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Latest Tips & Recipes November 2021
Here you'll find the latest tips and recipes added to the Tip Store and Recipe File during November 2021
Lamb Meat Inexpensively, or Modern Ways with Offal
With making everything quicker to cook these days, offal meats are rarely given in recipes and food ideas. I have been using my slow cooker to cook offal ahead of time, to cook quick & easy meals later. You can buy lean lamb meat for about $5 a kilo to use for moussaka, & casseroles – as lamb hearts! Just like most meat, the heart is a muscle. It is a bit denser than leg muscle, but it tastes the same. I buy lamb hearts at 10 for $8 at the regular market butcher (not as pet food), I put them in my slow cooker with some water, and cook on low overnight. The raw weight is about 2kg! I used to prepare them a bit, but no more – straight into the pot. When cooked, the fat & tubes fall off easily. I freeze some whole for later. The liquid is well-flavoured stock too. Eating offal, sometimes called nose-to-tail eating, saves money and is also respectful of the animals, which are raised for us to eat.
Contributed by Vanessa Reynolds
Contributed by Vanessa Reynolds
Freeze Your Donuts
I buy a packet of 8 donuts from Woolies. I keep a couple in the fridge to be used by the next day. The rest I freeze in freezer bags. They last for weeks and when you microwave them 1 for 30 seconds, 2 for 1 minute. They come out nice and soft and warm. Leaving the remaining donuts in the fridge they goe stale.
Contributed by Peter Amabile
Contributed by Peter Amabile
Have an Oven Use Plan
We have all seen the benefit of menu planning to help with reducing waste and sticking to budget. When I was growing we combined that with planning our oven use. My mum was very reluctant to turn on the oven for only one food. She would make sure if she had heated the oven up there was something else to go in. So if the oven is on for a roast then dessert would be in there or a batch of scones could go in later etc. I try to menu plan with this in mind. For example, if I know I'll need some cupcakes by Wednesday, on Monday when lasagne is on the menu I can do the cupcakes. Sometimes it is possible to cook two days worth of dinners at the same time. Dinners that keep well for another day include quiche, lasagne, pasta bake, curry, casserole and sausages. They can be reheated in the microwave using much less power.
Contributed by Gillian Gilson
Contributed by Gillian Gilson
Choose a Hiding Spot for Your Cash
I read that burglars generally spend less than 15 minutes searching a house for valuables. With this in mind, avoiding common hiding places for your cash and valuables may be all you need to protect them.
Think about what you have a lot of in your house. Craft materials? Books? Frozen food?
Then think about how to make the cash look like it belongs, so that a burglar would have to search the whole lot to find it. For example:
- An envelope of paper money can be tucked inside a particular book (remember which one, but don't put it in an obvious place). Good for flat items only.
- I think Cath has instructions on the site on how to make a safe out of a book you don't like.
- Wrap valuables the same way you wrap food for the freezer, and label them as a food you don't eat. Bury them deep in a chest freezer if possible. Good for long-term storage.
- Put budget envelopes in a bag/box along with craft materials, ensuring they are hidden from view (again, remember which bag/box). Good for bulky items and frequent access.
- Hide wrapped valuables in the middle of a large jar of dry food, e.g., rice, in your pantry. Good for small items with irregular shapes.
Importantly, get creative and think about what in YOUR house is hard to search through.
Remember to make sure anyone else who uses whatever you hide valuables among knows what the package is. E.g., don't hide cash in a box of your kids' toys unless you can trust them to leave it there.
AVOID hiding valuables in your wardrobe, even in a locked safe unless it's fixed to the floor.
Optionally, leave a little cash or a few items that you don't mind losing in an obvious place so the burglar will take them and stop searching for anything else.
Contributed by Gabrielle Castle
Think about what you have a lot of in your house. Craft materials? Books? Frozen food?
Then think about how to make the cash look like it belongs, so that a burglar would have to search the whole lot to find it. For example:
- An envelope of paper money can be tucked inside a particular book (remember which one, but don't put it in an obvious place). Good for flat items only.
- I think Cath has instructions on the site on how to make a safe out of a book you don't like.
- Wrap valuables the same way you wrap food for the freezer, and label them as a food you don't eat. Bury them deep in a chest freezer if possible. Good for long-term storage.
- Put budget envelopes in a bag/box along with craft materials, ensuring they are hidden from view (again, remember which bag/box). Good for bulky items and frequent access.
- Hide wrapped valuables in the middle of a large jar of dry food, e.g., rice, in your pantry. Good for small items with irregular shapes.
Importantly, get creative and think about what in YOUR house is hard to search through.
Remember to make sure anyone else who uses whatever you hide valuables among knows what the package is. E.g., don't hide cash in a box of your kids' toys unless you can trust them to leave it there.
AVOID hiding valuables in your wardrobe, even in a locked safe unless it's fixed to the floor.
Optionally, leave a little cash or a few items that you don't mind losing in an obvious place so the burglar will take them and stop searching for anything else.
Contributed by Gabrielle Castle
Christmas Food Prep
Make your finger foods a day or two before Christmas and store them in the fridge or freezer; you can heat them up if needed before serving. It'll save you a lot of time on Xmas morning.
Contributed by Ashly Walsh
Contributed by Ashly Walsh
Best Ever Painting Smocks
The best painting smock is a button up long sleeve shirt worn backwards with a button done up in the back to secure it. You can pick them up cheap in op shops, or you may even have one at home already you can use. I bought a selection of sizes to fit all my kids and keep them with all the painting supplies. This would work for adults too.
Contributed by Melanie Hunter
Contributed by Melanie Hunter
A Quick Portable Baby Bath
If you are in holiday accommodation and your baby hates the shower. Take a small portable blow up paddling pool to fit in shower and voila one happy baby toddler.
Tricia Twitchett
Tricia Twitchett
Perpetual Gift Bags and Wrapping
At "great" expense I purchased a lovely bright blue gift bag, bright blue wrapping paper and huge gift bow, possibly totalling about $10 from The Reject Shop, to wrap a friends gift. Next it was my husband's birthday, he received a lovely gift wrapped in the blue wrapping, bag and bow, we reuse the bag, wrapping and bow between 2 couples for each birthday and someone receives it at Christmas. We are onto our second year of using the perpetual wrapping, and it is still looking like new. I wonder how many years we can continue this reuse. It also brings a smile to the group as we know we are about to take possession of the perpetual wrapping ready for the next use.
Linda Cocks
Linda Cocks
Nanna Paulet's Black Sauce Recipe
(Homemade Worcestershire Sauce)
This recipe is my Nanna’s so it is over 100yr old.
Ingredients:
* 2 lt brown vinegar
* 2 flat tbsp each ground ginger and cloves
* 1-1/2 flat tbsp cayenne pepper
*** If you are using Ezysauce - omit the spices and the equivalent vinegar
eg. 1/2 bottle Ezysauce = omit 1/2 Ezysauce bottle worth of vinegar
1 kg brown sugar
125 gm salt
1 tbsp chopped garlic (I used the jar type)
1 orange, peeled and chopped
3 apples, chop, do not peel or core - add them just as they are - pips, cores and all
Method:
Boil together for 45 mins, strain - pushing the pulp through the strainer - this adds thickening to the sauce. Bottle while still hot, into sterilized bottles.
**I use screw top stubbie bottles - I get about 8 stubbies out of this batch.
** Store in dark cupboard for a week minimum - if you can wait that long :-)
WARNING: DO NOT PUT NOSE OVER SIMMERING POT!!!!
My poor hubby did this the first time I made it for him, he said it nearly blew his head off.
Contributed by Kerry McKenzie
This recipe is my Nanna’s so it is over 100yr old.
Ingredients:
* 2 lt brown vinegar
* 2 flat tbsp each ground ginger and cloves
* 1-1/2 flat tbsp cayenne pepper
*** If you are using Ezysauce - omit the spices and the equivalent vinegar
eg. 1/2 bottle Ezysauce = omit 1/2 Ezysauce bottle worth of vinegar
1 kg brown sugar
125 gm salt
1 tbsp chopped garlic (I used the jar type)
1 orange, peeled and chopped
3 apples, chop, do not peel or core - add them just as they are - pips, cores and all
Method:
Boil together for 45 mins, strain - pushing the pulp through the strainer - this adds thickening to the sauce. Bottle while still hot, into sterilized bottles.
**I use screw top stubbie bottles - I get about 8 stubbies out of this batch.
** Store in dark cupboard for a week minimum - if you can wait that long :-)
WARNING: DO NOT PUT NOSE OVER SIMMERING POT!!!!
My poor hubby did this the first time I made it for him, he said it nearly blew his head off.
Contributed by Kerry McKenzie
Sweet Smelling Bathroom Bins
We have small rubbish bins in our bathrooms and I didn't like not having them lined with something as the family and visitors would throw many different things in there - used tissues, cotton buds, messy end of toothpaste tube etc. I found the most economical thing to do was use the cheapest brand of nappy disposal bags. You can get a packet of 200 for only a couple of dollars. They fit snugly into most bathroom bins, smell good & so reduce odours & have ties to secure them before placing in your outside main garbage bin.
Contributed by Jennifer Travers
Contributed by Jennifer Travers
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
Contributed by Lynne Adams