Bread And Butter Pudding

This is a classic winter pudding and a firm favourite in our house. You can use stale raisin bread and leave out the sultanas for a fruity change.

Ingredients:
8 slices stale bread, buttered and spread with raspberry or strawberry jam
1/2  cup sultanas
3 level tablespoons caster sugar
1 and 1/2 cups milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Grated nutmeg

Method:
Heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.  Cut each slice of bread and butter into 4 triangles. Place 1/3 of the bread in the base of a lightly greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle with half the sultanas and one tablespoon of sugar.  Place half of the remaining bread on top and then the remaining sultanas plus one tablespoon sugar.  Place the remaining bread and butter on the top, buttered side up, trying to ensure all the sultanas are covered by the bread.  Sprinkle the last tablespoon of sugar over the top.  In a separate bowl beat the eggs and  milk together.  Carefully pour over the bread and fruit mix.  Sprinkle on a little nutmeg.  Let stand for half an hour.  Don't worry if the top pieces of bread are not submerged under the milk - these are going to be the nice crispy bits. Bake about 40 minutes until the "custard" has set and the pudding is golden brown on the top.

From the October 2010 Journal

Quick Homemade Oatmeal Soap

Rolled oats aren't just for breakfast. They can be a part of your beauty routine too. You can add them to the bath for a soothing and skin softening soak or you can use this deceptively simple oatmeal soap for the same result. It literally take 5 minutes to make, it's that quick and easy.

To make the soap you will need:
A food processor, blender or coffee grinder
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick cook)
1 large bar of natural soap
A large microwave safe jug
1 tbsp  water
Wooden spoon
2 or 3 soap moulds (I use silicone patty pans)


1.  Put the rolled oats in the food processor and process in short bursts until you have a coarse powder (you want to be able to see that it is oats, not a fine powder).

2.  Grate the soap on the zester side of your grater (or use the grater attachment on your food processor).

3.  Put the grated soap into the microwave jug and add the water. Stir. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, watching carefully that it doesn't bubble over. Stir to dissolve the soap. If the soap hasn't completely dissolved microwave another minute and stir

4.  Quickly stir the oatmeal into the soap mixture. It will form a thick ball and begin to set almost straight away, so work quickly.

5.  Pour the oatmeal soap into the soap moulds. Allow to set for 24 hours. Remove from the moulds and allow to air dry to set completely.

Get free stuff for your garden

We all know that getting your garden landscaped and established can be expensive, very expensive. But it doesn't have to be. You can get most of the things you need and want for your garden free with just a little planning and these handy tips.

Freecycle - put a "wanted" ad on Freecycle for plants and you'll be inundated with offers.  You can also ask for tools and other garden necessities. One Cheapskates family was able to lay new turf in their freshly landscaped backyard free just by asking on Freecycle.  Go to www.freecycle.org to find a group near you.

Swap - swap plants and tools with family, friends and neighbours.  Just remember when you borrow a tool to return it promptly and  in better condition than you received it.

Dumpster dive - Ok, I don't mean you actually have to dumpster dive but I've picked up plants, plant stands, plant pots, tables, chairs and garden tools by scouting hard rubbish (always knock on the door and ask if you can take the items, otherwise it is stealing). You'll be amazed at what perfectly good garden equipment people will put out as rubbish.

Too many bubbles?

We almost had a disaster in the kitchen the other day. I left a son (it's OK AJ, I won't name names) to stack and run the dishwasher. When I came back the dishwasher was spewing bubbles everywhere, the kitchen floor was more than half covered in lovely bubbles and the poor old dishwasher was literally groaning! He had inadvertently filled the detergent dispenser with homemade soap powder (I had the box sitting on the sink ready to make up another batch). Woops! It's a low sudsing detergent but not when so much is used in such a small space with such hot water!

When your handy helpers overload the dishwasher, washing machine or even the bath with too much soap, you can dissolve the bubbles quickly and easily with white vinegar. Just throw a cup of vinegar into the dishwasher or washing machine (or bath) and the bubbles will disappear.

Can you feed a family on a budget with just a few ingredients? Yes you can!

That was the question asked me yesterday and part of my answer. Of course you can feed a family on a budget - even a small, tight budget - and you can feed them well! And they won't have to go without treats or give up variety and flavour either.

The old joke about "101 ways to serve mince" might be clichéd, but there are so many delicious ways to prepare and serve mince and chicken and lamb and other beef cuts and fish and yes, even vegetables that won't cost a fortune, far more than just a 101.

Over the years I've learned that the trick to eating well and keeping the cost down is to keep meals, or rather the ingredients for meals, simple. Using pantry basics you can create thousands of different recipes. Think about it, they're not called "basics" because you use them once then shove them to the back of the cupboard to go stale.

These foods are called basics because they form the basis of every recipe.

When you have a pantry stocked with the basics you can leave so many compound ingredients on the shelves.

Take powdered milk for instance. Of course you can use it to make milk. But when it's combined with basic butter and sugar it becomes condensed milk. So you can leave that on the shelf. When you add 1 cup of powdered milk to 3/4 cup water you have the equivalent of a can of evaporated milk. So that's another can you can leave off your grocery list. Powdered milk, when combined with basic sugar, cornflour, vanilla and water becomes custard. Leave that packet behind too.

Can you see how basics work? You use them on their own or in combination with other basic ingredients to create the ingredients you need for your recipe.

Most of us use taco seasoning. The packets of taco/enchilada/burrito seasonings are almost $2 a packet and each packet weighs around 30g. When you combine basic herbs and spices that most of us have in our pantry, you not only have truly fresh taco or enchilada or burrito seasoning, but you've saved a bundle. Old El Paso taco seasoning sells for $1.95 a 30g packet. That equates to $65 a kilo! You can make the same quantity of taco seasoning for around 60 cents, less than a third the price! You can bet your bottom dollar that Mexican cooks don't buy packet seasonings, they mix their own to taste and save a fortune while doing it.

Ordinary white flour makes cakes, scones, biscuits and breads. But did you know it also makes great gravy? And can be used as a thickener in casseroles and stews? It also thickens pickles and chutneys.

So what are the bare bones pantry basics?

The absolute minimum in my pantry would be:

Flours - plain, self-raising, wholemeal, gluten cornflour
Sugar - just white. You can make castor and brown sugar very easily.
Rolled oats
Rice - white. Basmati as it's a lower GI and slightly better than other rices
Pasta - easy as it is to make, it's just as cheap and easy to buy. Spaghetti, lasagne, twists or shells.
Dried fruits - mixed fruit and sultanas, glace cherries and ginger
Dried beans and lentils
Nuts - peanuts for peanut butter, almonds, walnuts
Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin, mixed spice, vanilla beans, vanilla extract
Herbs - mixed herbs, basil, oregano, rosemary, dill, dried onion, garlic powder, sage, thyme,
Powdered milk - skim and full cream
Vinegar - white, brown, balsamic
Sauces - soy, oyster,
Oils - olive, safflower, sesame
Yeast
Tinned tomatoes
Tinned pineapple
Baked beans
Eggs
Butter
Cheese - tasty, parmesan
Potatoes
Onions
Carrots
Celery
Zucchini

I do have other foods in the pantry, but those above are the bare basics. With those ingredients and a little beef, chicken, lamb or fish I can feed the family for months before repeating a recipe.

As you stock your pantry, try to choose foods that will do double, triple, even quadruple duty. Your grocery bill will go down, you'll be stunned at how much money you save, your pantry will suddenly seem bigger and you won't be wasting nearly as much food and money.

The lass that asked the question was amazed and then really interested and then excited about learning how to prepare yummy meals for minimal cost. It was so much fun talking with her and sharing little titbits of information. We only had 45 minutes together and most of that time was spent filming but by the time she left I'm sure she at least knew she didn't have to spend half her wage on food each week.

I know she was confident that she could have just a few basic ingredients on hand and still eat delicious meals.

So what do you consider a pantry basic? What ingredients are must haves in your cupboard?

Taco Seasoning Mix

Ingredients:
2 tsp ground chilli powder (more or less to taste)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp salt

Method:
Mix all ingredients together and store in a small, air tight jar. To use: 3 tablespoonfuls is the equivalent of 1 packet of commercial taco seasoning mix.

A simple saving game where everyone wins

So often people tell me they can't save, they don't have the money.  Well this saving game will reap a great prize for you, the winner, and make saving easy.  It really is simple - every time you get a $5 note save it.  Put it in a money box or a biscuit tin, anywhere out of your purse or wallet. How simple and easy is that?  You'll need to be strong and resist the temptation to spend them but as you see your "prize" growing in value the motivation to keep going will be strong.  Try it for a week and see how much you have saved, then try it for another week.  That prize money is growing so quickly, imagine how much you'll have by the end of the month!  Just as you never spend a 50c coin, make a promise to yourself to never again spend a $5 note.

The World's Easiest and Yummiest Brownies

These brownies are so quick to mix and easy to make. They are moist and sweet and won't last long. I use margarine for this recipe rather than butter as butter makes a drier texture. I love the rich, moist result I get with margarine.  Cut them into squares and dust with icing sugar to serve.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup margarine, melted
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Spray a lamington pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with baking paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Sift dry ingredients into egg mixture. Stir mixture until well-combined.  Bake in prepared pan for 20 to 30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Let cool in pan 5 minutes before turning out onto cake rack to cool completely.

Patience pays off when it comes to bargain hunting

 Tom's "new" desk - my apologies for the quality of the photo - I just couldn't get it right!

A few weeks ago Thomas asked if he could have a new desk. It seems that with his studies this year his desk just wasn't big enough. He needs more space so he can spread out his books, computer and still do the drawings for his assignments. I've been thinking about his question for ages, looking at desks, checking freecycle and the local paper, I even logged onto the Ikea website to see what they had to offer. Everything was either too expensive, too small, too big or too flimsy.

Until yesterday. I took the car to pick Mum up from the bus stop and I am sure it wasn't there when I left, but 10 minutes later as we turned the corner to come home it was. A lovely solid timber computer desk. I was so excited I ran into the house to tell Tom about it. Of course he was not at all interested - he was busy, so I nagged suggested that Wayne go down and have a look at it. It was on the nature strip, only three doors down, it wouldn't take him long. Smart man that he is he thought my suggestion worthwhile and off he went.  He was gone so long I almost sent a search party out for him.

It's a great desk, in really good condition, so he knocked on the door and asked if we could have it. The people were grateful to see it go (it's still another week until hard rubbish collection) and they were hoping it would go quickly.

So Tom and Wayne wandered down and carried it home. It has cleaned up beautifully. I bug sprayed it - just to be sure, I really don't like bugs, especially in my house, and washed it with soapy water. When it was dry I polished it with furniture wax and it has come up, not like new, but almost. There are a couple of scratches on the top and one of the drawer handles was missing. A desk mat has covered the scratches and Wayne found a large ring to use for the drawer handle. It will do fine until we find three matching handles.

Thomas is very happy with his new desk. And best of all, one thing came into the house and two things went out. He put his old desk and the matching shelves on the nature strip and just a few minutes ago a car pulled up, out jumped a woman and she picked up the desk. We thought she'd decided not to take the shelves - but no, she was back a few minutes later and picked them up too. Guess I thought she had more room in the back of her car than she really did.  I hope they've gone to a good home.

I am so glad we waited. We could have gone out and bought a new desk as soon as he asked for it. Or I could have bought any number of others that I've looked at, but they would not have been as ideal as this one.

It's big enough, solid enough and the price was just right - absolutely free!

Sometimes I think we are so used to instant everything that we don't wait. As soon as a want pops into our minds we have to have it. Waiting for a want has paid off big time, much to our delight.

ANZAC Slice

We all know and love ANZAC biscuits, but if you don't have the time to make biscuits you can make this delicious slice instead. Based on the traditional ANZAC biscuit recipe, it doesn't have the bicarb soda in it, but it tastes just as good and will disappear just as quickly.

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup  plain flour
1/2 cup SR flour
125g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup

Method:
Preheat oven to 180° Celsius. Line a slice tin with baking paper.  In a large bowl, combine oats, sugar, coconut and flours. Heat butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan on low heat for 1-2 minutes, until butter has melted and mixture is well combined. You can heat the butter and golden syrup in the microwave oven, in 30 second bursts, until butter is melted and combined with the syrup if you prefer.

Make a well in centre of dry ingredients. Add butter mixture and combine well. Press firmly into prepared pan using base of a glass. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden.  Allow to cool in tin before cutting into squares.

Everlasting plant labels

Growing your own food and flowers is the frugal choice, but it's not always easy to remember what you've planted where. Plant labels are the obvious answer but are very expensive to buy. Instead of relying on your memory, make plant labels from margarine tubs. Simply cut rectangles around the tub and use a permanent marker to note the type of plant and the date you planted it on a rectangle. Then slip the label next to the plant or at the start of the row and you'll never mix up the broccoli and the cabbages again.

The Frugal Habits of the World's Richest Man

photo courtesy Google images

I watched a fascinating documentary today about Warren Buffet, who takes turns at being the world's richest man with Bill Gates. It's called The World's Greatest Money Maker: Warren Buffet

Mr Buffet has a personal wealth that is estimated to be more than $37 billion. His company, Berkshire Hathaway is worth $150 billion, he owns a quarter outright.

So what makes this billionaire different to all the other wealthy people in the world?

His attitude to money. This man lives life frugally, he embraces the Cheapskates way of life and is proud to say so.

He lives with his wife in the house they have lived in for over 50 years. He and his wife raised their three children in this home, and they were by no means spoiled. Indeed his son Peter tells the story of asking his dad for $5 so he go out with his friends and buy McDonalds for their dinner. His father gave him the $5, but he told him to bring the change back (which we have always done with our kids).  He said it with a smile, but he meant it. He wanted the change.

His wife clips coupons and shops on a budget. She runs the household on a strict budget and lights are turned off when no one is in the room, food isn't wasted and nothing is thrown away unless there is absolutely no other use for it.

Bill Gates says of Warren Buffett "he has never ramped up his ability to consume". What a testimonial!  he lives as he did when he had no money and was a struggling young husband and father! A lesson to learn for all of us.  In this day and age of out of control consumerism, knowing the richest man in the world shuns it is an incredible example for anyone wanting to live the Cheapskates way and enjoy debt free, cashed up life.

But for me the thing that sets Warren Buffet apart from other wealthy people is that he doesn't judge what he does by the standards of other people.

Instead, he lives the way he does and works the way he does so he can enjoy the things in life that are important to him.

Just like we do.  I've always said we choose to not spend our money on things that aren't important to us so we have the money to spend on the things that are.

It's why we are Cheapskates and live the Cheapskates way, to live life debt free, cashed up and laughing.

What to do when there's nothing to do

There's nothing to do becomes a catchphrase during the holidays.

I asked friends what they do with their kids, read everything I can on the subject, searched the Internet, watched current affairs shows to get inspiration and came up with The List.

The List is just that a great, big list of things that just about anyone can do. There is always something to be found on The List.  It's not just for school holidays and it's not just for kids. There are over 200 different things to do on The List . We have it printed and stuck on the corkboard in the family room ready for the holidays. You may like to do the same thing. Then the kids can look at The List and choose an activity, or you may like to make it a family decision. Either way, it really does spell the end of the "I can't think of anything to dos"!

• ride bikes
• roller blade
• basketball
• play board games
• make a tent out of blankets
• squirt with hoses - but don't waste water
• run through the sprinkler
• have a skip-a-thon
• start researching your family tree
• start documenting your family tree
• organise and plan a family reunion
• hold a family reunion
• read books - visit your local library and try some you haven't read before
• blow bubbles
• colour
• play with play dough
• try our great play dough recipe
• press flowers
• do crafts with pressed flowers - make a start on your Christmas cards
• write a letter to a relative, friend or pen pal
• clean bedroom (one of my favourites)
• vacuum living room
• clean bathroom
• make a craft - try something new
• draw
• make homemade play dough
• paint
• pull weeds
• give your favourite person a surprise party
• watch a movie
• write stories
• use binoculars - look for as many different things as you can
• use magnifying glass
• use microscope
• bird watching - how many different breeds can you find in your backyard?
• write a play
• act out a play
• invent circus acts
• perform a circus
• play card games (snap, old maid, go fish)
• make art on the footpath with chalk
• play catch
• play baseball
• collect rocks
• collect leaves
• collect feathers
• play Frisbee
• make Frisbee's out of old plastic lids, decorate with markers
• dust the house
• brush the pet
• write letters to the editor of your local newspaper about articles you are interested in
• plant a garden or a pot
• collect seeds
• hunt for four-leaf clovers
• learn magic tricks
• put on a magic show
• plant a container garden
• sprout seeds or beans
• make sock puppets
• put on a puppet show
• make Christmas presents
• make homemade wrapping paper
• make homemade gift cards
• make picture frames from twigs glued onto sturdy cardboard
• crochet or knit
• make doll clothes
• sew buttons in designs on old shirts
• run relay races
• make bookmarks
• take a quiet rest time
• take a shower or bath
• bath a pet
• feed the birds
• watch the clouds
• organise a dresser drawer
• clean under the bed
• empty dishwasher
• vacuum under the couch cushions and keep any change found
• write these ideas on pieces of paper and pick out one or two to do
• whittle
• whittle bars of soap
• practice musical instruments
• perform a family concert
• teach yourself to play musical instrument (recorder, harmonica, guitar)
• fold clean washing
• sweep kitchen or bathroom floors
• sweep front paths
• sweep back verandah
• sweep driveway
• wash car - on the grass, of course!
• vacuum car
• vacuum or dust window blinds
• clean bathroom mirrors
• clean sliding glass doors
• clean inside of car windows
• wash bicycles
• clean garage
• play in the sandpit
• build a sandcastle
• work with clay
• copy your favorite book illustration
• design your own game
• build with blocks or Legos
• create a design box (copper wire, string, odds-and-ends of things destined for the garbage, pom-poms, thread, yarn, etc.)
• plan a neighbourhood or family Olympics
• have a marble tournament
• paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and hang it in a sunny window and see what happens in a few days
• finger paint with instant pudding
• make dessert
• make dinner
• have a sleepover
• make popcorn and watch an old movie
• make toffee with Mum
• give your pet a party
• start a nature diary
• have a read-a-thon with a friend or sibling
• have a neighbourhood bike wash
• play Kick the Can
• check out a science book and try some experiments
• make up a story
• catch butterflies and then let them go
• arrange photo albums
• find bugs and start a collection
• do some stargazing
• decorate bikes or scooters and have a neighbourhood parade
• play hide-and-seek
• create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber bands
• listen to the birds sing
• try to imitate bird calls
• read a story to a younger child
• find shapes in the clouds
• string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace
• put together a family newsletter
• write reviews of movies, plays, TV shows or concerts you see during the summer
• bake a cake
• bake a batch of biscuits
• decorate a shoe box to hold your treasures
• create family scrapbooks with old photos
• glue noodles into a design on paper
• play hopscotch
• play jacks
• make up a song
• make a teepee out of blankets
• write in your diary
• find an ant colony and spill some food and watch what happens
• play charades
• make up a story by drawing pictures
• draw a cartoon strip
• make a map of your bedroom, house or neighborhood
• call a friend
• cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
• make a collage using pictures cut from old magazines
• do a secret service for a neighbour
• plan a treasure hunt
• make a treasure map
• make up a "Bored List" of things to do
• plan a special activity for your family
• search your house for items made in other countries and then learn about those countries from the encyclopedia or online
• plan an imaginary trip to the moon
• plan an imaginary trip around the world, where would you want to go
• write a science-fiction story
• find a new pen pal
• make up a play using old clothes as costumes
• make up a game for practicing math facts
• have a Spelling Bee
• make up a game for practicing spelling
• surprise an elderly neighbour or relative by weeding his/her garden
• fingerpaint with shaving cream
• collect sticks and mud and build a bird's nest
• write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper
• make a hideout or clubhouse
• make paper airplanes
• have paper airplane races
• learn origami
• make an obstacle course in your backyard

Know Your Store

We all know that having a shopping list saves us money. Knowing the store layout saves you time and money. The biggest pet peeve and risk to your grocery budget has to do with the need to shop every aisle to find the things on your list. Choose a supermarket that has all of the food and qualities you like in a supermarket then visit the customer service desk and ask for a store plan. On your grocery list, put the number of the aisle next to the item. Now, you won’t skip over the bread on aisle two while looking for the bicarb soda which is on aisle four. You'll probably find that most of the things on your list will be around the perimeter of the store (fruit and veg, bakery, deli, dairy and freezer items) or in the first two or three aisles (baking goods, cleaning goods). The middle aisles are usually devoted to soft drinks, sweets, biscuits and convenience products. If you want to save money you'll skip these aisles.

Four simple steps to de-cluttering

Getting organized and de-cluttering can seem overwhelming, especially if you have a lot of clutter to clear. Breaking each job down into these four simple steps will help you de-clutter your home and your life, saving you money, time and energy.

1. Pick a room, area, or desk drawer to declutter. Pick a single, specific area. The linen cupboard, your bedroom, under the laundry tub or even the top of your desk or the kitchen junk drawer. Be specific with the de-cluttering zone.
2. Remove everything out of the space. Empty the drawer onto a bench or the floor, take everything off your desktop.
3. Go through the pile item-by-item.  Ask yourself  "Do I really need it?". If yes, move it back into the room, putting it away where it should be.  Remember, a place for everything and everything in it's place.
4. If no, put it into one of three piles.  Have sell, donate and recycle piles. Put the things you don't want, use or love into one of these piles. When you have finished sorting, pack each pile. Put the donate pile into the car to drop at the op shop next time you're out. Put the sell pile into the garage ready for your garage sale or to go on eBay. Put the recycle pile into the recycle bin or take it straight to the recycling depot at your local tip.

Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients:
1 C sugar
1/2 C soy sauce
1 C water
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch ground black pepper
2 tsp corn flour
2 tbsp cold water

Method:
Mix cornflour to a paste with the cold water. Add all ingredients, including cornflour mixture, to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking until mixture thickens, about 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Don't substitute white or brown vinegar for the cider vinegar, it won't taste the same.

To make teriyaki chicken I dice 2 or 3 chicken fillets and brown them in a non-stick pan. Then I pour over the sauce and simmer over a low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 - 15 minutes depending on the size of the diced chicken chunks.  This goes really well with fried rice, but is also good as skewers. Just thread the chicken chunks on to skewers, pour over the sauce and marinate two hours. Barbecue, turning each skewer every few minutes until the chicken is cooked.

Losing track of the days

I can't believe it's Wednesday already and the school holidays are half over for us. And to add to my surprise another two days is Good Friday and the Easter long weekend, which is longer than normal with Anzac Day tacked onto the end.

I lose track of the days during holidays, pity help me when I don't have school terms to guide me! And I imagine I'll be worse when Wayne retires and we really slow down! I can hardly wait. We've slowed down a lot, especially since AJ's accident. It will be 10 years in November since I stopped wearing  a watch and clock watching.  It's amazing how stressful the "tick, tick, tick" of a clock can be. I absolutely do not miss it at all and I can honestly say that I've only been late for set appointments a handful of times since then.

Don't get me wrong, we still have appointments to keep and important dates to remember, but we use the calendar and a diary for dates. And clocks - look around you. How many clocks do you have in your home? At work? In the car? We are surrounded by them. The only place I go with any regularity that doesn't seem to have a visible clock is my local Coles supermarket! And if I need to know the time when I'm there I can check it on my phone.

So without clock watching and not seeing TV too much this week, I have lost track of the days.  And here we are, and I have so much to share.

It's been a fairly frugal week for all of us. AJ has been at Uni and Wayne of course has been working, so Tom, Hannah and I have been left to our own devices. Tom hasn't been out, he's enjoying staying home for his holidays. He did order a game online, using his own money of course, and saved $30 by pre-ordering so he's very happy.

Hannah met a school friend this morning and they had morning tea and did some window shopping. Neither girl had money to spend apart from a couple of dollars for their milkshakes but they had a ball. I now have a list of clothes my girl thinks she needs and she's sure I can make them for her! 

She told me all this in the car. It was raining so I picked her up when she was finished and we came home via the op shop.

Get Organized month has seen us bless our local op shop with a few things and today we dropped off a box of suspension files (the filing is finally organized and manageable), a CD tower that was gathering dust, a bag of magazines and a bag of old blankets for the "dog blanket" box. 

I've been joking with the kids about the de-cluttering that's going on. I've told them that if they see me coming towards them with a garbage bag to get moving - if they stand still they'll be in the bag and gone before they realise!

Over the weekend Miss Hannah wandered out and asked if she could knit a scarf. Hmm. Over the years she has tried knitting various things - scarves, squares, dishcloths. She gets bored with the repetition and ends up getting frustrated before she finishes. And finish she must, in our home if you start something you must finish it. It may not always be finished the way it was originally meant to be, but it is always finished. We've created some of our best  things by finishing a project differently.

Anyway I ended up knitting her a scarf. We had some lovely black 12 ply wool so it knitted up really fast. I used a pattern I found online, courtesy of a link sent to me by Cheapskater Carol Ryan and it looks so nice I've started one for myself, using up some yarn left from a jumper.

While Hannah finds knitting boring and repetitious, I love it. I find the repetition relaxing and it gives me a chance to think and ponder about what's happening and where we're headed and other stuff. It's like mowing the lawn, mindless repetition that creates the perfect condition for just thinking.

I've also knitted up some Easter eggs. My niece isn't allowed chocolate, so I did some hunting around and found this very cute Jean Greenhowe pattern for  knitted Easter eggs. They only take about 30 minutes each to knit, and look so cute. You only need scraps of yarn so they are perfect for using up project leftovers. I've made her a family - Mum, Dad, daughter and Grandma to represent her immediate family. I know she'll love them and spend hours playing with them.  Boo has the best imagination, something that keeps her amused for hours.

We were supposed to have Shepherds pie for tea tonight but I pulled the wrong package of meat from the freezer. I told you I had my days mixed up, I took chicken out, thinking today was Thursday. So we had chicken tonight instead. Chicken Teriyaki and fried rice actually. I had chicken casserole on the menu but that didn't appeal at all. I've had hay fever for a week or so and my taste is quite odd so stronger flavours are what I need. I used to buy Teriyaki sauce and it was nice. Then I found a recipe and with a few tweaks it has passed the family taste test and my budget test and it's all I use now.

When we have teriyaki chicken there are never leftovers, this sauce is so good. If you've always used the bottled sauce, try this recipe, I am sure you'll love it.

For afternoon tea today I made the Buttermilk Bannock, from the Cheapskates Forum. It is very nice warm with honey and even nicer toasted with butter. Thanks Jacksoncamp, it's passed the family taste test so I'll be making it again.

So there you have it. It's Wednesday night, I know, I've checked. I've been busy knitting and working on the book and Cheapskates.  I've done some cooking and some cleaning and had some lovely conversations with the kids and kept our home.  And all while I didn't know what day it was.  A blissful, simple, frugal few days.

Homemade tortillas and a school holiday treat

Once you've made your own tortillas you won't bother with buying them. Not only are they cheaper to make at home, but so much nicer freshly made. Made a double batch and turn some into Elephant Ears for a fun and tasty dessert or quick afternoon tea.

Quick Processor Tortillas
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt*
3 tbsp oil
 3/4 cup warm water

Method:
Combine the dry ingredients in food processor, add the oil and then gradually add enough of the warm water to form a soft dough. Knead on a floured board for about 5 mins then allow the dough to rest  for at least 10 minutes, this makes it much easier to roll out.  Divide the dough into 10-12 pieces and roll each to about 20cm across.  Cook them quickly in a very hot, lightly oiled frying pan for 30-60 seconds until they bubble and start to brown. Turn and cook other side. Wrap them in a damp tea towel to keep them soft until ready to use.  To warm the tortillas wrap them in foil and heat them in the oven.  These can be frozen, separate with freezer plastic between each tortilla to make them easy to separate. Re-heat in a hot, lightly oiled fry pan for a few seconds on each side.

*Note: Use 1 teaspoon of salt in this recipe, it really is needed. Normally I would omit salt in recipes but the salt in this recipe is needed to give the tortillas flavour.

Elephant Ears
Ingredients:
8 - 10 flour tortillas
Cinnamon sugar
Oil for frying

Method:
Heat about 1cm oil in fry pan. Put 1 tortilla into the oil for 10 seconds. Turn with tongs and do the other side. After it is turned the tortilla will "puff" up. Remove from pan with tongs and put in a container with the cinnamon sugar, toss to coat the elephant's ear with the mixture.

Cinnamon Sugar
Ingredients:
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Method:
Mix well. Store in an airtight container.

Easily thread needles with this recycling tip

If you find that the eye of your sewing needle is getting smaller and smaller, a needle threader is the way to go. Before you run out and buy one, or try to find the one that came with the packet of needles, look in your kitchen. The wire ties that come with bags of bread make great needle threaders. Just slip off the paper or plastic and bend the wire in half and you have a strong, easy to use and free needle threader.

How to Sew on a Button

Picture of button jar

I'm forever sewing buttons back on shirts and trousers for the boys and Wayne. This one simple mending task has saved us so much money over the years, especially on school shirts with three kids all wearing white business shirts five days a week. You have no idea how many buttons I've had to sew back on. Add to that Wayne's work shirts - he loses at least two buttons a week just doing his job. He gets caught on car doors or bits of metal regularly. Most of the time he finds the button and brings it home, but often I have to resort to the button jar.

I'm not sure what I'd do without a button jar.

The button jar in the picture is mine, all mine, and full of buttons to be used up. Some of them are special, cut off favourite garments when they've been reduced to rags. Others are cut off school shirts or work shirts before they go to the rag bag, and used to replace lost buttons. Others are tiny, for baby clothes and still others are the spare buttons that come with new clothes when you buy them.

I am a bit of a button hoarder. Nothing goes to the rag bag unless the buttons have been cut off and put into the button jar. If you've had to buy buttons lately you'll understand why I do this. Buttons are hideously expensive, especially pretty ones. Four or five buttons can cost just as much as the fabric or wool for a garment if you don't watch what you buy, I know, I've almost been caught a few times.

I don't know how often I've heard people say "but I don't even know how to sew on a button" as an excuse for buying a new shirt or throwing a perfectly good shirt in the rag bag and honestly it nearly drives me mad. Sewing on a button is simple and easy, if I can do it anyone can. In fact it's so easy I'm going to share my step-by-step instructions for sewing on a button, just as I was taught to do way back in high school. I still sew buttons on the same way.


You'll need:
The button - make sure it matches the others on the garment
A sewing needle
Matching thread - choose thread to match the colour of the button
Two matches

How to sew on a button without a shank
These are generally the flat two or four hole buttons used on shirts, cardigans etc

Instructions:
Step 1. Mark the position of the button with two matches.
Step 2 . Place the button on the matches.
Step 3. Thread the needle with a double length of thread.
Step 4. From the wrong side, bring the needle through the button and down again into the fabric until 8 strands are sewn in this way.
Step 5. For the final time take the needle down through the button only, do not go right through to the wrong side of the fabric.
Step 6. Remove the matches.
Step 7. Wind the thread tightly around the strands between the button and the garment to form a shank.
Step 8. Take the needle through to the wrong side of the fabric and fasten off securely with two small backstitches.

How to sew on a button with a shank
This is almost the same method as for a shirt button.

Instructions:
Step 1. Mark the position of the button with tailors chalk.
Step 2 . Place the button shank on the mark.
Step 3. Thread the needle with a double length of thread.
Step 4. From the wrong side of the garment, bring the needle up and pass it through the shank and down again into the fabric. Repeat until 8 strands are sewn in this way.
Step 5.Take the needle through to the wrong side of the fabric and fasten off securely with two small backstitches

Now you have no excuse - you know how to sew on a button!