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Latest Tips & Recipes April 2021

Here you'll find the latest tips added to the Tip Store & Recipe File during April
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​The Glad Wrap Use, Rinse, Re-Use Plan

​After using your Glad Wrap on an item, simply rinse it with cold running water or else just wipe over with a damp cloth and allow to dry You can reuse it again to wrap meat, chicken, fish etc. By doing this each time I haven't had to buy plastic wrap for ages.
Contributed by Maureen Young
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​Woolworths and Coles % Off Shop - 3 Ways

​Three ways to save on groceries:

1. Have you considered how much you would save over the whole year if you bought all your Coles/Woolies groceries at 3-4% off every shop? The half price specials are BETTER than half price.

RAC in WA, Suncorp insurance holders, companies such as Flightcentre and Fortescue have deals available where employees' families can buy gift cards for groceries (and heaps other stores). I know $3 and $4 for every $100 does not sound a lot but this discount can add up all year.

You need to be organised with your egift cards on your phone (or print them out) . Use the Woolworths app to use in store and online. Coles egfitcards barcodes can be used on mobile phone screenshots.

When purchased online using your credit card ($20-$500), the egiftcards take less than a day to arrive in your email inbox and you can start using them straight away. No activation required. Egiftcards denominations are as low as $20 - $500.

2. Coles and Woolies now give their mobile plan users 10% off grocery orders as well.

3.Employees of Wesfarmers and Woolworths get a % off for their family groceries with their employee discount card.
Contributed by Vaz Deacs
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​Nutolene Hummus

​Ingredients:
1/2 can Sanitarium Nutolene
1 cup chickpeas
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lukewarm water

Method:
In a food processor, add the tahini, lemon juice and garlic. Process till smooth and whipped. Next, add in the chickpeas and process till smooth. Finally, add the Nutolene and process. Add lukewarm water as required and process to the desired consistency. Serve immediately with pita chips, olives and vegetable crudités of your choice.
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​Easy Freeze Meat

​I store most of my meats in the freezer and I found it easiest to freeze chops, sausages, burgers, fish or steaks or chicken flat out on a baking tray. After a few hours they are frozen solid and are easy to bag up without them sticking together. I do the same with strawberries; it makes storing easy!
Contributed by Carla Moora
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​Saving for Slush Fund or Other Emergencies 

​I am a zero-based budgeter, I give every dollar a job (Income - Expenses = $0). When I have money left over in an important category (e.g. food, fuel, medical) that money is ALWAYS designated for that category, grocery money is always grocery money, fuel money is always fuel money, even if I only have 5 cent left. I separate this money into an ‘Emergency ...’ jar or small coin purse and take it to the bank and exchange coins for notes when I have enough. This money adds up faster than you think. Emergency grocery money can be used to buy in bulk, to feed unexpected guests without blowing out your budget, or to get extra groceries ahead of a natural disaster. Emergency fuel money can help cover those weeks when the budget is tight, to get extra fuel when prices are cheap, or an emergency trip to visit a sick or injured relative, at the end of the year you could also use this fund to pay for a road trip. My rule of thumb is grocery/fuel/medical money is ALWAYS grocery/fuel/medical money and anything left over in these categories is saved as an emergency fund in that category. You could use this approach towards any essential budget category. As well as saving any unused money I also add to my emergency categories any found money, rebates, bonuses, and unexpected money or gifts. You weren’t counting on this money in your budget anyway, you might as well use it to prepare for a rainy day, because as we all know sooner or later it’s going to rain!
Contributed by Kelly Patrick
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Box It Up and Ship It

​Many years ago we moved from NSW to WA putting everything in a shipping container and sending it over on a truck. Much cheaper than starting over again. Ring some companies for a price and decide from there.
Contributed by Diane Mills
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Packing School Lunches for Three

​I have three, fussy, hungry boys. I want to pack school lunches quickly, efficiently and cheaply that the kids will eat! These methods work for me. 

I use my freezer to form the base of my lunchbox packing. I make scrolls: pizza or vegemite and cheese - one scroll does one child for lunch. One child likes bread with butter and sliced cheese on the side. I cut up a French stick, butter it, and place in a freezer bag so I can take out each portion as I need it. Another child likes cheese rolls - another one which is easy to make, wrap, and freeze. 

For a snack, I make, slice and freeze banana cake (because it is so quick, easy and contains fruit!). Sometimes I make chocolate chip biscuits as they make in bulk and freeze easily.

With a stocked freezer, I can give lunch (roll or scroll) plus one piece of cake (or biscuit) and I pack this the night before with some dried mango or sultanas, cheese cubes, sliced carrot or cucumbers and a yoghurt.

In the morning, I slice up an apple - green are the best because they don't go brown - but even red (Gala) are fine. Lunchboxes are done in a few minutes! 

It might seem like a lot of work to make scrolls etc. - but I make in bulk so it is only once every 3 weeks that I need to cook and everything runs out at different rates so really it's about once a week that I need to refill the freezer.
Georgina Christensen
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​Start Over Lightly

​We had a moving dilemma. First off, you don't know if what you take with you (at great expense) is what will fit/suit your new accommodation. If I had the time over again I would definitely sell everything and look forward to starting over with fresh furniture/fittings as and when I find them in my new chapter. No worries about cartage, safe arrival, insurance etc., just offload it all and start over again lightly. Good luck! 
Contributed by Bernadette Collins
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MOO Egg Shell Scrub Powder

I save all the shells from eggs we use. Some I use in the garden, but most of them I turn into a really effective powder cleaner after I found the idea online. I don't remember where or who, but I'm so grateful, this has been a game changer for me when it comes to scrub type cleaning. After using, I rinse the eggs and then when I have a tray full, dry them in the oven for 20 minutes. I usually do this while I'm baking something else to save power. When they are cool I whizz them in the food processor until they are a very fine powder. I mix the powder in a 2:1 ratio of bicarb soda to powdered egg shells. A few drops of essential oil boosts the cleaning power and adds a nice smell. Orange, lemon or grapefruit are nice and fresh smelling. Then use as you would old fashioned Ajax - to scrub baths and basins, sinks, burnt pots etc.
Contributed by Meaghan Royce
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Keep the Good Things, Sell the Rest

​I have moved from Tasmania to Queensland and back a few times. It does cost a lot to move your items here. If you have good quality furniture, keep it and ship it over. If not have a garage sale and when you arrive have fun picking out new here. 
Good luck with your move. 
Contributed by Natalie Bennett
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Moving from House to Motorhome to House

​I moved from a house to my Coaster motorhome, I considered a storage locker, but found the expense overwhelming, so I decided to sell most of my furniture and sundry. The hardest part was the first sale, I wondered if I was going to regret it. Twelve months later I moved back into a house and had to refurnish. I had kept basic items, linen, plates, cups, saucepans etc., but no furniture. I checked Facebook and major department stores (Big W, Kmart) and refurnished my house for around $800. A lot less than the cost of storage and moving fees.
Contributed by Margaret Phillips
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Time to Buy Up Big!

​Tinned fish is my protein of choice for value and taste if I'm honest. Japan is about to let go of an enormous amount of water stored after cooling their reactors = highly toxic, into the sea. That will be the quick (or slow) end to the safety or even availability of tinned fish from anywhere within 'cooee' of Japan.  Time now to buy up really, really, largely. We know it lasts for so long stored at home. Could be the last time it is readily available.
Contributed by Carol Ryan

Editors note: Tinned fish (tuna, sardines or salmon) maintains it's quality for 5 years. It is perfectly safe to eat after this time if the tin is intact (no rust, no dents etc.) but may change colour or even develop a stronger flavour.  Cath.
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Preserving and Storing Herbs and Spices

​I dehydrate most of my herbs from my garden and bulk buy spices. Both should be stored with no light. I save (and get from friends) prescription bottles. These are ideal, no light so herbs and spices keep a long time
Contributed by Jen Nelson
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​Free Freezer Go-Between

​Save the blue puff pastry liners that come between sheets. They are great to separate items that you are freezing. For example, between home baked brownies, or chicken breasts or lamb chops.
Don't throw these away next time. Keep them in your freezer and pull them out when needed. This saves using parchment paper or foil between layers of food that you freeze.
Contributed by Vaz Deacs
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​Don't Use Plastic Wrap, Save Money and the Environment

​When dividing food into portions for freezing, especially fish and meat, don't wrap portions in plastic wrap. Use the plastic bag the food came in, and use bread tags to divide them. Boneless portions work best. I only just thought of this, and it's worked really well. Each portion is separated in the plastic bag, and the bag can be cut to get the frozen portion out. I always double bag anyway, so the whole divided bag goes into another bag, with the paper label inside the second bag.
Contributed by Vanessa Reynolds
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Accurate Spacing with Seed Tape

​A very easy, convenient and accurate way to sow vegie seeds is to make your own seed tape. Purchase white crepe paper streamers. Mix flour and water to make a paste, roll out streamer, mark spacing on streamer according to seed packets, put small amount of flour mixture on mark, drop seed on and either wait to dry or cut small piece from tape and place over glue/seed. Roll up, label and just roll out in your plot as required.
Contributed by Jill Shepherd
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Simple Seed Tape

​Make easy seed tapes using toilet paper cut in long strips. Using a simple corn flour glue, corn flower and water, brush glue on paper strips and place seeds at suggested spacing on paper. Dry then roll to store, when ready lay paper out in rows, cover with soil to required depth and water, bingo paper helps retain water for even germination and seedlings should be spaced to save thinning and disturbing other plants roots.
Contributed by Mick Watterson
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​Easy Seed Trays

Start your seeds in cardboard egg cartons filled with a Saunders compost mix, when ready to transplant just cut carton up and plant seedlings straight to garden.
Contributed by Mick Watterson
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​Super Soil Food x 4

1. Burying a few raw chicken/meat scraps at the bottom of the vegetable bed a few weeks before planting seedlings has the same effect as applying blood and bone but is less expensive (just put a weight on it and bury it a good foot).

2. If you live by the coast, fresh seaweed is an excellent mulching material that also is a great soil booster; as good as applying Seasol, but free.

3. Pesky weeds i.e. nut grass, steal valuable nutrients from my soil but are no good in the compost. To harness the nutrients I stuff them in my old milk bottles, fill with water and leave them in the sun for a week or longer until the weeds have broken down. I then pour this in the garden as fertiliser when it's required.

4. Everyone knows how good banana skins are. During summer I dehydrate some banana skins and then use them to make banana skin tea all year round. 1-2 skins per 3 litres of water and they sit in the sun till they have broken down. I apply this to my fruiting plants. 
Contributed by Di W
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​Honey Mustard Roast Beef Toasted Sandwiches

​Ingredients:
1 slice roast beef per person
2 slices bread per person
1 slice cheese per person
Bread'n'butter cucumbers or 1 small brown onion, thinly sliced ors or
Honey
Mustard (honey, Dijon, wholegrain - choose your favourite)
Butter

Method:
Butter one side of each piece of bread. Put the slices of bread together, buttered side in. Combine 1 teaspoon of mustard and 1/2 teaspoon of honey and spread over the top slice of bread. Shred a slice of roast beef then spread over the honey mustard mixture. Then add some slices of bread'n'butter cucumber. Top with a slice of cheese.

Heat a heavy frying pan (or a sandwich press). Put the sandwich into the hot pan buttered side down. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side up. Cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom. Flip. Cook a further 2 - 3 minutes until the bread is golden, the cheese has melted and the onion is cooked. Cut in half diagonally and serve immediately.

If you're using Turkish bread, halve it, then spread one side with the honey mustard mixture, followed by the roast beef, the bread'n'butter cucumbers then the cheese.

Heat a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Melt 2 teaspoons of butter in the pan, swirl around to cover the base. Put the sandwich in the pan and cook for 3 -4 minutes until golden, flip and cook a further 2 -3 minutes until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
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Break It Up with Coffee Grounds

​Ask your local café for their coffee grounds, pick them up regularly and sprinkle through your compost to help break it up.
Contributed by Meryll Williams
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No Weed Winter Gardening, Using Waste Materials

​Throughout the year I save any newspapers, magazines, sale catalogues and cardboard boxes to use as a weed barrier in my garden. Lay down a layer of newspaper or cardboard and cover with mulch (garden straw, grass clippings, Autumn leaves, palm fronds, bark mulch or pebbles - whatever you prefer) to hold it in place and look more attractive. Over time any weeds beneath will die off as they have no access to sunlight, so you won't have to pull them out.  Autumn and Winter is the perfect time to do this while the weather is cooler and in preparation for new growth in the garden during Spring, without the need to constantly weed. If a weed does pop up here and there throughout the year, lay some more newspaper on it and cover with mulch again. You've reused something which would usually have to be recycled and saved yourself a lot of energy in not weeding your garden throughout the year, and all for free! And of course throw down some of the compost you've made from household, garden and kitchen waste, beneath the newspaper layer as a free fertilizer and soil improving food for worms - then let the worms dig and condition the soil for you, with no extra effort or expense.
Contributed by Trixy Krix
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​ITALIAN SEASONED SALT RECIPE

​Ingredients:
2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground basil
1/2 tsp ground oregano 

Method:
Combine all the ingredients, shaking or whisking to mix. Store in an air-tight jar.
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MEDITERRANEAN SEASONED SALT

​Ingredients:
2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground rosemary
1/2 tsp ground sweet basil

Method:
Combine all the ingredients, shaking or whisking to mix. Store in an air-tight jar.
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​MEXICAN SEASONED SALT

​Ingredients:
2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp powdered cumin 
1/2 tsp chilli powder

Method:
Combine all the ingredients, shaking or whisking to mix. Store in an air-tight jar.
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Seasoning Salt

Ingredients:
2 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

Method:
Combine all the ingredients, shaking or whisking to mix. Store in an air-tight jar.

Notes: For seasoned salts, it's best to use a fine salt, like a table salt, and powdered herbs and spices, so they combine evenly. Larger granules allow the finer ingredients to sink to the bottom, and the flavours aren't evenly distributed throughout. Use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to powder any herbs and spices before you add them to the salt.
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Veggie Burgers

​​Ingredients:
2 slices wholegrain bread, crumbled
Several leaves of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fine, dry bread crumbs, plus extra for coating
3/4 cup grated tasty cheese
1-1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
1/2 finely diced green or red capsicum
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp chili powder (or less to taste)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup solidly packed mashed sweet potato
1/3 cup ricotta
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup plain flour
Egg wash

Method:
In a medium-size bowl, mix together the crumbled bread, parsley,1/2 cup  bread crumbs, and grated cheese. Set this aside. Heat the oil in a medium-size frypan over medium heat, then add the onion, pepper, and corn. Sauté the vegetables until soft, about 7 minutes, stirring often. Mix in the garlic and chilli powder and cook it all for another minute. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the contents into the bread crumb mixture.

In a large bowl, mix together the egg, sweet potato and ricotta. Add the bread crumb mixture, stirring thoroughly, then season with the salt and pepper. Flour your hands, then shape the mixture into six 15mm thick patties, using about 1/3 cup for each one. Dredge the patties in plain flour, then egg wash, then in bread crumbs and refrigerate them for about 1-1/2 hours.

Melt the butter in a large frypan, transfer the patties to the pan and fry them over medium heat until they turn golden, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove them from the pan and serve right away. Makes 6 patties.

Note: The crumbled wholegrain bread is essential to the texture, and prepared bread crumbs shouldn't be substituted. Put the bread slices out for about 30 minutes to air-dry, then crumble them by hand, with a serrated knife, or in a food processor.
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Hot Cross Bun & Butter PUdding

​Ingredients:
4 hot cross buns, cut into 4 slices each
2 tbsp butter
4 eggs
2 cups milk
300ml cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Butter a large square casserole dish. Slice the hot cross buns into four slices each. Lightly butter both sides. Place the hot cross bun slices in the bottom of the casserole dish and around the sides. Beat the eggs, add the milk, cream and vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour over the hot cross buns, slowly, so the custard mixture fills all the gaps and soaks into the buns. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the custard. Bake for 35 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is golden. Serve hot with ice-cream (or cold - it's good the next day too!).
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Drying the Shower Clean

​When cleaning the shower, I find drying it down with the bathmat (you could use an old towel) every time I use it, I don't need to clean it as often. As I have clear glass on two sides, no soap scum buildup
Contributed by Joyce Killeen.
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Tizzying Up Girls Pyjamas

My daughter-in-law had suggested winter pyjamas as a birthday gift for my 6 year old granddaughter. She is a girly girl and loves pretty things. I looked on line and at a local store, lovely pj’s but all in the $30 plus price range. Kmart had some flowery pink and white flannelette pj’s for $7 so I bought those and looked in my stash at home for sewing notions....and was able to change the buttons to pretty sparkly ones, add lace under the collar and embroider her name on some matching pink fabric and sewed it on the front. So one much prettier, tizzied up pair of Pj’s and a robe to match (bought from Kmart) for total cost of $17. I also found some cute fabric in my stash to make her one more pair of pj’s - the only pattern I have is a couple of sizes too big but by using the bought pj’s as a guide I can copy the pattern and cut it down to fit. Win, win. 
Contributed by Jeni Winslow

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