I have been looking at making a Tuna Mornay of late.

Does anyone still have Fish Mornay these days, most of my recipes for these kinds of dishes are come from 1970s cookbooks are all charity types ones. So far I have found over 30 recipes using canned tuna. Here we have three sizes of canned tuna, 425g large size, 185g medium size, and 95g small size. So as most of the recipes are in old imperial measurements. I have just note large, medium or small, as time goes on the manufacturer of these cans are reducing the amount in the cans but not reducing the price.

It the same with many other items this has happen too! With some recipes no longer working because you cant use the right amount. Recipes that have been handed-down from generation to the next are no longer just like great grand-aunts made. Take condensed milk for instance it started out at 450g (1lb) per can, then became 425g, 410g, and now 395g and most likely 375g before long. We now have given up on buying it and making our own when we need it.

Recipe for Sweetened Condensed Milk

Tuna Mornay

1 large can Tuna
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
2oz margarine
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 pint milk
2 tbsp plain flour
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Juice of one lemon
4 tbsp grated cheese (divided into two lots)
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to
Saute onion in hot melted margarine until transparent - do not brown.
Remove from heat and gradually blend in flour, then the milk.
Return to heat and stir till sauce thickens.
Add all the other ingredients, but reserving second half of cheese.
Place in casserole or pie dish, sprinkle with cheese.
Bake in moderately hot oven for 20-30 minutes
Serve 6
NB: 1 tablespoon Aus = 4 teaspoons

I went to check my downstairs fridge & freezer only to find it dying; I will be able keep the fridge going a little longer but empty out the freezer section as only the freezer bottles of water are keeping it cold. I mainly use it for storage with my years worth beans, flours, pastas and my stock of chutney as it vermin proof so will need to look at finding a new home for these.

I will try to do without this fridge as its over 30 years old and cant be fixed as the gas cant be refilled in these old refrigerators as it rusty and has CFC in it.

I had then to find room in my other freezers for the frozen vegetables and cooked beans that I did keep in this fridge. Some of it got trashed as the dates on them were 2005 and looked dead to much ice.

Now I will have a look at how I can use it after I turn off the power and dry it out for a few weeks.

It is coming close to the end of my 56 days cycle in reporting my review on my daily living allowance.

I have had a quite two month so far just kept spending as I see fit. I will need to cut back on my grocery spending as I do have too much food both in my freezers and pantries. I have food stored in a number of places around my home. As one of refrigerators broke down as in not as cold as it should be and I hope I can learn not to need it any longer as it was an old second fridge and freezer combo. I have empted out the freezer section so far and put bottles of water in it to see if its still works for now as the fridge part looks to be still working for now. Items I do store in this refrigerator can be store out side a fridge but needs to be kept safe from vermin.

We will need to keep a close eye on my grocery spending for the next six months to see if I can get it much more lower and use some of my stockpile so that get my refrigerator stores into the freezer which is full the moment. It is a chest freezer only 160 L size so it is a small chest freezer suitable for a single household but not suitable for what I wish store in it.

No much too write about at the moment. I have only been out once since I last wrote on here.

It now been 7 days of no spending, so other than a day in the city for a medical appointment and I had Lunch at the casino on my own for $10 a main meal, cake & coffee, when I buy this I keep someone in a job and I dont cook that night too! If I went to a fast food restaurant it would cost about $8.00 so I get no junk food and real services. Its bit of a walk to the casino but it worth it.

I hope to spend very little this month; it time to start the ball rolling to get some painting quotes as the outside of the house need painting. I just hope its not to cost too much.

Of late I have been doing a bit of stockpiling in some areas and making an inventory of what I do have already. This is so I dont go and buy things that I already own in abundance and dont need to buy again for along while if ever. When my parents were alive they had a habit of buying ahead, I do think I have taking on this habit also.

Now if you saw that large suitcase under my bed then you would know why I was shocked as when I go shopping with friends I do the feel the need to buy some little thing as well, so when I am in one store here I will buy underwear so 5 pairs of the one's that I buy when they are on special. Now it has got to the point I have no longer have the space in that suitcase to fit in any more.

I am trying to do one hour per day, working on my inventory as I am planning to do the whole house then use it before buying anymore. This is part of my challenge for this year and it's not just on food.

I hoping to use items that I have bought both in food and stuff around the house until its gets to a more comfortable level, any money saved will be banked for the future as I still need to stretch my dollars around here as the cost of living is rising faster than ever.

My menu for the week

Sausages and Vegetables
Grilled Streak, Onion, Poached Egg with vegetables
Fish Cakes & Vegetables with Poached Egg
Omelet with Grated Cheese & Ham
Pasta with Tuna Tomato Sauce
Spaghetti Bolognese
Potluck or a rice dish

Well I went to a different kind of restaurant this week, Japanese Steakhouse on the Gold Coast for a Teppanyaki Banquet. There were 8 of us in our group at $45 per head with drinks & desserts extra. We had the Group Teppanyaki Bonsai Banquet menu with a personal sushi chef at each table as it was cooked at the table.

Menu - Onion Soup, House Salad, Hibachi Vegetables this was framing of cucumbers mushrooms & onions, Prawn Appetizer, Hibachi Steak, Hibachi Chicken, Hibachi Prawns & Hibachi Fried rice which was made into a heart and lighted birthday candle with happy birthday sung by all. Very filling too!

Some of our group order dessert too! This was fried ice cream made into a roll then cut into three pieces, it looked good but as we had to have a Chocolate mud cake for birthday cake this was to much for me. I had green tea and water which was free but the others had soft drinks at $4.50 a can plus wine etc. My bill just the $45 plus a birthday gift. This was budgeted for, in my annual budget.

There was no recession at this hotel that night as they had two weddings and engagement party and all restaurants were full so bookings only.

As I always start my budget a few weeks before the New Year I have already started with this challenge. After finalizing my budget tallies for 2008 and setting out a new budget for 2009. I would say that this is one area I could find some saving in my budget. As it did have a few large amounts of over spending last year. I am hoping to cut over $1000 from it over the year on what I spent last year or better. Its all those little items included that mount up. As this the area that I do have some control over in my spending.

This is what I have allowed around each month or much less by averaging it over the whole year.

Eating out $33.50
Groceries $135.50
Non- Food $16.50
Clothes $33.50
Grooming $12.50
Gas $25
Pets $49
HH items $41.50
Fares $8.50
Entrainments $12.50
Garden $8.50
Gifts & Donations $33.50
Medical Prescription $5
Misc $8.50
Personal Allowance $84


Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Grilled Sausages, Onion, and Egg with Salad
Monday ~ Turkey & Roasted Vegetables
Tuesday ~ Omelet with Grated Cheese & Ham
Wednesday ~ Leftovers
Thursday ~ Pizza
Friday ~ Grilled Fish & Salad
Saturday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken with Steamed Rice

Well I didn't go to the city last week for my monthly lunch date as planned. But I needed to pay my credit card as it was due.

Instead of taking the car as usual with cost of gas the days, I took the bus and went into the city costing $2.20 for senior off peak day trip ticket.

The plan was to pay the credit card in full and take some cash of the bank and buy a pair of hosiery, but first as it was lunch time so I walked up the casino for lunch as at treat. The first thing was to play to machines for 5 minutes before I go to lunch. I like to play on one machine (1c only ones I play) if its not being used. I put my $2.00 in after 6 spins the jacket pot spin came up winning enough to play for 15 minute and a free lunch of Chicken Schnitzel with chips & salad, coming out even.

Later I went off to do my banking and the shopping for my friend.

My days outing cost $2.20 fare plus $60 on the credit card. Free a lunch and playing pokies, good walk down the Mall and three hours out of the house.

Well I got a funny offer for my house this week, it took me all of two seconds to think about it and not reply but just smile. I live in house which does have lowest value in the area as the saying goes the worst house in the street. But I do have lot a storage areas much more than the normal. I would have to change my lifestyle and sell my family antiques then sell up in a few years if I took this offer up too!

The young business man across the street has just built an eight apartment block behind his parent house; I would take it as a joke that he would swap one of his top apartments for my house and land. They are nice small two bedrooms and no storage at all, no garden, lot of stairs and no pets; I would never do that to my cats. Not just for a view of the city no way.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Devil Sausages with streamed potatoes
Monday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Tuesday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Seafood Casserole with Rice
Thursday ~ Leftover night
Friday ~ Spaghetti with Tuna & Peas
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

I have decided to start using my stockpile to make room for fresh stuff next year. So far I found in the back of my pantry 3 kg of sultanas all bought for the same thing, the morning cereal and making chutney. So I opened one kilo which was very sugary put it into water and soaked for few hours then drained. As I needed 2 ½ kilos of fruit I went looking in the freezer for the mangoes that were past they best. With sultanas, mangoes and 3 granny smiths I had enough for the making chutney along with 2 cups of cider vinegar and 2 cups brown sugar again found in the pantry.

While looking for the mangoes, I pulled out a tray of 16 small sausages and 500g ground beef along with 6 seafood sticks. Then went looking for what I had in the pantry for each meal.

## Seafood sticks diced , can asparagus soup,1/2 can of water or chicken stock, some frozen vegetables and dash of pepper. End up with servings 4 of Seafood Casserole. Serve with streamed potato, rice or pasta as a base.

## Ground beef, onions, 2 packets tomato & pepper sauce, 2 cans whole tomatoes & can of tomato soup, chicken stock. End up with 8 servings Spaghetti Bolognese. Serve with streamed potato, or pasta as a base

## Sausages, ½ cup cooked rice, 2 cups of chutney sauce (from making the chutney which I had drained off), ½ jar of Teriyaki Sauce, ½ cup sultanas, onions, chicken stock, and streamed cauliflower added at the end. End up with 5 servings of my version Devil Sausages. Serve with streamed potato, corn chips, toast or pasta as a base.

I didn’t need to go to the supermarket at all as I had enough in my pantry and freezer to make all of the above. All meals now are in the freezer to use over next few weeks and the chutney is in fridge to be used in the coming months, I got 7 jars and 2 cups of chutney sauce from that recipe which is posted here under Fruit Chutney.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice
Monday ~ Devil Sausages with Streamed potatoes
Tuesday ~ Spaghetti Bolognese
Wednesday ~ Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
Thursday ~ Omelet with Salad
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Leftover’s Night

It’s back to gardening here, the weather is good. I spend all Sunday working the garden weeding the lawn and getting it back up to scratch, it was full Bindii which were under other weeds so had to be done by hand then I mowed to lawn which by this time I was done and had to get a neighbor to start it for me and it a quick start mower too! It’s done now for a few weeks. My vegetable garden beds are still giving me plenty of broccoli, baby tomatoes & spinach, and the Chinese vegetables went to seed so I pulled them out now. The bird netting is working so will put it on the next bed that is planned for this month.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice
Monday ~ Teriyaki Beef & Noodles
Tuesday ~ Mixture of Eggs, Bacon & Vegetable Scramble
Wednesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Seafood Casserole with Rice
Saturday ~ Chili Beans with Corn Chips & Salad

My friend DF-M is elderly Italian lady who has difficulty with reading English & Italian but can read numbers ok!

Her phone broke down the other day and was replaced by her son. But it had no instruction booklet for it to be able use it and put speed dial on it for her. So I made a list of phone number charts for her of her most used numbers in large type then printed then I used my new laminator for the first time and making it easy for everyone but color coding the names. I was able find instructions to put the speed dial on for her putting color code there too!

I found the instructions for the phone on Google. As I had the brand & number of the phone I put that info plus manual in Google and found them in PDF file for free. One of the earlier links there were asking $8 each for each download I just kept looking and found and two as I had no instructions for my cell phone either.

How to find instructions
(Brand names, model number manual) look for PDF files but be prepared to look at more than 20 pages if your phone is old one. You may need to fine a picture of your phone with number if you don’t know it's model number.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Omelet with salad
Monday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Tuesday ~ Teriyaki Beef & Noodles
Wednesday ~ Leftover’s night
Thursday ~ Grilled Steak & Onions, Mashed Potatoes with Baked Beans
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato

I did end up buying the massage machine. It’s great I have used it every day since, both my doctor and chiropractor was happy that it has worked. My visit to the chiropractor last week was the first time that I wasn’t tense up as my muscles have been for such a long time.

Now it’s time to get back into the garden and make my third vegetable garden plot for spring and summer here.

Casada Manual

Picture of Casada Deluxe Maxiwell Massager


Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Leftover’s night
Monday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Tuesday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Wednesday ~ Teriyaki Beef & Noodles
Thursday ~ Corn Beef & Vegetables
Friday ~ Seafood Casserole with Rice
Saturday Grilled Steak & Onions, Mashed Potatoes with Baked Beans

Well it time I looked in on this blog. I have been busy doing nothing major but just not enough time to do it all.

Budget wise I have been spending a little more than I should but not on major items. These things will keep me healthy and my storage a little more organized I hope. So far I have not gone over budget target but could if I keep it up. It’s time to pull in on spending after I get my next item on the list.

As you know I go to chiropractor each month and still do but between him and my doctor they haven’t been able to fix the pain when I’m walking that has been there for last 4 years. So as this week our show (Ekka) here, I have been once so far and tried a German massage machine there. 15 minutes on it and that pain has gone, and its 4 days now so I planning to buy one sometime this week, its expensive $390 cash (normal price $499) but it did work. Now I hope I will use it at least three times per week so I will get my money worth out it. I don’t plan on lending it out it’s for my use. If I had massage twice a month for this muscle only at $60 ago and I think it more than that. It would pay for itself in seven visits and then have it for the next 10 years or so. I will let you know if I do buy it as this one I don’t need anyone to help me use it like most I have tried.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Monday ~ Leftovers night
Tuesday ~ Homemade Vegetables Soup with Chopped Chicken
Wednesday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Thursday ~ Omelet with salad
Friday ~ Poached Fish and Vegetables
Saturday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables

I have been off online for a while now but I am back.

I have my vegetable garden up and running, I picked my first vegetable yesterday to cook an Asian green which is the fasts to grow in just little under 7 weeks. I have two beds so far just for vegetables and I am planning to add another one by the end of month. So far I have cabbages, broccoli, spinach, Asian greens, chilies, fennel, green onions, baby carrots and strawberries planted. Before I make the other bed, I will have to move my compost bins and cut a scrub down a bit as this is sunniest spot left to grow vegetables.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Hamburgers and Salad
Monday ~ Chili Beans on Toast
Tuesday Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Wednesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Thursday ~ ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ poached fish and vegetables
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

It’s time to review my Frugal Challenge Year at the half way point.
I did use all my gift vouchers that I had received over past six month, even using one for part payment for my new stove & oven that I bought last month and paying the balance in Cash.

My credit cards are still at Zero balance but for the debit amount which is paid off each month.

My survival kit & resources are coming along nicely, only a few items needed to buy now. I will be able to stay out of the supermarkets if there is a food crisis in my area at anytime in the future. May go to the camping stores instead for extra items that I don’t want to stock to much of for now.

All bills are paid and up to date. I am able to go out when I like to as I have put money away for such outings.

Food and Gas prices have risen over the past six months but I am still able to manage as I have stockpiled some food items because of that I’m now living off last years prices and will only replace if I find a real bargain in that line only. I can afford to wait awhile!

As for Gas, I only drive on a need bases and limit the distance that I’m driving. Each time the gas is low in my area, I will fill up if I need too! But again I can afford to wait to see if the price does go down too! By shopping locally and keeping my driving to under a 50km around trips and staying off the troll ways this is helping with my budget, as time is not a factor for me.

Busy week this week I went to the Gold Coast and went up to 78 floor of Q1 building at Surfers Paradise it’s World Tallest Residential tower it’s 322.5 M high 526 Apartments 12660 sq m
You have to pay to go up in it too! After we went another Apartment complex and had lunch at one of restaurant there. I had corn beef and vegetables for a change. This must be my month this year for dining out. I am up to number three and still another few to go. I will need to cut back next month on eating out it can get a bit expensive.

I have been busy making vegetable garden beds, on my lawn. I have just finished doing mixing soil today. I will be planting some vegetable seedling & seeds on Tuesday as I will be going to my son place to work on his garden.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Mother’s Day Dinner at a Chinese Restaurant
Monday ~ Curried Sausage & Vegetables
Tuesday ~ leftovers
Wednesday ~ Omelet with salad
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Apricot Chicken with Rice

I had visitors here, number of day trips to the country and little time to get on here. Now things are back to routine so I will be able to post more.

With the price of gas now, I did drive my own car doing over 500 km while they were here. I did go to a country town and found some canning bottles for under 30c each, I will have to buy lids and seal when I do get around to using them. I will find time to review my chutney bottles and get new lids and seals as I haven’t use them for along while.

Starting a new vegetable garden here, one of my visitors did dig the beds for me, now I am waiting a few weeks to let the mulch kill some of the weeds that may be in the lawn area that is now vegetable garden. I was looking up the seed companies online as I wish to void hybrid seeds where possible. I will be going organic with this garden. I do know that planting times are very important around here as we are sub tropics here. So I have made a list of what will grow here all year around, fall & winter, spring & summer. These lists will help when planting out and when. Some vegetables I will never eat so will not be buying them. So far I have spent around $100 on garden soil mixtures and edging bricks. Will be spending about $35 on seeds but these will be for next three years of planting.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Monday ~ Omelet with salad
Tuesday ~ Grilled Steak & Onions, Mashed Potatoes with Baked Beans
Wednesday ~ Leftovers night
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce

First off DF-M gives me some ripe tomatoes which I made some pasta sauce with, then another friend bought some breast of chicken and chicken wings about a 1 kg of each. This morning DF-D came over when I was out but arrived back just in time to get 5 kg box a frozen fish and 4 Chicken Maryland frozen. I think, I will have enough for a few weeks now. So you can see I will be using a lot of chicken in the coming weeks. That’s over $50 worth of food for free. Mind you some of it is a birthday gift.

I just found a tip on using frozen fish which I will try with my bootie. You can retain the taste of fish in frozen fish, if after freezing; the fish is left to thaw in a bowl or container of cow’s milk. Just pour enough milk to cover the fish and allow it to sit until it defrosts. In our climate that’s in the refrigerator. I do poach most of my fish in enough water to cover, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 8 peppercorns and whole red chili or a stick of lemon grass. My cats do love this as much as I do. I have lemon grass and chili growing the garden here.

Weekly Main Meals Menu

Sunday ~ Teriyaki Beef & Noodles
Monday ~ Apricot Chicken with Rice
Tuesday ~ Teriyaki Chicken Wings & Fried Rice
Wednesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Thursday ~ Satay Chicken & Rice
Friday ~ Beer Battered Fish & Vegetables
Saturday Grilled Steak & Onions, Mashed Potatoes with Baked Beans

Today I found UHT Milk that was markdown with a few months still before best before date. I bought the 4 cartons there @ .50 each and being organic they were around $2.15 RRP each. There were some soy milk also but I did buy it as I’m not great lover of soy milk. I will keep some of this milk in stock so I have milk if we have a problem with our water supply at anytime. I can use about one carton per week normally so when they get to near use by date I work them into my normal week supply and replace with fresh supply. I bought my cat some more cat litter as I do need to stockpile more for them too! Prices are going up fast here, so it will be cushion against prices rises as well having more in the cupboards.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Monday ~ Stir Fry Beef with Rice
Tuesday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables
Wednesday ~ Apricot Chicken with rice
Thursday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Saturday ~ Leftovers

This week it’s time to charge the batteries in the smoke detectors, I have 3 of them so I went and bought a pack of 4 x 9 volt batteries @ $16.57 pack or if I wished to buy them in single packs @ $6.99 a pack it’s crazy but I’m saving money by buying four. As three of them would have cost $ 20.97 and I got four for $16.57 value of $27.96 saving $11.39 on the four. It’s the end of our day light savings in the Southern States, we don’t have it here. Fire dept recommends’ to change at beginning of the day light saving but as I did put new ones up at this time last year I’m doing at end of it each year, it still one year but at a different time of the year.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~ Grilled Sausages with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Monday ~ Apricot Chicken with rice
Tuesday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Wednesday ~ Omelet with salad
Thursday ~ Leftovers night
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato

With the way the economies of the world these days, with shares, banking, peck oil & shortages of some food items. I do think it time for me to start stockpiling more food & other supplies. Things are only going to rise and almost never will come back down in price. My starting point is reviewing what I have already got stockpiled. Then filling the gaps first, using any old or nearly old stock replacing them with new items that I will use and can cook without power if there is a shortage in electricity here. I’m looking into different ways of cooking so I can cook if there is rationing of the power grid. I do believe that is may be happing some parts of the world now. Solar cooker, hay box, camp gas stove & BBQ non-gas one, two of these methods I have already have. Food lines can be used in my normal cooking until needed but keeping them to a peak level when each comes on special in they cycles. They are many places now on the internet telling you how much you need to store per person. As I am in a single household I will be only storing for two, mostly things that other people will not to want to make from scratch too! Dried & canned beans, dried & canned vegetables, mainly canned tomatoes, and other foodstuffs, oil & vinegars, spices & herbs, coffee & tea, water plus paper goods and good first aid kit enough for a few months at least. Torches & radio with batteries, to name a few things I’m thinking of. Another thing is the information of how to use these foodstuffs using these cooking methods and how to make things & repairs them to last longer.

Today I filed some of papers that I have been pulling out of my craft bedroom. I did find a very unusual one that was printed in January 1974, two days after the flood here when over 13000 homes went under. In it they are telling you how to save most of the things that we are told to get ride of now. Like carpets, books, furniture, clothes, save the plaster walls, how wash outside walls, how to get your car going etc. Back then I do know that so much was not make with glue and particle boards but more solid woods and brick. Our old house that was sold 3 years before this flood only needed a quick hose out and dry out then it was fine; the people living there had time to up most of their goods into the ceiling including the carpets as there were two large man holes build into that house and it was one of the last houses to go under at 35 feet above sea level. The house that we moved to then now is my home and is high on a ridge but the low areas near the river did get flood then. Funny what we kept.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~Beef Rissoles & Salad
Monday ~ Pasta with Tuna & Tomato Sauce
Tuesday ~ Stir Fry Chicken with Rice
Wednesday ~ Beans & Rice with Vegetables
Thursday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Omelet with salad

I did go and pay my power bill this week and did a little shopping too! Bought beef soup bones and made a Meat & Vegetable Broth (Soup) and I got 8serving, so I will have a few meals for lunch time. I just add 2 multigrain toast with butter and vegemite. I know that black stuff us Aussie love. I just have a little not a lot. I did find a soup recipe for marmite soup while I was looking for a recipe for the beef soup bones recipe. Not to many around now I had to go back to the 1950’s for the recipe. It’s not a fancy recipe but more like a recession recipe with very little meat in it. Post recipe soon.

I finished painting the door is done, it looks good too, it just needs my friend to come back and put it back up. It’s far too heavy for me to do and it’s to go on the top of flight of stairs too!

Weekly Main Meal Menu
Sunday ~Apricot Chicken with rice
Monday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Tuesday ~ Omelet with salad
Wednesday ~ Leftovers night
Thursday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ Kangaroo Steak with Mushroom Sauce & Vegetables

Facts about Kangaroos

Recipes and all you need to know about Kangaroo Meat

I went shopping this morning, for pet food, some groceries as well gas for the car. On Tuesdays it works out to be the cheapest day to fill up the cars. Not cheap but a lot cheaper than most other days of the week today I got it for 122.5c per litre that was with the 4c off discount shopper coupon that I had to, $35.11 not bad for 8 weeks between refills. A few days ago it was 137.9c I did go and have a snack at Hungry Jacks with my free coffee.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $87.27 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $10.19

Today we had a ‘Wet Weekend’ for a one hour on odd & even house number system that we have. We could get our hoses out for just one hour this weekend. Some people didn’t use they hoses for this one time only in 18 months. For me it was a lot longer than that as I always started a lot earlier as when the next level was published not when it started and the first 3 levels were published together. So for first time in over 3 years I washed my house and window of dust and had time to wash my car also. I did get everything ready before hand and all I had to do at end of the time was dry the car down. We are still on 140 litres per day per person. I’m at below 90 litres per day so I’m well within my limit. Hopefully we may go to 170 litres per person when we go over 40% and we are at 39.5%.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~Apricot Chicken with rice
Monday ~ Steak with Onions & Grilled Tomato
Tuesday ~ Leftovers night
Wednesday ~ Curried Sausages with Rice
Thursday ~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Friday ~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday omelet with salad

I have been working on my craft room; it’s a room you can’t move around that much. As not much can be thrown away at this moment but if something can be thrown out it is. I have a bad habit of collecting up anything not in the right place and boxing it to go back later and putting it this room each time I have visitors. Some is papers that I need to read, jewelry, odd coins, books and projects that I was doing at that time being all mixed up together. Now I’m sorting each box out and putting away in the right area. Quick reading of the papers but trashing any that out date, I have found some very valuable items also.

Well I went out today and had lunch with my ex-coworkers at a new place for lunch costing $11 for roasted chicken and roasted vegetables roll and coffee. I did pay some bills while out. Also getting some printers ink for my new printer as I buy the color but refill the black one.

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $728 (my cash outlay) (mostly bills)
Savings $stretch $23.00

No Spending Days so far this month : ~ 20

Using the omelet marker for the first time, as I normally make fluffy omelet I made this but it did rise went flat when took them out the marker. As there was no booklet with it, I’m going by just trail & error. It was still eatable but good enough to serve visitors I would think. I will need to look around for the right mixer recipe. I got this one for free its value new $49.99, it was only used twice before.

No Spending Days so far this month :~ 13

When I bought the black leather handbag on Saturday for $2.00 value around $50.00 plus. It had some wear marks and a bit of white paint on it. Today I got out the Turp’s and clean off the paint and then using leather dye black painted the handbag so that I can now use it for a number year’s I hope. I clean up some old razors that I found in a box, I wonder if they are of any value to collectors. Now I am looking at what I got in my little boxes around the place.

Weekly Main Meal Menu

Sunday ~~ Chicken Schnitzel & Egg with Vegetables
Monday ~ Curried Sausages with Rice
Tuesday ~ Buttered Chicken with spiced rice
Wednesday ~ Lamb chop with mushrooms & Grilled Tomato
Thursday ~ Tuna Pasta with Salad
Friday ~~ Salmon Patties with Vegetables
Saturday ~ omelet with salad

No Spending Day

I had to go to the supermarket today. I bought fruit and vegetables that were much cheaper than buying at the supermarket with all this rain the farm are flooded in some places and the supermarket prices, apples and pears at 99c kg instead of $3.98 kg. Along with pet food stocking up on dry pet food as these were on special also my cats treats cat food was on special too! I also got a few bargains in chicken stock satchels for 20c each so I bought what was left. So if I shopped different place than where I did I would spent. Meat Lamb $2.30 marked down from $3.96

So I spend money today
Total Money spent today $43.09 (my cash outlay)
Savings $stretch $28.36