We were both elsewhere, but leftovers were the plan.
A nice cup of Oolong and an Anzac biscuit
Slow cooked Asian-spiced Beef with rice and mixed vegetables
The Boy had some Apple Crumble.
As this illness really starts to take hold, I’m so glad I diced and marinated the meat for dinner before freezing it.
So much easier to just toss it in the slow cooker and go back to my sick bed and tissues!
Okay. Here goes.
The Boy, as you know, has challenged me to feed us both for $30 AUD each for a week.
I thought I should let you all know how I’m going to work this.
Firstly, let’s backtrack a bit.
$30 AUSTRALIAN dollars.
Each.
Now food here may be more or less expensive than in other nations, but it’s what I’m dealing with and I make no apologies if you are unable to buy the same things for the same amount of money where you are. It’s just the way it is.
I will be buying the ‘big ticket items’ with my total budget of $60. So canned goods, meat, vegetables, bread and dairy will all come from this generous bucket of cash.
I will not however, be including pantry items that I may use only a sprinkle or tablespoon of while preparing these things.
In other words, two tablespoons of golden syrup in a recipe does not justify buying a whole new bottle of the stuff, neither does a sprinkle of mixed herbs.
Ahem.
Spreads for our breads are already in our refrigerator. I buy a tub of butter/margarine maybe once every 6 weeks, I’m not including those in our budget – bread will be.
The money will not be used to purchase anything other than food for us. Our cats, our household cleaning needs and loo paper will not be part of this challenge.
I will be posting lists of goods, where I bought them and the price I paid in future posts. I promise.
But here’s a pic to tide you over.
The groceries I bought to feed us for that $30 each this week.
I will also post a daily diary of what was prepared and consumed on each of the seven days.
Recipes and pics will come at a later stage – when my writing catches up with my doing…
And there will be a record of anything that may be left over at the end of the week too.
Sound fair?
Good.
I hope you find this an interesting ride!
Breakfast: Porridge/Oatmeal with craisins
Lunch: Toasted ham and cheese sandwich on wholegrain bread
Dinner: Penne with Budget Bolognese sauce
Baked: Anzac biscuits, Apple Crumble/Crisp (not yet eaten)
Tummies happy, recipes to come, mother-of-all-chest-colds has suddenly hit…
Budget on track!
Ever brought home a bunch, or even half a bunch of celery, and had it sitting around going bad because:
- you didn’t have room in your fridge for it, or
- you didn’t know what you had to do to store it in the fridge?
Ahem. Observe.
How to store celery – Part I
Storing celery – Part II
Pay particular attention to that last one. If you ever forget this (or go away for a few days unexpectedly…) and end up with a smelly, cloudy mess in your jug, fill it with a good dose of plain old white household vinegar and top up with boiling water.
Leave it to sit for an hour or so, empty and wash normally.
This also works for rhubarb.
You’re welcome.
P.S. for an added bonus. plant the bit you cut off and you’ll get a celery plant!
Hey All,
I’m currently sitting in a moderately comfy chair, attached to an IV.
DON’T PANIC!
This is routine. I have a monthly infusion for my MS, and it seems to be doing the trick. Touch wood.
Anyway…The Boy has suggested that I dive into things head first (while I’m busy putting together set up guides for absolute beginners) and show my peeps that it’s possible to eat well on next to nothing.
His budget at University was around $30 AUD a week.
SOOOOOOOO, he has challenged me to feed us on that amount (each) and share the meals and planning processes with you all.
What can I say? I’m a sucker.
A new page will soon appear titled $30 challenge. You’ll be able to follow our adventure in this, from purchases to recipes. I just hope you can handle my photography…
So here goes, looking forward to getting the magical “Achievement Unlocked” seal of approval.
Okay.
So you’ve just walked into your very first kitchen…now what?
Well, this is where we work out what you need and what you’ve got and maybe get started on a wish list for future food-adventure-type-equipment.
Time was a girl would leave home with the contents of her “Hope Chest,” put together over the years before she spread her wings (got married).Then, those things added to the wedding gifts she might have received, meant she’d have the tools she needed to run her home and kitchen.
We’ve moved on since then. Thank heavens.
However, very few young people do start a new home with anything other than having all their dreams of independence magically and effortlessly fulfilled.
So let’s get serious here and have a think.
I’m going to set out a list for one person, living alone. I’m going to assume you have a stove/cooktop, an oven and refrigeration of some description.
This is just a list – we’ll discuss what each of these should look like and the type of quality you may or may not need in separate posts. Don’t worry, I’m not going to send you off without directions!
First you’re going to need something to put your food on and to eat off.
A basic table setting looks like this. You’ll want:
Bare minimum. Keep up with your washing up and that should be enough. You’ll end up wanting more, but that’s a start.
To get the food into the pot, you’ll need these tools:
On the cooking side, you’ll want
These are all optional. They will all make your life easier.
You can spend a small fortune buying the ultimate in design and brand, or you can go vintage (secondhand) and gather stuff you aren’t afraid to use.
The latter option means the whole cooking thing will be just a little less scary too. I’m all for that.
We’re going to start at the very beginning and cover the following:
– basic kitchen kit
– grocery shopping 101
– stocking your pantry
– civilising touches
It’ll take a few posts but you don’t need to do everything all at once. We’ll take babysteps.
In the meantime, tell me the sorts of things you want to see on here and I’ll do my best to oblige.
Budget Bounty 