​I just popped into the Cheapskates forum and the chatter is about mooing coconut milk or cream (technically the same thing, just a different name in different areas).

Now you can MOO it very easily, probably even easier than buying it when you consider you need to go to the supermarket, find it on the shelves, stand in the queue, pay for it and then get it home.

A 400ml tin of Coles Savings brand coconut cream costs 97 cents.

A 500g packet of desiccated coconut from Coles costs $2.92 and is enough to make 4 cups, or 1 litre, of coconut milk. The difference in price is around 26 cents more expensive to buy the tin.

There are two ways to make coconut cream; option one takes about 2 hours, option two takes just a few minutes. Again the choice is yours - the end result is the same.
 
Option 1:  Soaking Method
You will need:
250g coconut
2 cups water
A blender
Cheesecloth or Chux or muslin for draining

Step 1.  Soak coconut in cold water for 2 hours.

Step 2.  Put the coconut and water into the blender and blend on high until the mixture is very smooth.

Step 3.  Once blended, pour the mixture into the cheesecloth, gathering up the sides and twisting to close.

Step 4.  Twist the cheesecloth tight, squeezing as much moisture as possible out of the  pulp. Keep twisting and squeezing until you can't get any more moisture from the pulp.

Pour into a clean jug or jar and chill.

Option 2:  Not Quite Instant Boiling Water Method
You will need:
250g coconut
2 cups water
A blender
Cheesecloth or Chux or muslin for draining

Step 1.  Bring 2 cups water to a boil and pour over coconut. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Step 2.  Put the mixture into the blender and blend until very smooth. This takes about 5 minutes so be patient.

Step 3.  Once blended, pour the mixture into the cheesecloth, gathering up the sides and twisting to close.

Step 4.  Twist the cheesecloth tight, squeezing as much moisture as possible out of the  pulp. Keep twisting and squeezing until you can't get any more moisture from the pulp.

Pour into a clean jug or jar and chill.

Now you have your coconut milk/cream to use in smoothies or sauces or curries or cupcakes or pancakes or whatever you are making, but what do you do with the leftover coconut pulp?

You use it of course!

You can use it as is, adding it to muffins or cakes or breads or desserts. Or add it to yoghurt or fruit salad.

Or you can dry it and use it in baking as desiccated coconut.

Or you can dry it, grind it and use it as coconut flour. If you're on a GF diet, you'll know just how expensive coconut flour can be. Now I'm going to tell you just how easy it is to MOO it, you won't ever want to buy it again.

To Make Desiccated Coconut or Coconut Flour
You will need:
The pulp from making the coconut milk
A baking sheet
Baking paper
Food processor or blender

Step 1. Pre-heat oven to 80 degrees Celsius (or as low as it will go if it doesn't go down this low).

Step 2. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Do not be tempted to grease the tray or use cooking spray - it will ruin the end result.

Step 3. Spread the coconut pulp in a very thin layer over the baking sheet.

Step 4. Bake for 45 minutes or until the coconut is completely dry.

Step 5. Let cool a few minutes. If you want it as desiccated coconut, let it cool completely and put into a canister.

To make coconut flour add the dry coconut to a food processor or blender and process in short bursts until it is ground to a very fine texture.

That's it. Easy. A little cheaper than buying coconut cream, a lot cheaper than buying coconut flour.

From Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing

When we started out on this journey it was all about frugality, with a little survival thrown in. Over time though, it has morphed into something else entirely. Yes, frugality is still a big part of our Cheapskates lifestyle, but it's not the main part.

I have come across and even met people who are so focussed on frugality that they have lost the joy in living. They are so focussed on saving money that they miss out on the things they would truly enjoy just to save a dollar.  In their quest to save money they have become mean, and not just with their money, but with their sense of charity, their humour, their compassion, sympathy and empathy. They have forgotten why they chose to live a frugal life and live in loneliness and despair, scared to enjoy the fruits of their frugal ways.

That's not what we're about. Yes, we deliberately look to save money. That's just commonsense. Why pay more than you have to for something? But we don't sit in the cold because it's not cold enough to turn the heater on (when is it by the way? I always say not before Mother's Day but that's just a guide). We don't strain our eyes by only having one 40 watt light bulb burning, and we don't risk stubbing a toe because we only have one light on at a time. And we most definitely don't starve ourselves or run the risk of rickets because we only eat mince and rice.

Yes, I make my own washing powder (and if you haven't tried it may I suggest you do?). That's just commonsense. For around $10 and 5 minutes I can have enough of the best washing powder I've ever tried to last for a year. Why would I pay six or more times that price for a washing powder that makes my daughter itch unbearably and that causes us all to sneeze when we put clean clothes on?

And I cook from scratch. I actually like it these days. Pre-Cheapskates I didn't enjoy cooking at all. These days I take pride in serving delicious meals to my family, knowing they are budget-friendly, as well as nutritious. When I look at the shelves and see the jars of jams, apricots, tomatoes and sauces sitting there I feel a little satisfaction, knowing that the fruits of my labours (literally) will feed my family in through the coming winter.

So often the perception is that if you live life the Cheapskates way you don't buy anything new.  You don't eat out or go to the movies, you don't have holidays, all your clothes are secondhand and your home is sparsely furnished with rubbish. 

We don't eat out every week, but we do eat out on special occasions. And we always enjoy the meal. I think it's because it is special, something different to our normal meals.  There is the saying that what you don't cook yourself always tastes better, I think that's because it's a treat, something out of the ordinary.  When we eat out we can afford to go somewhere fantastic because we don't do it regularly, we haven't used all our money on run-of-the-mill meals. We've saved for one truly special meal. And you know what? Most of the time it costs under $50 for the two of us, often with a voucher, sometimes without.

Living frugally isn't about going without. It's about having the things you want, without the commonly associated debt. It's about seeing the difference between saving for a purpose and just saving. It's about understanding what is important to you and what is not.

I see no point in saving the shards of soap, just to boil them down and re-mould them into another cake when I'd much rather have a nice bar of my favourite shea butter soap and really enjoy my shower and my itch-free skin. I do see the point in keeping them to grate into my laundry powder - they're being used up and saving me money.

So, yes, it is about frugality. Frugality is important, without it we wouldn't be able to live the way we do. But it's not the most important part of our lives. We watch our pennies and look for ways to trim expenses because we like the end result - a debt free, cashed up life, where we laugh with joy every day.

What I'm trying to say is that living the Cheapskates way isn't just about saving money. It's about changing your priorities so that you can live life debt free, cashed up and laughing too. 

The name intrigued me. I'd never heard of Carrot Cake Jam. I LOVE carrot cake, so the thought of being able to have those delightfully spicy flavours anytime by simply putting jam on a slice of freshly baked bread or a scone warm from the oven was too tempting - I had to make some and try it.

It is delicious! Sinfully delicious. My favourite way to enjoy Carrot Cake Jam is on a warm scone, spread with cream cheese and topped with a dollop of this yummy jam. Oh my it is good!

It can be used to sandwich two layers of butter cake together, then top it with cream cheese icing sprinkled with chopped walnuts - that's good too.

For an afternoon tea treat mix some Carrot Cake Jam into cream cheese and sandwich between shortbread biscuits, they go down very well with a cup of tea let me tell you.

I'm sharing this recipe with you now, not that I wouldn’t share with you, because carrots and pears are cheap at the moment. And because winter is the best time to make jam as standing over the boiling pot isn't too uncomfortable.

But the main reason I'm sharing now is because this jam makes the perfect gift. If you're taking part in our handmade Christmas challenge and looking for something different to give, this jam is it. It's definitely not your run of the mill raspberry or apricot or plum jam, and you can be sure no one else will be giving it (unless they read my blog too :) ).
Carrot Cake Jam
Ingredients:
1½ cups finely grated carrots
1½ cups peeled, diced and cored pears
1-3/4 cups canned crushed pineapple – including the juice (a large can)
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 pkt. Jamsetta
4 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar

Method:
In a large deep stainless steel sauce pan combine the carrots, pears, pineapple and juice, lemon juice and spices.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat so the fruit is at a gentle boil (not frothing up and boiling over) and cover. Boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so the fruit doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat and whisk in the Jamsetta until dissolved.  Return to the stove and bring to boil over high heat stirring constantly.  Add the sugars all at once and return to a full rolling boil stirring constantly.  Boil hard stirring constantly for 1 minute.  Add in the nuts, if using them.  Remove from heat and skim off any foam.

Ladle hot jam into hot, sterilised leaving 1cm headspace.  Remove air bubbles and more jam if needed.  Wipe off any spills and add the lids/rings.  For long-term storage, process in a water bath for 10 minutes, otherwise store in the fridge and use within a month.

This recipe makes about 4 500g jars.

You need to use the Jamsetta in this recipe as there simply isn't enough pectin in the pears for the mixture to gel. You'll find it in the baking/cooking aisle of your supermarket, in a blue coloured packet, it costs about $1.75 a packet.

I used these very cute little pears that I bought at the weekend from Petty's orchard (they were windfall, hence the size) to make the jam.  I bought a few kilos, they're a really nice size to nibble on when the hungrys strike too.

This recipe has a few extra steps in it that other jams don't, but it is worth the few extra minutes.

If you are planning on keeping the jam until Christmas then process the jars in a water bath to vacuum seal them and ensure they stay fresh and safe to eat until then. It only takes a few minutes and is easy to do.

From Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing