Today we managed to find an opening between the showers to pop down to our plot at the Community Garden and pick some stuff and weed and mulch other bits.

In summary, we came home with this pile of green awesomeness. It includes our very first leek (naaawww!), several pak choi, some broccolini and some Tuscan Kale (cavolo nero or black cabbage) very generously given to us by a neighbouring gardener.

We done grew all this green stuff!

We done grew all this green stuff!

It was all washed or scrubbed when we got home and has since been filed or eaten. We don’t muck around with our greens in this household, let that be a warning to ye!

Ahem. Moving on…

I have plans to use the leek and kale in a Lentil and Barley Hotpot tomorrow.

We’re planning on spending the greater part of tomorrow afternoon burning a pile of very old rose prunings that have been loitering on my front landing (oo er!) ever since we moved in about 18 months ago. It will be quite cathartic to watch them burn, really.

They are from very old plants that seem to have thorns on their thorns and the prospect of taking them to the tip was plagued by visions of us both bleeding to death from our wounds on the way. As it is, we have damp weather and a stubborn bald spot in our rear lawn that could use a fine layering of ash and charcoal – she said, pretending to know what she is talking about and fooling precisely no-one.

Regardless, the crock pot can crock while we give vent to our rather tame inner pyromaniacs.

Tonight, however, I had some leftover chilli mac from last night.

Chilli Mac

Chilli Mac

While The Boy filled his belly with a terrifyingly hot Vegan Thai Green Curry that I made up for him – on request.

Now doesn't that look purdy?

Now doesn’t that look purdy?

It used up most of what was left of our jar of green curry paste, some onion, carrot, celery, red capsicum, coconut cream, home-canned soy and adzuki beans and a goodly portion of the pak choi you saw in the first photograph.

I served it over some steamed basmati rice we had in the refrigerator and he was a very happy little camper.

Not blurry, but steamy.

Not blurry, but steamy.

Both dishes were consumed accompanied by discussion about the Rhinoceros in “The Gods must be crazy” and our newest household member, the Accidental Cat.

Sara - the accidental cat.

Sara – the accidental cat.

I’ll speak with you all tomorrow, if we manage not to burn anything we’re not supposed to.

Let me know if you’d like a post on how I constructed the curry.

ttfn.

 

Okay everyone.

It’s been a rough month in the Budget Bounty household with my MS becoming active and making life quite difficult.

I won’t go into all the details, but I will declare that it’s quite difficult to type a blog post when you can’t feel your fingers…

However, things are improving, so my posts will be far more regular from hereon in – slightly numb fingers crossed!

I have managed to do a bit of cooking in and around the fog of MS fatigue and pictures were took, so there are things I can share with you while also taking it easy.

Speak soon.
S.

Hello my lovelies,

Sorry I’ve been quiet. My MS has raised its head and decided to give me a nasty bite.

I have been unable to type for the last few days as my hands appeared to be AWOL, also the vision in my left eye decided to take a brief holiday.

However, it’s all starting to come back in dribs and drabs and I’m feeling a tad more writerly.

So, hopefully tomorrow normal transmission will resume. In the meantime I shall continue to try to make gyoza dumplings while not quite knowing where the tips of my fingers actually are…

It’s just as well that I like a challenge, eh?

Nibble on, Dudes.

S.

Osso Buco

I have spent the vast majority of the day tucked up in my bed with a cat or two.

However, I did emerge long enough to make dinner.

The Boy had the stated objective of “making Osso Buco in the bomb” – by this he meant our pressure cooker. Unfortunately, he got sidetracked on his ‘puter and my tummy got rumbling; so I did it.

Thankfully his distraction lasted long enough that I was able to cook it, realise it needed more time, and do it over again. Which also gave me time to stir up a pot of polenta.

?????????????

Polenta

And a glorious dinner was had.

Polenta

Polenta

Now I intend to head back to bed and continue working my way through the exhaustive list of home remedies that has generously been flowing in over the last few days.

Night All.

Cough, sniffle.

I don't think Garfield would mind this.

Hello, my dears.

Last night I went to a friend’s birthday do and so didn’t cook. I believe The Boy had something from the fridge to eat – but he can’t remember what. Sigh.

Today we went to visit some peeps in another town and I made some Hidden Treasure Muffins to take with us. They seem to be on high rotation lately.

As a result, I need to add condensed milk and muffin cases to my list for next week.

When we got home, I was close to death from this virus that seems to have me in its clutches, so I really didn’t feel like preparing anything.

However, we had the leftover meat sauce from Wednesday night in the fridge and the ricotta that I didn’t use at the pasta-making class, so I combined the two.

Meat sauce in dish

Meat sauce in dish.

I layered the meat sauce with the ricotta and some pasta sheets into a lasagne-type arrangement.

Plain ricotta.

Plain ricotta.

Then I baked it for 40 minutes or so, before scattering breadcrumbs and shredded parmesan over the top.

Crunchy topping

Crunchy topping.

It was baked for a further 10 minutes and then served.  I can’t say I was impressed with it – the ricotta really didn’t hit the mark as a bechamel sauce substitute – but it was adequate.

I don't think Garfield would mind this.

I don’t think Garfield would mind this.

Our tummies were full of something wholesome and I get to go to bed happy. There are now two serves of this in the freezer as well for future unplanned-for meals.

Tomorrow I hope to publish a post on cornbread cobbler, which is a great way of stretching out a stew or chilli or even of rehashing it; as I just did with this meat sauce.

Don’t hold me to it though, my throat is on fire right now….

Mac Bolognese

Hello peeps.

Back again. Yesterday was a sick day and The Boy took care of things while I doctor wrangled etc.

?????????????

  

However, tonight the kitchen was reopened for business and we had a nice macaroni bolognese – cooked mostly in the slow cooker.

Slow cooker to the rescue again

Slow cooker to the rescue again.

 

Actually it was a riff on the Chilli con Carne recipe I posted the other day. I followed exactly the same process, but substituted ingredients with the aim of making an Italian-style dish.

Pork for the beef, basil pesto for the sun-dried tomato one, borlotti beans instead of kidney beans and all served over macaroni instead of rice.

It worked.

Mac Bolognese

Mac Bolognese

Want some?

Howdy All.

I have had one of those days that are emotionally and physically exhausting, so I am relying solely on last night’s leftovers for tonight’s dinner.

This is something for which I make no apologies.

We have some rice sitting in the fridge as well, so that will make a nice accompaniment.

We had Loaded Hot Potato Chips for lunch.

I have spent a bit of time this afternoon making some chocolate biscuits.

There’s enough to keep The Boy in gratuitous carbohydrates for several weeks. This is a win.

Chocolate biscuits.

Chocolate biscuits.

Tomorrow I need to do some sewing for an upcoming occasion and I’m intending to do a riff on the Chilli con Carne recipe that I posted a few days ago.

It should prove interesting.

Speak soon.

I made a yummy.

Before I forget, yesterday I left out the $11 BBQ Chicken I had bought a few days before. It has been picked clean with the meat frozen in portions, and the carcass used in stock.

The amount I have left in my food budget is therefore $11.52. So I can still get eggs if I need them…

Anyway, today I managed to not get killed in a sudden hailstorm. This made me very happy.

I was even happier when I got home and then got warm.

The decision was made to make an apple crumble using some of the Apple and Quince pie filling I made a few months ago.

Apple and Quince Crumble

Apple and Quince Crumble.

Then I decided that I would use those beautiful pork sausages you saw me freeze a few weeks back. I had started making a hot pot with them, and had just added some fennel seeds, when I remembered that fennel bulb from the vegetable shopping.

So, I made a WONDERFUL cassoulet-like dish with pork sausages, fresh fennel and cannellini beans.

I made a yummy.

I made a yummy.

My goodness it was good. And I served it on a bed of mashed, slow-cooked sweet potato. Because I could.

I’ve documented all the steps, so I shall be able to post a recipe for you soon-ish.

It made enough for four, so we got a meal’s worth of leftovers from it – for this I am grateful.

I didn’t make biscuits. That can wait until tomorrow.

That’s it for tonight, Lovelies. Speak tomorrow.

 

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I’m sorry I wasn’t on yesterday, everyone.

The Boy suddenly reappeared unannounced from his camping trip while I was engaged with the pressure canner and frightened the life out of me. He bought me dinner from here to make up for nearly giving me a heart attack.

This morning I attended a Pasta-making workshop at the Ballarat Community Garden, but it required rather large amounts of kit and supplies.

Not my pasta...

Not my pasta…

So, I spent my blogging time packing the car instead.

Never mind. I’m here now!

So onto the shopping.

The Aldi shopping.

The Aldi shopping.

From Aldi was purchased the following:

  • 2 x 1 litre UHT milk                                    $1.90
  • 1  x 1 kg Frozen peas                                 $1.99
  • 1 kg full cream milk powder                  $5.69
  • 1 kg brown sugar                                        $3.19
  • 2 x 420 g tins Creamed Corn                  $1.78
  • 1 x jar Indian simmer sauce                   $2.99
  • 1 jar Basil pesto                                           $1.99
  • 1 jar sundried tomato pesto                  $1.99
  • 1 jar capsicum pesto                                 $1.99
  • 3 x tins diced tomatoes                           $2.97
  • 1 x tin evaporated milk                           $1.89
  • 2 x packets Droste Dutch cocoa        $12.98
  • 1 packet shredded tasty cheese          $5.49
  • 1 packet shredded pizza cheese         $4.49
  • 1 packet steakhouse fries                      $2.49
  • 1 packets wholemeal tortilla wraps  $1.99
  • 1 punnet mushrooms                              $2.91
  • 1 kg brown onions                                     $1.49
  • sweet potatoes                                           $3.16
  • full bunch celery                                         $1.99
  • 700g chuck steak                                        $8.42

Total = $68.63

Now, I’ve highlighted the cocoa that’s included in there for a reason. This stuff is great. It’s also expensive. I used two packets of it last year so, now it’s back on special at Aldi, I thought I’d stock up. If I find any still in the store next time I do my shopping, then I might buy another packet. I consider it a worthwhile indulgence.

I had to stock up on cheese again because I’d used all of the mozzarella I had when I made the pizza lunch for my Thursday group. The tasty cheese was exhausted when I made the mac and cheese during the week.

The greengrocer sold me these things:

Fresh stuff

Fresh stuff.

  • zucchini                       $2.15
  • apples                           $1.60
  • prepacked carrots   $0.79
  • mandarins                   $1.13
  • bananas                       $1.71
  • bulb of fennel            $1.49

Total = $8.85

The fennel is my ‘fun’ thing this fortnight. I’ve not cooked with it a lot, but I want to try some more things with it. I saw it there, so I thought I’d go for it. I don’t actually have a plan for it right now, but give me a day or so.;-)

Anyway, that gives me a total spend of $77.48.

The remaining $22.52 I had intended to spend on beans at the Farmers’ Market down by the Lake Wendouree this morning, but I slept too late and had to get to the workshop. Sad face.

However, I have exhausted my supply of mason jars and really can’t justify a further purchase right now. I am very proud that I have now pressure-canned all my chicken stock and made a lot more space in my freezer, as well as making some mexican beans too.

My first ever canning!

My first ever canning!

Today bread was also made and dinner tonight will be fried rice made with the leftover roast beef from earlier in the week.

Tomorrow some baking will need to be done, but I’m too tired to think about it right now.

See you all soon.

ttfn