My first week of official membership has been a triumph (well so I say anyway). At this stage I am working on a weekly grocery shopping budget (including all food as well as cleaning products, tissues and the like) of $50.I made meatballs using 500g mince ($4) with onion, breadcrumbs, herbs and seasoning and got 20 golf-ball sized meatballs. I cooked them in a baking dish topped with a jar of spaghetti sauce. I had 4 for my dinner (served a cob of corn that I got for 50c and mashed potato) ... well 3 plus one left for a midnight snack. So that works out to be 4 serves of meatballs left over for another time - and all at less than $1 a serve!
I have made four serves of Cauliflower and Blue Cheese Soup - all are in the freezer. I just boiled the cauliflower ($1.69), pureed it, added the cheese ($3) and homemade chicken stock and seasoned to taste. Just over $1 each serve (plus I will need some crusty bread when it comes to eating time).
The chicken stock was easy - a couple of roast chicken carcasses that I was saving for just such an occasion with an onion, a couple of bay leaves and herbs from the garden. I probably used 1 litre for the soup but I have managed to freeze about another 3 litres. And I am saving vegetable off-cuts to do a vegetable version. Total cost - negligible ...
And I am rediscovering the joy of oatmeal (porridge) for breakfast - warm, filling, healthy and less than 10c a bowl!
I also managed to jag myself a microwave from freecycle. On the way back from collecting it I dropped in to see Miss Abbey. 5 cups of coffee and about 5 hours later I was on my way back home. A big day out - I left home at 8 and got home at 5, which also included stopping in Coffs to run errands on the way up to get the microwave, came to about $15 worth of petrol (it was about an hour either way).
Apart from having Miss Abbey, Miss Kylie and Miss L to swap ideas with, the best part of my new life is that I don't feel like I am missing out on anything! It is just using my time better, planning more and putting all the other things I try and do (100-mile eating, cooking healthy on a budget etc).
1 comment:
You can come cook at my place anytime hun, we are eating lots of weekend leftovers this week, from the weekend feasts! Must say that lamb tagine tasted even better last night than it did on saturday! Good on ya for inspiring me, and I'm happy to be in the lentil club as long as I don't have to actually eat lentils, I think I'd eat fungus first, now thats saying something!
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