Just thinking about keepingFIVEteenagers fed and happy makes my blood run cold darlingmole, never mind having to do it. I know what you mean about the baking. Even if you love doing it as I do it can become a burden week after week and not particularly cheap nowadays. All I can say is keep up the great work.
kob,
Aug 3, 7:51pm
my eventive lunchbox filler this week i had a pakt of flakey pastry so i rolled into a big rectangle, then i cleaned the fridge out, i had a little amount of bbq sauce from a meatloaf & small tub of swet and sour from chinese the other night so i combined those and spread over the pastry, i had acouple of pieces of ham that i chopped and spread over and some grated hard as left outside the pkt cheese so sprinkle lightly over, rolled up like a pinwheel sliced thinly and glazed with beaten egg and baked on a oven tray, and guess what they were yummo lunchbox fridge cleanouts they are called try them they were great.
winnie15,
Aug 3, 8:21pm
itook a leaf out of kobs book and while tead was cooking last night i mixed up some muffins, made 2 lots so thats 24 muffins for the week! And if we get fed up with musffins then i'll feeze soem and bake some biscuits.
toadfish,
Aug 4, 2:13am
Talking of Muffins Winnie15 This made me laugh - about 3 weeks ago I brought a "reduced to clear" bag of braeburn apples for about $1.29 at Foodtown . the only fault I could see was they were on the small side, which I don't mind for lunchboxs. anyhoo the girls for whatever reason didn't like them much so only ate a few. so when they started to get a little old looking (about half the bag) I peeled and stewed them. Which gave them a whole new lease on life. and the girls ate some more. So this afternoon their was about 3/4 cup left of them and because they were braeburn the slices held their shape (ie were not mush) so I have chopped these into small pieces and made apple, sultana & cinnamon muffins. and guess what at last they are all gone and not a skerrick wasted!
winnie15,
Aug 4, 2:32am
well done toadfish! are they the same apple & cinnomn muffins out of alison holst muffin book!
winnie15,
Aug 4, 2:33am
toadfish do you work out of the home!or are u a full time mom!
toadfish,
Aug 4, 2:51am
They came from the Alisons "Meals without meat" book.I work part time at the moment (luckily for a very flexible company - have been with them 9 years) but will be looking for fulltime work in November. I was a SAHM till both the girls went to school then got a part time job. The girls are 15 & 16 now & I have been home when they leave for school and home when they return all the way through.which has been awesome but I have to admit the sacrafice for this has not been earning a "full" wage. hence the need to budget. to live as my girls would say a "Champagne life on a beer budget"
toadfish,
Aug 4, 2:54am
PS. The muffin is a standard fruit one and you can make it with anything you have on hand. Its the one I make most often.Just took 4 of them to a neighbour who is moving in today (i knew her) and another 2 to another neighbour I knew needed a boost. so have 6 left for the girls afternoon tea and lunch tommorrow.
winnie15,
Aug 4, 5:41am
good one toadfish so nothing was wasted . that feels good aye
winnie231,
Aug 4, 9:36am
bumping for cheap meal ideas .
winnie15,
Aug 5, 6:36pm
off to thames today so will do some bulk buying where it's cheaper. Going to get a heap of self raising flour and milk powder, i have a lovely scone recipe that i mix up and use a couple of times a week whether it's for savoury scones with soup or a meal, or plain scones for snacks and school lunches, date scones for an exrta sweet snack.
toadfish,
Aug 5, 7:51pm
Hi Winnie Saw your other thread re "Anxiety" hope thats going well.My Miss 16 can tend towards that. Shes an "A" student but worries constantly about not doing well enough. Lots of love and support and most importantly lots of talking.is what I am doing. We have parent teacher interviews in a couple of weeks so i am taking her so she can hear for herself how well she is doing.
winnie15,
Aug 6, 7:40pm
thats a great idea toadfish! .
toadfish,
Aug 7, 2:25am
Not sure if this has been mentioned DM but Corn Fritters. for 9 people. 2-3 tins of corn kernals. 2-3 cups of flour, 2-3 eggs, 2-3 teaspoons Baking Powder. (I say 2-3 as I'm not sure how bigger eaters your 9 are. 1 can would not be quite be enough for our family ie. 4 adult eaters, as a main dish) Served with coleslaw.
pixiegirl,
Aug 9, 12:57am
dont know if this has been mentioned before but there is a shop on the road that goes from Henderson to Swanson way (cant think of the name of it) and there is a little shop there that sells chickens etc.When I went past the other day they had a sign 10 for $49.95 - that was whole chickens (frozen).Obviously they will be smaller ones most likely but if you can get a meal out of one of them and have the freezer space you have 10 or maybe more meals.If you dont have the freezer space maybe go halves with someone else.Also while you are over here check out the fruit and vege shops on Hobsonville Rd, some special are at the moment leeks 69c, brocolli 99c.There are several that compete between each other so prices are always good.I now buy my milk from the F & V shop as they have 2 for $5 - we get one light blue and one dark blue.For apples I think the cheapest places I have found are the fruit shops heading north out of Kumeu - I think they grow and sell and always have bags of horse apples as well if you have animals etc.
pixiegirl,
Aug 9, 1:03am
Also I have found saturday and sunday afternoon lately Coun tdown westgate seem to have their meat reduced down in price.It is always the time I go in there and never have any extra money to get some but I always lurk up and down the ailse just looking and dreaming. Butcher Jack at the corner of glenfield rd had and I think still has a side of land for $39.99.It is a frozen side and was in bigger pieces, roasts etc - minimal chops etc.We had leg the other night and it was really good.I will roast the should and the other bit that looked like a rack of lamb and will casserole or stew the balance.It was so much cheaper than buying just a leg of lamb.
raewyn64,
Aug 16, 6:41am
bacon & egg pie I found the other day I had a few bacon hocks in my freezer. Thanks to tips from everyone here I have just made a yummy bacon and egg pie with one of them. I cooked it in the crockpot yesterday (the hock) so have bacon stock now until the meat fell off the bone. Then used it in the pie today. So sometimes bacon hocks can be on special and cheaper than a pack of bacon - and also I could chunk the bacon pieces instead of using rashers.
roys351,
Aug 16, 8:01am
make roast meals go further by making stuffing and yorkshire pud and cooking inpie dishes, great filler upper.(yes i know its full of carbs) but make it from stratch like our parents did. Is it my imagination but was there less cancer,adhd etc back in our parents day. To me that means home cooked!
dezzie,
Aug 16, 8:55am
if you have a local bacon place you can buy "ends" they are usually super smoky as well so you don't use as much, in whatever you are making, a kilo lasts about two weeks here, and is 8.99, we use it in scrambled eggs (cook up some bacon bits first) pasta cabonara, bacon and egg pie (homemade pastry) and use the leftover bits of pastry to put in patty tins and make like mini quiche pies, with bacon bits whatever left over vege are in the fridge and topped up with beaten egg with a tiny bit of grated cheese on top.
winnie15,
Aug 20, 8:43am
bump don't want to loose this thread.
darlingmole,
Aug 22, 3:08am
it's me, Darlingmole, I'm back well everyone I've found that although it's a challenge it CAN be done.However I am sick of baking and bulking up these days!But we have eaten healthily due to being wise with food/money and haven't gone hungry.It kind of reminds me of when my great-grandmother lived with us after Dad died . times were tough, but never insurmountable.I am grateful to everyone on here who's contributed info and advice :-)I shop up in Kumeu/Hobsonville and know of lots of "haunts" in auckers these days, so a HUGE thank you to everyone for lots of 'heads up' !
winnie15,
Aug 24, 6:10am
well done on your challenge it would have taken up a lot of your time but good to hear it can be done!
sherrydog,
Aug 27, 8:37am
Check when your supermarket 'lowers' its prices for meat.Often late on Sat they will 'special' meat and it is a good time to buy and put in freeze for later use.Buy good quality mince - not as much fat - and 'stretch' with added rice/pasta and veges.Tinned tuna makes a lovely curry and sausages can be either grilled or casseroled with onions and a cut up apple.Good luck - hope you get some good ideas.
chonnni,
Sep 2, 3:20am
I was cheeky and went to my local supervalue supermarket, and they had no size 16 chcilkens left for $6.99 so I asked when they would have them in as special had only just started that day and they said not till tomorrow, they know I go there twice a week to look at specials so I said can I pay for it now and you hold one and ring me when they are in, the shop owner said look I have one size 20 in the freezer that has been there since tuesday last week but frozen the whole time you can have that for $6.99, man I was stoked, and nthing wrong with it at all. Someone also said to ask for rainchecks on things that are in special but out of stock, so at countdown a few weeks ago tararua butter 500g was $2.29 so I asked for a rain check she said how many do you want to buy, I only asked for 2 but going to last me for so long.
angel732,
Sep 2, 5:43am
SUBWAY was in subway Rangiora 2day at lunchtime when one of the staff took a trip to the 'skip'. I was totally shocked to see her dumping a huge plastic bag full of bread rolls. probably 50 or so. what the hell is wrong with taking them to the local school! why be soooo wasteful! HANG OUT AT SUBWAY ROUND LUNCHTIME I RECKON.
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