Helping Kids Understand Electricity Isn't Free

Thanks to the summer heat wave we've just experienced and the increased use of air conditioners, coolers and fans, many households are facing a shock when they get their next electricity bill. But they'll be expecting it, they know they've used more power.

So what about the bill every month (or quarter)? How do you get the kids to understand that flicking a switch might be easy but it's also expensive? Power prices in Australia are constantly on the rise, hitting household budgets hard.

Nagging doesn't help. Having a regular conversation with the whole family about the cost of electricity and what you can all do together and individually to lower the cost is a start. Call a family meeting and show everyone the current electricity bill. Then show them the bill from the same period last year. If your children are very young showing them the cost in money (or something else they understand, perhaps lollies) might help them to better understand the cost.

Make a game of reducing costs. Have the whole family pull together as a team to lower the cost of power by 10% or 20% on the next bill. If the family meets that goal, give them a reward, perhaps a pizza party or some other one time fun event, with part of the savings. To keep them motivated put 20% of the current bill in a jar where they can see it often, on top of the fridge or even in the middle of the dining table, to act as a constant reminder of the need to save and the potential for a treat.

Then talk about ways to save electricity. Draw up a list and stick it on the fridge. It could be a list of things such as turning lights off, not using the air conditioner unless it's over 33 degrees, switching appliances off at the wall (just make sure they don't turn off the fridge or freezer), running appliances during off-peak hours, using non-powered appliances instead of powered (an egg beater instead of the mixer etc.), boiling the kettle once and filling the thermos for tea, making no bake treats instead of using the oven and so on.

Nagging doesn't work, but incentives and rewards combined with education and information probably will.

How do you get your kids to save on electricity? Post your comments below so we all can learn.

Old Fashioned Ways to Predict the Weather

I think we can all agree that our weather patterns are changing. The seasons are not what they used to be. Queensland and much of New South Wales are in severe drought, while the southern part of Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria have experienced the oddest of summers, with a mild and gentle start that was followed by one of the most severe heat waves since record keeping began.

And now north Queensland and the Gulf Country are battening down for a cyclone that may just run itself out, or turn around and become a storm to beat all storms.

I'm not very good at predicting the weather here in the city. I was much better at it when we lived in the country and when we're away camping I don't seem to have any trouble at all. Watching the clouds, listening to the birds, noting the winds and even how dry the ground is in the morning are all ways to predict what the weather is going to do. It's easy in the bush.

Predicting the weather has been a talent forever, long before computer programs could plot wind direction and speed and measure water and land temperatures, people have been predicting the weather. They had to. They needed to know when to sow crops and when to start the harvest. They had to know when to bring stock in from the paddocks and when they'd need to put feed and water out for the animals.

Of course a lot of this weather predicting was homespun and became the source of some familiar ditties and sayings, some we still use today.

A common example is "red sky at night, shepherd's delight, red sky at dawning, shepherd take warning". It's one of the first sayings I remember learning and I still take a quick look out the kitchen window to check the sunset each night.

How are you at predicting the weather? Here is a list of 50 old fashioned weather proverbs that might help you become an accurate amateur meteorologist. Most of them apply to the northern hemisphere but they can easily translate to down under. I'm not sure how accurate they are, but they are folksy, interesting and fun to read and give us a glimpse into a simpler, less complicated lifestyle.

1. Hornets’ nest built in the top of trees indicate a mild winter is ahead; nests built close to the ground indicate that a harsh winter is coming.
2. The higher the clouds the better the weather.
3. If the cat washes her face over her ear, the weather is sure to be fine and clear.
4. Clear moon, frost soon.
5. When leaves fall early, autumn and winter will be mild; when leaves fall later, winter will be severe.
6. If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.
7. When ants travel in a straight line expect rain; when they are scattered, expect fair weather.
8. If the first snow falls on unfrozen ground expect a mild winter.
9. If bees stay at home rain will soon come; if they fly away, fine will be the day.
10. A year of snow, a year of plenty.
11. Dust rising in dry weather is a sign of approaching change.
12. Rainbow at noon, more rain soon.
13. Flowers blooming in late autumn are a sign of a bad winter.
14. If cows lie down and refuse to go to pasture, you can expect a storm to blow up soon.
15. The darker the woolly caterpillar’s coat, the more severe the winter will be. If there is a dark stripe at the head and one at the end, the winter will be severe at the beginning, become mild, and then get worse just before spring.
16. When grass is dry at morning light look for rain before the night.
17. If sheep ascend hills and scatter, expect clear weather.
18. A warm November is the sign of a bad winter.
19. When the chairs squeak, it’s of rain they speak.
20. When clouds appear like rocks and towers, the earth will be washed by frequent showers.
21. If birds fly low, then rain we shall know.
22. Evening red and morning grey are two sure signs of one fine day.
23. The first and last frosts are the worst.
24. The winds of the daytime wrestle and fight longer and stronger than those of the night.
25. When down the chimney falls the soot, mud will soon be underfoot.
26. Rain before seven, fine before eleven.
27. No weather is ill, if the wind be still.
28. Cold is the night when the stars shine bright.
29. When a rooster crows at night there will be rain by morning.
30. Dandelion blossoms close before there will be a rain.
31. When clouds look like black smoke a wise man will put on his cloak.
32. A cow with its tail to the West makes the weather best; a cow with its tail to the East makes the weather least.
33. The moon and the weather may change together, but a change of the moon will not change the weather.
34. The sudden storm lasts not three hours.
35. Chimney smoke descends, our nice weather ends.
36. A rainbow in the morning is the shepherd’s warning. A rainbow at night is the shepherd’s delight.
37. Three days rain will empty any sky.
38. When smoke hovers close to the ground there will be a weather change.
39. A ring around the sun or moon means rain or snow coming soon.
40. Bees will not swarm before a storm.
41. The more cloud types present the greater the chance of rain or snow.
42. Catchy drawer and sticky door, coming rain will pour and pour.
43. When the wind blows from the west, fish bite best. When it blows from the east, fish bite least.
44. When leaves show their undersides, be very sure that rain betides.
45. Birds on a telephone wire predict the coming of rain.
46. When the ditch and pond offend the nose, then look out for rain and stormy blows.
47. Pigs gather leaves and straw before a storm.
48. Trout jump high, when a rain is nigh.
49. Red sky at night, shepherd's delight; red sky at dawning, shepherd take warning.
50. When the night goes to bed with a fever, it will awake with a wet head.

How Hot has it Been!

I've been out of action for three weeks. It's been the longest three weeks of my life. I'd think I was on the mend and then down I'd go again, coughing and spluttering and wheezing.

And it has been hot. Very hot, with temperatures in the 40s on some days - yesterday was 41.7 degrees here. Tomorrow is a little cooler, then back up into the high 30s again. Thank goodness for pools, sarongs and fans!

And all this has meant that I've not been in the garden, other than to take a quick walk around to have a look.

I've just come in and I would really like to know how weeds can thrive in a heat wave, but my beautiful tomatoes and lettuce and zucchini and beetroot and beans and cucumbers, that are well mulched and watered wilt?

There are weeds in the paving. Vinegar and boiling water will fix those up, perhaps first thing tomorrow morning before the heat (only 25 degrees here tomorrow).

There are even weeds in the pots! They pulled out easily so I'll tackle them this evening, when the sun is off the backyard.

The zucchini are still flowering and I am hesitant to do this, but I really need to pull them out and get their spot ready for autumn planting. I have 30 packets of grated zucchini in the freezer, about 2 kilos dehydrated and thirteen 500g jars of pickle made so we're covered until next summer as far as this versatile vegetable goes. It's the idea of wasting food that stops me from pulling them. But they have to go.

My poor tomatoes need a good pruning and tidying up. They've gone a little wild while the kids have been tending the garden. We're not getting too many vine ripened, but the windowsills are full of tomatoes that Hannah is turning each day and they're ripening up. They still have plenty of flowers on them, so they'll keep producing for a while yet, hopefully long enough to get more sauce and a few jars of chutney made.

Cucumbers! The cucumbers were so slow I put in another two plants just before I came down with this bug. I knew it was tempting Murphy - we now have cucumbers to spare. We've been giving them away, eating them as a snack (those little baby cucumbers are so sweet and tender you can just munch them like an apple) and made jars and jars of bread and butter cucumber - pickles on your burger anyone?

Hannah called this the Siamese tomato!

The boys have done a champion job of keeping the deck and pergola area swept and tidy for me. Thomas even washed down the tables and chairs because they were quite dusty. Hannah has been watering and picking whatever's ripe.

Oh I just have to share this, it made me laugh! She was out watering one evening last week and we heard a squeal and then "MUM!"  Out we all raced to find her, hose in hand, up on the deck. She was watering the tomatoes and turned the hose under the last bush (as she's been taught, to water from the bottom of an evening) and there was a rustle and a little squeak and a mouse ran up the tomato bush onto the fence - followed by a small cat!

Where did the mouse come from? No idea, probably next door's bush garden or the bush behind us. And we've never seen the cat before, it doesn't belong to any of our near neighbours.

I have to say we all laughed at the sight - it wasn't that she's scared of mice or cats, just that she wasn't expecting either in the garden. The look on her face was priceless.

Hannah hopes she doesn't find them again. I hope the mouse stays outside!

Saving Money Grocery Shopping: Buy In Season

My favorite time of year is farmer's market season. My family enjoys fabulous fresh food and my food budget gets a break. We all feel healthier, look healthier, and my bank account looks better too. What could be better than that?  But did you know that even if you don't go to the farmer's market, if you buy at your local greengrocer or even supermarket, buying seasonally can save money because even chain grocery stores buy local products on a seasonable basis.

Most supermarkets source things from the local market first, to find the least expensive items. Local items are less expensive because they don't have to use as much fuel to get it to the final location. With fuel prices closing in on $1.60 per litre, and higher in some areas of the country, transportation cost can add quite a bit to your grocery bill.

During the season for any typical produce item the supply is going to be greater than the demand due to the fact that produce does not last forever. Try shopping at several different grocery stores to find out what they've over stocked and are trying to move from their shelves.

Another benefit of buying in season is that you'll get foods that are more nutritious causing your body to crave less food, therefore cutting down the cost of food. It's a fact that nutrition, rather than fullness, dictates how fast you get hungry again after eating a full meal (I'm sure you've heard the old "had Chinese for dinner and was stuffed full, hungry again an hour later" tale). It just makes sense to buy in season to save money because you're going to need less of it to be satisfied.

Any fresh item that has been shipped 2,000 kilometres to your store isn't going to have much in the way of nutrition left, not to mention taste. If you purchase something fresh at the supermarket, then don't eat it because it doesn't taste good (tomatoes often have this problem) then you're just wasting your money.

When you buy local, in season, you are supporting local farmers and therefore supporting your local economy. The more people who do this, the less expensive the produce will become. Local farmers will grow more to accommodate the demand, and soon, the prices will go down as well.

And lastly, seasonal produce just tastes better. Fruits and vegetables eaten in season taste better than produce eaten when it is not in season. There are many factors at play including picking unripe produce, then shipping it thousands of kilometres away while it ripens. You'll be shocked at how good your local, in season produce tastes compared to what you normally buy. It's healthier, cheaper, and simply yummier to eat local, seasonal produce.

The Cold Water Bottle

With the uncomfortable hot weather that we have been enduring lately in Victoria I have resorted to my old trick of regularly freezing plastic soft-drink or cordial bottles filled with water. Once frozen I wrap the bottle in a tea-towel or even place it in a hand-made hot-water bottle cover. I take my cold-water bottle to bed to keep cool. You need to make sure that you wrap the bottle properly otherwise your bed sheets can end up a little damp. By doing this I essentially create the opposite to a hot water bottle. It beats paying large amounts of money for the air-conditioner to be left on for hours at a time. The beauty of this hint is that in the morning you can just put the bottle back in the freeze and it should be ready for bedtime, there's no need to waste water. I have survived the summer heat using this hint for years now, it certainly makes bed-time more comfortable.
Contributed by Natasha, Broadmeadows

Start an Easy Spending Plan

Most people live pay to pay and spend what they want whenever they want. But if you keep up that pattern long enough, you'll soon discover that the money runs out before you've paid all the bills, and there is never any left over for emergencies, special purchases or holidays. To get control of your household spending and start saving you will need to set up a household spending plan.

The thought of having to stick to a spending plan might make you cringe. It sounds restrictive and boring. But if you are serious about living debt free and creating wealth, a spending plan can actually give you freedom. You will have control over your finances, know where your money is going and have a plan to reach your financial goals. Not spending on a few things that you can do without right now means you will be able to spend on larger, more important purchases in the future.

To get started, find out how much you earn.  The way you're paid can determine how you budget your money each month. If you're paid on a weekly basis, you can calculate your budget based on four pays a month. That means you'll have four extra pays throughout the year to help with extra expenses. If you're paid bi-weekly, you can calculate your budget based on two pays a month, and have two extra pays throughout the year. If you're paid monthly, calculate your budget based on the monthly amount. You won't have extra pays throughout the year, so you'll need to be careful in budgeting for the extras. For those who aren't paid regularly, figure out your annual income and divide it by 12 to determine your monthly income.

Then track your expenses. Your fixed expenses will be easy to figure out. These are the items that stay the same from month to month, such as your mortgage, car payment, and the like. Your other expenses can be trickier to calculate. To find out how much you really spend in a month, carry a notebook with you and write down everything you spend for the next 30 days. This will tell you how much money you're spending, and where it is all going.

When you've done that, figure out the difference. Now, find out the difference between what you spend and what you earn each month. If you have a surplus, a portion of that should be budgeted for emergencies and/or savings.  If you have a shortage, you have one of two choices to solve your budget woes: lower your expenses or increase your income. You may even want to do both.

Lowering your expenses is the most obvious way to solve a discrepancy between your income and your spending. Simple changes made over time, such as renting a video instead of going to the movies, can add up to big dollars in your bank account. Others may be lifestyle changes, such as giving up one car and taking public transport instead.

Taking control of your finances by setting up a household spending plan is an important first step to living debt free.  As you begin to make wise decisions about where your money goes, over time you will find opportunities to spend less and have more money to save.

Malteser Freezer Cake

Ingredients: 
2 litres vanilla ice cream, softened
1/4 cup malted milk powder
2 litres chocolate ice cream
1/3 cup chocolate topping
1 cup malted milk balls, chopped

Method:
Place the vanilla ice cream into a bowl. Add the malted milk powder and stir until blended in well. Spread the chocolate ice cream evenly into the bottom of a spring form pan. Drop the topping by spoonful over the top of the chocolate ice cream. Sprinkle half of the chopped malted milk balls evenly over the top. Spread the vanilla ice cream evenly over the milk balls.
Freeze for at least 4 hours being sure the ice cream is firm before removing. Remove the sides of the pan and garnish with the remaining milk balls before slicing into wedges to serve.

Basic Family Soap Recipe

***Thank you everyone for your kind (and some not so kind!) emails regarding this recipe. Please do some research before you choose to criticise - sustainable palm oil is readily available and is actually quite affordable.***

Here is a basic recipe I use for my family... it makes about 4kg of soap.

Ingredients:
1kg Copha (Coconut Oil)
2kg Olive Oil
500g Palm Oil (Yellow Frymasta)
502g Lye (Caustic Soda)
1256g Water

Step 1. Using digital scales measure everything accurately. DO NOT substitute fats because lye/fat ratios are different for the various fats/oils.

Step 2.  Melt the fats together over a slow heat then take off stove.

Step 3.  Add lye to water, stirring in a well ventilated area. When both mixtures are about 60 degrees Celsius mix together using a stick mixer until trace. At this stage you can add colours, essential oils, other stuff if you want to.

Step 4.  Pour into moulds, leave for 24 hours then unmould and cut it into blocks.

This soap is ready to use in about 4 weeks.

NOTE: Only use stainless steel, ceramic and plastic.... the mixture will eat through aluminium.

Contributed by Rose, Kilmore

Composting: A Great Way to Save Money in the Garden and Go Green

Years ago, every backyard had a compost bin. The sole purpose of the compost bin was to fertilize soil for growing a vegetable garden. Today, however, composting has many other benefits besides using it for growing a garden.

When you add table scraps and food remnants from cooking to your compost, you create a rich fertilizer for the soil. Not only does using compost provide all-important nutrients to the soil, it also provides a base for moisture retention in the soil once it is fertilized.

Another benefit of using compost is the fact that when you do, you contribute to recycling in a major way. Scraps of food, eggshells, tomato seeds, coffee grounds and even banana peels are all items that typically wind up in the garbage. Whatever lands in the garbage, thereafter, winds up in a landfill somewhere. As the population grows, so do the landfills.

Many landfills have actually closed, as they are too full to contain any more waste. By composting, you are greatly contributing to the environment in such a way that it leaves more space within the landfills.

Studies have most recently shown that plant disease is significantly reduced when household compost is used in gardening. All that natural material breaks down and regenerates the soil. Once the soil is aerated and regenerated, it reduces the risk of plant disease.

Using natural compost avoids the necessity of using chemical fertilizers or moisturizers added to your soil. By using food waste from the house as well as leaves, wood ash, and grass you are contributing to a healthy, green environment.

Not only are food scraps from the table valuable to composting, but so are things found in nature as well. Grass clippings, plants and shrubs, eggshells, banana peels and fruit and vegetable leftovers are all excellent ways to fertilize and moisturize the soil in which you intend to grow your garden.

Knowing that your garden is grown using organic materials that are chemical free is also a bonus for you and your family. Not only are you providing a safe way to fertilize the soil, which is the very foundation of your garden, for your family, you are also making a major contribution to earth by going green.

Let the Manufacturer Know if the Goods You Buy Aren't up to Scratch

Have you ever opened a nice soft cheese or focaccia bread that was mouldy long before its use by date? Or opened a cup-a-soup packet to find the contents of the sachets spilt inside the box? Don't take it back to the supermarket, ring the complaints/information number and let the company know directly. They will send you a voucher for Coles, Safeway, etc for much more than the value or the product. All the supermarket will do is refund you the purchase price or give you another of the same product. I received 7 packets of mountain bread for 1 faulty pack and I received a $10 Coles voucher for a mouldy camembert that only cost $3-4.
Contributed by Naomi, Geelong

Being Thrifty is Nifty: Ways to Repurpose Everyday Household Items

Even if you are not a creative soul, there are so many ways to repurpose everyday items found around your home. Chances are that once you start, you won't want to stop. Once you see the things you can create and the money you will save, you will discover a win/win situation in the art of repurposing.

More than likely, you are like everyone else who has followed many a fad while decorating and then redecorating your home over the years. This probably has resulted in a garage full of miscellaneous items from your colourful art deco phase to your stainless steel era. Many of these items can be successfully repurposed.

Stainless Steel Paper Towel Holder – An old stainless steel paper towel holder may not fit into your new black and white only kitchen theme and is sitting helplessly in your garage. You can find many uses for a stand up paper towel holder. For one, you can use this once-adored kitchen item to hold all of your bracelets. For another, you can use these stand up paper towel holders to stock your craft tape and ribbons.

Preserving Jars – If you went through your home preserving phase and can't seem to find the time to continue this process, those preserving jars sitting in a box in the garden shed are useful for many things. You can store your sewing materials such as buttons, bows and spools of thread in a colourful array on top of your sewing machine. Your sewing materials will be organized while looking good at the same time. Preserving jars are also great for storing half-open packets of pasta. We all open up various types of pasta for different recipes and find ourselves with a ripped open packet of pasta on in the pantry. The preserving jars filled with that pasta will look great and be accessible and handy when you need to use them.

Champagne Buckets – Every one of us probably received a champagne bucket as a wedding gift decades ago. These champagne buckets are wonderful for making centerpieces for special occasions and the during the holiday season. Rather than let them sit in our china cabinet, why not fill them with fresh flowers or seasonal picks from the craft store and have them be the focal point of your next occasion.

Wicker baskets – There is probably not a soul around that has not bought an overabundance of wicker baskets that are just sitting around the house. These are great for placing miniature soaps and initialed hand towels in your bathroom. These can also serve as napkin holders on an end table if you are hosting a party. Placed on top of your entry table, wicker baskets make a great catchall for your keys and your mail. Gloves and scarves will never be lost again (hopefully) if you place a wicker basket by the front door for everyone to grab a pair and go.

These are just a few ideas for repurposing household items. If you look around, you will be sure to come up with many of your own.

Honey and Lemon Cough Syrup

I've had a dreadful cough for the last ten days. What I thought last Monday was just a summer cold became progressively worse until finally I gave in on Wednesday and saw our family doctor.

The diagnosis: pleurisy. Well no wonder I'm coughing and struggling to breathe. The cough is the worst; once it starts it just goes on and on and on.

I have medicine to take, and I was sent to bed until yesterday. The doctor suggested an anti-bacterial decongestant to soothe my sore throat and ease the coughing so I made a batch of Honey Lemon cough syrup.

This syrup is easy to make (it had to be, I can hardly take two steps without gasping for breath) and because it's completely natural, made with everyday food items, I can sip a spoonful as often as I need to. I'm not limited to 10mls every six hours as I would be with the chemist's mixture.

This syrup has coconut oil in it. I love coconut oil and use it for all sorts of things. I substitute it for oil or butter in baking. I use it as a spread on bread or crackers (try it with a little raspberry jam on fresh bread - yum!). I use it as moisturiser and a cleanser. And for the last three winters I've been adding it to my cough syrup. Coconut oil is rich in antioxidants and contains lauric acid, which is anti-bacterial and anti-viral. Coconut oil can be used to help prevent colds by boosting the immune system, speeding recovery.

The lemons I use are home grown and so organic. No pesticides used in my garden. Lemon is full of Vitamin C, but did you know it's also full of anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties? That's why lemon juice makes a great ingredient in cleaning products. It's also why it's an essential ingredient in my honey lemon cough syrup.

I use Manuka honey in this cough syrup. Ideally if you don't have Manuka, you'd use raw, local honey. Local honey will ease allergies too - a teaspoon or two a day for a week before the start of the Spring pollen/hayfever/allergy season will boost your immune system and ease, if not completely alleviate, your symptoms. But it must be local honey to combat local pollens. Honey is also antibacterial and very soothing for sore, dry throats. Clinical studies have shown honey to be just as effective a cough remedy as any over-the-counter cough medicine.

Honey Lemon Cough Syrup

Ingredients:
100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup local raw honey (or Manuka honey if you have it)
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Heat over a low flame until coconut oil is melted, stirring all the time. This doesn't take long - just a couple of minutes. Stir to combine everything into a syrup. Pour into a clean jar. When the syrup cools the coconut oil will solidify again. Just warm the syrup over boiling water before using it. Keep it in the fridge for up to a month.

To use, take warm syrup by the teaspoonful as often as you need to. There's no fear of overdosing, there's nothing in it that will cause you any harm.

What Survived, What Thrived and What Died During the Heat Wave

The heat of the last week was fierce. Temperatures over 41 degrees Celsius for four straight days, with Friday being the hottest at 42.3. And it was a dry heat, fed by a strong north wind. Step outside the house and the air wasn't only hot, it burnt; no need to stand in the sun.

So how did my garden fare? So-so. I was too sick to really care, although I did remind the family every morning to give it all a drink.

I've just come in from an inspection and for the most part everything is fine.

The climbing beans have a few burnt leaves, but their tendrils are still clinging to the posts and the beans are looking good.

The egg plant are going great guns. The heat seems to have given them a spurt, they've been a little slow this summer.

The beetroot are another matter, out of 2 dozen plants there are only 9 left. I'll put some more in over the weekend. They'll be a little late but beetroot will grow all year round here in Melbourne, they're just a little slower when it's cooler. We love slow roasted baby beetroot in winter with our roast. If I get them in now they'll be ready for the start of the cooler weather (they'll need about 12 weeks in the ground).

The cucumbers - well I just picked two huge cucumbers that will become pickled cucumber, I think they're too big to be nice for salads. The large leaves are singed on the edges but they did a great job of protecting the flowers and the tiny fruits. We'll have plenty of cucumbers in the next week or so and I've earmarked most of them for bread and butter cucumbers for winter.

The pumpkins are going great guns too. Not a singed leaf or fruit on any of the vines. They're in a sheltered spot that doesn't get the wind or the fierce late afternoon sun and that spot seems to suit them.

I was a little concerned about the lettuce. I'd just planted a dozen babies out into bags (no room in the garden). The bags seem to have given them the shelter they needed from the wind and the sun, they have grown a lot, almost double in size and I'll start picking a few leaves from each plant from tomorrow.

The bush beans didn't fare quite as well. Burnt leaves and wind blown, but I think they'll come back. There are flowers on all of them again, a good sign I'll get more beans from them.

The strawberries. Well I am amazed. They are big, red, sweet and juicy. I filled a pasta bowl this morning. I was sure that the extreme heat would slow them down. I was wrong.

My orange tree didn't take the heat very well, dropping more than half it's tiny fruit. The lemon and lime trees have a few singed leaves otherwise they look healthy enough and the mandarin trees look better than ever.

The biggest disappointment is the tomatoes. This summer has been shocking enough weather wise, with a cold start and then such a strong heat wave. The tomatoes are still green! Tomatoes need sun and heat to ripen on the vine. We had plenty of that last week and all I could find this morning was one slightly orange tomato. There are hundreds of green tomatoes on those plants, and I'm waiting for them to ripen to make sauce for the winter. If they don't ripen soon we'll be eating green tomato chutney and fried green tomatoes and skipping the sauce.

Why did the garden fare so well? I think because of the soil. It's well composted. Every time it gets planted it's composted and well turned over. And mulch. Lots of mulch. Mulching keeps the weeds down and the moisture in the soil. You can use just about anything to mulch but I use pea straw. It does a great job and stays put. It also breaks down really well when it's dug into the soil at the end of each summer.

My gardens get a double mulching. I mulch in spring, digging it in at the end of summer. Then I mulch again for the winter garden. It works like a nice warm blanket over the soil in winter, keeping it a little warmer for those plant roots and giving them a growth boost. And that gets dug in at the end of winter.

It's almost time to get the winter veggie seedlings started. That's on my list of jobs for next week as long as the weather stays reasonably nice. I've started collecting toilet rolls (empty ones of course!) to use as pots and sorting out the seeds.

I have cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, beans, beetroot (again) and silverbeet seeds ready to plant. That should get the winter veggies started and keep me busy for a day or two.

How to Haggle, a Guide for Newbies

Know what you want. Research your item and the price at different stores. Use catalogues, flyers, the internet and don’t forget to ask other people where they get their best deals.

Know how much you are prepared to spend. Set your budget and stick to it. Take into account delivery time and delivery charges.

Start with the question “What’s your best price?” Don’t get tricked into telling them what you can afford or how much you want to pay first, let the salesperson give you a price. With that, you have bargaining power.

 Always be polite and friendly.

Be prepared to haggle. Ask another question “How much for cash?”  if you are paying cash. Wait for their response and then ask for  Seniors discount if it applies, or if they would throw in delivery, installation, etc. Always be appreciative of a discount; a dollar in your pocket is better than a dollar in someone else’s!

Value Add. Ask how much if you buy another item e.g. a lounge suite and a flat screen TV, a washing machine and a dryer, a TV and a DVD player, a dress and a pair of earrings, shoes and a handbag, etc.

Zesty Parmesan Fried Tomatoes

The tomatoes have been slow in ripening this summer and I have a glut of green tomatoes. This recipe is a delicious way to use them up. Serve them as a snack or with a salad for a main meal.

Ingredients:
4 green tomatoes, sliced 6mm thick
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp chilli flakes, crushed
2 eggs
1/2 cup olive oil

Method:
Sprinkle both sides of the tomato slices evenly with the salt. Let the tomatoes stand undisturbed for 10 minutes. Place the cornmeal into a shallow mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss to combine. Sprinkle in the garlic salt, oregano, ginger and chilli flakes blending all the ingredients together well. Break the eggs into another shallow bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Pour the olive oil into a fry pan and place the pan over medium heat. Pat the tomato slices dry with paper towel. Dip the slices into the eggs allowing any excess to drip off.  Coat the slices in the Parmesan mixture. Place the tomato slices into the oil and fry, a few at a time, for 3 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown. Turn the tomatoes and continue frying for 3 minutes or until completely browned. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Filing Spare Buttons Keeps the Button Box Tidy

Approximate $ Savings: $1.00 - $100.00

When your old shirt or other clothing item finally wears out, and you are about to cut it up for rag rugs (of course!), carefully snip those buttons off, and with a needle and thread, just tack them to an old birthday card or similar. Not only can you easily choose the size and colour of button you need for your next project, but you can see at a glance whether you have enough of that particular button for the job, without spending ages sorting through the button box. Now you can 'file' your buttons according to size, or colour or whatever in a filing box (that's an old shoe box). When the kids are bored, you can set them to sorting out the buttons already mixed up in the button box, and tacking them to cards, too.
Contributed by Wendy, Macgregor

How to Cover School Books

It is every parent's back to school nightmare but it's a good idea to help protect your kids' school books from a year of abuse by making covers out of a durable material, such as brown paper covered with clear contact or patterned or coloured contact. Follow these easy steps and it will be a breeze, rather than the traumatic experience of the past.

Step 1.  Measure the height of the book you want to cover.

Then measure the distance from the front to back covers.

Add 15cm to the two measurements (to create the inside flaps), and cut a piece of paper to this size.

Step 2.  Open the book, and place it face down in the centre of the paper.

To accommodate the spine, make two vertical cuts on the excess paper at the top and bottom of the book, creating a flap.

Fold the flap down and behind the spine, creating two notches. If this isn't possible, carefully trim the flap level with the edge of the spine.

Step 3.  Wrap the paper around the book, making sure the inside flaps are equal sizes. Tape in place.

Fold top and bottom flaps over the side flaps and tape in place.

Take One Doona, a Sunny Day and a Pair of Feet

Today is sunny, very, very sunny. And so very hot - expected to reach 41 degrees C here in Melbourne today.

Which makes it the perfect day for washing doonas.  You could, if you wanted, take your quilts and doonas to the laundromat but that costs money, around $8 to wash and partially dry, so why bother when you can do it so easily yourself?

Here's my step-by-step to seasonally cleaning doonas (and they are synthetic, hypoallergenic, not down - down doonas require a completely different treatment).

1.  Strip the cover off the quilt and launder it with the sheets, pillowcases, pillow protectors and mattress protector.

2.  Fill the bathtub with the hottest water available. Add a half a cup of Cheapskates Washing Powder. Swish it around to dissolve. Now add the doona. Squash it down so it's all submerged. Allow to soak for an hour.

3.  Drain the bath and refill with more hot water and another half a cup of Cheapskates Washing Powder. Let the whole thing soak for another hour.

4.  Make sure your feet are clean - if they're not, wash them. Climb into the bath and walk up and down on the quilt. Twist. Shuffle. Jump up and down. Run on the spot. Do whatever you like but make sure you squash the daylights out of the quilt and any little dust mites that might have taken up residence. Do this for at least 5 minutes.  Let it all soak for another half an hour.

5.  Now empty the bath and re-fill it with hot water and swirl the quilt around in the water to rinse it. Drain and re-fill, then add ten drops of your favourite essential oil and leave to soak for another hour.

6.  Drain and roll the quilt up and squeeze as much water as possible out of it.  Take it outside and hang it over the line to drip dry...preferably on a very hot, sunny day just like today!

7.  Go out in an hour and turn the quilt over. This will help it to dry right through  quickly and evenly.

8.  Once the quilt is completely dry take it off the line and give it a good shake. Put a clean cover on it and put it back on your bed that has been made up with the freshly laundered linens.

Plan an early night - you've earned it after washing your quilt.