I found this recipe on old can of fruit a few years ago.
After a very hot day here of 38C, I think just reading this recipe cools me down a bit.
I would have made it today but I don't have any yogurt or sour cream.

Peach Freeze
Makes 6 serves.

1x 825g can sliced Peaches, in Lite Juice, drained (190kj per 100g)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 cups sour cream (300g)
1/4 tsp. vanilla essence
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. lemon juice
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Place in a large bowl and mix until smooth.
Pour into a mould or individual serving dishes.
Freeze until set.

Note: This may work with Natural Lite Yoghurt instead of sour cream.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Salad & Light Cream Cheese on Crackers Apple Coffee
DINNER Chilli Con Carne with Corn Chips Coffee

Well I mowed my lawn today to cut down on my weed flowers. Saving $35.00 on DIY.
After towards I had to have a good rest as it was very hot mowing here temp in the 30C.
My power & phone bill arrived today will need to pay them next pay. So I didn’t get much done today after all!

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers with Cream Cheese & Herbs Fruit Coffee
DINNER 2 Egg Cheese Omelette and Pasta Sauce & Grilled Peppers Fruit Coffee

Today’s Full price Tally $35.00
Today’s Savings - $ 35.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $10,298.47

As I had 3lbs ground beef so that was around 6lbs of mixed beef & TVP as I use 50: 50 here, and 1lb 11oz diced beef thawing overnight. I needed to cook them this morning, as I am an early riser, it was a 4 am start.

With the ground beef I made up some Curry Beef, Spaghetti Sauce, Savoury Beef & Chilli Con Carne and the diced beef, I made Beef Bourguignon as I had 2 packet sauces that needs to be used soon! All that will need to add to this dish is 2 onion, 300g of sliced mushrooms and tomato paste. As I live alone I have put it all in single servings and I got 30 single meals out the cooking today. All meals are now in the freezer.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Turkish Bread with Hummus Lettuce Ham, Tomato with Marinated Peppers Coffee
DINNER Devilled Sausages with Garlic Focaccia Bread Coffee

I will need to review my menus for the coming Autumn/Fall & Winter, so I went back to look at a post I made on here.

Gone shopping or bought something. 15 times

Went to the city by bus 3 times

Drove my car only. 9 times

Had food bought or had for free away from home. 5 times

And had 13 No Spending Days.

Lets see what next 28 days tallies will be.

I order some online cookbooks a week ago and they arrived today. As I don’t like using credit card online at all. I was bitten once. I only deal with a company that I can post a cheque/check too! I may pay a little more but my money is safe and I have peace of mind. The books that I bought were More with Less Cookbook by Doris Longacre & Frozen Assets Cookbook by Debi Taylor- Hough and they are very interesting to read. The money I spent was my birthday gift for my last birthday. I entered these in This "Mirror Image Challenge and balancing my budget" Post.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers & Cream Cheese Coffee
DINNER Pumpkin & Lentil Stew with Garlic Focaccia Bread

I make a special blend of Muesli, which I found on a list of ingredient on packet a few years ago now! I only use a half a cup at a time. I did say that I would post recipe here.

It is quite expensive, as you had to buy it online. 500g of it was about $7.00AU and plus postage. I was given a sample of it. I took one look at the ingredients and went to the supermarket and found the main ingredients available there. I do buy all the stuff in bulk and on special if possible and kept it only for this cereal with NO NIBBLES. Living alone does help. I do pad it out with rolled oats, which the cheapest item. I have included my costing at the time in 2005 but the prices have gone up since then.

'Copycat of A High Protein Muesli'

4 cups (375g) Rolled Oats - generic
2 cups (120g) Vogel's Soy & Linseed Ultra Bran or All Bran (if you can't buy other.)
1 cup (110g) Oat bran - generic or very fine Oat bran from health food bulk store.
1/2 cup each of 70g of Sultanas, 40g of each Chopped Small Dried Apples & Dried Apricots (Best cut with kitchen scissors)1/2 cup (70g) of each Almond, Pepitas (Hulled Green Pumpkin Seeds), & Sunflower Kernels, all grounded if not you digesting nuts & seeds.

Mix well and store in airtight container.
All the above goes into Cereal Container including a 1/2 cup measuring cup.
1 serve = (1/2 Cup) 40-50g serves ~ 2 to 4 tablespoons Muesli with soymilk, almond milk and rice milk or oat milk, skim milk or protein powder.
You may add some chunk of fresh fruit if desired.
You may add one dessertspoon LSA and one teaspoon lecithin if desired.
Serves 18 per batch 900g

900g + @ $5.50 (reg: 500g @$7.25 + postage) this costing was in 2005 prices have gone up since then.

LSA
(Ratio 3:2:1)

2 cups linseeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw almonds

Grind all the above finely in a coffee grinder. Blend together.
Keep in the Freezer the bulk supply, and just keep out in the refrigerator enough for a few days, it's only takes a few minutes to thaw from the freezer as it's doesn't freeze solid.

Sprinkle it on your cereal, yoghurt, in bake goods, fruit salad or top of Hummus on Kavli Crispbread or bread.

Shopping list & Costing
Vogel's Soy & Linseed Ultra Bran 425g = 6 cups = 3 batches -(120g @ $1.14)
750g Rolled Oats Coles = 6- 8 cups (380g) @99c kg = 2 batches -(750g @. 99c)
Oat bran Coles 375g = 3 cups = 3 batches-(110g @ 40c)
Dried apples 200g = 5 batches-.(40g @ 50c)
Dried apricots 200g Coles or bulk Action = 5 batches-.(70g @ 53c)
Sultanas 1000g Farmland = 14 batches - (40g @ 40c)
Nuts and seeds can be bought loose
or in packs with enough for 3 - 6 batches
Pepitas 200g / 500g Mellow Yellow = 2 1/2 / 7 batches-(70g @ $1.15)
*Sunflower Seeds 500g Mellow Yellow = 7 batches-.. (70g @ 45c)
*Almonds 750g bulk = 10 batches- .(70g @ $1.05)
Pricing was done (2nd March 2005) Approx.1000g == Total $6.12

Note: The above list only would work if solely used for the above recipe. Allowing approx.12 - 20 dollars for first shopping stock up, then buying as required. Allowing, that the *extra almonds and sunflower seeds are bought a long with the shopping for the LSA mixture.
*Including the extra batches.
I have used Aldi Muesli at time as extra or filling. Mostly when I needed a little change.

BREAKFAST 2 Boiled Eggs Toast & Jam
LUNCH Turkish Bread with Hummus Lettuce Ham Marinated Feta with Marinated Peppers
DINNER Curry Ground Beef & Rice with Sambal

Over the last few weeks I have been trying different, economical basic items in my quest to fine more ideas to use to keep my budget low if I need too! One of them was using Sago or Tapioca. I did find few recipes in old cookbook 'Off the Beaten Track' printed in 1916 and it's one those very early booklets with those WW1 soldier advertisements in it too!

So here a two of the recipes found.

Raisin Sago

2 tbsp. sago
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. raisin
4 tbsp. stale breadcrumbs
1/2 pint (10oz) milk
pinch salt

Wash sago and put to soak in milk for thirty minutes.
Add raisins, sugar, breadcrumbs and salt.
Mix thoroughly, turn into well-buttered mould and steam on hour.
Serve with cream or boiled custard.

Lemon Sago

2 tbsp. sago
2 tbsp. golden syrup
2 tsp. treacle
1 lemon
1 pint (20oz) water.

Wash sago; place in saucepan and pour over scant pint of water.
Cook till clear, remove from fire. (heat)
Add the grated rind and juice of juice of lemon, golden syrup and treacle; when cool, turn into glass dish.
Serve with cream or boiled custard.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Salad & light Cream Cheese on Crackers Apple Coffee
DINNER 2 Egg Cheese Omelette and Pasta Sauce & Grilled Peppers

Found time to try that Simple Green around the house. Cleaning to kitchen benches & bathroom and washing the floors. I got on my hands & knees to clean the bathroom floor and area that my cats eat in. The other areas I just washed as normal. I will do more later in the week.

I finished my ironing today so I am now up to date.

I went to DF-M for lunch because she was having a BBQ, when she cooks meat it always too much for two let alone for one. It was excellent meal and I didn’t need eat very much tonight.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Marinated Fillet Steak, Marinated Peppers, Green Salad - FREE
DINNER Crackers with Hummus Fruit Coffee

My son & his wife arrived home this morning from oversea. They had a good trip and I was sent some very good pictures of they holiday via email as they had access to a computer while they were away.

So much, so that I needed to delete some of the emails, that I was keeping in my inbox folders.

So much for technology I will need to upgrade my computer very soon, as often when I am going on to some web sites now my computer just freeze up. I do think they have upgraded their websites, and that people running the early versions now are have problems. I do know that I can’t run the latest versions of some programs on my computer, as my RAMS are not high enough.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Crackers with Cream Cheese & Herbs Fruit Coffee
DINNER Chilli Con Carne with Corn Chips Coffee

It’s another No Spending Day so I had very quite day at home, as my new door is going in the computer room. I do need to move a few things around and it’s taking much longer than I thought it would. Today I started moving some of other boxes that my cookbooks are stored in. I did get my floor vacuum cleaned also.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH French loaf with Low-Fat Cream Cheese & Tomato Coffee
DINNER Omelette with Chilli Sauce Coffee

After reading …. Kylieb266 blog on only spent 52 days a year

She asks the question ~ Who else would be interested in trying this? Even if you have 1 no spend day a week to begin with, you will be better off financially. )

My reply to this
My goal at present is 3 to 5 no spending days per week. As I shop for and with other people as they driver, I can't limit it to one fix day per week. I do try to spend and pay my bills when I out & about on fix days like Wednesday when I go to the city for Social outings or Medical appointment. This does save money as I only paying one bus fare and not using my car just to pay a bill and making extra trips.

It’s washing day here for me so I never went out at all today. I work around the house or did reading I am reading a children book at the moment most of you would have read it as a child but it was not around when I was young as it wasn’t on our reading list. ‘Little House on the Prairie’ by Laura Ingralls Widler’ I’m still reading it.

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Mixed Salad & light Cream Cheese on Crackers Fruit Coffee
DINNER Bean Patties with Salad Fruit Coffee

These are family heirloom recipes that I found in an old handwritten cookbook of my great aunt's. It's a good way of getting fibre into people who don't like cereals, and will eat slices and cakes. These were popular when I was growing up.

PEANUT BUTTER BLOCK
Cream -
4 oz Margarine
4 oz Raw sugar
8 tsp. peanut paste

Mix dry -
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
1/2 cup coconut
3 cups rolled oats

Combine and mix well and press into Swiss/jelly roll tin
Cook 300 F for 20-30 minutes.
When cool ice with Chocolate Icing or white icing

CHOCOLATE COCONUT SLICE
1 cup SR flour
4 tsp. cocoa
1 cup Cornflakes or Weetbix (3 cereal biscuits)
2 tsp. Golden Syrup
5 oz Butter
1 cup Coconut
1/2 cup Sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix sifted flour, cocoa and salt
Add Cornflakes sugar coconut
Melt Butter and golden syrup
Add Vanilla
Add to Dry Ingredients.
Press on to a Swiss/jelly roll tin.
Bake 25 minutes at 180 C (350F)
When cool ice with Chocolate Icing

BREAKFAST Muesli & Milk Coffee
LUNCH Grilled Cheese on Toast Fruit Coffee
DINNER Chilli Con Carne with Corn Chips Coffee

Well it’s another no spend day all I did today was the lawn again it did rain here a bit but it was no drought breaker though, and the weeds have grown. I mowed until the mower stopped then have up just a small part not mowed. It’s where my pumpkins are growing so I may leave it to them.

At lease the weeds are down around here and no seed that my main aim in mowing in a drought. I get dew each morning so may grassy weeds and some grass is a bit green in most parts some bare brown patches in parts too!

Today’s Full price Tally $35.00
Today’s Savings - $ 35.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $ 9882.02

As it's hot here, I will have cold salads & meze kind of lunches most days. While having coffee the other week in the city, I had a look at kind of lunches are being served in other food outlets. Here are some of my findings and my versions on them. Because you wouldn't go out to buy some of these ingredients if you on a strict budget like I am. I have put in some other alternatives, as you would use what you have got and not buy fancy stuff because it's in the ingredient list. I buy Focaccia & Turkish bread in single serves when they are marked down, so I bag them up and freeze them in single serves. Most times they are packed in bags of 4 so if I can I will buy 2 bags at a time. Using about 2 per week gives me month worth of them. Seeing that I can buy the rolls for around 50c each or less. I can make these recipes from home for under $2.00 each using what's in my fridge at the time. Seeing that I do make my own Hummus, Marinated Peppers, Marinated Feta & Pesto and bulk buy Sweet Chilli Sauce in a large bottle and decant into a smaller bottle, all saving money on the overall cost.

You can use any kind of rolls or bread but original ones were Focaccia rolls. These Fancy bread rolls sell for $5.95 each or more. As I have never bought them, I don't know if the chicken is cold or hot but it's grilled. They could have slice cheese on them, as they were call melts.

Chilli Chicken Tenderloin Melts
Garlic Focaccia Bread or Turkish bread buttered, put lettuce or rocket leaves, then with Chicken Tenderloins, Marinated Peppers, top with 2 avocado slices, sweet chilli sauce and sour cream and snow peas sprouts garnish.

Pesto Chicken Tenderloin Melts
Garlic Focaccia Bread or Turkish bread spread with Hummus or pesto, then rocket or lettuce, Chicken Tenderloins Marinated Peppers or few fresh pepper slices topped with 3 avocado slices or Marinated Feta and Mayo or pesto over the top.

Gourmet Salad Rolls
Focaccia Bread or Turkish Bread with Hummus Lettuce or Rocket, Tuna or Ham or Chicken slices, Marinated Feta with Marinated Peppers topped with Sweet Chilli Sauce.

BREAKFAST Baked Beans on Toast Coffee
LUNCH Macaroni & Cheese Fruit Coffee
DINNER Curry Ground Beef & Rice with Sambals

Clearing a top of cupboard that need to be polished the joys of having old furniture that nearly 100 years old. This does keep me on my toes when it comes to housework. If you have old stuff then you do need to care for it. It’s one of pieces that came with the house as you can’t get it out of the house not that I would wont too! I am the keeper of the family heritage anyway. I do have many items that begin back memory of pasted members of the family. Like a cake decoration that I got when I visited my father’s parents at age of seven. Their had died by the time I was in my teen’s. It was a funny on that visit I was the first child to be allowed to be in the front parlor, as I slept there. I must have been quite child as my father told me that he (or his siblings as children) had never been allow into that room until that trip and he had left home some 25 year before hand. My father got a mirror (which is still hanging on my wall) that he looked into as a small boy at breakfast around 1914, he left home at 21. Now this little house cake decoration has a place in the China Cabinet along a tea set that my mother got for her 21st Birthday. I have very little from their house here. I could tell you much more about this trip as we drove to visit them across three states in a very small Ford in the early fifties, maybe another time.

BREAKFAST Frittata with Ham Steak & Marinated Peppers
LUNCH Grilled Cheese with Mustard Toasted Slices Fruit Coffee
DINNER Bean Patties with Salad Fruit Coffee

In the last 28 days I have

Gone shopping or bought something. 11 times

Went to the city by bus 2 times

Drove my car only. 8 times

Had food bought or had for free away from home. 2 times

And had 17 No Spending Days.

Lets see what next 28 days tallies will be.

I was given some free homegrown mangoes and not just the common one that you would make mango chutney with, but R2Y2 mango I think it’s call, four of these RRP $2.50 each and 8 Kensington Pride mangoes RRP $1.00 each. Had a R2Y2 mango and it was beautiful and I gave one away too!

On my DIY varnishing job is on the 4th day, I have got into a pattern in the varnishing, you do need have a pattern so you know where you are painting. You must follow the grain of the wood and not put your hand on the one wet varnish too! I did turn the doors around so that I could varnish the other side of the doors, as they had to be standing against posts while I am painting them.

Today’s Full price Tally $ 18.00
Today’s Savings - $ 18.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9615.67

3rd coat of varnish has been done on one side one now I will do the last coat when it hung up. I will need to turn them over and do the other side, I will leave it an extra few hours before I sand the other side and do the 25:75 varnish first up.

Visit from my handyman was not needed to move doors. Free Lunch then he was off again. He liked the doors colour and seems to think it’s a cedar color. I asked him about the other parts of the door so I could paint them too!

Another three days then I can stop until he comes with others pieces and cut one of the doors in half then I will need to seal that too! Focusing on that project and baby steps is the only way I will get this all done!

I have set myself 10 days to do this painting job. At lease my part of it. The timber doorframe I still haven’t got the wood to paint as of yet. This may need to be painted before hand or after it put in place. I have two doors to paint as they are taller than I am and I can’t move them they need to be standing to paint (Cats) so I have them in my carport at the moment doing one side with three coats then turning to do the other sides. So today is the first coat of 25% Mineral Turps & 75% Clear Varnish Mix. This allows the varnish to soak into the timber. After that it will be 100% varnish each coat. Taking off the plastic cover and sanding down before hand both doors took about 90 minutes and then 50 minutes to paint them. So I’m looking at about 75 minutes per day. As it can only be coated once per day and you need 4 coats each side minimum. The tone is multi colored of wood that’s allowing natural wood grains to be highlighted. They are solid wooden doors.

I have very little planned for today.
A No Spending Day for me!

So here is a recipe.

Rice and Vegetables in a Pot
Serves Four.

2 cups raw rice
8 cups water or stock
3 cups mixed vegetables, diced - see note
Little salt to taste

Put water and all other ingredients into a large stockpot or saucepan.
Bring to the boil.
Cover and simmer on low heat very gently for one hour or until all vegetables are tender.
Do keep a watch on the water and add more if required.

Note: Mixed vegetables, depending on what is in season and the cheapest at the time. Carrots, yellow sweet potato, pumpkin, celery, peas or green beans. You could use best generic 'Mixed Vegetables' from freezer section (that is already diced), this is what I use when vegetables are expensive along with one or two cups of the above.

Do have a glass of milk or fruit juice with this, along with a piece of fruit to add more nutritional value.

Use brown rice, as it's a little healthier than white rice, which is just filler, and gives you very little nutritional value.

Use one cup of rice to two cups of water or stock. From each cup of raw rice you get about three cups cooked rice, enough for 2 - 4 servings depending on the other items that you are serving. Portion serving is 1/2 cup cooked rice.

First baby step I cleared and culled some of the stuff on the table, not much but half of it is clear now. I will need to look at the rest of it as most is valuable stuff to me anyway. The coffee table can no longer stay in that area it may even go. As it will one less piece of furniture that I have, but only it one of the last pieces my father made also. I will think about it and no it can’t be used as a Coffee table as I have one family’s glory box chest as the coffee table, too much furniture.

As I haven’t done any housework last week so I set my 100 minutes timer and went at it.

It’s great when I set myself a challenge to get as much done in that time. I can’t get the whole house done but the main areas are done. Just the general stuff everyone does I would say. I also cleaned my refrigerator out as I needed to see if anything has been move to the back of it, it was all was clear just needed a wipe down.

I need now to think about clearing the area where the new door is going as I have a bookcase and coffee table across that area. Now where will I put it all, some will only be going until the door is in but some of it will need to find a new home? I will look at some of it to see if any can be culled. It’s mainly my ASL tutor teaching stuff that I collected a few years ago so maybe I’ll box it up for now! It’s my next minor project; it’s one of my steps in the Major Door Project. Sorry that I write about projects but I do get things done around here if I think in projects.

I read a novel today instead of working around the house or being on my computer, it's a charge for me to do that. It's another no spending day so find a recipe or two to include.

Impossible Pie - Quick & Easy Savoury

4 eggs
2 cups Milk
1/2 cup Plain Flour
125g (4oz) Margarine, melted
1/2 level tsp. Baking powder
pinch of salt

Mix all together then
Add one at a time -

1 medium can tuna or salmon
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup grated Cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Pour into greased 25cm pie dish.
Bake at 180 C Gas or 190 C (375 F) electric until custard is set and top is browned.
Time 30-35 minutes.
Serve 6-8

For other Savoury Fillings try:
1. Bacon sauteed and crumbed, sliced Tomato and Onion.
2. Cooked or Canned Prawns, sliced spring onion or shallots and grated cheese.


Quick Tuna Pie

1 pkt (100g-6.5 Tbsp.) instant mashed potato
1/2 chopped onion or celery
1 large can tuna
1 egg
grated cheese

Mix potato as directed and line pie plate.
Mix other ingredients and pour over potato.
Top with grated cheese
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 F

It’s the day that I spend doing my budget, checking that I have paid my bills and balancing the figures and it’s so far so good on that front. There is enough money in Bill A/c to pay for all the bills for the next month. So everything is working out, as it should.

I had a look at my no spending days so far this year. I had 12 No Spend Day since the 1st January so far. I did say I was going to cut back a bit.

It’s a DIY day in that I mowed my own lawn today saving myself $35.00 on hiring someone to do this job. But I think the price has gone up around here some are charging now $50.00 each time. so if you can do your own mowing if worth it as you can buy a new lawn mower for around $300 to $500 but the better to buy a better quality on in the first place. When I do replace my lawn mower I will be going for one $400.00 plus range. It’s around $498 but when on it’s on special it can get down to lower price around $425.
Saving $35.00 DIY

Today’s Full price Tally $ 0.00
Today’s Savings - $ 35.00
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9249.37

Working around house doing chores. It’s washing day and water my garden with the recycle water. While I was at it, did the path edges in the backyard so I am ready to mow the lawn. Today I finish my ironing and only have to do the stuff that comes off the line today.

Early this morning at my favorite time of the day, which is dawn. I was cutting path edging in front garden with a pair of scissors so that I didn’t wake the neighbor’s. Saving money by not having to pay someone to cut it for me.

I did some more of my ironing project that about 2/3 done now and I have delivered what I have done too! My next large rate’s bill arrived today for just under $300 it will get paid next week sometime but I do have 3 weeks to pay it. I have no problem finding the money for this bill as it’s in my budget and on target too!

Its Mediterranean style way serve a light lunch or meal. Mezze or meze is little bits of tasty treats to please the palate. All served on separate plate so that you can take a much or as little as you want.

Almost anything that is small and tasty qualifies as a mezze dish. Mezze can include miniature versions of main dishes.

Meze - Mezze cuisine is collections of tasty dishes that be can served as appetizers, a light lunch, a main meal or select a combination of dishes and serve as a meze or feast.

Recipes cover a range of appetizers, dips, sauces, salads, sweets, meat and vegetable dishes served with bread.

Here is what I may put on my platters. I just put out enough food out per person serving plus one extra serve for the table.

Little dishes with nuts - mixed and dried fruits Dried apricots and almonds: Stuff each apricot with a whole almond. Or Sultana raisins and nuts: Combine equal parts of whole walnuts, peanuts, almonds or hazelnuts with sultana (golden seedless) raisins and serve in bowls.

Serve bowls of fresh fruits in season & Sliced can pineapple as it's Summer here.

Bowls of marinated olive, pepper, feta cheese, or pickled cucumbers.

Plate of sliced tomatoes, sprinkled with Italian herbs.

Dips of Hummus, Red Lentil Dip or Lite Cream Cheese Spread or Labni - Fresh Cheese made from Yogurt (if have no feta and I have fresh yogurt made.)

Salad greens, red onions or shallots that I have in my garden.

Platters of can tuna or sliced ham what ever in the fridge at the time.

Can asparagus or artichokes whichever that I have in the pantry.

Pita, Lavash Turkish Pide Bread or Crackers if I have none of the others.

Sweets - Turkish Delight or Greek shortbread

Some Recipes

Greek Village Salad

Serve 6-8
6 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
1 red onion, cut into rings
2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced
185g kalamata olives
200g feta
1/2 cup olive oil
dried oregano, to garnish

Combine the tomato, onion, cucumber and olives in a bowl.
Season to taste.
Break the feta into large pieces and scatter over the top.
Top with olive and oregano.
Calories 235, fat 20g

Tunisian Tuna Salad

1 chopped onion
1 large fresh tomato
1 can of tuna
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
5-10 olives (pitted)
1 boiled egg

Mix chopped onion, peppers and tomatoes and put them in a bowl.
Season the tuna with salt, pepper and olive oil.
Mix all ingredients and garnish with the olives and rounded pieces of the boiled egg.

Marinated Peppers - Pipperies
I usually use green bell peppers to make this recipe because they're so easy to find, but it's delicious and colorful made with a range of colors. The recipe is very simple and the peppers keep in the refrigerator for weeks, so if you love them, make a large batch to keep on hand for a tasty and unusual last minute salad or appetizer.

bell peppers (any color or mixed)
red wine vinegar
salt
olive oil
Wash peppers and trim stems (do not remove entirely), and cut into quarters from top to bottom. Do not remove seeds.
Bring enough water to cover peppers to a boil, add peppers, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until partially softened.
Drain in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Place in a ceramic or glass container and cover with red wine vinegar.
Cover and refrigerate.
Peppers are ready to use after 1 hour, and will keep for weeks.
When ready to use, take pieces of pepper from the container and shake off excess vinegar.
Serve marinated peppers as an appetizer or side salad:
Cut marinated peppers into thin slices or smaller pieces and drizzle with olive oil to taste.

Labni - Fresh Cheese made from Yogurt
2 cups yogurt
1/2 t. salt
Need:
Muslin sack or several layers of cheesecloth made into a bag
Large bowl

Combine yogurt and salt.
Pour into a muslin sack, tie up, and suspend over a large bowl. Let drain overnight.
The bowl will catch the dripping liquid.
In the morning, discard the water.
Unwrap the cheese and use as a spread on pita or form into small balls.
Serve with olive oil and chopped fresh mint or with black olives.
Makes 1/2 cup

From "Mediterranean Cooking" by Paula Wolfert

Mahammara Labni - Fresh Yogurt Cheese with Dill and Pimento
1/2 cup labni - fresh yogurt cheese (refer recipe for Labni)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 T. chopped fresh dill
1 roasted pimento, chopped
Sweet paprika
8 melba toasts or crackers

Combine labni, salt, pepper, dill and pimento, mixing well.
Spread on melba toasts and sprinkle with paprika.

From "Mediterranean Cooking" by Paula Wolfert

Hummus bi Tahina - Chickpea and Sesame Dip
125 g (4 oz) chickpeas, soaked for a few hours
juice of 2 lemons
3 Tbs. tahina
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt

Garnish
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. paprika
a few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

Drain the chickpeas and simmer in fresh water for about an hour or until tender.
Reserve the cooking water.
Process the chickpeas in a blender (or food processor) with the lemon juice, tahina, garlic, salt and enough of the cooking liquid to obtain a soft creamy consistency.
Serve on a flat plate, garnished with a dribble of olive oil, a dusting of paprika (this is usually done in the shape of a cross) and a little parsley.
Serve with warm pita bread for dipping. Serves 4-6.
Note: I only put garnish on when I am serving. I do freeze this in small containers. Put out to thaw the night before.

From "Mediterranean Cookery" by Claudia Roden

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This morning I did my housework before my handyman friend arrived today.

We had lunch together another one of Mezze platters with crackers. I have fridge full of unusual and salad ingredients that can be used for mezze, as well olives, Hummus and feta cheese.

Together we put up the bird-net and pegged any openings that were left after it was tried up.

My dripping tap got fixed, it had worn felt and it was reset and new felt & washer replaced, this tap was done in October too!

After buy the trading post and looking at want was on offer for French doors 2nd-hand. Well! Not much and price was from $195 to $700 and none saying if it was for outside use. So we went off to check the prices for new doors and what was available. It was place that sold only doors and they were having a Sale as well. As it’s odd size door opening 1390mm wide so I can only have a normal door and half door panel that will fit. After looking at all the half doors side from $299 each then the buy a door on top it would cost around $700 for both plus fittings.

We looked around and found some doors on sale full solid wood door RRP $211 each. Looking at it, an idea came into my head why couldn’t we buy two doors and cut one to make a mock side panel that is a half opening door bolted to look like a half side panel that is in fact a door. I bought two full doors that I will need to varnish after one is cut to size. We bought also the doorknob and hinges for both doors only bolts will need to be bought for this part of this project. Costing $340 all up (RRP price $531) saving $191. My friend was a tradesman so was able get a better price than I would have had bought them on my own. Best price I would have got was $427 for the same things. I have budget around $1200 for this job, so I will be able now to put the rest towards the security door and bolts etc. I still got $860 earmark for this project but I don’t need to spend it all!

Today’s Full price Tally $ 531
Today’s Savings - $ 191
2007 Total $-t-r-e-t-c-h Savings Tally $9093.45