The second weekend of our Mission and we made sure a night out at Powderfinger did not blow the budget by lowering our costs – Hi, my name is Mands and I am hoping you can help get me and my family out of a bind with debt. Yes, we are asking total strangers for the gift of few dollars, even a few cents to help pay off our debt, stop the interest accruing, building and getting further out of control.
This debt did not come about due to lavish spending, over-indulging or financial mismanagement. Most was incurred due to medical expenses, assisted living charges, travel costs while I waited for and now rehabilitating from spinal surgery at the same time the single incoming wage under went restructure, reductions due to the financial crisis' impact on Husband's employer.
We are not asking for you to pay it for us ~ rather help contribute to pay it down with us.
*smiles*
Please...
What a brilliant night!
At the start of the year, when Husband was working still, we bought 8 Powderfinger tickets for the (then) final show on the Sunset Tour. Those who were coming with Husband, SmallBoy and I didn't pay for their tickets, paid by us via the drastic plastic - gotta love a best friend 'break-up'. My sister, a close old friend and her hubby came up and we sold the last two tickets to a couple up from Geelong - this cash will be paid on to the card using money in the savings account and we shall keep the cash for firewood and the groceries this week.
Yes we had a wee spend on drinks at the concert, however at $10 a pop - there was only one round! Is that the norm for concerts now? Been a while since our last gig, and that was at the MotoGP where one can be 'trapped' for days track-side. More about that in the Daily Report and in the FaceBook Notes. Loving the 'likes' - keep them coming! You need to know that helps us pick up our pace!
Yes we had a wee spend on drinks at the concert, however at $10 a pop - there was only one round! Is that the norm for concerts now? Been a while since our last gig, and that was at the MotoGP where one can be 'trapped' for days track-side. More about that in the Daily Report and in the FaceBook Notes. Loving the 'likes' - keep them coming! You need to know that helps us pick up our pace!
Sold another item on eBay ~ mandsmission ~ this time the water filter cooler contraption. Another $10 into bringing down the debt. More to upload onto eBay tonight. Clothes, Tupperware and Avon items. Easy - get ready to help our Mission to remove debt.
Drum Roll please...
Our first coffee memory! We don't know if it's okay to publicly say who but we are most grateful and chuffed you guys see as an inspiration. Thank you; thank you; thank you! This will be recorded as a 'first' day for sure!
We've had a day with some tidying, some photographing and SmallBoy has had a great afternoon learning and playing netball as part of the free out of school hours activities programme. As swimming lessons are just unable to be included in the budget ($110) for this term, we'll rely on the school's intensive swimming programme and one of the VicSwim two week programmes at the start of summer.
The next week to 10days definitely requiring NO SPENDING at all ~ we've had to get grain for the chookies and it is easier to buy in bulk but not having a spare $80, we have picked up a $30 bag for the month. We have decided to place an ad on Ballarat Buy Swap and Sell for some eggs but people will need to bring their own egg carton! Cash is at hand for the wood, petrol tank is full. Let's hope to hear no news on any money out until next week ~ please *pleads*
So let's make Pie of Left Over Chicken (POLOC).
Left over roast chicken (a hearty one person serve)
Left over salad
Water (keep) to steam hard salad pieces (carrot, cauli, peas eg)
1/2 cup milk (or extra stock)
Knob of butter
1/3-1/2 cup flour
Mustard, salt, pepper, herbs etc
Pastry - 2-3 sheets
SmallBoy is an excellent help when it comes to cooking. He chopped up chicken - probably a breast and part of the thigh. Reasonably small because when in the pot it does break up to spread through the filling. From the salad we grabbed snow peas, salad onion (no point using a brown one, when this is semi cut and ready), feta, basil, carrot, capsicum, cauliflower.
We fried up the onion, added the chicken and basil and snowpeas. The Cauli, carrot, plus a few frozen peas and corn were steamed for a few minutes (had to use a Rock n Serve), drained keeping the veggie water aside, and added to the mix.
A nice blob of butter is next, mixed through to coat the ingredients. A sprinkling of plain flour all over and we mix this through the buttered ingredients. Using the vegetable water, we began the sauce. Because we were adding cheese and mustard, milk was added to make a creamier sauce. Otherwise, more water and maybe chicken stock or gravy mix might be added.
While recovering, pastry sheets have been a life saver. Who ever brought this on to the market - thank you. We use about 2-3 sheets per pie, keeping the half over for the next. All the little cut offs fill up the gaps and, face it, the pastry is the best bit so layered can be better!! MMmm
The easy bit is putting the mixture in, putting on the final sheet, using any left over milk or water to wash the top and into the oven at 190c - 220c for about 40mins. You're really only cooking the pastry because the filling is ready so you can go higher for less time if you want. We like to use the time to get the table set, pjs on for SmallBoy, lock the chooks - that sort of pottering.
When MudGuts is not in for a feed, the left over piece is either Husband and my lunch, or put in the freezer and three random slices come out as a surprise re-run. There has been cause to swap when the spicy Indian was given to SmallBoy so it best to make sure every one sits and eats together when playing 'random' dinner! *grins* A night off cooking and home-made just the same!
Lucky for Skippy, our rooster, he is too old for even the pot now. After his behaviour toward Husband 'rescuing' SmallBoy from the chookshed, Skippy has proved yet again why we do not need a watch dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Drum Roll please...
Our first coffee memory! We don't know if it's okay to publicly say who but we are most grateful and chuffed you guys see as an inspiration. Thank you; thank you; thank you! This will be recorded as a 'first' day for sure!
We've had a day with some tidying, some photographing and SmallBoy has had a great afternoon learning and playing netball as part of the free out of school hours activities programme. As swimming lessons are just unable to be included in the budget ($110) for this term, we'll rely on the school's intensive swimming programme and one of the VicSwim two week programmes at the start of summer.
The next week to 10days definitely requiring NO SPENDING at all ~ we've had to get grain for the chookies and it is easier to buy in bulk but not having a spare $80, we have picked up a $30 bag for the month. We have decided to place an ad on Ballarat Buy Swap and Sell for some eggs but people will need to bring their own egg carton! Cash is at hand for the wood, petrol tank is full. Let's hope to hear no news on any money out until next week ~ please *pleads*
So let's make Pie of Left Over Chicken (POLOC).
Left over roast chicken (a hearty one person serve)
Left over salad
Water (keep) to steam hard salad pieces (carrot, cauli, peas eg)
1/2 cup milk (or extra stock)
Knob of butter
1/3-1/2 cup flour
Mustard, salt, pepper, herbs etc
Pastry - 2-3 sheets
SmallBoy is an excellent help when it comes to cooking. He chopped up chicken - probably a breast and part of the thigh. Reasonably small because when in the pot it does break up to spread through the filling. From the salad we grabbed snow peas, salad onion (no point using a brown one, when this is semi cut and ready), feta, basil, carrot, capsicum, cauliflower.
We fried up the onion, added the chicken and basil and snowpeas. The Cauli, carrot, plus a few frozen peas and corn were steamed for a few minutes (had to use a Rock n Serve), drained keeping the veggie water aside, and added to the mix.
A nice blob of butter is next, mixed through to coat the ingredients. A sprinkling of plain flour all over and we mix this through the buttered ingredients. Using the vegetable water, we began the sauce. Because we were adding cheese and mustard, milk was added to make a creamier sauce. Otherwise, more water and maybe chicken stock or gravy mix might be added. 
While recovering, pastry sheets have been a life saver. Who ever brought this on to the market - thank you. We use about 2-3 sheets per pie, keeping the half over for the next. All the little cut offs fill up the gaps and, face it, the pastry is the best bit so layered can be better!! MMmm
The easy bit is putting the mixture in, putting on the final sheet, using any left over milk or water to wash the top and into the oven at 190c - 220c for about 40mins. You're really only cooking the pastry because the filling is ready so you can go higher for less time if you want. We like to use the time to get the table set, pjs on for SmallBoy, lock the chooks - that sort of pottering.When MudGuts is not in for a feed, the left over piece is either Husband and my lunch, or put in the freezer and three random slices come out as a surprise re-run. There has been cause to swap when the spicy Indian was given to SmallBoy so it best to make sure every one sits and eats together when playing 'random' dinner! *grins* A night off cooking and home-made just the same!
Lucky for Skippy, our rooster, he is too old for even the pot now. After his behaviour toward Husband 'rescuing' SmallBoy from the chookshed, Skippy has proved yet again why we do not need a watch dog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Can't wait until we do the weekly update tomorrow and see how we have done! Adding up the eBay sales, moneys found, our special Coffee Memory and savings made. Fingers crossed we have extra to go on the debt.
That pie looks very tasty indeed! What a great lil helper smlboy is!
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