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Latest Tips & Recipes February 2021
Here you'll find the latest tips and recipes added to the Tip Store and Recipe File during February 2021
DON'T WAIT TIL DISASTER STRIKES
Don't wait til disaster strikes to cut your spending, modify your menu or change habits.
Practice NOW. Whether for a week or a month, it's well worth the effort to practice living on a bare bones budget regularly so the changes aren't such a shock especially if you have family accustomed to their creature comforts.
Having some practice at cooking with simpler ingredients from scratch will help smooth the transition if you need to really tighten your belt at some stage.
There are many international programs throughout the year that encourage us to live for a time on $2 a day or without power for a while etc. You could tie in with these to help get kids and partners on board.
If disaster does strike, you'll have enough to think about without needing to be imaginative with food, entertainment and so on.
I practice about once every six months. I have a super tight month and then reward myself at the end. Usually with a new fruit tree or similar paid for by the savings I've made.
Setting a goal with your family may also encourage everyone to knuckle down. Who knows, you may find some simple meals becoming permanent fixtures on your menu plan.
Contributed by Delaney Avenel
Practice NOW. Whether for a week or a month, it's well worth the effort to practice living on a bare bones budget regularly so the changes aren't such a shock especially if you have family accustomed to their creature comforts.
Having some practice at cooking with simpler ingredients from scratch will help smooth the transition if you need to really tighten your belt at some stage.
There are many international programs throughout the year that encourage us to live for a time on $2 a day or without power for a while etc. You could tie in with these to help get kids and partners on board.
If disaster does strike, you'll have enough to think about without needing to be imaginative with food, entertainment and so on.
I practice about once every six months. I have a super tight month and then reward myself at the end. Usually with a new fruit tree or similar paid for by the savings I've made.
Setting a goal with your family may also encourage everyone to knuckle down. Who knows, you may find some simple meals becoming permanent fixtures on your menu plan.
Contributed by Delaney Avenel
WEDGES WITHOUT OIL
Many years ago I read how to spread natural yoghurt on the wedges, instead of oil. It works well, and gets nice and crunchy.
Contributed by Karen Thompson
Contributed by Karen Thompson
KEEPING CUT CUCUMBER FRESH
Do you know how the Lebanese cucumbers in the supermarket are wrapped in plastic? Apparently, that’s because they have a much shorter shelf life than regular cucumbers and the plastic wrap keeps them fresher longer. Well it was tested and found to be a great idea to keep cut cucumber fresh for up to a week! Just cut the end off and carefully roll the plastic down as you cut. Then, before putting back in the fridge, roll it up and over the cut end, tuck it under and put the whole thing back into the fridge. I use a rubber band to keep it in place so no air can get it. No more soggy cucumbers after just a couple of days.
Contributed by Anne Fergusson
Contributed by Anne Fergusson
A SIMPLE DISPOSABLE BENCH TOP TIDY
When I have finished with any container e.g. milk /soft drink/juice/cartons etc. I rinse it then cut the top off it. It lives just near the kettle on the bench and any teabags (sorry I don't compost) or small scraps etc. get put into it. When it is full the whole thing goes into the rubbish bin.
Contributed by Pat Fagan
Contributed by Pat Fagan
Clean the Shower - Again!
I really dislike cleaning the shower, I'm always trying to find ways to make it easier, so the load is shared. This system seems to be the best so far. I bought a dust pan & brush set, just for the brush. It lives in the shower. For each tiled wall, and glass door, I squeeze undiluted dishwashing detergent along both long sides of the brush. On damp tiles/glass, and starting at the bottom where soap scum is worst, I scrub the walls with the brush. I leave it sit a bit, then rinse while I'm showering. It is working so well, I have sparkling walls and door for not a huge effort. Certainly less effort than other methods I've tried. The sharing of the job hasn't gone so well!
Contributed by Vanessa Reynolds
Contributed by Vanessa Reynolds
Photo Shopping
Whenever I come across something I want or need (for me, or a gift), I take a photo on my phone of the object and the price, both prices if it’s on special. I put these photos in a ‘shopping album’, so I can ;buy it later if I need it or it comes on special, text it to my husband so he knows exactly what I am after, or just keep the photo for future reference.
Contributed by Denise Scotford
Contributed by Denise Scotford
Tank Top Shopping Bags
Reusable shopping bags that are pretty, or at least not ugly, or that can be washed are few and far between. If you have any spare singlets or tank tops, all you have to do is run a seam along the bottom ( waist) of the tank top, and you have a washable, pretty, strong and long lasting shopping bag in different sizes.....add a carabiner to hook the handles ( shoulder straps) through, and you are ready to go. You can pick up tank tops from most secondhand shops for a few dollars, or ask around friends if they have any to get rid of. Plus you can personalise them and use them for the beach, regular car travels, gift bags etc.
Contributed by Denise
Contributed by Denise
Best Ever Baked Christmas Ham
Ingredients:
Ham 1/2 leg with bone in
220g honey
2 cups brown sugar
115g butter
1 tsp siracha or chilli sauce
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 ts cinnampon
1 tsp of allspice or garam msala
Equipment:
Baking tray (disposable) with rack
Large spoon/ ladle
Sharp knife
Saucepan large
Cooking Time:
1.3 hours
Plus 1-2 hours if you want to take ham out of the fridge before reheating and glazing.
Method:
Take Ham out of fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
Preheat oven or BBQ to 170 degrees Celsius.
Remove fat if any.
Cut slices into Ham to look like a "hasselback potato". Try to slice evenly on both sides without cutting all the way through.
Place ham on a rack in baking tray and bake unglazed for 30 minutes.
Put saucepan on a low heat, add brown sugar and honey stirring to melt, add butter, spices and siracha. Mix and melt well and keep warm not bubbling.
After 30 minutes baking take ham out and slather with glaze into all the slices and over top.
Bake another 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes take out ham and glaze generously again and return to oven for 20 minutes baking.
Turn up the heat to add more colour if needed and glaze again if wanted.
Ham is done when it reaches 135-140 degrees Celsius and you cant stop drooling!
Scrummy either hot or cold.
Contributed by Melody Francia
Ham 1/2 leg with bone in
220g honey
2 cups brown sugar
115g butter
1 tsp siracha or chilli sauce
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 ts cinnampon
1 tsp of allspice or garam msala
Equipment:
Baking tray (disposable) with rack
Large spoon/ ladle
Sharp knife
Saucepan large
Cooking Time:
1.3 hours
Plus 1-2 hours if you want to take ham out of the fridge before reheating and glazing.
Method:
Take Ham out of fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
Preheat oven or BBQ to 170 degrees Celsius.
Remove fat if any.
Cut slices into Ham to look like a "hasselback potato". Try to slice evenly on both sides without cutting all the way through.
Place ham on a rack in baking tray and bake unglazed for 30 minutes.
Put saucepan on a low heat, add brown sugar and honey stirring to melt, add butter, spices and siracha. Mix and melt well and keep warm not bubbling.
After 30 minutes baking take ham out and slather with glaze into all the slices and over top.
Bake another 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes take out ham and glaze generously again and return to oven for 20 minutes baking.
Turn up the heat to add more colour if needed and glaze again if wanted.
Ham is done when it reaches 135-140 degrees Celsius and you cant stop drooling!
Scrummy either hot or cold.
Contributed by Melody Francia
Try a Powdered Milk Swap and Save, Save, Save
I have taken to mixing up my own milk from powder. I really only use it in my coffee and tea and I can't taste the difference. Saving: way less plastic in the recycling bin (big plus for me, remembering that plastic cannot be recycled forever), never run out and have to duck down the shops during no spend February, way cheaper than $1.30/litre. So that is less waste, less time, less money, less fuel. Oh and I don't have to store litres and litres in my fridge (cost of energy to keep it cool). Oh and (last one) I don't have to carry heavy bottles home (factor in extra weight on fuel costs too). Save, save, save.
Contributed by Jan Naylor
Contributed by Jan Naylor
Simple Cheese Making
My fussy son will not use milk once it gets close to the use by date. Usually I will just make macaroni cheese with what is left but this week i thought i would try to make cheese. (I had about 1 litre left over ). Years gone by this incredibly simple cheese would have been called "farmers cheese ". The amount you make can be adjusted according to the amount of milk you have.
I used:-
1 litre of milk
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Bring milk to a rolling boil then take off the stove and add your vinegar (or lemon juice). You will see the curds forming straight away. Let cool and strain through muslin (or a tea towel). Squeeze as tight as possible to get rid of as much moisture as you can. When curds are cool enough to handle add some salt to taste. I also added some chopped fresh herbs before shaping the curds into a ball shape. I thought I might add some sundried tomato next time.
The whey which is left is extremely good for gut health and can be used when soaking your grains etc. for bread making, or even in your garden. Enjoy.
Contributed by Doris Denny
I used:-
1 litre of milk
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Bring milk to a rolling boil then take off the stove and add your vinegar (or lemon juice). You will see the curds forming straight away. Let cool and strain through muslin (or a tea towel). Squeeze as tight as possible to get rid of as much moisture as you can. When curds are cool enough to handle add some salt to taste. I also added some chopped fresh herbs before shaping the curds into a ball shape. I thought I might add some sundried tomato next time.
The whey which is left is extremely good for gut health and can be used when soaking your grains etc. for bread making, or even in your garden. Enjoy.
Contributed by Doris Denny
Japanese Onion Dicing Technique
I think this is a Japanese technique because I learned it from Japanese cooking shows.
1. Peel the onion but do NOT cut off the root. The root will be your handle.
2. Cut the onion in half from top to bottom. Lay one half flat with the root toward your non-dominant hand.
3. Carefully make one or two horizontal slices toward the root, but not quite all the way.
4. Turn the onion so the root is away from you. Make several vertical slices, again not all the way to the root.
5. Turn the onion back so the root is toward your non-dominant hand again. Slice the cut end normally.
6. (I added this to not waste the last bit.) When you reach the uncut bit near the root, turn it face-down so the root points up. Slice diagonally from the top all around the hard core.
Contributed by Estel Castle
1. Peel the onion but do NOT cut off the root. The root will be your handle.
2. Cut the onion in half from top to bottom. Lay one half flat with the root toward your non-dominant hand.
3. Carefully make one or two horizontal slices toward the root, but not quite all the way.
4. Turn the onion so the root is away from you. Make several vertical slices, again not all the way to the root.
5. Turn the onion back so the root is toward your non-dominant hand again. Slice the cut end normally.
6. (I added this to not waste the last bit.) When you reach the uncut bit near the root, turn it face-down so the root points up. Slice diagonally from the top all around the hard core.
Contributed by Estel Castle
Brighten Up Your Kids Party
Next time you want to cover an outdoor picnic table for a kids party, here's a bright idea. I recently bought some lovely, colourful and cheap, rolls of wrapping paper at least 3 meters long. I went along to my granddaughter's party in the park, armed with sticky tape and covered an ugly old BBQ table. I used this instead of using a plastic disposable cover. Not only did it look good, it was environmentally friendly, and I disposed of it in the recycling. Easy and cheap decorating. Don't forget the big kids outdoor functions too.
Contributed by Frances Mavropoulos
Contributed by Frances Mavropoulos
MOO Designer Sea Grass Planters
Take a Bunnings $2.50 sea grass door mat, fold into a cone shape and stitch with twine. Line with shade cloth or similar to hold mulch. Fasten to a wall or attach a chain or rope for a hanging planter. Takes less than half an hour to make and looks great.
Contributed by Chris Murch
Contributed by Chris Murch
Gift Wrapping with a Difference
Last year my daughter asked me to sew her some Christmas gift bags for her children's presents. Simply to save on the amount of Christmas paper they throw in the bin post Christmas. 3 kids adds up to a lot of paper.
Seeing the success and fun I had in making them, I am continuing to sew more this year for myself. With the 30 gifts I give to family for birthdays and Christmas (without including friends) and making my own cards/gift tags as well. I am on track to save approximately $50 - $70 annually.
If you have no material, start by looking in your linen press for any unused pillow cases, great for kids prints, old tablecloths, usually quite durable material. Start making just square sacks and tie with a ribbon. I like to sew a French seam, no raw edges on inside of bag. As you get more creative, and you will, making perfect sized bags to match your gift, drawstring bags, some with ribbon 🎀 sewed into side seams. Get creative and personalise, use favourite colours, make patchwork bags using up scraps of material. Once you start, you will not stop. Enjoy making the gift that keeps on giving. Yes, pass it on, who knows you may even get your own gift bag back (with a gift).🎁
Contributed by Lynne Adams
Seeing the success and fun I had in making them, I am continuing to sew more this year for myself. With the 30 gifts I give to family for birthdays and Christmas (without including friends) and making my own cards/gift tags as well. I am on track to save approximately $50 - $70 annually.
If you have no material, start by looking in your linen press for any unused pillow cases, great for kids prints, old tablecloths, usually quite durable material. Start making just square sacks and tie with a ribbon. I like to sew a French seam, no raw edges on inside of bag. As you get more creative, and you will, making perfect sized bags to match your gift, drawstring bags, some with ribbon 🎀 sewed into side seams. Get creative and personalise, use favourite colours, make patchwork bags using up scraps of material. Once you start, you will not stop. Enjoy making the gift that keeps on giving. Yes, pass it on, who knows you may even get your own gift bag back (with a gift).🎁
Contributed by Lynne Adams