Tomato Paste

I usually buy tomato paste in a large jar. If I don't use it all (which I rarely do) in one sitting it goes into the fridge and next time I need to use it's always  mouldy.
Annoying? Yes you are right so I have started doing this which is easy and avoids waste.

 

Freeze tablespoon blobs on a tray covered with baking paper

 

Then just 'bag em'

and voila, tomato paste whenever you need it

Green Tomatoes

The last of the tomatoes came into the kitchen so I just had to make chutney before they 'died'

 

Even though we didn't have many still didn't want to waste them.

I am happy with the result and Trevor thinks it's delicious which makes me even happier!

 

I used the usual...apple, sultanas, spice, brown  sugar, brown vinegar and cooked until thick and treacly

70's Dinner Party

We definitely had a 70"s throw back dinner party a couple of weeks back. It was not planned that way but did turn out to be just that...

Starter
          French Onion Soup
Main
          Roast Pork & Apple Sauce
Dessert
          Butternut Snap and Violet Crumple Ripple Cake

Tears....

Add a glass of bubbly

More chocolate please

Love honeycomb so much

Yummy

It's never about the food of course, it's all about the company and being able to enjoy being with family and friends.
Throw in a couple of bottles of wine and some delicious food and you are set for a great time together.
We don't entertain the way we did in the 70's or as often but when we do I love to have easy to prepare ahead food that takes any stress out of the occasion so I can spend the max amount of time with the guests.
This 70's  dinner was fun and the food was great.
         

Griffith NSW

Inland pelicans resting beside the canal near the vineyards and orange groves.



I wonder what the fishing is like here?



We did see babies with this group but missed them in the photo

Lake Boga

Pelicans feeding in a pack (or is it a flock) on Lake Boga.

They stayed in this formation for about 15 minutes all dipping their heads underwater at the same time.

Then without warning they'd had enough and flew off.

Easy Lemon Butter

Lemon Butter

3 Lemons ( Juice & Rind)
2 cups Sugar
2 tbsp. Butter
2 Eggs (beaten)

Combine the juice, rind and sugar, heat until sugar has completely dissolved.
Add the butter and beaten eggs, bring to the boil and simmer until mixture thickens. Keep stirring
so it doesn't catch, it only takes about 5 minutes. 
Cool a little then pour into hot sterilised jars. Try to have the jars and the butter at about the same temperature.

Can be used as a spread on toast, crumpets and scones. Also great in pies, tarts or with ice cream.

Keep refrigerated.

Has a few air bubbles because the jars were very hot when I
poured the butter.
 Nevertheless DELICIOUS !

Easter Blessings

Celebrating Easter Sunday
 and Autumn



Navarin of Lamb

Adapted from a Taste.com.au recipe: 

2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg lamb chops, fat trimmed, cut into pieces

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 cups Chicken stock

1 cup dry white wine

dried thyme

dried bay leaves

chat potatoes, halved

carrots, ends trimmed, peeled

2 spring onions, ends trimmed

Brown lamb and vegetables, make sauce, add to casserole dish,
cook for about 1 1/2 hours @ 180

Serve with Green beans, peas and cauliflower chesse

                     

Blood Moon the rare Lunar Eclipse
Easter Saturday

My photo is not particularly good however I did
 stand on the veranda at 11pm and take it!
 

Family Dinner



Perfect for Easter -
Chocolate Pudding and Ice-cream

Happy Easter

Hot Cross Buns & Fish

Traditions...love them and so do families.


Seems traditions are what makes some families special.

Easter has come around again and on  Good Friday we always have Hot Cross buns for breakfast and always have fish for dinner. We never eat meat on this day, my Mother never did and neither did her Mother or her Grandmother...Tradition!

This year for the first time in my entire life I have made our Hot Cross Buns, they were pretty good and the family loved them. I thought they were a little dry and needed heaps more spice, the main thing is of course is that they all enjoyed them.

Crosses look yellow because I used custard powder, yum yum

Good Friday Breakfast

Dinner tonight is a family favourite Easy Fish Pie.


Cut Fish Fillets into cubes (I used Blue Grenadier)
Steamed vegetables (any) I used potato, pumpkin, kumara, zucchini, carrots & peas.
Add to onion and fish that is cooked in a little olive oil.
Add a creamy sauce ( used my SOS mix and that's another post) topped with shards of filo pastry sprayed with olive oil.
Cooked for about 20 mins.
Sorry no recipe just experiment and it should work for you xox

After church on Easter Sunday we always have a lamb dinner and lots of chocolate xox

Wishing you lots of blessings on this Good Friday

#hotcrossbuns #fishfordinner #easterblessings



Potato Vegetable & Lentil Soup

LUNCH

Knowing what to have for lunch is always a problem for me. Grabbing a quick bite at the office was easy...now we are retired lunch has become a more formal affair.
Not formal in the sense of "formal" of course, its just that now I'm catering for a hungry husband as well I have to put something fairly substantial on the table :)

Left overs are always good but I have decided to have a "left over" meal at least once a week to save $ and also give the cook a night off so that takes this option off the table so to speak.

Anyway, last week I bought a 5 kilo bag of potatoes for $2.99, hence SOUP for lunch with a cheese toasty for the next week...CHEAP AS CHIPS

2 small onions, heaps of garlic and ginger. Cover with chicken
 stock, season with vegetable stock powder & salt and pepper
 

Added a few extras from the fresh vegetable bin and some
 frozen peas

Red lentils for more yummy flavour and to thicken a little

LUNCH !!!

#potatosoup
#budgetmeal

My Homemade Laundry Powder

Ingredients, Cost $10.20

 

Laundry soap grated in $8 op shop blender

I thought this was a good place to start and put into practice something I have learned thus far.

To make this laundry powder you will need:

1 Bar laundry soap - finally grated, I cut it on board first then blended to a fine powder.
1 Cup Lectric washing Soda
1/2 Cup Borax

Mix together and store in air tight container.
Use 2 teaspoons per wash.

I made a double batch and still have plenty of soap, soda and borax left for future use. I will date the top of jar so I can work out just how economical it really is. The ingredients were all purchased at Coles.

Hope to report whites that are whiter than white :)

#homemade #washingpowder #laundrypowder #savemoney

Retirement = New Life = Budget

Since our retirement late last year we immediately needed to watch every cent and every dollar.
This has led to an extensive budgeting system and also working out ways to save save save on every day living and facing "the living on the age pension challenge".

My system is not at all sophisticated or hard, I have just written down all expenses and then record all bank balances as well as spending.

                                 

I have found the trick to making this work for me is to update and check my folder everyday, and asking my husband to always give me receipts after any purchases he makes helps too.
If he forgets, I don't "balance" so its then easy to trace back and work out where the money has gone.

The hardest part of keeping to the budget so far has been the food and housekeeping allowance.
As we have 2 of our adult children living at home this has been hard to get right...
I started with $200 per fortnight but have found I'm spending around $250. Considering this includes all bathroom, cleaning products and random odd extras I didn't think this was too bad!

I then started reading blogs about how others do it and am totally in awe.

a couple are - My Abundant Life
                    - Debt Free, Cashed up & Laughing

Thank you ladies I will follow your blogs and try to learn some good budgeting tricks.

#livingonapension #budgettingforseniors #retirementbudget