This is the view from my kitchen window, taken this morning as I was filling the sink to do some washing up. I'd just tossed the bucket of water from the shower over the window and scrubbed it with the broom. You can see the trestle in the background - that's where Wayne has been painting his trains. The lawnmower is parked under it, ready for the boys to cut the grass. To the left is the barbcue and the smokehouse, with the clothesline just beyond.
I love my kitchen. It's not very big, it's compact size makes working in it easy. Most of all I love it for the view. Looking out the window, through the ferns onto the bush on the other side of the back fence I can almost forget we live in the middle of suburbia. It's not our dream to live in the city, but at the moment it's where we are. We'll get back to country life soon enough. In the meantime the view from my kitchen window keeps me smiling.
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I am not a morning person. No, let me clarify: I am not a sociable early morning person. I do like to get up early and you'll often find me at my desk or tucked up in my favourite chair reading or sewing at 4 am.
I love the peace and quiet of the house in the early morning. I can hear the kitchen clock ticking and the trucks rumbling down the highway 2 kilometres away. I know which neighbours leave for work early and I know when the garbage truck is coming and can run to put the bin out if we've forgotten. The old saying "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise" is true. When I'm up early I can take my time getting my day arranged, getting the jobs that need concentration out of the way before the usual day-to-day chores and routine kick in. Back in the olden days, it was normal to up at daybreak. There were chores to be done before the business of the day began. Chickens had to be fed, cows had to be milked, bread had to be made. With modern life and conveniences the need to be up with the roosters disappeared. There was no need to be out of bed so early, and I think it's a shame, because with that we lost the joy of early mornings. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you should be up at 4am, working flat chat. But so often I hear the complaint that there's no time to bake or tidy the house or get the ironing done, when in fact if you were to get up just 30 minutes earlier each day, how much could you accomplish. When the boys were little and Hannah just a tiny baby Wayne was working at a feedlot. He would be up at 3am and leave at 3.30am to start work at 4am. I'd get up when he left and feed the baby. Then once she was asleep again I would start my chores. I could dust and polish and sweep and wash the floors without little boys running in and out. It was the perfect time to bake too. Much as I loved baking with the boys sometimes it was nice to be able to get it all done in a fraction of the time and without the mess. I'd even do the ironing if there was any. I especially loved getting dinner ready. Meat would come out of the freezer and if there were any veggies to peel or wash I'd do them and put them into the fridge. As those of you who have had little ones in the house know, dinner time is not the time to be peeling potatoes and thawing meat. Getting it prepped and out of the way early in the day saved us from takeaway many nights, especially if Wayne was working late. By around 5am I was finished - my household chores for the day were all done, bar making the boys' beds. The rest of the day was mine, mine, mine! That's when I'd boil the kettle and make a cuppa and sit and relax until I heard the patter of little feet as they bounded down the hallway looking for their breakfast. And our day began. I still love getting up early and getting the day underway. Having the beds made, dishes done and floors swept early in the morning keeps the house respectable. Getting a load of washing on the line saves me from spending the whole weekend washing, drying and ironing (or supervising the troops as they do it). It only takes a minute to check the meal plan and pull the meat from the freezer and scrub some veggies. Actually none of these chores takes more than a few minutes each but they all have a huge impact on our home and the way I feel about it. When our home is clean and orderly our days are too. If I can walk out the door at 8:15am, knowing the basics have been done, the rest of the day is a breeze. If you don't believe me, try it. Get up earlier. Try getting up just an hour earlier and see how much easier your day is. It may take you a while to get into the swing of things and really enjoy those 60 minutes, but remember it takes 21 days to create a habit. Once you've done it, you'll be amazed by how much stress one quiet, early morning hour can eliminate from your life. Today is the Labour Day holiday here in Victoria and it is a perfect autumn day. It's the kind of day when you just want to be out in the sunshine. Which is not where I've been all day!
AJ had Uni today and of course being a holiday I decided to stay in bed and read. Oops! The poor kid set his alarm, but slept through it. It was 9.28 and I suddenly realised he hadn't stuck his head in to say good-bye. I fairly flew out of bed and down to his room. There he was, sleeping so peacefully - until I screeched "you've slept in" and he was up and out of that bed in 10 seconds! His first lecture started at 10, so Wayne drove him. Thank goodness he doesn't have too far to go and that he was home. I'm not sure the sight of me in a hurriedly thrown on tracksuit is something anyone should see in the morning! Wayne was chuckling when he came home, turns out quite a few people slept in this morning, the queue to turn into the car park was miles long! I have been busy. Hannah and I have been shopping for new clothes for her. She needed a black outfit to wear on Wednesdays when she does her VET course. The uniform is black - trousers, skirt, dress, jumper, blouse/t-shirt - she can wear whatever she likes but it must be black. So after breakfast and a quick tidy up off we went and we only had to go to one shop! Kmart had a clearance sale on with racks and racks of clothing for just $5 a piece. She is now the very happy 15 year old owner of two lovely black t-shirts, a gorgeous skirt and a really nice jumper, all mother approved and for the grand total of just $20! That's the kind of clothes shopping I like. While we were out we decided to do the weekly grocery top-up a day early (I usually do it on a Tuesday morning) and popped into Coles. Apparently we arrived at just the right time because all the meat was marked down so we had a lovely time picking up packages of really, really cheap meat. Rump steak down to just $8/kg, whole fresh chickens (No. 20) for just $7 each, and more. I stocked up on the steak and the chickens, they were too good to pass up. Wayne sliced the steak for me as soon as we came home and it's now neatly packaged and in the freezer with the chickens. I keep a "slush fund" for occasions just like this, when I find a bargain we can use. The slush fund covers the cost without having to go over my grocery allocation. I add the leftover grocery money to the slush fund and let it build up until I need to use it. On my grocery tracking sheet I have a column for slush fund so I know how much goes into it each month. And this helps to keep the grocery budget balanced too. Last month I didn't use all the grocery money and was able to add $32.65 to the slush fund. The groceries don't always cost what I budget each month, sometimes the bill comes in under and occasionally they cost more. That's when the slush fund is really handy. I can go over my allocated amount for the month by however much is in the slush fund and still not go over the allocated amount for groceries for the year. I also have a petrol slush fund that works on the same principle. I allow $75 a week for fuel, sometimes we don't do a lot of driving (long weekends and school holidays spring to mind) so it doesn't cost as much to fill the car. The excess is kept in the slush fund for those times we do a lot of driving (I may have to go into town or travel for stories, or we go to Shepparton to SPC etc) and our fuel costs increase. It also helps cover the fuel costs when we go on holiday or for train, tram or bus tickets when we use public transport. At the end of each year I look over the grocery tracking sheet and the fuel column in our Spending Plan and decide whether the allocated amounts need to be adjusted. If the grocery bill is consistently lower by more than $10 per week, I lower it for the next year. Ditto the fuel bill, although the way costs are going up I don't think it will be dropped next year. I may find myself walking more and driving less so it can stay the same. Petrol was the same price as diesel here last week! There is no point in allocating too much money to a category when it can be useful elsewhere. All it has to do is cover the cost for the week/fortnight/month/year. As long as you have the bill covered, you are right. For example it could be used to help build your Emergency Fund or to pay down debt (or both) rather than sit in the grocery (or fuel) categories and roll over from month to month to a slush fund, effectively costing you money (the interest you pay on the debt you carry). Living the Cheapskates way gives you options and flexibility in your Spending Plan, that's why it works. It's been such a sunny, pleasant day it seems odd to be making soup, but that's what I did this afternoon. I cut one of our pumpkins this afternoon and instead of dusting it with cornflour and putting it in the fridge I decided to make pumpkin soup. Did you know that if, when you cut a pumpkin, you take the seeds and soft centre out and then dust the raw surfaces with cornflour it will last for weeks in the fridge? It's handy to remember when you have an excess of pumpkin and don't feel like making soup. Pumpkin soup must be the easiest soup to make. I just cut up the pumpkin and a couple of onions and cook it in either stock (from the freezer) or water with some stock powder added, until the pumpkin is cooked. Then I whizz it through the food processor. And it's done. My stockpot makes 8 litres of soup, so I put 2 litres in a Tupperware bowl in the fridge. This is my lunches for the week. The rest goes into Tupperware containers in either single portions for lunches and snacks later on. While I was in the cooking mood I made some muffins too. Apple and boysenberry and some raspberry and white chocolate for a treat. The cake dome looks lovely full of nice fresh muffins. It won't stay that way long though. Tom just called and he's bringing some friends home for tea. They're actually coming to play games on the Wii, but they'll stay for tea, they always do. And we'll have muffins for dessert! Everyone knows (or should by now) that most cheap food is if not entirely void of nutrition, at best borderline. It's the food that no health orientated person would touch. This is the stuff that often features on the first page of the grocery sale flyers - the chips, soft drinks, processed meals. What we tend to forget is that most of the healthiest food is also the cheapest. Stock up on in-season fresh fruit and vegetables when they are at their peak - and their cheapest. By remembering portion control you can buy better quality red meats, fish and poultry and save money too. Whole grains and legumes are cheap and good for you. They also make great meals on their own and are perfect for stretching others. There are plenty of inexpensive options when you look for cheap and healthy.
We all know that tracking our spending helps us save money. So have you ever considered tracking your food spending? Food is the next biggest expense for us, next to rent or mortgage payments! If your budget seems to just keep blowing out, record every cent you spend on food. Every day for a month write down all the money you spend on food. Not just your weekly groceries, but that latte with the girls, the canteen money for the kids, the fish'n'chips on Friday night. I'm not saying you can't have these things. Just be aware that they are food costs and do have a huge impact on your Spending Plan. If you are trying to keep your food bill and your Spending Plan under control, you may decide that the $35 fish'n'chip takeaway each week just isn't worth it and can be a $15 homemade fish'n'chip dinner instead, saving $1,040 a year!
When you are menu planning and making up your shopping list, try to choose meals that use a lot of the same ingredients. Doing this you can buy in bulk where appropriate, stop buying lots of different ingredients you only use once and keep your pantry, fridge and freezer contents under control.
While we were having lunch today Wayne had the TV on, watching Landline on the ABC. One of the segments on the show featured Show cooks. It seems that show cooking has had a resurgence in recent times, with this year's ECCA seeing an increase of 180 entries.
And can you believe the youngest entrant was just four years old! As they were talking about fruit cakes, and how to cut all the fruit, line the tins etc Wayne hinted that perhaps I could make him one of my prize winning sultana cakes. Yes, I have won a first prize for sultana cake, not at an agricultural show, but at Group CWA, an honour I am still proud of. Anyone who knows me understands why I am so honoured. I'm not a great cook and I really don't enjoy everyday cooking. I have a few recipes that I make over and over (if you check my menu plan each month you'll know what I mean) because I can make them very well. Sultana cake is one of those things. My top 10 tips for a prize winning sultana cake are: 1.Use the freshest sultanas possible. 2.Always soak the sultanas overnight, drain and let them dry for 24 hours. 3.Dust sultanas with a little flour before adding them to the mixture. 4.Add 1 teaspoon of lemon essence with the liquids - it gives a delicious flavour. 5.Line the tin with 2 layers of brown paper and then 1 layer of baking paper. 6.After pouring the batter into the tin, wet your hands and gently pat the top to even out. This helps to stop the top cracking during baking. 7.Always pre-heat your oven and make sure it is exactly the right temperature before you put the cake in to bake. 8.Never open the oven during baking. 9.After baking time is up, take the cake from the oven and if it is singing to you it is done. If it's not singing, put it back in for another five minutes and test again. 10.Let cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out to cool. Now I've given away my secrets, I guess I should share the recipe too. Sultana Cake Ingredients: 500g sultanas 250g butter 250g sugar 350g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 3 eggs 1 tsp lemon essence Method: Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Cover the sultanas with water and bring to the boil (and yes, they were soaked overnight). Boil for 15 minutes and drain. Add butter to hot sultanas. Beat eggs and sugar together. Add to sultana mixture. Then add the sifted flour and baking powder. Add the lemon essence and mix well. Bake in a 20cm tin for about 11/2 hours. Test to see if it's done, if not return to oven for a few minutes and check again. Let cake cool in tin 10 minutes before turning out to cool on a cake rack. When you have unexpected guests pop in, it's nice to be able to serve them a freshly baked, homemade cake.
Ingredients: 2 cups SR flour 1 cup white sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla essence 1/2 cup butter Method: Melt butter. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Place a microwavable glass in the centre of a microwavable pie dish and pour mixture around the glass into the dish. Cook on high for five minutes and serve immediately at the table for your guests with jam or lemon butter on the top. This cake takes five minutes to prepare, five minutes to cook and you can sit with your guests to serve it up hot and fresh. Only costs $2 to make and serves six guests! Saves time, effort and money. Saves one hour in the oven and lets you enjoy the company of your friends at home with cake and coffee cheaply! One jar of lemon butter or any jam kept in the cupboard will help top the cake made from these staples! Guests will be love it! Contributed by Olivia, Coomera This base recipe from Cheapskater Carol is perfect for slices and even sweet pies when you don't have that packet of biscuits to crumb.
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups plain flour 1/2 cup icing sugar 1/4 tsp salt 175g (3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into small cubes Method: Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius, grease a lamington tin or pie plate. Place flour, icing sugar and salt into food processor fitted with metal blade. Pulse until blended. Add cold, cubed butter and process mixture until it looks like little crumbs, about 15 seconds. Transfer mixture to prepared pan or pie dish. Press firmly onto the bottom. Bake in pre-heated oven 15 - 18 minutes until edges are golden. If using for pie base, cover with foil so that the crust doesn't burn. Delicious as the base of a slice. I used it for a cheesecake crust this week and it was great. Contributed by Carol, Mudgegonga I have just seen an ad on TV for Mr Muscle drain cleaner. Guaranteed to clear blocked drains and leave them sparkling clean and draining freely. If you have seen or see the ad, don't rush out and buy it. You don't need to. Most likely you already have everything you need to clear a blocked drain and keep them draining nicely without having to buy a bottle of something. Flush the drain regularly to keep it clean and clear of gunk To help dissolve scum and hair in sluggish bathroom basin and bath drains, pour a mixture of 1-cup salt, 1-cup bicarb soda and ½ cup white vinegar into the drain. Then let stand for 15 minutes and flush with 4 litres boiling water followed by flushing hot tap water down the drain for 1 minute. You can repeat this process if necessary. Hint: Salt will keep small roots from taking up residence in your pipes. (This tip is in the Tip Store and my book.)
Much easier and safer than pouring a chemical down the drain. I do this once a month in the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry. The drains never block or become sluggish and they don't smell horrible either. From Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing |
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