Feb 11 2010

This week I planned to only spend $80, since I wanted to keep $20 back to buy more fruit in the weekend, and some organic meat if my friend was visiting the organic butcher.

I came home with 20c to spare, and this selection of groceries...

Large head of brocolli
Large Lettuce
2 avocados
2kg carrots
1kg courgettes
4 onions
1 bulb of garlic
large Telegraph cucumber
2kg pears
2kg red gala (new season) apples
1kg Nectarines
1kg Apricots
1kg Plums
5 bananas
10 mushrooms
2 loaves of bread
12 free range eggs
2L organic milk
Udon Noodles
Coconut Cream
Earth Care toilet paper
toothpaste
potato chips
3 tins spaghetti
1 tin sweetcorn
Jar of mayonnaise
250g choc chips
500ml olive oil
macaroni elbows

I spent the extra $20 going to the movies when I got an unexpected break from the children. I probably shouldn't have, but since it is a rare event and I don't know when the next one might come- I'm glad I did :0)

January 14th 2009

A lot has changed since the last time i wrote on here...the primary difference is that I left my husband in September. The three children and I are now living in Auckland again, on the Domestic Purposes Benefit.

I am very grateful for this benefit, though it is not easy making ends meet when your rent is more than half what you are paid. Additionally, I needed to borrow money to get in to this place (and to pay for beds, and seats etc). Luckily I was able to ask my brother for help, so I am not paying back any interest.

Our current grocery budget is $100 a week. It's not really enough to eat healthily, lose weight, be mindful of the children's food intolerances, and be eco-friendly as well...but it is enough.

This is what we managed to get this week for $94. I used some extra grocery money to buy more rechargeable batteries on sale. It also costs us $7.20 on the bus (return) to get to the cheapest supermarket. This also means 10 minute walk there and back (with the groceries). With 10-ride passes, the amount for me to take 3 children to the shop and back is $6.50 (children under 5 ride free).


From the Fruit Shop...
3kg Potatoes
800g Peaches
1kg Plums
1kg Pears
1kg sunrise and granny smith apples
2 large iceberg lettuces
2 ears of corn
1 large telegraph cucumber
1.5kg Bananas (everything else is from NZ, which is important to me)
1kg Carrots
1kg Courgettes
3 avocados
1 garlic
and because we rushed out without breakfast...
1 tangelo, 1 apricot, a apple and 1 pear

From Countdown (supermarket)
500g Premium Beef Mince
420g Corn-fed Free range chicken breasts
400g Sausage meat
400g Flaky Pastry
Loaf of Home Brand white bread (they don't make multi-grain)
1 60L rubbish bag (it costs $1.70 for a rubbish bag where we live- I try to use one a fortnight)
500g Soap Powder (I prefer to buy the eco-sore or down-to-earth one, but there isn't enough this week)
400g Raisins
Healtheries Rice Cakes (all the kids love these)
3 Raro sachet cordial...I never buy these, but just for a summer treat, and I plan to make ice blocks for the kids
1 tin crushed tomatoes
1 tin coconut cream
500g brown sugar
250g Dilmah Leaf Tea
1L organic milk
1kg Colby Cheese
500g Butter
500g Popcorn
2 Milky Bar for treats while we wait for the bus

We didn't need to buy eggs this week, because we are looking after a friend's chickens. We have tomatoes and beans in our garden. I will probably go out in the weekend and buy more fruit.

Breakfasts are porridge, toast, cornflakes, weetbix, or eggs. Lunches are sandwiches, leftovers and salads. Snacks are fruit, popcorn, rice cakes, cheese, home baking. Loose Menu Plan for dinners this week...

Thursday Jalousie- giant sausage roll...I probably won't eat it, so hopefully there will be enough to freeze for another dinner, or lunch for the kids
Friday Chicken Laksa (1/3 chicken- noodles, stock, coconut cream, spices, courgettes, carrots and beans)
Saturday Spaghetti and Meatballs (half the mince)
Sunday Homemade Hawaiian Pizza, (ham leftover from Christmas) and chips
Monday Chilli con carne with homemade tortillas
Tuesday Satay Chicken and rice
Wednesday Macaroni Cheese

My Last Hurrah...

For a while :0)

Apologies to those who read my other blog- this is nearly the same :0)

Ben is about to pack up the computers ready for the big move tomorrow morning.

There still seems plenty to do before then...and after then with all the cleaning...but I (we) have done masses.

Our eatng has been all over the place this week. So much chocolate, we should buy shares in Cadbury. But we're getting the work done, dh that's the main thing. I know what I want to be doing health-wise, and I am considering this a temporary measure.

I made sourdough pizza that didn't taste disgusting...actually, it was surprisingly good! I've made sour dough fruit loaf 3 times, and Princess loves it.

I amde creme fraiche, and while I thought it was bit odd (having never tasted it before, so nothing to compare) my friend who had tasted it before enjoyed it and said it was good.

My yoghurt has been going great, not this week, since I decided we don't need it. Princess has taken to eating yoghurt mixed with strawberry conserve on muesli. I guess the muesli should be soaked, but we're taking smallish steps. I'll be reading plenty when we're gone.

I can't wait to get really stuck in again. We've had no fridge since Tuesday...that's been interesting. With no real plan for what to do isntead of refrigerate, I've floundered a little- but it's worked alright...

I wish this could be a loverly long post about all the cool things we've been up to...actually not that many cool things, but we have spent some time with friends, and lots have been happening while the kiddos grow and learn at home.

I can't even add photos for some bizarre reason. I have a neat one of Tombliboo stacking cans of drink...I know, what happened to minimising sugar?

Well, when I have a big job (and what could be bigger than moving out our lives from the last 3 years?) I need Coke. I don't apologise for it, or even wish it wasn't so- it just is, and that's life. I need chocolate too. It would be nice to sit down for a meal some time soon.

So Tombliboo got busy stacking them- he managed to build a tower of 8 coke cans before I got the camera. It was quite impressive. I really didn't think he would get past 5. Then he stacked them according to colour (Sprite and Coke), and then alternating colours. The side-by-side towers...then a big long row. He had so much fun with those cans, it was crazy!

I've got a really cute one of Princess, who has lost both her top front teeth...she looks adorable, and hilarious all at the same time. I've got several of her with some items she won in a mega prize pack on Sticky TV.

It was super mega...she got a Dora packpack, towel, duvet set and dvd, a Diego backpack, towel, duvet set and dvd, Twister, Guess Who, an mp3 player (which is her current fave), pink Lego, a Narnia book, a Charlie and Lola activity book, some Slime, some more slime that glows, a Wall-E soft toy, a BalaNZe Board (which is super-cool btw), and an Avalanche snow-maker.

There's a fair bit of it that isn;t interestign to her, which we will eb able to sell when we get settled, and get her somethign she does want. But it was a massive buzz!

J-Man has been busy making a video clip for his best friend. It makes me cry. I'm not much or a cry-er, but I blubber like a baby when I see how much he adores J12.

So, it's all go. Ben will be at het truck place at 9am, back here as quickly as possible. Grandma and Poppy will eb here too with a van, and maybe a trailer...and then we will load everything up. I've got a box or two to pack tonight before I sleep, but mostly it's all done. Phew!

I more or less emptied the garage today- was very ruthless. Put it all out the front, and before I had even done so there were people to take it all away.

We only have one shelf left inside, and possible a couch...some shelving in the garage which we'll offer to the neighbour's if N doesn't want them...and that's about it.

Oh, there are plenty of dirty tools and so on outside, which will need to be arranged on to the truck somehow. But mostly, it's all under control.

Once the truck is gone, I will clean for a bit, but I think I'll need to take off right away to take the kiddos to a show we have tickets for. It will be a nice break from the monotony of constantly cleaning/packing/tidying/throwing away.

I think I might go to sleep actually.

The truck needs to be back in Auckland by 10:30am Sunday, so Ben will decide if he wants to do a round-trip in a day, or leave early Sunday morning. There'll be a bed for him in Keirkeri (unlike here, lol).

Actually, we have had offers of beds, but I think a night on the floor might be fun.

Then, Sunday morning will be devoted to cleaning as much as possible in as short a time as possible, so we can possibly enjoy some time together before we split.

Ben will be staying with Nana, and the kiddos and I will be heading for the bach.

It's as neat place, right on the beach...it's kinda basic, and yet not at all! There's a toilet now!

Mostly, by "basic" I think I mean there's no phone. Cellphone coverage is pretty dicey. We get texts though, so it isn't as bad as it once was (you used to have to drive for a few minutes to stand at some rocks and dial out).

The kids can't wait...they are sooo excited! Not Tombliboo, I don't think he knows what is going on- he keeps telling me about what is missing and saying, "I want to go home", when we're already here.

I'm looking forward to really being with them. J-Man asked where Twilight is. He read 60 pages on the first day we got it but none since. We will eb rading a lto more books, andthat is ezxciting. I shoudl ahve organised hwo we get library access today, but I didn;t...we'll ahveto wing it.

Or get books out hedre and drive a bit further to return them (an hour). Not sure yet...but I am lookign forward to lots of snuggly book-reading.

I have a picture in my head not really based in reality, of us all snuggling up lsitneing to a wodnerful story (read by me wihtotu lsoign my voice, or fallign asleep).

Normalyl Tombliboo steals the book adn hides it, adn the same with it'sreplacement...maybe it will be differnt in a different place.

I'm also imagining that maybe the kids will pile in to my bed (those that aren't already in there, lol) for stories in the morning ,since I won;t be up checking my e-mails (because I can't).

I hope some of that comes true.

I hope I can learn to be a "lazy", not completely, just enough to relax...really relax.

As I type, Tombliboo has gone to sleep early (9pm), and J-Man and Princess are having fits of giggles playing a bizarre chasing game which has something to do with the green slime from her prize pack. Ben is packing up the her computer, and I need to get pack to all my millions of jobs.

Hopefully this lets everyone know what we will be up to.

I hope to add snippets whenever I am able...which really might not be very often...so it's adieu from me for a little while.

You'll be hearing a lot from me when we are settled in our new house, in a new town.

If anyone would like to visit, please do :0)

Update

We're chugging along, getting rid of stuff and packing the rest away.

I finally got the lounge clear yesterday- I haven't been doing as much "usual" tidying, just moving-related stuff, so it was a tip.

I made fruit loaf with sourdough, and Princess loved it- said it was "the same as the one at the shop!"

I made it in a similar way to the hot cross buns- I never write things down, just add a bit of this and that.

Basically the usual sourdough, and at the kneading stage- added sultanas, xylitol, nut meg, mixed spice, cinnamon and a bit of salt.

I just made it again this morning (we were nearly out!) and added some melted butter as well, and forgot the salt, so we'll see how that one turns out.

We ate butter chicken for tea last night- a favourite with everyone. When I wasn't eating meat, I made butter chickpea instead- noone else liked it, but I thought it was pretty good!

Butter Chicken (or chickpea)

Saute some chopped onions and little snippets of carrot in butter, when they're nearly done add some cinnamon.

Take out half of that mixture and put it in with the rice to cook.

Add more butter, and cook the chicken (or skip that step if you're using leftover chicken).

Add two tins of Indian tomatoes (or ordinary tomatoes, with garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric- anything really to get it indian flavoured), and let it simmer.

Add 2T (or so) ground almonds, and coriander (preferably fresh, but whatever) and cumin seeds (if desired).

Simmer until the tomato juices reduce. Before serving, add sour cream or creme fraiche or just plain cream.

I got creme fraiche, because I want to try to make my own after or next trip to the farm.

Phew...

I packed over 60 boxes last week, which is why you haven;t heard from me :0)

Still, it doesn't look like anything has been done- the place is a pigsty.

Plenty more to do.

But, and I'm really proud of this "but"...I haven't just thought "oh well, we'll eat whatever".

Yes, there were easter eggs, and yes, we even bought a loaf of bread on Saturday (mostly for the sake of our poor cousin M11 who probably didn't know what him him when he saw what we now eat!), but mostly, mostly- the diet has remained the same.

My sourdough started to go al l funny, and I suspect this is because our house is like a fridge (no, I'm no exaggerating!). It;s sorted now though, and as the photo above will show...

It actually rose for the first time ever!

It was sooooo lovely and bubbly, I couldn't believe the difference. It's like "ahhh- so that's what "bubbly" means!"

Previously I'd only had the odd bubble here and there. And this coincides with what I read, that sourdough gets better and better- this will be my 4th loaf of bread I think.

Princess has requested fruit toast, and I think after the success of the hot cross buns- I just might be able to pull that off!

It's payday today- but we haven't been paid...silly boss not sorting stuff out for Easter (again!), but it doesn't matter in the slightest. I have a chicken casserole (leftover) in the freezer, a tray of chicken breasts, some steak which I will throw in to the slow-cooker.

Got heaps of apples, carrots, enough lettuce, plenty of spuds...a half loaf of sourdough ready to eat, another whole one in the oven now, a bag of mini sourdough rolls in the freezer. It wouldn't matter if we weren't paid for three more days, except that the rent is due today.

The only thing we are out of is raw milk and cream- we didn't go to the farm this weekend. I made a bavarian cream (gourmet dessert) but the cream was smelling a bit iffy- and it wasn't good. It was OK, but not good.

Rather than adding a whole 'nother post- I wanted to say what this is like so far...

Princess, aged 6 and a half has amazed me...she has perfectly adjusted to a new diet. She sees all sorts of possibilities, rather than noticing all she can;t have. (And we don't really use the word "can't), I don;t want her being denied anything she is hankering after).

She loves the bread, loves eating more meat, isn't asking for anything "bad"...is basically very happy.

She is lactose intolerant, and her speech is a bit muddly atm, and her nose permanently blocked- but, it was like that before we switched to raw milk, so I can't be sure if she reacts to that as well, or not.

Tombliboo just fits in- his main food is breastmilk, so he's cool :0)

J-Man (10) is not at all happy...he is bemoaning the lack of "real" bread, and "real" milk, and "real" ice cream and all sorts of other bits and bods. He has spent over $30 (of his own money) on McDonald's and rubbish food in the last few days. He wakes up wanting chips, which is the only snack food he knows we have in the house. It's hard work. Hard to know what to do.

DH didn't know what to do with himself last wek about lunch..his lunch in the weekends has always been sandwiches. But he seesm to be coping just fine. He just wants to be full...he would like more icecream, and I will work on that- but it's not cheap when you make it yourself with *real* ingredients.

Me...well, I love it. I felt like Coke in a major way yesterday- and had dh bring some home. I haven't had it in the house for weeks...but it's the thing I have (and chocolate) when I am hard-out on a mission (packing the house). I found it really sweet, still love it though...alas.

I love being able to make bread with no yeast- in fact only flour and water! I love eating (small amounts) of icecream with nothing nasty in it.

I even like the raw milk in my tea- which I never did before.

Now for the gross bit...for the first time in I can't remember how long, I had my monthly without bleeding right through my clothes. It was light. Possibly normal even. Like it was when I was dairy and wheat free when Tombliboo was a baby- but i wasn't dairy or wheat free this month...hooray!

Hot Cross Buns!

I made hot cross buns from the sourdough! They were good!

It was on a bit of a whim really, though I had thought of it earlier in the week. I suddenly realised if we wanted to eat them on Good Friday morning (as we usually would), I would need to get them started on Thursday night.

With all the busy-ness around here my sourdough has not been fed properly, and it was all turning to rubbish...there were no bubbles, and only a slight sour smell. I didn't have any hopes of the buns rising, but hoped it wouldn't matter.

It really didn't...sourdough, Karen assured me, and I am discovering for myself is very flexible :0)

We had our first date since my 30th birthday last night, so it was a rush to get them organised....but i did it.

This is what I did...At the final stage, I added flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg, a pinch of salt, a little xylitol (sugar replacement) and some cocoa. Kneaded as usualy, then made little buns out of them. Left them in the oven overnight.

This morning, I added crosses, baked them for 30 minutes, then glazed them.

They're not overly pretty, but they tasted great.

J-Man wouldn't try one, Tombliboo said, I 'fraid I don't like dis" (but he has never been in to bread of any sort), but Princess, dh and I loved them!

Sorry I'm late...

I know my three readers must be wondering where I disappeared to- it's frantic here.

Looks like we'll be moving sooner than we thought, much sooner...and with the added stress of not having an income in 4 weeks, there just seems no time for the puter (naturally).

Then I've been out all day today with the tinies, having lots of fun...I'll try to write in the next day or two.

Meanwhile, the sourdough is dead easy...basically it's this.

Get some filtered water...if nothing else (and this is all I did) make it un-chlorinated by leaving water in a glass jar or jug uncovered in the fridge.

Mix equal quantities of (preferably) wholemeal flour and filtered water in a glass jar.

leave for a day or two...the website I saw said two days, mine was ready in one (however, it's suddenly got much colder). Leave the lid loosely on, or (as I have done) a large-mouthed jar with a towel over it.

The bacteria necessary to "catch" a sourdough starter is already in the bread- it doesn't need to be open to the air.

When it starts to smell sour, and this is a judgment call really- I wasn't sure initially...out 1/2C flour and 1/2C water in the jar and mix.

When that gets bubbly, or sour-smelling and rising, add another cup and leave that a few hours to get really bubbly.

If it doesn't bubble you get a hopeless loaf, which is pretty good for mousetraps- but not right, lol.

Once that's ready, add more flour to knead it, then leave it *again*, this time in a loaf tin, oiled and lightly floured. Bake for 35-45 minutes in a moderate oven.

Sunday, Day 6, Week 3

Breakfast: Omelette (for the boys and I), weetbix for Princess
Lunch: Cruskits with chilli sauce or marmite and cheese; hot chips from the shop,
fruit
Dinner: Domino's Pizza...bought 4 pizzas so we can put 2 in the freezer and not pay
the surcharge on Easter Sunday (next week), and homemade boysenberry ice
cream (yum!)
Snacks: Homemade sourdough and jam, popcorn, cruskits, apples, pears

What did I do today?

Baked Sourdough...Check.
Made Boysenberry ice cream...Check.
Made yoghurt...Check (won't be ready until 6pm tomorrow)
Got flour ready to make muffins tomorrow...Check.
Got porridge ready for hte morning...Check.
Made sugar-free tomato sauce...Check.
Made Chicken Casserole for dinner tomorrow...Check.
In the kitchen basically all day...Check.

But at least I'm organised :0)

It worked!

Oh my goodness...the sourdough worked!

It tasted yummy... I had been warned the kiddos might not enjoy it for some time- but Princess liked it right away (with butter and strawberry jam,sweetened with concentrated fruit juice).

I am like the sourdough queen...going to pinch the title of Karen before I know it.

I've got one half-eaten delicious loaf there, and another one ready to bake in the morning, and my starter just needs to get bubbly and then I can get that ready tomorrow as well.

I can;t quite believe how easy it is...I was sure mine wouldn't work first time, but it did!

So I don't need to buy yeast any more...how cool is that? (Actually, nearly every jar of yeast I've ever bought, I've needed to tip out before I finished it all).

J-Man hasn't tried it yet, dh enjoyed it- though is still bewildered by all the changes around here.

It's all happening here...

See my kitchen bench, lol...

It has sour dough waiting to rise...2 dessertspoons of last week's yoghurt, waiting for the milk to get warm so I can make some more...another lot of sourdough just at stage 2 (added 1/2C of water and flour)...3C wholemeal flour mixed with 2C of homemade yoghurt, soaking for 12 hours so I can make blueberry muffins tomorrow...

And then there is what you can't see...I have another boiler chicken in the crockpot with onion, garlic, kumara, carrot, celery, bay leaves, lemon and salt & pepper.

I also have homemade custard (well, egg yolks, raw milk, raw cream and xylitol) and sieved and reduced boysenberries getting ready to make ice cream.

There's a loaf of sourdough bread waiting for it's final rise...not sure if it will rise though- I only just realised I haven't been using the non-chlorine water after the first addition...DOH!

We've had omelette for breakfast, and Princess is still getting to her weetbix (11:30am) because she is busy making Easter cards for all of us. Tombliboo is enjoying a Curious George movie, stopping every few minutes for more milk, or to check what I'm up to.

dh has taken J-Man off to the Games Workshop with his friend J12 to paint LOTR figures. It helps that it's daylight savings today (we got an extra hour), and also that I have been up since 6am, but still I'm tickled with how much I'm getting done :0)

Oh, I've even drawn up a shopping list for Tuesday and done some tidying, checked e-mails, played my little game, and all sorts...but I am tired!

Saturday, day 4 week 3

Breakfast: Porridge with honey (and cream), and xylitol for the littlies...dh put half
as much honey on twice as much porridge as I did and declared it delicious.
Mine, otoh and rather obviously probably, was disgustingly sweet and tasted
only of honey.
Btw, our honey is from a friends' bees...it has all the good bits still in,
including propolis which has almost magical healing properties. I hope to
find ways to get that in to the kids to avoid winter coughs and colds.

Lunch: At a birthday party...there was masses of barbecued meat which the kids
(especially Princesss) thoroughly enjoyed. They also ate cucumber,
lettuce (J-Man), carrots and cherry tomatoes. Without any discussion on
the matter they avoided white bread rolls, which surprised me somewhat.
It got a bit worse with birthday cake to follow, and jelly, but they ate
very little since they were having too much fun on a bouncy castle.

Then it got really bad with a party bag overloaded with mini chocolates
and biscuits etc. It would have been a lot to share between 3 kids, but
they got one each!

I felt a bit gutted that we have tried hard to avoid treats this week, and
it's a bit undone...but then I got real, and remembered they have eaten
rubbish for years and one more day won't be any worse..except it's not a
day's worth of treats (more like a month's, lol).

The dentist I used to work for said it is preferable to eat loads of
lollies at once than a little over a long period...so I tried to encourage
them to eat as many as they liked...and also offered to buy the sweets off
them for 50c each. Josh took 50C and Princess took $3...her's are nearly
gone now- hooray :0)

Dinner: Nachoes
Snacks: lollies all over the place

In other news, my first attempt at catching a sourdough starter is going great! If I have done it right (and I think I have) it is dead easy...

I've taken off the first lot, and added flour to it, kneaded it and rolled little mounds into mini pizzas. I've cooked them in an electric fry pan, and don't have nay idea what they taste like, but hope it will be something snackified for having with jam or honey.

I added more flour and water to the starter, and am waiting for it to increase in size by 50% and get all bubbly...then the next time it does the same, we'll be ready to make our first loaf of bread :0)

More tWeAKinG...

This week I've discovered, well it's not entirely new to me, but this week I know for sure, my children prefer plain. That is, they like meat, spuds and three vege (well, not J-Man)...but generally speaking, if the meat is plain it will be eaten, if it's not- it won't be...or it won't be eaten by the children.

So the next plan is to buy more meat. The meat I buy is such a small amount fora family of 5 that I make it go further by adding sauces and so on- I think I'll try just buying more meat, also in the hope that there will be leftover met for lunch the next day- particularly for Princess who seems to need it.

Or at least, it is something she loves to eat, and won't hurt her teeth...so best to have it in larger amounts. I'm a bit conflicted about that, and not sure how long the *next* new regime will last, but there it is...

Next thing...dh came home last night with the news that his job will not exist in around 5 weeks. My first thought was that it wasn't so bad since we plan to move soon anyway...but realistically we are not ready to go even a week wihtout a job. The savings we do have are for a small, cheap car, and the holiday pay he will be owed was air-marked for our movers (we are moving 3.5 hrs away).

Obviously all the money-saving ideas in the world won't come up with rent for us or enough to buy groceries, so we need a job...asap.

dh never as much trouble getting a job, but getting one for 5-9 weeks is something different. He will look at possibly getting a contract. I could work at the local shops, but again- who would hire someone just for a few weeks (when it's not Christmas, lol)?

I am welcome back at my old job any time, but with an hour and 15 minute drive each way (best case scenario) it really isn't worth considering.

The best idea I can come up with at the moment, is that dh moves up north after his job winds up, gets a job there, and we come when the house is done.

That of course isn't very good family-wise, or even a guarantee that there will be a job for him in the little town we are moving to...but it seems the best solution to me (less than 24 hours after the news).

We'll just keep thinking of plans, and get more info on the final details about the last day of work at a meeting next Thursday. Right now the aim is to not spend anything if we can help it...and yet, there are things we *could* buy immediately that all seem very valid, so we're not sure how that will go :0)

Friday- Day 4, week 3

Breakfast: Porridge...with raw honey/blueberries/xylitol...Princess doesn't like the
sweet of the honey, or the taste of blueberries in porridge, but is happy
with xylitol. She had a big cry over no more brown sugar, but I think
it was more a culmination of grief over all the proposed changes. She
knows we're in it together- that she doesn't have to do this alone, and
there are plenty of things she can have that she likes to eat, and won't
hurt her teeth. I cooked her a piece of bacon and she had it in our last
piece of bread.
Lunch: Salad with chillibeans, cheese and sour cream for me (yum!), salad for
Salad for J-Man, salad veges and fruit for Princess and Tombliboo
Dinner: Creamy Pasta with onion, bacon and mushrooms...was going to be on brown
rice, but got some bad news and felt like we didn't need to try something
different tonight.
Snacks: Cruskits with marmite and cheese (grilled...yum!), popcorn, apples,
pears, nashi pears, frozen blueberries, dried cranberries

Had a hard time today knowing there are chocolates in the cupboard (for Easter) and thinking it wouldn't hurt to have some of them (there's tonnes)...but persevered- veyr cool :0)

Thursday, day 3 week 3

Breakfast: Porridge with brown sugar (and cream)...noticing a pattern?
Lunch: Salad for J-Man and I, salad veges and fruit for Princess and Tombliboo
Dinner: Steak, homemade chips and salad (or salad veges)
Snacks: Apples, pears, frozen blueberries, cheese, cruskits

Wednesday, Day 2 Week 3

Breakfast: Daddy and J-Man had a glass of flavoured raw milk before heading out
early, Princess, Tombliboo and I had raspberry jam on toast before
rushing out too
Lunch: Oporto...yeah, pretty well stuffed
the whole thing- took the tinies out for lunch
Dinner: Pork Mince Noodles, since it was already ruined thought I may as well use
up the noodles
Snacks: chocolate, apples, nashi pears, bananas

We were out all day, and once home there was all the day's work to do, plus it had been mildly hellish at the shops, and then carrying a sleeping Tombliboo home on a train and a bus, and a short(ish) walk. I was terribly tempted to get takeaways, so happy to have avoided that, even if we didn't avoid refined grains...and really after the garbage we ate while out, I doubt it will make much difference!

I realised today I need to lose weight, fairly urgently...I've know it for ages, but haven't managed...I think two weeks of not walking up to the shop nearly every day has not been good. Today I puffed going up stairs. Granted, I was wearing a bakpack full of library boks ,and carrying a full reusable bag and a 28 month old toddler...but I should be able to do that without puffing- I always used to, unless Tombliboo suddenly got a whole lot heavier. Or maybe eating meat makes me more sluggish? That seems the opposite of how it's meant to be, and yet I do wonder if I feel better without it...I've heard others say that, I'm just not sure....I'm not aware enough.

A man commented today about my still feeding Tombliboo- he said, "Oh he's 2 and you still breastfeed!? Oh then you're still eating for two." I said "I eat for 5 more like it." It shouldn't be so hard to lose weight...it feels like I'm juggling so many things at the moment, but it shouldn't be hard to eat less- hopefully when we cut all the bad bits, it will fall off...oh, and when I start getting to sleep for more than an hour at a time.

Excuse the pity party, I'll be right tomorrow :0)

Tuesday (Day 1, week three)

Breakfast: Rice Bubbles and Raw Milk (Daddy and Tombliboo- this is the first time
Tombliboo has had milk on his rice bubbles); Muesli and Yoghurt (Princess),
Creamed Corn (J_man) and an apple and a *cough* easter egg for me (on my way
home with all the shopping).
Lunch: I made kebabs for the kids with a Kransky sausage, cubes of cheese and a
cocktail onion (which they wouldn't eat), rings of cucumber, carrot sticks
and pieces of nashi pear
Dinner: (Crockpot) Chicken Casserole and mashed potatoes
Snacks: Nashi pear, pear, potato chips, popcorn, banana, apple, raisins, carrots,
sandwiches, cruskits with marmite

Chicken Casserole

I added far too much water to the crockpot, and still didn't cover the big boiling chicken (which really grossed me out, being so used to meat nicely prepared at the supermarket), chopped onions, a lemon (squeezed and cut in to 4), a few carrots, 2 sticks of celery, some paprika, salt and pepper and mixed herbs.

It wasn't looking good...there didn't seem to be any meat on the carcass, and it was way too watery...but my good friend N said to pop it in a pot and reduce it, and add some rosemary. I thickened it, and added more salt and a bit of xylitol, then some chilli powder once the kids' meals were dished up. It was pretty nice, and surprisingly there was loads of chicken.

Princess liked it, except for the cooked carrots (lol), but J-Man wouldn't touch it. Tombliboo hadn't slept so he missed dinner completely.

While the stew was cooking, dh started making some ice cream, but he put the egg whites in with the xylitol instead of the egg yolks. I thought I'd fix it by making meringues, but just guessing. When I checked the recipe, I realised I had put vinegar in when none was required...so I thought we;d make pavlova instead. Then checked *that* recipe, and saw it needed cornflour and water, so didn't have high hopes of it working out. I also noticed (too late) that I only had half the amount of sugar in that was required...it was pretty horrible, but at least now I understand how my low-carb friend N (a different N, lol) makes bread from egg whites!

In the pipeline...

dh (bizarrely) had muesli and yoghurt for dessert last night, and Princess discovered she loves it!

I don't know how long I have tried to get her to try it...it's homemade, and very delicious. So, now I will work out a way to make it a bit more healthy (soaked grains).

I made it with organic rolled oats, banana chips, organic raisins, organic dried apricots, dried mango, dried pineapple, dried apple...toasted (slightly) with butter, and probably brown sugar- though I'm sure that is not necessary with sweet yoghurt and so much fruit it was magic.

I made yoghurt yesterday with raw milk, and a spoonful of plain greek-style yoghurt. I mixed it with strawberry conserve for Princess, but she said it was gross- tastes lie milk. I didn't really want to try it, but did, and it's really nice! Next time, I might just put it on her muesli, because the nasty yoghurt is now all gone anyway.

We're using up bits and pieces of things we don't plan to eat any more...and giving away some more.

I am going to cook the boiling chicken today and see what that is like. I am also going to make some ice cream without sugar...not sure if dh will be keen, but we'll see. Also not sure if I want to use stevia (so nasty!) or maybe try honey...oh, i think xylitol will probably work. Also, raw milk, raw cream and free range eggs straight from the farm...bliss.

I also want to get started on making sourdough soon...first of all I need to get the chlorine out of the tap water...

I've ordered Nourishing Traditions so I can read more about soaking grains, and have recipes for such.

I'm also looking in to buying Tooth Mousse to try to remineralise Princess' (and J-Man's) teeth. I'm sure I've looked at he ingredients before and am not happy with them, but I think it's necessary now.

I'm also going to make my own sugar-free tomato sauce...for those that like it. I prefer chips without sauce, just with salt- or maybe some vinegar :0)

Shopping (payday!)

Today is the first day trying not to get sugar and refined grains. I decided to go to the shop when it opened, without the children, so that we can have the evening free...I thought I'd be OK because we still have 5kg (and some) spuds at home, and plenty of trolls (toilet paper rolls)...I was wrong.

I'm still all wobbly from carrying this lot home! I had 2 giant bags in one arm, 3 in the other and a backpack with around 12 cans of food in!

I do like the photo of all the food layed out, but it takes too long- and requires the table to be cleared, lol...so I'm going to write what I got, with the price beside it.

I also mucked it up, and forgot to keep aside cash for the farm...doh...so we will go over budget this fortnight. I'll try to make that work a bit by buying some bulk stuff for next pay.

Tuesday 31st March (17 years today since I moved to Auckland)

$1.19 Sesame Seeds, 100g
$1.49 Ground Almonds 70g
$1.99 Hazel Nuts, 70g (going to make dukkah...mmm)
$1.18 2x Chopped Nuts 70g
$1.49 Slivered Almonds 70g
$2.19 Dried Apricots 200g
$3.59 Cranberries 170g (really annoyed- didn't see they are sweetened!)
$1.98 2x Baking Soda 400g (on sale for 99c woot...I've got tonnes of it now)
$2.29 Gelatin 50g (will try to make healthy, lol, jelly iceblocks)
$4.89 Ground Linseed, 500g (to add to baking and bread)
$5.92 2x Corn Cruskits 125g (Princess' favourite- only maize and salt)
$5.29 Tabasco Sauce (Red) 60ml (we like it hot!)
$3.99 Rolled Oats 1.5kg (on sale)
$2.19 Red Lentils 500g
$2.98 2x Canned Chopped Tomatoes (these were *meant* to be on sale...grrr!)
$1.49 Canned Chopped Tomatoes with chilli and herbs
$1.29 Canned Chopped tomatoes in naturally thick sauce
$1.89 Tomato Paste 310g
$1.25 Canned Beetroot
$2.38 2x Canned Creamed Corn (contains sugar!)
$3.18 2x Canned Kidney Beans
$1.59 Canned Canneloni Beans
$0.79 Marshmallow Easter Egg (for me on the way home)
$5.69 Pure Olive Oil 500ml...amazingly we used nearly @450ml in a fortnight!
$6.58 2x Youth (Shrek) toothbrushes
$3.99 Floss 50m
$2.99 Fluoride child toothpaste 110g
$2.59 Natural toothpaste 110g
$1.69 Paprika 40g
$2.38 2x Coconut Cream 400ml
$3.69 Brown Rice 1kg
$2.84 2x Potato Chips
$4.38 2x Peanut Butter 375g
$4.95 St Dalfour Apricot Conserve (sweetened with juice) 284g
$4.95 St Dalfour Strawberry Conserve
$2.49 Wholemeal Flour 1.5kg (on sale)
$4.17 Energy Booster 262g (nuts seeds and fruit mix)
$19.80 Beef Mince 500g, Pork Mince 500g, Chicken Nibbles (corn fed), Rump Steak
$3.99 Braeburn Apples 2kg
$3.94 Bananas 1.5kg (some green)
$1.41 2x Lemon
$3.23 Nashi Pears 1.08kg
$3.99 Bosc Pears 1.5kg
$4.98 2x Lettuce
$1.98 2x Bok Choy
$2.49 Celery
$0.24 Garlic
$0.90 Red Onion
$3.99 Kumara 1kg
$4.58 2x Carrots 1.5kg
$2.75 Vivid Marker (for writing on boxes, or making puzzles for kids)
$7.49 800g Colby Cheese
$3.29 Butter 500g
$3.99 Verkerks Sweet Chilli Kransky Sausages 280g (no msg)
$2.59 Verkerks Hot Beef 100g
$2.99 Blue Brie 125g
$3.99 Frozen Boysenberries 500g
$6.69 Frozen Blueberries 500g
-----
200.08

How cool am I???

I also got a voucher for $180 for next week, and $20 cash is for dh to buy some non-msg corn chips, carob, and a bit more for the farm. $400 total, but will end up spending more next week probably, unless we don;t go to the far at Easter.

Monday (Day 7), Week 2

Breakfast: Porridge with brown sugar...got to change the topping soon!
Lunch: Corn Fritters...turns out only J-Man and I like them. Princess ate a
tomato sandwich and some canned peaches; Tombliboo asked for a jam sandwich
and (as usual) didn't eat it- he ate our last banana.
Dinner: Family Chow Mein, boiled spuds and salad for dh, Tombliboo and I, Princess
only ate potatoes, J-Man had creamed corn and salad.
Snacks: Canned peaches, corn fritters, apples, toast with peanut butter and jam,
homemade potato chips (crisps)

Family Chow Mein

This is one I do when I need to feed a crowd unexpectedly...you don't need much mince.

250g Mince (or more, whatever you like)
Onion
Carrots
2-3T Rice
Cabbage (lots)
Apple
Sultanas (or not)
Frozen peas (if you have them)
Curry Powder
Salt & Pepper, and a touch of sugar/xylitol/stevia if you like- but not really necessary with the fruit

Brown the mince with the onion- I don;t add oil, it's fatty enough.

Add the rice, and the curry powder. Cook for 30 seconds or so, then add some water to simmer. Throw in the veges and fruit, and seasonings, a bit more water, and simmer to get rid of the juice. Very easy, very yummy...however, our kids won;t normally eat it because of the curry. I'm pretty sure if they woudl just try it, they'd love it- but they won;t yet.

I'm sort of hoping that with our new regime, when it all comes together, they might become a bit more adventurous. Tombliboo eats it, but it was around 2 that the others stopped having anything with spices (taste!), so we'll see how that goes.

Homemade Chips (crisps)

This is from Schuyler's Blog, but I'm still tweaking it.

I got the potatoes ready for dinner, and then peeled extra bits and put them on an oven tray with some oil. Baked at 220 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or so...there's a bit of a knack to it, but as long as they're cooked, and not burned, they're yummy (seasoned with seas salt). Next time I will try bigger peelings, wiped first (less starch), and layed out individually instead of in heaps. The kids loved them, and it was an easy hot snack to make since we're out of popcorn.

Sunday (Day 6), Week 2

Breakfast: Porridge, toast for J-Man
Lunch: Hot Chips and Bread, apples
Dinner: Domino's Pizza (so nearly bought 3...but 2 is the budget, and it is
still too many calories!)
Snacks: Apples, pears, choc-chip cookies, tinned fruit

We are doing really well at using what we have, and not popping to the shop for this or that :0)