Angel it's like this (unfortunately) I use to be a waitress, loved the job but hated the waste of food in the restaurant so asked the owners why the heck they threw the good food out!!SIMPLE.From a legal point if they gave their food to City Mission or similar or anyone and should that person or people get any kind of sickness/food poisoning! The restaurant would be liable and get fined. SUCKS but there you go.For doing a good deed they could get their restaurant closed down.
valentino,
Sep 28, 2:06am
z. .
gibbous1,
Sep 29, 2:00pm
Cheap meals A regular meal we do is soup with pancakes or crepes (usually do crepes as better on the amount of protein). Our local butcher does three meaty chicken carcasses for $1!
Falafels also work out very cheap and make for a filling nutritious meal.
Make one meal a week based on eggs - works out well when you're buying by the tray.
darlingmole,
Sep 29, 7:59pm
As it's not only shopping day but SCHOOL HOLIDAYS again (!) I've decided to really cut costs and have these kind of meals over the fortnight: baked beans w toast; pasta w fresh sauce, may be a little tuna & vege with it; toasted sandwiches; vegetable soup n rolls; eggs any-style on toast; vegetarian bake with salad . yes, basically meat free for a while.Also I'm not going to do ANY baking of the sweet variety and just give everyone fruit.Will post later and tell you if I saved any $ (as I find in the holidays that the cupboards/fridge are raided when I'm out the room and don't save much at all - just changed their diet for a while)
toadfish,
Sep 29, 9:02pm
Make the school holidays fun. Last holidays I took a couple of little girls (7&8) with my big girls to see a show in the Bruce Mason Theatre (we had been given tickets - very lucky) We parked a little way away and walked (to avoid paying for parking)then after I had to think "what for lunch".It was a beautiful day so I took a loaf of soft bread, tomatoe sauce and a bottle of drink from home, brought $5 of hot chips and that fed the 5 of us.We parked up by a playground at some beach on the way to devonport and the children had chip butties and played on the playground for hours. Not the most nutritious meal but for the twice a year we do it. ok by me! The whole day cost us under $10!
toadfish,
Sep 29, 9:02pm
blah blah blah The really funny thing is the children come from a well to do. high earning family, they do heaps of things that cost the earth. and they both said it was the best day they ever had. Lots of laughs. & I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 younger girls. was like going backin time. Maybe you could do that for a treat DM with the money you save from your meatless meals.(minus the show of course that was a bonus. they enjoyed the playground and butties just as much!)
darlingmole,
Oct 3, 3:56am
oh toady - what a lovely idea . I use to do exactly that with my first 4 kids - and it went down a treat . hot chips at Long Bay (summer or winter, it never mattered) with bread/salt/sauce & a BIG bottle of water.Have come to the decision that toddlers/lil kids are WAY easier than teenagers to satisfy.My teenagers have only got me running around after them all week to their social agendas (the food hasn't really mattered) so I've only really had to entertain/feed my two little ones.I know that the money part isn't the issue until they're older and realise about the "Joneses" ~! ha!Sounds like you had a good day anyway .
helen59,
Oct 3, 7:19am
me. I took 4 kids to the movies yesterday. For snacks we had a bag of home made popcorn each and a piece home made brownie. Everyone was happy and it hardly cost anything. I went to Moore Wilsons (Wgtn) a while ago and bought a pile of paper bags. It was an extravagant expense but brilliant. It turns out homemade things taste better from a paper bag. They are also used when we have 'homeaways' on a Fridy night.
tumbleweeds2011,
Oct 4, 4:47pm
I have my little grandaughter once a week and we used to go have lunch somewhere nice but its just too dear for the budget over the last few weeks, she's only 3 so I can do this easily - its lunch at home and then we go to MCDonalds for a 50 c icecream and play in the playground thing, we can be there for well over an hour on 50 c. We live close and park at the supermarket next door.
evorotorua,
Oct 4, 5:38pm
thank you thank you thank you for recognising the absolute thrill of a cheap day out. When my two were little my friends and I had a fixed date at the local pool at 9am on a Friday. In Rotorua the pool is free for under fives (not sure if it still is. that was 10yrs ago)We all brought something to eat and drink and stayed a the pool till almost lunch time. Supervisors were also free so entry didn't cost us parents anything. The pool is shallow enough that safety was not an issue. As the kids got older they just moved to the appropriate end of the pool. By the end of the morning it was sleep time for the littles and a video for the older ones until time to pick 'big' kids up from school. No money involved. Lots of fun.
evorotorua,
Oct 4, 5:40pm
when the kids were older in the summer we had friends that we would go to the lake with when it had been a hot day. We went down about 4pm and took a little bbq cooker. The rule was only bread, sauce and sausages allowed for eating. No salads, no other stuff. Just cheap and nasty. Was a pleasant way to spend the evening and very cost effective. No competition to 'keep up with the Joneses'. (we maintained our nutritional diet on other days!)
psychicxpress,
Oct 11, 1:36am
I've taken on two grandies full time (7 and 8) and they are exceptionally sensitive to food colourings, additives and preservatives. Because of this, I've had to go back to the days when everything was made from scratch. This thread is an absolute godsend of ideas and tips. Thank you so much
darlingmole,
Oct 20, 2:09am
Self crusting quiche ~
3 or 4 eggs, 1 C milk 1/2 C flour 1 t baking powder (thought I never bother)
then whatever you want in the quiche . I use the following .
chopped onion/tomato/silverbeet and a little bit of bacon sprinkle with cheese, pepper/salt and the above well beaten mixture. Pour into a greased pie dish and bake @ 180 deg C for 40 mins.
Hpe this helps you out bettyboop - I make this all the time because it's so quick and easy (and cheap! and yummy)
gaspodetwd,
Oct 21, 3:51am
Rice - for those still not into rice in a big way - grab a cheap rice cooker ( pays for itself with great rice - mine cost me $15) and make extra rice than you need . Chill quickly and then use the next day with leftover meat and an egg or two - and make a stir fried rice. It is our favourite meal - it is dirt cheap - and quick to do - and you would swear it was loaded with MSG. The trick is to used a couple of cloves or garlic (fresh) and an inch of ginger. Throw in some frozen mixed veges and maybe some bok choy if you have some (or cashews or anything - as you don't need much) and there you go. Very cheap. Very tasty. Feels like take out. Don't skimp on the oil.
sapphirez,
Oct 25, 8:37am
I finally bought a raised vege garden today after wanting one for ages, it is 2.4 x 1.2 x .45 high. So far i have put in 14 bags of compost and 14 bags of vege mix which hasn't quite filled it. I need to go and buy more first thing in the morning. Any tips for planting veges would be greatly appreciated what to plant next to each other in it etc.
darlingmole,
Dec 8, 10:29pm
Just want to say a BIG HUGE thank you to all my recipe board "Angels" out there for all your amazing help this year with inspriation, comraderie and friendly hints.I was feeling stressed and alone until this msg board gave me the most wonderful feeling of hope - that not only wasn't I the only person in this boat but there were in fact many inventive ways to paddle to shore! Now with Christmas nearly upon us I also want to wish you and yours for a safe and loving Christmas.Thank you all heaps ~! x
darlingmole,
Dec 8, 10:31pm
I'd plant leeks in Dec/Jan so you get a good harvest in March, always plant silverbeet, throw in some parsely and courgettes/marrows grow really well aswell.Good luck with your garden
doug57,
Dec 9, 12:24am
darlingmole.did you see a thread I posted a week or so ago about the Kiwi Icecream shop in Archers Road, Glenfield! They have 2L tubs of icecream for $2 and large frozen cheesecakes [peach scnapps, lemon and lime] for $17.plus a heap of other things. [thought if you're over in this neck of the woods.with a chilli-bin in car of course, you ay want to swing by and check it out!] LOL
darlingmole,
Dec 9, 6:57am
Thanks for the doug ~ can always make a trip over to the shore (doesn't take that long really . ish!! with toddlers I mean)Could you tell me the name of the shop! I kinda know where archers road is but will need the name ,,,,,
darlingmole,
Dec 9, 7:00am
actually no it's amazing how far a chicken can go ~ !I use to feed 9 of us (8 now as one has left home) for three days (day 1 = roast, day 2 = pie or pasta or curry and always bumped up with lots of vege, day 3= soup).Believe me it can be done but agree it has to be the largest of chooks like a size 22
evorotorua,
Dec 9, 8:16am
I find that with a chicken, it is best to roast it and then serve up each person's portin and put the rest away so it doesn't get picked at!. then it is easy to make the three meals out of it. There were three of us and I made two size 18 chickens last a week. Was yummy and they still love chicken more than any other meat! You do need to have plenty of vege with it to help it stretch. Roast potatoes are great because with some gravy the two kind of blend together really.
Will bump up the vegetarian thread, really cheap recipes there.On page 5 I think it is, there is a recipe for oat sausages which are probably around $1 for 6 sausages or patties.They are tasty and everyone likes them.
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