Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Did someone speed up time?

The things my Husband finds ~ love his photographs... 

I swear it was Sunday ~ and now its Wednesday morning!

Hope all the Dads, stand ins and children all over have enjoyed the togetherness of Sunday ~ now come on, the 'special' day is over, back to the normal. Yes, it would be nice to have days like that all the time, but it takes some coordinating, planning, doing things in anticipation... *bit of a hint dear* 


So who spent a small fortune? Ours came in under $50 ~ including the petrol for our afternoon, our self catered lunch and a yummy roast dinner! Enjoying the left overs from the $11 roast as a pork and vegetable pie for Monday nights meal keeps us about $2-$3 per head per meal ~ we could have stretched both meals to feed four people - it was more fun feeling like happy stuffed little piggies *burps* 'scuse me...


The Week Ahead... 

The garden is about to yield forth its first edible offerings ~ about half the first of the Asian greens are ready and calling for a stir fry or warm salad use. Hmmm ~ that's an idea for the weekend. As for tonight, I took the $5 schnitzels out of the freezer, marked down meat but only two large schnitzels in the packet. So fried them up on the stove, sliced into strips and added to a bowl of salad of lettuce, bean sprouts, baby spinach, radish, cucumber, snow peas, onion, parmasean cheese, walnuts, green apples and a ceasar style dressing... 


Doesn't that sound fancy?! I reckon it looks decently fancy too, happy to serve that up to the Queen should she drop in. Cost under $7 for the whole meal and if HRH had dropped in, it would have stretched for one more as well ~ but she didn't so we ate it all *grins* SmallBoy was a little grumbly over the sprouts but demolished his plateful. Then he had the last of the vanilla cream over a chopped frozen banana ~ the cream freezes on the banana and is a delicious, quick dessert to use up left over cream! 

I am trying desperately to push out this week's grocery shop to build a little 'cash' surplus for some staples we will need in anticipation of the wet season. By not using the remaining $42 of this weeks shopping budget for groceries, I can get bulk wholemeal flours, brown rice, epsom salts, vinegar, coat-hangers and mulch instead.


Just jumped in the shower between making up some peanut butter biscuit dough to make biscuits ~ mainly because they are yummy and it will help lower the craving for long-absent chocolate, but also to compensate for 'boring' sandwiches for lunch SmallBoy has to endure for two, maybe three days in a row *gasps in mock shock*


I've used a variation of the peanut butter biscuit dough from the delightful website Stay At Home Mum, really only changing the peanut butter to smooth. This recipe makes about 30 biscuits - I used the last quarter of the dough to add a few of the Ballarat walnuts for variation. It could probably take nicely with some choc chips - if I had any...

Rather than do a standard grocery shop ~ we can have the pasties made and frozen last week for dinner tomorrow, then the shop can be base more toward those bulk purchases along with some cloves, mince, milk, rolls. With more flour I can make more scrolls, do some biscuits, cakes and get ready for using the bread maker when I get yeast next shop. 


Quick Reflection...

The move to Queensland was not about saving/making money ~ a big part has always been quality of life, a balance of work and play, a climate to aid recovery and movement. More than anything, I am grateful for the way things happened ~ there is a saying: "Things fall apart so other things can fall together" ~ that's what this has all been like.

While it might not be a big deal to many to get a meal on the table (physically or financially); to be able to there in the morning for breakfast, walking, talking, eating, laughing ~ and then again in the afternoon and evening. Some times I feel blessed with the chance to 'do life' with less stress and more enjoyment, even appreciating that it all needs to be done a little slower or with some rest along the day.

I really do enjoy making biscuits ~ they really don't take a lot to put together. Trying different meals to incorporate more salads and vegetables, getting up at sparrows' fart to go to the market, reading or (now) riding over screen related activities for all of us. OK ~ I'm not at riding yet, the boys are and I am jealous. I'm not able to vacuum but I can mop. It's all just a heck of a lot better than expected and imagined.

Must mosey ~ another full and exciting day. I do hope we get coat hangers in the next day or so. I'd really like to hang the last of the clothes and get everything out of the campervan completely. Out come the nick-knacks, pictures and books. Might need another bookshelf...

Let me know if you try the biscuits or what more details about the meals we prepare and eat, budgeting $2-$3 per person per main meal per night. Most nights usually cost $6 for a meal for three hearty appetites, occasionally with leftovers for lunch.

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