MOO All Year Round Air Freshener

We've had two glorious days here this week.

I've put washing out, washed windows, washed doonas ready to pack away for the summer and pottered in the garden.

And I've had the doors and windows open wide to let some clean, fresh, spring air through the house - at least until it started to cool down in the afternoon.

But it is spring in Melbourne, and that means the weather is more than changeable. Today it is blowing a gale, drizzling rain and quite cool, so the doors and windows are closed.

On days like this, or during winter when the heater is going, the house can get stale, no matter how clean it is. The air just gets stale.

The solution is an air freshener, but commercial sprays just don't smell right to me. I don't want fake ocean breeze or synthetic lavender; I like clean, natural scents all year round. That means of course that I like to MOO the air fresheners used in our house, and this is one of my favourites, especially at this time of year. I shared it as today's tip of the day to Cheapskates Club members this morning too - that's how much I like it.

All Year Round Spring Fresh Air Freshener

You will need:
6 drops eucalyptus essential oil
10 drops rose essential oil
10 drops lavender essentail oil
250ml spray bottle
Water

Half fill the spray bottle with boiling water (if your bottle is plastic, let the water cool a little first).  Add the oils and stir. Fill the bottle with cool water. Spritz the air throughout your home for a spring fresh scent whenever you need it. Warning: don't spray directly on furniture or soft furnishings.

White Chocolate Lemon Shortbread Bars

This is today's recipe from the Cheapskates Club. Hannah and I made it on Sunday for Father's Day afternoon tea and it disappeared in quick time. We all loved it, and it will go into my recipe book as a keeper.

I used lemon juice and zest from the freezer, and white choc melts bought earlier in the year on half-price sale, which helped to keep the cost down.

Author: Cath Armstrong

White Chocolate Lemon Shortbread

ingredients:

• 3 cups plain flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar, divided
• 2 tbsp grated lemon zest
• 375g butter, softened, cut up
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 90g white chocolate

instructions:

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line two lamington trays with baking paper. Whisk flour, 1 cup of the sugar and lemon zest in large bowl.
2. With pastry blender, butter knife or the tines of a fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Divide dough in half, and press dough into prepared pans; sprinkle the top of each pan with 1 tablespoon sugar. Mark into fingers with a butter knife.
3. Bake 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
4. Meanwhile, place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until melted, stirring every 30 seconds until is melted and smooth. Drizzle over bars.

The Smart Stockpile

This topic was brought to mind earlier this week when I was listening to ABC radio and they were talking about food security, and just how little Australia really has. The drought was mentioned, as was the shrinking number of primary producers, and our reliance more and more on importing what we need. They also talked about the  nine meals from anarchy theory, and how our shopping habits are shifting from the big weekly shop to smaller, daily food shops.

There's  no need to panic or become scared, but a good time to think about putting some kind of plan in place so if you do have a disaster (financial, health, weather related, whatever) it won't be a disaster but rather a hiccup.

If you are stockpiling for the long-term, to save money and to survive a disaster (of any kind), try to stockpile high protein foods first, then other dry goods. So aim to  keep a good stock of legumes - dried beans and lentils store well on the pantry shelf and are a high protein alternative to meat. A little serve provides a good whack of nutrients. Then look to stockpile flour - it does have a shelf life believe it or not, and it will go sour over time. Self-raising flour will lose it's ability to rise so keeping plain flours and baking powder (or the ingredients to MOO it) solves that problem. Flour can be frozen too. I pack it in 2kg lots, vac seal it and freeze it. Tinned tomatoes are always handy - even tinned they are good nutritional value. Dried fruits last just about forever, however they will lose freshness and become candied. For the long term they can be frozen too.

Now, the problem with freezing everything is that if the power were to go out for any length of time then that frozen stockpile is lost.

I still freeze a good portion of my food stockpile but I started bottling more about 7 years ago, and the last two years have preserved by bottling around a third. I'm saving up for a pressure canner so I can actually "can" soups, stews, casseroles, pasta dishes etc. for long term storage instead of relying on the freezer.

A good way to recession or disaster proof your grocery bill is to grow your own vegetables and fruit. I can't stress this enough; it will save you a fortune and if the supermarkets were to close you'd have food in the garden, not only to eat but to sell or barter for things you don't have. And homegrown is always best, being fresher and in most cases chemical free. It does not take a lot of time to grow food, it does take commitment. You do need to water, mulch, plant, weed, harvest, start seedlings and so on but none of these things is hard nor do they take a lot of time, they don't even need to take up a lot of space.

My stockpile is a little odd:

12 months cleaning and toiletries (soap, bicarb soda, borax, washing soda, eucalyptus oil, vinegar, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes)

I usually have 12 months of pasta, sauces (tomato, barbecue, sweet chilli are the main ones - I usually make them in Jan/Feb for the year - Worcestershire which I am about to make another batch of as I've just opened the last bottle and I like it to sit for 6 months before I use it), jam and marmalade (I make them all year round), salt, lentils, beans.

12 months canned goods: tomatoes, tomato soup, chicken soup, baked beans, black beans, beetroot, tuna, salmon, tinned fruit, pineapple

6 months baking supplies: flours, dried fruits, spices, sugars, molasses, golden syrup, nuts, bicarb soda, citric acid, tartaric acid, cream of tartar etc.

3 months of meat, chicken, frozen veg, hard cheeses, butter, weet bix, bran, ricies, peanut butter, vegemite, honey.  All these things could easily be stretched to 6 months if necessary (I know, I've done it before).

The only paper goods we use regularly are toilet paper and baking paper (which I buy from Aldi, same price per metre as the bulk pack).

I've been thinking about our stockpile, how we use it, and how we live now and plan to live in the future and next year our stockpile will grow a little, to hold 18 months worth of our "supermarket" supplies.

You don't need to go to extremes to build a stockpile. Most of you have seen my pantry, shelving and laundry cupboard on TV (they always seem to find a way to get it at its worst!). That's most of it. The toiletries are in the bathroom cupboards.

Smart people only stockpile the things they use regularly, buying them when on sale. Once you have a stockpile you'll never pay full price for groceries again, saving you even more money and helping you stick to your grocery budget.

A Homemade Remedy to Ease a Cough and a Sore Throat

AJ came home last night with a nasty cough and a sore throat.

Straight away I went to the cupboard and took the jar of Manuka honey, and gave him a big teaspoonful to suck. He whinged - it doesn't taste nice - but it works so being the mean mother I am, even though he's an adult, I stood next to him to make sure it all went down.

The relief to his sore throat was almost instant, and his cough eased a little, but still niggled.

Then I remembered this recipe for homemade cough drops I found on Frugal Farm Wife, and went straight to the kitchen to make a batch.

Because they're no-cook, and they use ingredients I always have on hand, it was quick and easy. We were blessed with four jars of coconut oil a couple of weeks ago so they didn't cost much to make either.

Instead of raw honey, I used Manuka honey, and the peppermint oil was a doTERRA oil (Hannah is a doTERRA consultant). Coconut oil and honey are both antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral - perfect for treating winter bugs. And they're safe to use as often as necessary, with no nasty side effects.

Before I went to bed AJ suffered another teaspoonful of Manuka, and I sat a dish of cough drops next to his bed for him.

They worked! I was expecting him to stay home today, he really was that unwell last night, but this morning his sore throat was gone and the cough was barely there.

He swallowed another spoonful of Manuka honey and packed a container of cough drops before he left for work, happy as larry and feeling fine.

Author: Cath Armstrong

MOO Peppermint Cough Drops

These MOO cough drops ease coughs and sore throats quickly and effectivley.

ingredients:

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup Manuka honey (or raw honey)
• 2 - 3 drops pure peppermint essential oil

instructions:

1. Stir the honey and peppermint oil into the coconut oil. Don't be tempted to melt the coconut oil, the honey will sink to the bottom and it won't blend.
2. Press into a small, baking paper lined dish, or use a silicone cake pan.
3. Mark into 1cm squares with a knife and refrigerate until firm.
4. Store in the fridge in an air-tight container.
5. Have one - two every 20 - 30 minutes to ease coughing. 

Making Meals Cheaper - One Pan Dinners

French Shepherd's Pie

When time is poor and the budget is tight, my go to dinners are simple one-pan meals. I love them.

Almost a whole meal is done in one pan - only one pan to wash! That really makes me smile. Only one burner on the stove = less gas used, a slightly cheaper bill and that make me smile too. Or just the slow cooker or pressure cooker is used - both of them pretty much set and forget cooking and I smile when I use these "handmaidens" because they free me up to do other things.

But what I really like about one pan dinners is that they make meals cheaper.

One pan dinners often use very little meat. Think Tuna Surprise is another budget winner, coming in at around 60 cents per serve (depending on which tuna you buy and whether you MOO the cream of chicken soup or buy a tin). It's simply a tin of tuna, a tin of cream of chicken soup (or the equivalent of MOO Cream of Chicken Soup), 3 cups of cooked rice or macaroni and then whatever leftover or sad veggies you have. I often add frozen peas and corn, grated carrot, diced onion, sliced celery, shredded silverbeet or spinach, and grated zucchini depending on what is lurking in the fridge or freezer. To keep the cost down, instead of grated cheese, the top is sprinkled with MOO breadcrumbs that have been mixed in a little melted butter. This is delicious with salad, hot or cold and it freezes and thaws well.

Tonight we're having French Shepherd's Pie for dinner. Yes, I've rearranged the meal plan yet again - it's not set in concrete. After a club dinner at the weekend we were gifted the leftover roast lamb, roast beef and roast chicken, as well as peas, corn, carrots and a big tub of gravy. There was enough for at least five meals for us, and that's an enormous blessing.

It was all immediately packaged into meal portions and put into the freezer, but when Hannah realised there was some lamb, she requested French Shepherd's Pie.

French Shepherd's Pie uses as little as 200g of leftover roast meat, some mashed potato and a few herbs and can easily feed six people for under $3 - that's just 50 cents a serve and a definite budget winner. And tonight's dinner will cost under $2, with leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

I love one pan dinners, especially when they're almost free. Even when they're not, they save so much time and energy I try to have at least one on the meal plan each week.

Yield: 6Author: Cath Armstrong

French Shepherd's Pie

This dish uses the scraps of lamb left from a roast. You don't need a lot of meat to make a hearty dinner, full of flavour, that everyone will love.

ingredients:

• Leftover roast lamb or beef, about 200g OR
  200g mince
• 1 large onion, grated
• 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and boiled
• 1 beaten egg
• Olive oil for frying

instructions:

1. Oil a lasagne dish well. Cut lamb or beef into 1cm cubes or brown and drain mince. 
2. In a large fry pan heat a little olive oil and fry onion until transparent. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add meat and herbs, mix to combine.
4. Mash potatoes and stir through the meat mixture. 
5. Pat the potato mixture into the lasagne dish. Run a fork over the top of the potato to rough up. Brush with beaten egg.
6. Cook in a moderate oven for 25 - 30 minutes until heated through and top is golden brown. Serve warm.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Re-building the stockpile - starting early

Having been away for six weeks earlier this year, and not doing any grocery shopping while we were away, then just doing the absolute necessities since then, the grocery slush fund is quite healthy.

But the pantry and freezer are looking a little thin, to be expected as we're almost three quarters of the way through the year.  I'll tackle the freezer later, but this week I decided to use the slush fund to re-build the grocery stockpile now, as much as I could, back to a 12 month supply.

Why? Well because the slush fund is healthy, and right now there are some great grocery bargains happening on things we use regularly.  I am looking forward and seeing price increases due to the drought.  Already butter and cheese have skyrocketed in price, and I can see flour and flour products going up and up and up in the near future as wheat crops fail.

And because the stockpile is like my security blanket - I can cope when I know I can feed my family, and keep them and our home clean and healthy.

It's important to me to be able to provide healthy, tasty meals for my family. It's important to me to be able to keep our home clean and comfortable. It's important to me to ensure our personal hygiene is exemplary. And it's very important to us as a family that all these things are done within our means. I consider these things to be a part of my job as wife, mother and homemaker. Having a stockpile makes my job so much easier, simply by reducing the stress of grocery shopping.

Here's a list of our basic stockpile, broken down into categories:

Grocery stockpile:

Baked Beans
Baking Paper
Cereal - Ricies
Cereal - Weet-bix -1.2kg
Cereal -All Bran
Cereal -Rolled Oats
Choc Bits/Melts
Clingwrap
Cocoa
Condiments - Coleslaw dressing
Condiments - Herbs
Condiments - Honey
Condiments - Jam
Condiments - Mayo
Condiments - Nutella
Condiments - Peanut butter
Condiments - Peppercorns
Condiments - Salt
Condiments - Spices
Condiments - Stock cubes
Condiments - Vegemite
Cornflour
Cream of Chicken Soup
Custard Powder
Dried Fruit - Cherries
Dried Fruit - Dates
Dried Fruit - Mixed Fruit
Dried Fruit - Sultanas
Drinks - Coffee, Instant
Drinks - Coffee, Pods
Drinks - Cordial
Drinks -  Tea bags
Flour - Gluten
Flour - Plain
Flour - SR
Foil
Icing Sugar
Legumes - black beans (canned)
Legumes - soup mix
Legumes - split peas
Legumes - kidney beans
Molasses
Mustard - wholegrain
Nuts: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts
Oil - Olive
Oil - Vegetable
Pasta - Noodles
Pasta - Spaghetti
Pineapple rings
Popping corn
Powdered Milk
Rice
Sauce - BBQ
Sauce - Soy
Sauce - Sweet Chilli
Sauce - Tomato 2L
Spaghetti - tinned
Sugar
Tinned fruit
Tomato Soup
Tuna
Yeast

Freezer stockpile:

Butter
Casserole/Stewing Steak
Cheese - Tasty
Chicken - Drumsticks
Chicken - Fillets
Chicken - Wings
Chickens - Whole
Corned Beef
Fruit - oranges, strawberries,  apples, lemons, peaches
Legs of Lamb
Mince
Roasting Beef
Sausage mince
Sausages
Steak
Vegetables - carrots, celery, onion, eggplant, capsicum, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, pumpkin, tomatoes

Non-Food pantry stockpile:

Oven bags
Freezer bags
Foil
Clingwrap
Vacuum bags (for the Foodsaver, not the vacuum cleaner!)
Baking paper
Patty pans of various sizes
Freezer paper
Paper bags
Foil trays
Serviettes
Plastic tablecloths

Cleaning stockpile:

Laundry soap
Borax
Washing Soda
Bicarbonate Soda
Citric Acid
Eucalyptus oil
Lavender oil
Ti Tree oil
Salt
Ocedar furniture oil
White vinegar
Dishwashing detergent
Dishwasher powder
Scrub buds
Matches
Spare gas lighters (2)
Bug spray

Toiletries stockpile:

Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Toothbrush heads (for the electric toothbrushes)
Mouthwash
Dental floss
Shampoo
Conditioner
Hair spray
Deodorant
Moisturiser
BB cream
Mascara
Lipstick
Lip balm
Razors
Shaving cream
Bodywash
Soap
Dove bars
Body cream
Handcream
Sunscreen

First aid stockpile:

Bandaids of various shapes and sizes
Burn cream
Burn dressings
Betadine gargle
Betadine
Dettol
Antiseptic cream
Antiseptic wipes
Peroxide
Bandages
Elastic bandages
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Zyrtec
Immodium
Saline
Eye bath
Water purification tablets

Garden stockpile:

Lots of different types of seeds
Icy pole sticks to use as plant markers
Twine
Torn sheets to use as ties
Brass hose fittings (2 spare sets)

Clothing stockpile 

(these days I only stockpile for Wayne and myself):
Socks
Underwear
T-shirts
Long sleeved t-shirts
PJs
Nighties
Track pants (for Wayne)
Slippers
Gloves
Beanies
Scarves
Spencers
Warm winter jackets (bought at Aldi on half-price clearance - $9.95 each!)

Gift stockpile:

Wrapping paper
Gift bags (new)
Gift bags (recycled)
Cards & envelopes (birthday, thank you, thinking of you etc.)
Gift cards  & envelopes
Gift tags
Sticky tape
Double-sided tape
Ribbons
Bows
Curling Ribbon
And lots of things for presents, but because the recipients read my blog, I'm not listing them!

My list this week will had flour, sugar, butter, hard cheese, baked beans, tomato soup, pineapple, spaghetti on the Aldi list and use some of the slush fund to pay for them.

On the Coles list I had toilet paper, laundry soap and borax and I used Flybuys dollars to pay for them - which essentially made them free. I only collect Flybuys points on fuel and the few regular grocery items I can't get at Aldi, so it takes a while to build up but every little bit helps our budget so we soldier on until we have enough points to go shopping.

Happiness Homemade - MOO Fabric Softener

Vinegar is an amazing fabric softener, and it works to keep your washing machine clean too. But sometimes you want something more. Something with a little fragrance, that will remove all the detergent residue, keep the laundry soft and not damage your washing machine (and most commercial fabric softeners are not friendly towards your washing machine).

This fabric softener works a treat if you have sensitive skin, suffer from eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis or if you're sensitive to the ingredients in commercial products.

So here's a simple, frugal, effective and safe fabric softener you can whip up in under a minute.

You will need:
Epsom salts
Non-iodised rock salt
10 - 15 drops of your favourite pure essential oil

Simple put equal quantities of Epsom salts and sea salt in a jar, add your essential oils and shake like crazy to mix.

Then add 1 tablespoon into the washing machine (I add it in when I add the detergent) and let it do its job.

How easy is that?

You can buy Epsom salts from the supermarket and some pharmacies. It will cost you about $8.50 for a kilo box.
Rock salt is approximately $4/kilo.
Essential oils vary hugely in price, but I allow 10 drops costing 50 cents (most will be much less, this works for me and makes costing the fabric softener a little easier).

That equates to $6.50 per kilo, or 7.5 cents per tablespoon (working on 64 tablespoons per kilo average in an 8 kilo washing machine).

Use it Up - Day 2

Please forgive the terrible photo, I took it in a hurry this morning. I'll reshoot it later, for a better view of the Use It Up cards!

Yesterday I used up more scrapbooking paper, and managed to get cards and matching envelopes made. Each card also has a matching gift tag in the bag.

There was a little paper left from each set, so I very quickly turned those bits into laminated bookmarks.

So, 10 full sheets of DSP used, 11 scraps of Christmas DSP, some little bits from the scrap box and three A4 laminating sheets for the bookmarks.

The stash is slowly, slowly disappearing.

What did you use up yesterday?

IT'S TIME TO WASH THE WASHING MACHINE FOR JULY

There is an easy, cheap and energy efficient way to keep your washing machine clean and in tip top shape, and it works. It's the method I've been using for 26 years.

First thing you need to do is find out if your washing machine actually has a lint filter. My HE machine didn't, my new machine does, so check your handbook to find out if your machine has a lint filter.

If your washing machine is a top loader it should have a lint filter in the agitator.  Pull out the top of the agitator and it should have some kind of little bag or basket attached to it.

Gently take it off and give it a good clean. You may need to empty the lint out of it first. Then rinse it under hot water. If you use fabric softener then you will also need to soak it for a few minutes in white vinegar. Fabric softeners leave a film over the mesh that actually stops the water from getting through. You need to get rid of this build up.

Front loaders have different lint filters - check your handbook to find out where it is and how to get to it.

If you empty and rinse the lint filter after every wash you'll stop those black flakes of gunk that sometimes appear on your washing - that's the old muck out of the lint filter flowing back up into the bowl. Yuk!

While the lint filter is soaking, get a cloth and a bucket of warm water and add a splash of vinegar (about 1 cup). Use this to wipe around the top of the bowl, under the lid, over the outside of the cabinet etc. Don't forget the inside of the agitator and the fabric softener dispenser. If it's particularly grungy, sprinkle with bi-carb and use this as a scouring powder. Just watch your fingers - the edges of all those ridges and rims can be sharp (guess how I know!).

Put the lint filter back together and replace the top of the agitator. Then run your washing machine through a full cycle on the longest and hottest wash cycle (this is the only time I use a hot wash) and add a full 2 litre bottle of vinegar to it. Don't add any clothes or other detergents; let the vinegar work its magic. The vinegar will remove the scum and gunk and any hard-water build up in the bowl and hoses.

Wipe over the outside of the machine with a damp cloth and dry.

You washing machine will sparkle inside and out. Do this on a regular basis and you'll extend the life of your machine and save on costly maintenance calls.

My handbook suggests every 100 washes, for me that's about every two months because of the amount of washing I do. For my mother it's every six months or so as she only does two loads a week. If your family is larger you may need to do this more often. It may seem like a tedious chore but it is worth taking care of this most useful household appliance.

Think about what you'd do if you couldn't use your washing machine for a week - hand-washing, paying for the laundromat -and you'll see the benefit quickly.

Meal Plan Week 30, 2018

On Sunday we'll be eating the last of the roast lamb from the freezer. This means I'll be watching for specials. At the moment the cheapest I've seen legs of lamb is $9.99'kg - double what I'm used to paying! My brother tells me that it's only $8.99/kg at Costco, so I may use their membership to buy a couple, I'll have to see how the meat budget is holding up.

The silverside is also the last of a lot I was able to get on sale a few months ago. This one is a huge piece, so it will easily do two dinners and perhaps the scraps on the carving tray will be enough to make Corned Beef Pie for the weekend.

Thank goodness it's nearly time for a quarterly meat shop.

Next week we will be eating:

Sunday: Roast Lamb

Monday: Spicy baked chicken pieces, potato bake

Tuesday: Spaghetti Bolognese

Wednesday: Crockpot silverside, cabbage

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Mexican Meatballs

Saturday: Hamburgers, wedges

In the fruit bowl: mandarins, apples, bananas

Cath's Meal Plan

Next week we will be eating:

Sunday: Roast Beef

Monday: Mock chicken roast, baked veg

Tuesday: Refrigerator lasagne, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday: Stuffed chicken legs, baked veg

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Fish & Chips, coleslaw

Saturday: Hamburgers

Refrigerator Lasagne

Ingredients:
500g mince
2 tins baked beans
250g grated mozzarella
250g grated tasty cheese
250g cottage cheese
2 tins tomato soup
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp dried basil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Lasagne noodles

Method:
Brown meat, garlic, basil and onions; drain. Whizz baked beans until they resemble the mince. Combine baked beans, meat, tomato soup, diced tomatoes and simmer. Use 9"x13" cake pan. Pour just enough sauce to cover bottom of pan. Layer raw (uncooked) noodles, sauce, half mozzarella, half tasty cheese and cottage cheese until all used up. Cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 hour. Can be frozen after overnight refrigeration.

IT'S TIME TO CLEAN THE DISHWASHER FOR JULY

We're almost home, but the kids are still in charge of cleaning the dishwasher for this month. 

It's a simple household chore, that only takes a few minutes, to keep your dishwasher running properly, and that could potentially save you hundreds in repair and service costs, if not a new dishwasher before needed.

How to clean your dishwasher:

Step 1.  Place a dishwasher-safe cup filled with plain white vinegar on the top rack of your empty dishwasher. The vinegar will help to wash away the loose, greasy grime, sanitizes, and helps remove the musty odour.

Step 2. Sprinkle a cup of bicarbonate soda around the bottom of the dishwasher. The bicarbonate soda will help freshen the smell of the dishwasher as well as brighten up the look of the inside of your appliance by removing stains.

Step 3.  Using the hottest water available, run the dishwasher through a cycle – except for the cup of vinegar, the dishwasher needs to be empty.

Now that the dishwasher is clean and running right here are a few tips to keep it that way until the next cleaning.

Run a bit of hot water in your sink before running the dishwasher. You will get cleaner dishes if the water starts hot. You can collect the water you run and use it to fill the kettle or for watering plants or other purposes. Run the water until what comes out of the tap feels hot.

Make sure your water starts hot enough. Set the thermostat on your hot water service to 50 degrees Celsius. Water that is cooler than this won’t be hot enough to clean properly and water that is any hotter could scald.

A routine dishwasher cleaning is a good habit to get into. Mark it on the calendar to do regularly each month, the same day you do the drains and the washing machine.

IT'S TIME TO WASH THE WASHING MACHINE FOR JUNE

There is an easy, cheap and energy efficient way to keep your washing machine clean and in tip top shape, and it works. It's the method I've been using for 26 years.

First thing you need to do is find out if your washing machine actually has a lint filter. My HE machine didn't, my new machine does, so check your handbook to find out if your machine has a lint filter.

If your washing machine is a top loader it should have a lint filter in the agitator.  Pull out the top of the agitator and it should have some kind of little bag or basket attached to it.

Gently take it off and give it a good clean. You may need to empty the lint out of it first. Then rinse it under hot water. If you use fabric softener then you will also need to soak it for a few minutes in white vinegar. Fabric softeners leave a film over the mesh that actually stops the water from getting through. You need to get rid of this build up.

Front loaders have different lint filters - check your handbook to find out where it is and how to get to it.

If you empty and rinse the lint filter after every wash you'll stop those black flakes of gunk that sometimes appear on your washing - that's the old muck out of the lint filter flowing back up into the bowl. Yuk!

While the lint filter is soaking, get a cloth and a bucket of warm water and add a splash of vinegar (about 1 cup). Use this to wipe around the top of the bowl, under the lid, over the outside of the cabinet etc. Don't forget the inside of the agitator and the fabric softener dispenser. If it's particularly grungy, sprinkle with bi-carb and use this as a scouring powder. Just watch your fingers - the edges of all those ridges and rims can be sharp (guess how I know!).

Put the lint filter back together and replace the top of the agitator. Then run your washing machine through a full cycle on the longest and hottest wash cycle (this is the only time I use a hot wash) and add a full 2 litre bottle of vinegar to it. Don't add any clothes or other detergents; let the vinegar work its magic. The vinegar will remove the scum and gunk and any hard-water build up in the bowl and hoses.

Wipe over the outside of the machine with a damp cloth and dry.

You washing machine will sparkle inside and out. Do this on a regular basis and you'll extend the life of your machine and save on costly maintenance calls.

My handbook suggests every 100 washes, for me that's about every two months because of the amount of washing I do. For my mother it's every six months or so as she only does two loads a week. If your family is larger you may need to do this more often. It may seem like a tedious chore but it is worth taking care of this most useful household appliance.

Think about what you'd do if you couldn't use your washing machine for a week - hand-washing, paying for the laundromat -and you'll see the benefit quickly.

Cath's Meal Plan

Fried Rice - a truly frugal Cheapskates style meal

Next week we will be eating:

Sunday: Roast Chicken

Monday: Curried tuna rice slice, tossed salad

Tuesday: Veggie pasta bake, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday: Wellington loaf, baked veg, gravy

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Fried rice, satay vegetables

Saturday: Fried rice, rice paper rolls, dipping sauces

The Free (or Almost Free) Holiday Fun List

I loved school holidays. Having the kids home was pure joy for me. It not only gave me an extra couple of hours in my day (no school runs), but our days were relaxed and easy. I planned easy meals, didn't fuss too much about tidying up toys and games and scheduled an extra special outing or two to keep us all entertained.

We also had a list of over 200 things to do, most of them free, all of them cheap, that would keep everyone happy and entertained during the holidays. I even threw in a few household chores - after all, not everything has to be pure entertainment and chores can be fun.

I've published the list before, but here it is again, just in time for the winter school holidays.  School hols start here in Victoria tomorrow, so, if you are struggling to end the "there's nothing to do" whines, choose a few things off the list, and then have fun.

• 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 free templates you've downloaded and printed
• play with play dough
• 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 Frisbees 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
• read a magazine
• play dress-up
• play Cowboys
• pick vegetables  and then help Mum cook dinner
• play outside with the pet
• build a fort in your rooms
• build a fort in the backyard
• do a jigsaw puzzle
• play on the computer
• surprise Mum and Dad with breakfast in bed
• listen to a story or book on tape
• do extra schoolwork to get ahead
• do brain teasers (i.e.: crosswords, word searches, hidden pictures, mazes, etc.)
• cook
• prepare lunch
• surprise a neighbour with a good deed
• play shops
• prepare a "restaurant" lunch with menus
• hold a tea party
• have a Teddy bear picnic
• play with toy cars
• play dolls
• play house
• chase butterflies
• collect caterpillars and bugs
• 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
• grow a grass head
• 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 bubble 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 a 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 favourite book illustration
• design your own game
• build with blocks or Lego
• 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
• find a model train club and see if they have visitors at their running days
• take your bikes to the local BMX park and have a picnic and a day of riding
• spend an hour or two at the local skateboard park learning some new tricks
• 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
• have a pamper party and paint your nails
• make popcorn and watch an old movie
• make toffee with Mum
• make pink or blue (or whatever colour) pancakes for lunch
• 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 out what's on at the Library and then go have free fun
• 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 neighbourhood
• 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 encyclopaedia 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
• Finger paint 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

After you've made your choices, use the Holiday Fun Planner to schedule all that fun, so you don't forget what you've planned or over-schedule (holidays mean down-time too).  Stick your Holiday Fun Planner on the fridge so everyone can see what's coming up and have something to look forward to.

WHAT WE SPENT, WHAT WE DIDN'T SPEND AND WHAT WE SAVED WEEK 25

We arrived home on Friday evening, and it's been all go ever since.

Sunset in Weipa - just gorgeous, I could've happily stayed for a month

Why is it that coming home is more work than packing to go away? It's mostly done now, thank goodness, so I can stop whining and get on with the fun stuff coming up this week.

Unpacking, checking the pantry, fridge and freezer and making a shopping list, then doing the shopping (Hannah came along to help - it was quite a large shop after seven weeks), unpacking and putting things away.

The washing machine went almost non-stop this morning. I washed the linens and all our clothes from our trip. Even though they were washed regularly while we were away, they smelled musty - I think from the humidity, they never felt completely dry unless I paid the $4 -  $6 to put them through a dryer. Over the clotheshorses by the fire they went - they'll dry overnight, ready to be put away tomorrow.

All the dishes have been washed, dried and repacked, ready for our next trip.

Family sized chocolate cake - I use my Corningware baking dish to bake these extra large cakes

While we were shopping I stocked up on whole, fresh chickens from Aldi. They are currently $3/kg - great price for stocking up. Savings (overall).

I picked mandarins from our tree for this week's fruit -they were green when we left, now they're just right for picking (and eating).

I saved the egg shells from this afternoon's baking and when they are dry I'll crush them to use as snail repellent in the garden.

Wayne lit the fire almost as soon as we walked through the door, and I turned the ducted heating down. Then we burnt timber off-cuts we were given, saving the seasoned firewood for later.

Bought oranges for 29c/kg and made whole orange cakes and whizzed then froze some for future orange cakes.

After being away for so long, there wasn't much in the freezer so Hannah and I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen and we made:

• A big pot of soup
• 2 large quiches and 3 dozen small quiche
• 1 batch M&M cookies
• 1 batch Mars cookies
• 1 Family Chocolate Cake
• 10 serves of pasta bake (enough for two meals for us)
• 1 loaf banana bread
• 1 finger bun cake (my adaptation of an Adrian Zumbo mix)
• 2 dozen Whole Orange cupcakes

I activated another 10c/litre off offer from Flybuys to fill up my car. Combined with a 4c off voucher that will bring the price down enough to fill up - saving $8.40 which has been moved to our holiday fuel account.

What did you do to save money, time and energy this week?

Remember, money isn't saved until it is safely in the bank. Until then it is just not spent - hence my "what we didn't spend" list and making sure I move money from the relevant categories into our
savings accounts.

Cath's Meal Plan Week 26

Next week we will be eating:

Sunday: Roast Lamb

Monday: Baked Honey Mustard Chicken, vegetables

Tuesday: Spaghetti  Bolognese, garlic bread

Wednesday: Sweet lamb curry & rice

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Sweet & Sour vegetables & Singapore noodles

Saturday: Haystacks

Yield: 6 Author: Cath Print Recipe

Baked Honey Chicken

Quick and easy, and cheaper than using a jar, this is a delicious way to use chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon style mustard*
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 4 chicken breast fillets, skin off**

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
2. Line a baking dish with foil.
3. Whisk together the honey, mustard and basil in a small mixing bowl.
4. Place the chicken fillets into the baking dish.   Pour the sauce over the top to evenly cover the chicken.
5. Bake 30 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear when the chicken is poked with a fork.
6. Serve over steamed rice or steamed vegetables.

Notes:

*We prefer wholegrain mustard so I substitute it for Dijon. I buy the Aldi wholegrain mustard.
**To make chicken fillets go further, I often dice them. Two large chicken breast fillets, diced, will give six serves - five for dinner and one for the freezer - for my family.
If I don't have chicken fillets, I use drumsticks or maryland pieces.
If it is too hot to use the oven, cook the chicken fillets on the barbecue - they're just as tasty and the kitchen won't heat up.

Meal Plan, Week 25 2018

Apricot chicken with steamed rice

Next week we will be eating:

Sunday: Roast Chicken

Monday: Apricot chicken

Tuesday: Crockpot Lasagne

Wednesday: Grilled fish, wedges, tossed salad

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Salmon fritters, potato wedges, salad

Yield: 6Author: Cath

Apricot Chicken

Quick, easy and cheap - perfect for a tight grocery budget.

ingredients:

• 2 chicken breast fillets, skin off and diced (about 500g)
  
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 pkt French onion soup
• 410g can apricot nectar

instructions:

1. Melt the butter and then brown the chicken well on all sides
2. Mix the French onion soup with the apricot nectar.
3. Pour over the chicken, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
   
4. Serve over Savoury Rice
   

NOTES:

You can make this dish cheaper by using generic French onion soup - I use Coles brand, which I buy in bulk at the beginning of each year when I do my Once-a-Year grocery shop.

Watch the price of chicken and if thigh fillets are cheaper, replace the breast fillets with 500g thigh fillets.

Cost: $1.20 per serve

Created using The Recipes Generator