with a beautiful pad of printed papers I can use for making cards and a big bag of lemons, picked off her lemon tree that day. I've already used some of the paper and the lemons have been juiced and zested for lemon butter and cordial later in the year.

A gift of fresh lemons, picked straight from Wendy's tree

It's not like  Wendy and I don't talk or email reasonably often but when we are together we never run out of things to say. Having a friend who has had an almost identical life path, with it's up and downs and the odd test or two, is a rare and wonderful blessing, one I am thankful for. To the lady at the bread shop who told Wendy about Cheapskates, thank you. If you hadn't been brave enough to mention us, Wendy may never have subscribed to the newsletter and then eventually joined and I, and everyone else at Cheapskates, would have missed her beautiful friendship.

Now onto more mundane things.

This week my meal plan is out the window, and it's only Monday. I think about the only meal on the plan that will actually be made is the pizza on Thursday. Last night we had beef ribs instead of roast beef. AJ asked for ribs last Thursday and I said no, then the Tasman email arrived with weekend specials and low and behold, beef ribs were on sale for $5.99 a kilo. Off to Tasman I went, and was strong. So many great markdowns but no room in the freezer, so a tray of ribs was the lonely occupant of my basket when I went to the checkout.

And tonight is supposed to be bean and vegetable casserole, but there are some tortillas to use up, a little mince in the fridge that has to be used and half a tub of sour cream I don't want to waste so tacos it is.

And tomorrow night instead of chicken tortellini we'll be having MOOed chicken kievs. I want to try a new recipe and I have all the ingredients. Tomorrow night is the only night this week we'll all be home at the same time for a meal so the tortellini will have to wait.

It just goes to show that no matter how well organised you are, life can get in the way. If I wasn't so organised chances are we'd have a lot of wasted food (and therefore money) and we really can't afford to waste either thing.

Today has been glorious. It started out cold and foggy, but it wasn't long before the sun was shining. I've dried a load of washing on the line, picked some egg plants, capsicums and pumpkins; whizzed some dried bread for breadcrumbs, grated blocks of cheese and vac sealed them in 500g lots for the kids to use while I'm away; done my Monday cleaning jobs; taken three bags of towels to the op shop and tidied the laundry cupboard.

Pumpkin, egg plant and capsicum straight from my garden - can you see I need to beat the possums and birds?

Now I'm going to enjoy a cup of tea before it's time to start the tacos and get ready for whatever tomorrow brings.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas Day 4 - Handmade Cards

We all know cards are expensive, especially the really beautiful handmade and richly embellished cards. They can often run to $11 or more each. Aldi have a box of handmade cards on sale for $14.99, or 50 cents each. I've seen boxes of 50 handmade cards (that were actually pretty ordinary, especially for handmade cards) for $29.99 and $39.99 at speciality shops.

You're my cup of tea - a simple design using stamped papers, trimmed and layered onto paper.

Why not make Mum a card box, with a year's supply of birthday cards and a variety of every day cards: thank you, new baby, get well, sympathy, Easter, new home, engagement, wedding and blank (so she can choose the occasion and the sentiment).

Birdhouse birthday card made with stickers layered onto plain background with a cardboard sentiment

You can buy blank cards from craft shops, $2 shops, Riot Art'n'Craft, Kmart, even Target. You'll pay about $2 for a pack of 5 blanks with envelopes from the $2 shop, $5.50 for 50 cards and envelopes from Kmart and more from specialty craft shops. You can also buy A4 sized cardstock and make your own cards, but you'll also have to make your own envelope if you choose this option. There are pads of pretty printed cardstock available, they are usually around $16 - $24 each depending on where you buy them and the brand.

For now, I'm happy to pay the 11 cents each for the blanks and envelopes from Kmart.

Self adhesive pearls and a diamonte buckle threaded with organza ribbon, trimmed with paper lace and layered onto a floral background for a bit of bling

Wendy, from our $300 a Month Food challenge and over at My Abundant Life  makes gorgeous cards, for just a few cents each and she has a card making tutorial  on her blog. If you'd like some ideas for beautiful handmade cards that won't cost you more than a bought one, please visit her blog and go through the tutorials.

There are dozens of card making and paper  craft magazines available, but boy are they expensive. They all have websites and on those websites you'll find ideas and inspiration, but even better you'll find instructions for making beautiful cards. It gets better though, because you can print gorgeous papers and embellishments to use in your card making totally free.

Some of my favourites for ideas and free papers to print are:

Cardmaking & Papercraft Magazine

So much to see and learn on this website. Lots of freebies, including pretty papers you can print as you need and some lovely templates to use for fancy cards.You do need to hand over your name and email to access the .pdfs but you can then choose whether or not you get emails from them.

CardMaker Magazine

This is an American site. I love the beautiful, free card designs, but best of all I love that the materials are just listed as generic materials, no particular brand names are used, so I can adapt the items in my stash to suit.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas Day 3 - A Bunch of Beautiful Bookmarks

Here is a gorgeous bookmark you can make with a scrap of cardstock, a scrap of wrapping paper and a length of ribbon - perfect for using a ribbon you've saved from something else.

You will need:
The template - click here to print it (no need to resize, it will print at the correct size)
30cm thin ribbon
15cm square cardstock
15cm square printed paper
Glue

Step 1. Print the template and cut it out. Trace around the template onto the cardstock twice to give you two shapes. Cut out the two shapes around the outside of the traced edge.

Step 2. Trace around the printed paper twice to give you two shapes. Cut around the shapes on the inside of the traced line. This will give you two shapes a little smaller than the card stock shapes.

Step 3. Cover the back of one printed shape with glue. Stick it to the top side of one of the cardstock shapes. Press down to smooth out any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining printed and cardstock shapes.

Step 4. Take one shape and lay it face down on a table. Run a strip of glue down the centre. Position the ribbon so the top is approximately 5cm above the top of the shape. Press the ribbon into place.

Step 5. Run a strip of glue down the inside of the remaining shape. Press into place over the other shape, covering the ribbon.

Most Mums just love to read (usually because of the peace and quiet) but we don't often get time to read a whole book without interruptions for drinks, car-pooling, dinner fixing, bath time splashes and bed time stories. That means we need something to mark our place in that fantastic book we don't want to put down.

Over the years I've used slips of paper, old envelopes, paper clips, even the cardboard dividers out of the box of tea bags. I also have some beautiful bookmarks that I love to use. They are pretty and practical, don't mark my precious books and help me pick up reading where I left off.

Here are some other bookmarks you might like to make:

Pretty Ribbon Bookmarks

Knit a Bookmark

Mother's Day Gift Ideas Day 2: Calico Topper Kitchen Towel

I use hand towels in my kitchen all the time, I don't like to wipe my hands on the tea towel I use for dishes. These towels are really pretty and very quick to make. You can use a tea towel or a hand towel to make them - you'll get two hand towels from each one.

I like the country look of calico toppers but you can use any cotton fabric - a toning plain or a pretty print would look just as good. I've made them with gingham toppers and plain towels, very pretty and super quick and easy - no other embroidery necessary.

For this towel I embroidered Mickey and Minnie Mouse. You can leave them plain, embroider something onto them, cross-stitch a pattern or even use fabric paints to embellish the toppers. Use your imagination and the materials you have in your craft stash and you won't need to buy anything other than perhaps the towel!

Calico Topper Kitchen Towel

You will need:
1 hand towel (you will get two kitchen towels from one hand towel)  
Scraps of cotton fabric for the topper
button
thread to match fabric of topper

Step 1. Print and cut out pattern. DO NOT resize - it will print at the correct size.

Step 2. Using pattern cut two pieces of fabric for topper.  Mark buttonhole.

Step 3. Place both pieces of fabric right sides together. Using a 6mm seam and starting at the bottom left side of the topper stitch around the edge, finishing at the bottom right side and leaving the bottom edges open.

Step 4. Turn topper right side out, clipping curves if necessary. Press. Turn bottom edge under 6mm to form hem.  Press.

Step 5. Cut hand towel in half widthways. Place topper over raw edge of one half of the towel, gathering towel to fit if necessary and matching edge of towel with inside edge of topper hem. Pin. Stitch through all thicknesses, close to bottom edge of topper, being sure to catch raw edge of towel.

Step 6. Make buttonhole. Sew on button - choose a pretty one from your button jar. If you don't have a sewing machine and don't know how to make a buttonhole by hand, stitch on a set of velcro dotsl to keep the tab closed.

MOO Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

Which would you prefer? Two jars (tins) for 50 cents (just 25 cents each!), or paying over $2 a can?

My favourite MOO** mix at this time of year, when the weather is cooling and casseroles are featuring more on my meal plan, is the MOO Condensed Cream of Chicken soup - so easy to use instead of a tin and much, much nicer.

I have a lot of recipes, mostly inherited from my mother and Wayne's Granny, that use tinned soup, especially condensed cream of chicken soup. It's a great casserole base, very versatile. It goes really well in chicken and rice casserole or a tuna bake. It makes a lovely version of scalloped potatoes too.

The problem is the tinned version you buy at the supermarket isn't particularly healthful and it is very expensive. Tinned cream of chicken soup is over $2 a can - this recipe makes the equivalent of two tins and costs around 80 cents to make if you have MOOed chicken stock, about $1.50 if you have to buy it. It is cheap! Really, really cheap. And it is good! Really, really good.

It is the easiest thing to make at home, and there are no special ingredients in it other than a stock cube if you don't usually use them.

MOO Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

This is the equivalent of two tins of cream of chicken soup, much cheaper than bought and far healthier too.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups chicken stock (if you don't have your own, a bought stock is just fine, but adds to the cost)
1 Vegeta chicken stock cube (you can use another brand if you like, I prefer Vegeta)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp paprika
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup plain flour*

Method:
Put chicken stock, 1/2 cup milk and the seasonings in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute.   Whisk the remaining milk and flour together until there are no lumps. Add to boiling mixture, whisking continually until mixture boils and thickens.

Yield:  approximately the equivalent of two tins of Cream of Chicken soup. Freeze immediately or keep in fridge for up to 5 days. This soup mix freezes and thaws beautifully. Use to make soup or in place of tinned soup in recipes.

*I use plain wholemeal Spelt flour to make this mix. It gives it a nutty flavour. If you don't use white flour plain wholemeal works just as well.

**MOO - Make Our Own

So what is your favourite cream of chicken soup recipe? Mine is Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Casserole, a favourite from my childhood when Mum made it in her trusty original burnt orange Crockpot :)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas Day 1 - Lavender Bath Bombs

I thought that for the next few days, until Mother's Day, I'd post some simple, inexpensive but really pretty and useful gift ideas. You can make them for Mother's Day, most of them would be suitable to use on a Mother's Day stall, but really they're just wonderful gifts for any reason: birthday, thank you, good-bye, get well, I'm thinking of you - whenever you need a present.

And most of them are handmade, and can be made by you - yes you - even if you're not at all crafty. Trust me, because I'm not terribly craft and I have made all of these gift ideas.

Today's gift idea is one I enjoy making, and using - the humble bath bomb.

How to Make Lavender Bath Bombs

You will need:
2 cups bicarbonate of soda
1 cup citric acid powder
Powdered food colour
Sifter
Olive oil
An essential oil such as peppermint, lavender, geranium
Potpourri or herbal teabags such as chamomile, lemon, rosehip or peppermint
Moulds

Step 1. To make the base mix, sift together the bicarbonate of soda, citric acid powder and food colour (if you use it) in a large, dry mixing bowl. This is enough to make about 4 bombs, depending on the size of the moulds.  To give your bombs a pretty, textured look, sprinkle extra herbal tea or potpourri into the moulds before you press in the mix.  This is when you stir in any pot pourri or herbs if you are using them (tear open a herbal tea bag and add to the dry mix - lemon tea goes beautifully with lavender essential oil).

Step 2. In a small bowl, combine 6 drops of your chosen essential oil with 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil.

Step 3. This is the tricky bit. Pour this mixture into the base mix and stir quickly with a teaspoon so things don't start fizzing! You will need to stir very, very quickly and not stop until everything is well mixed.

Step 4. Wearing rubber gloves (so your hands don't get stained), continue to combine the ingredients with your fingertips until they start to stay together when compressed in your hand, like wet sand does. When the mixture reaches this stage it's ready to go into the moulds. Stick to simple shapes like stars and hearts so the bombs turn out easily. Silicone cake moulds are ideal to use for making bath bombs, they don't need to be oiled as they can be turned out easily. Silicone cake pop moulds make lovely small bath bombs.

Step 5. Wipe a little sweet almond or olive oil inside the mould. Fill the mould with the mixture, packing it in firmly. Make your other bath bombs with the remaining mixture, working with 1/2 cup at a time. Leave the bath bombs to set for at least 24 hours (48 hours is even better) until they are completely dry. Turn each mould over and bang it firmly once on a flat surface, then gently ease out the bath bombs.

I use lavender from my garden with a good lavender essential oil to make gorgeous bath bombs. To package them I use cellophane bags (you can get them at party supply shops quite cheaply) with about a half a cup of lavender in the bottom. I sit the bath bomb on the lavender and then tie the bag closed with a lavender or darker purple ribbon and they look lovely and very luxurious.

Best of all these bath bombs are meant to be used, the lavender makes a delightfully relaxing bath.

You'll find powdered food colouring anywhere that sells cake decorating supplies and some health food shops.

You can buy citric acid in bulk from bulk cleaning suppliers, I buy it in 5 kilo tubs for around $20.

Bulk bicarb soda is available from pool stores - it is known as ph buffer and is available in 5, 10, and 20 kilo buckets or bags.

Buy Fewer, but Better Quality Toys for Longer Fun

I've noticed this week that the department stores are starting to build up stocks in their toy departments, no doubt in anticipation of the mid-year toy sales.

Buying toys on sale is a great idea. Buying better quality toys on sale is an even better idea.

As you plan your toy sale shopping, keep in mind that little people very often change their minds faster than you can keep up with them. What they desperately want today will be completely forgotten come next week, let alone Christmas or a long-way off birthday.

Everyone wants their children to have the "best" in toys: educational of course, the same as everyone else so they fit in, plenty of variety to stimulate their imaginations and so on.

Young children are far better off with a few good quality, sturdy, stimulating, SAFE toys rather than an overwhelming abundance of expensive, often poorly made, toys that do nothing but fall apart, make a mess and cause upsets.

Minimize your spending on toys, leaving the whizz bang latest fads to grandparent and doting aunts and uncles for birthdays and Christmas. Encourage them to focus on one high-quality, value toy that will last longer than a week.

Lego, Duplo, Hot  Wheels, Baby Born accessories (skip the clothes - buy them from the Op Shop for a better range and a much better price), age appropriate board games etc. all minimize health risks, are much better value dollar for dollar, are sturdy enough to withstand constant play and can be played with over and over in so many different configurations they'll last for years.