Homemade Bread

I enjoy making my own bread so I know exactly what is in it.  There is NO sugar, salt or preservatives in my bread and it’s the tastiest and healthiest bread I’ve ever eaten.

I do cheat and use my bread maker machine, as this method fits into my lifestyle the best.

Here’s the recipe I use.

Ingredients

325ml warm water

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Cups Wholemeal plain flour

3 Tablespoons Sunflower seeds

3 Tablespoons Sesame seeds

3 Tablespoons Whole linseeds

¾ Teaspoon Bread improver

2 Teaspoons Yeast

I just put the water and oil into the bread machine then add the flour, seeds, bread improver and yeast.  It takes around 3 hours in my bread machine.  Once the bread is cooked I allow it to cool for a few hours or overnight, then I slice it with an electric knife to get thinner slices.  I wrap 2 slices together in cling wrap and then place the bread in the freezer.  Each morning I just toast 2 slices and spread with natural peanut butter that I buy from our Local Health Food Store.  Enjoy!

Keeping my Life in Balance

As I look back on my life, I know for sure that it was not just the good times that made me what I am today, it was the hard times too.  Life for me is a journey,  as the years go by I now realise it’s best to stay in the moment and enjoy what this one day has to offer, as I will never get this time again.

Keeping my life in balance takes energy and self-reflection.  I have to make sure all my values are being met.

The things I value are:

·         My children and my role as a parent

·         My work and study

·         Home Schooling my children

·         My spiritual and emotional growth

·         My health and fitness

·         Intimacy and my self-care

·         My hobbies and relaxation time

·         My social life

I try to set achievable goals in each area of my life, which helps to keep me balanced.

Simple living adds to this balance and my overall wellbeing and contentment. 

I find spending time in my garden helps me relax and unwind from the day’s activities.  Just 10 minutes will often do the trick.

 

My Simple Salad

The simple things in life are often the best!  As I ate my salad at lunch time today I had a feeling of pure enjoyment.  I have grown every vegetable, apart from the olives and made a salad dressing from olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.  My salad tasted amazing!  I never would have imagined the pure satisfaction a simple meal could accomplish.  The best ingredient is the love for gardening and being able to walk into my backyard “shop” and pick fresh ingredients, then prepare my food and relax to enjoy the creation.  My chickens get to eat all the vegetable scraps, which completes this wonderful cycle.    My favourite is an egg salad that my chickens have helped create.

Positive Affirmations

When negative thoughts and depression grips me I find it helpful to read my affirmation sheet, which I have hanging in my bedroom to help remind me all is ok.  After spending the past 7 months recovering from Ross River Fever, I have often felt frustrated that I don’t have the energy each day to do all the things I used to be able to get through.  I am slowly getting better and hopefully will return to my normal healthy self soon. 

Here are some of my affirmations that I’ve found helpful during this time:

• I will get better in the next few months
• I’m able to rest and not overload my day
• I do enough – I am enough
• I am living just for today
• I will not push myself beyond my current energy level
• I am committed to getting well
• I am looking after myself
• This too shall pass
• I am going to recover
• I am a good parent
• I can think positively
• I can let others help me
• I can ask for help
• I am grateful for friendships
• I am taking care of myself physically, spiritually and emotionally
• I don’t need others approval
• I have a relationship with my God
• I don’t need to feel guilty
• I can treat myself well
• I can do one day at a time
• I don’t have to achieve everyday
• I can rest and recuperate

Home Schooling - Sewing Lessons

 Part of our home schooling journey is following interests that the children have.  During a second hand shopping bargain finding afternoon, my daughter found a length of material that she liked.  She imagined it as a wonderful beach bag.  As I am not a sewer, we enlisted the talents of a friend and we all went to sewing lessons once a week for a term.  The children made different items using recycled material.  My son made pillow cases from an old sheet.  I made a tote bag from an old skirt and my daughter made her beach bag.  We all learnt new skills and refashioned material so it could have a second life.

Garage Sales

I stopped by a garage sale yesterday just to have a look around and see if I could find a bargain.  Yes, luck was on my side, I found a pile of ABC Gardening Australia Magazines all 2011 and 2012 additions.  Then I spotted some wire fencing that I immediately thought would be useful in my vege garden.  So for the grand total of $10, I left the garage sale richer for the experience and with wonderful goodies.

A rule I have for myself around garage sales is that I have to have a use for the items; otherwise I’m just collecting other people’s unwanted things, which would be a waste of money.  So happy garage sale hunting!

Parenting Teenagers

We don’t get a lot of encouragement to build a stable and happy family life, but when I look around that seems to be the one thing missing from a lot of people’s lives.  Leading a simple lifestyle has help create balance and time in my life to spend with the people I love and to continue to build relationships that are important to me.  With three teenagers it is a challenge to stay connected, set boundaries and also give them independence built on trust.  I’m finding the teenage years demanding on an emotional and physical level.  Being “mum’s taxi service” is a great way to have chatting time with my children.  Having strong consistent boundaries around my teenagers is a necessary part in guiding them through this time in their lives.  My aim is to produce three independent, well-adjusted and capable individuals. Here are a few of my household rules for teenagers:

·         We all need to show respect towards each other

·         They are responsible for keeping their own bedrooms in order, (otherwise they live in a pigsty)

·         They need to put they own dirty washing in the laundry, (otherwise it won’t get washed)

·         They all have set household jobs (eg. Folding washing, mowing lawns, vacuuming, packing dishwasher)

·         They must have a casual job from age 14-15

·         They must save 50% of their income towards their future and purchase of their first car

·         They must finance their own mobile phones

·         When getting their driver’s license, I pay for the first test, then if they fail they need to pay

·         Once they are 18 years old, they need to pay board and do their own washing

I see it as my responsibility to make sure these rules are kept.  I encourage and help them achieve these goals.  I’m always praising them and letting them know they are valued and appreciated.  Of course sometimes things don’t always go to plan, and its two steps forward followed by one step backwards.  As long as they are making progress and developing living skills, personal boundaries and a good self-esteem that’s what’s important.  I try to spend some time with each child individually and make it special.  Be it coffee at a café and listen to what is going on for them, this helps to stay connected.  We also have family time together to maintain a sense of belonging.  I think parenting is one of the hardest jobs in the world, but the most rewarding. 

 

 

Mosaic Tiling on a Budget

Mosaic tiling can be quite an expensive hobby, but here are a few ideas of how to enjoy this hobby on a budget.  All the pieces I have created are from tiles I have picked up from the local Buy Back Centre at our local Tip.  I have found all the base items to do the mosaic tiling on either at the Buy Back Centre or at garage sales.  You just need to use your imagination and you will be surprised at the pieces you can create.  Searching around for base items is part of the fun, as you never know what you might find.  The only items I have had to buy were the tile adhesive and the grout.  I find smashing up tiles quite therapeutic and a good stress release.  I just wrap the tile in an old towel and then use a hammer to break it up.  I store the broken tiles in old jars or plastic containers.  I also found a mosaic tiling book at the local Library in the discontinued section, which only cost 60 cents.  Another place to find base items to mosaic is second hand shops.  Here are a few pieces I have created:

                                               

Saving Money on Haircuts

The cost of haircuts, colours and styling can all add up.  Here are a few suggestions for keeping the cost to a minimum.  Obviously the cheapest option is to grow your hair long, so it doesn’t need cutting too regularly.  I used to keep my hair shoulder length so I could easily trim the ends and keep it in shape.

If you have been blessed like me, with premature greying or should I say whitening of your hair it is a constant battle to keep hair coloured without breaking the bank.

For the past 2 years I have been going to a local Hair Salon and being a hair model for their 1^st year apprentice. She started out practising blow drying then moved to colour and now she is up to cutting.  My daughter also is a hair model, as her hair is longer the apprentice practises different up-styles.  We get all our colour and cuts for free.  Why not ask your local hair salon if they need a hair model.

Another idea is to try the cheapest shampoo and conditioner you might be surprised that your hair still looks great.  Another tip for dry hair is to coat your hair with olive oil and leave in for a few hours, then wash it out and your hair will have had a wonderful treatment.

 

Home Schooling & Work Ethic

I am a firm believer in teaching children how to have a good work ethic. Home schooling has allowed flexibility with time so studying and volunteering was possible.

When my twins were 12 years old we volunteered at a Community Food Store, so they could learn about others in our community.  Their reward was a sense of helping others and this experience gave them insight into others less fortune than themselves.   They also gained work experience and learnt how a food store and café operate.

My son was interested in BMX bike riding, so I arranged work experience at our local Bike Shop.  This experience taught him customer service, communication skills, bike maintenance, and how to assemble bikes.   

He then became interested in the Building Industry as his cousin was an apprentice carpenter.  So we arranged work experience with a local Building Company.  He learnt about the building industry and all the different trades that are needed to build a house.  During this time I designed his English lessons from Building Manuals and books to do with the building industry.  

When he was old enough to apply for casual work, having all this work experience on his resume really helped him gain employment.   Putting his resume together was another home schooling lesson.  He now has a casual job in the Fast Food Industry and is enjoying earning and saving money. 

My daughter continued volunteering at the Community Store, as she really enjoyed the work.  She then did some work experience at a local Café where she learnt more about customer service, communication skills, and kitchen duties and about the Hospitality Industry.

She then gained employment at the local Indoor Children’s Play Centre and Café.  This work has taught her organisation skills, how to run a children’s birthday party, cooking skills and how a small business operates.

This whole experience has taught a lot of living skills and work ethic, my children have a good sense of budgeting and how to work for a living.  They have gained many new skills, confidence and the knowledge that by working hard you can earn money and save for things you want.  Home schooling and casual work has really helped their maturity and learning.

 

Homemade Dish Cloths

Instead of buying disposable dish cloths I now make my own.  Disposable dish cloths just get thrown in the bin once you use them and add to landfill.  So to help save money and our planet, I now cut up old tea towels and sew around the edges so they don’t fray.  I make four dish cloths out of each old tea towel, but if you prefer your cloths smaller you could make 6 or 8 cloths per tea towel.   I just wash my homemade dish cloths and re-use them.   They are great to use for washing up dishes, wiping down benches or you could use them in the bathroom or laundry. 

Simple Living Values

Sometimes I need to ask myself a few tough questions so I can stay balanced and happy with my lifestyle.  What are my priorities in life?  How am I spending my time?  How am I spending my money?  I sometimes just need a reality check to get back to basics, as we are constantly told by society that we need more, need to be more and will be happier when….

I find if I stay true to my values I feel happy and content most of the time.  Firstly I need to remember what my values are.  Everyone’s are different, just a few of mine are good parenting, meaningful relationships, eating healthy and growing vegetables, managing my money, studying, home schooling,  holidays and time with my family.

Once I have remembered my values I need to take a close look at how I’ve been spending my time.  This usually shows me where I’m getting out of balance.  If I have been racing around for others too much and not taking care of my own health, then I tend to get sick.  If I go on a spending spree that doesn’t fit into my budget, then I tend to regret it, and suffer financially. 

If I divide up my time so I’m getting the rest I need, working on things that need my attention and spending some quality time with people that are meaningful to me things tend to go smoothly.  Life will always have its ups and downs, but I can choose how I deal with it. 

After becoming ill 6 months ago, with an illness that takes time to recover from, I have had to revaluate my priorities and how I spend my time.  My main priority at the moment is to get well again, so I’m spending my time getting the necessary rest I need and prioritising how I spend my day so I can maximise my energy levels.  Making time for reflection on my life helps me see where change needs to take place.

 

 

 

 

Saving Money in the Kitchen

There are a lot of ways to saving money in the kitchen, here are a few of my favourites:

·         Only buy basic cereal such as Cornflakes, Rice Bubbles, Rolled Oats and Weetbix then from time to time treat kids to something special.

·         Collect all the crumbs from the bottom of the cereal packets that no one wants to eat and store them in an airtight container.  Once you have a few cups of cereal make a tasty chocolate slice.  Here’s my favourite simple chocolate slice recipe.  Make the slice, cut into pieces, wrap and freeze for a chocolate treat.

 Ingredients

 

1 ½ cups Cereal

1 cup Self Raising flour

1 cup Coconut

1 teaspoon Vanilla

½ cup Sugar

4 Tablespoon Cocoa

100g Butter

½ cup milk

 Method

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add melted butter and milk to dry ingredients, mix well.  Press into a greased oven tray.  Cook in a moderate oven for 15 – 20 minutes.  Ice while hot.  Icing: mix water, cocoa and icing sugar.  Sprinkle with coconut.

 

 

Here is some more money saving ideas:

 

*Make homemade muesli using oats, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, oat bran and  sultanas.

                    *Use powdered milk for cooking and in your coffee if you like the taste.
                  * Popcorn seeds – place in a saucepan and cover, pop your own seeds and add some melted              butter - another great snack and just as quick as the packaged microwave popcorn.

 

Saving Money on Clothing

Occasionally when I think it’s time for some new clothes, I go through my wardrobe and firstly I check everything to see what actually fits.  Items I really like that don’t fit at the moment I store in a plastic tub in the bottom of my wardrobe.  Like most women my weight can fluctuate and I used to think that that was an excuse for a shopping spree.   I also go through my children’s clothing twice a year (summer and winter) to see what fits and what they have grown out of. 

Clothing that I no longer need I take to the local second hand clothing store, where I get an in store credit or a few dollars for each piece of clothing.   Items they don’t want I then donate to the local charity.

Here is a scarf I recently purchased after taking a bag of clothes to the second hand store.  It’s been handmade and was only $15.  This way of shopping is fantastic as it recycles all clothing for a new owner.

 

Old t-shirts or clothing that is too worn out for someone else to own, I cut up into rags to be used around the house for cleaning.

I am learning how to only buy what I need each season, and I have been surprised that I only need a couple of items.  What a wonderful way to save money and our environment.

I also shop for clothing at garage sales as you can generally pick things up for a dollar or two.  It is sometimes amazing what people sell at garage sales.

 

Home Schooling - Some Practical Lessons

My children enjoy practical lessons and they seem to be a great way of teaching new skills and developing creativity.  They have learnt many useful living skills which will stay with them for life.  Often practical learning will involve Maths, Reading, Writing, Science and Time Management Skills.  I have learnt to think outside the square when it comes to schooling.

Cooking is a wonderful way to be creative, I let my children decide what they would like to cook (within reason) then add any ingredients to the weekly shopping list.  They then write out the recipe and add it to their own recipe folders which they have created.  Once the shopping is done, they have full use of the kitchen to create their masterpiece.  

 

A very blue and unhealthy masterpiece!

The children also help cook the evening meal; my daughter will often ask if she can cook something for dinner, usually a pasta dish as this is her favourite.

Letting the children be involved in the household budgeting helps them to become aware of how much things cost and that money doesn’t grow on trees!  My son has been involved in creating an Excel spread sheet to help compare bills and to   keep track of the household expenses.

 I believe getting children to participate in household duties helps develop their sense of belonging and achievement.  It also teaches children all that goes into running a home. 

 

 

 

Filling Your Kitchen Pantry

I believe a well organised pantry will save you money in the long run as you will be able to see exactly what you have and what you may need to purchase.  This way you should never have to throw out any food items.  I keep all my basic pantry items in airtight containers.  I purchased Tupperware years ago and it just lasts and lasts.  Organising your pantry will create more space and labelling containers is a great idea.

Here’s a list of my pantry basics:

Baking powder, bi-carb soda, brown sugar, castor sugar, chilli powder, cocoa, coconut, cornflour, curry powder, custard powder, dried soup mix, dried beans, dried chickpeas, gelatine, gravy powder, herbs and spices, icing sugar, lentils, milk powder, plain flour, popcorn seeds, rice, sauces (soya sauce, fish sauce, chilli sauce, bbq and tomato sauce), self  -raising flour, sugar, sultanas, vanilla essences, vinegar.

Other pantry essentials:

Canned corn kernels, canned diced tomatoes (I buy these in bulk), canned pineapple, canned tuna, canned salmon, noodles, nuts, parmesan cheese, pasta and spaghetti.

Other pantry ideas:

·         Keep all canned food, sauces, spices organised so you can see exactly what you have.

·         I have a bulk item cupboard which is separate from the pantry where I keep items I may have bought in bulk while on special and other items I buy in bulk.

·         I only ever have three different cereal packages in the pantry for the kids to choose from and the rest I keep in my bulk cupboard, that way you don’t end up with lots of half empty cereal packages.

·         I also have a treats basket in my pantry that the kids can have and offer to their friends when they visit.

·         Inside my pantry door I have a calendar where I keep all details of upcoming events.

 

Attitude Adjustment

Sometimes life just seems to be too hard and it’s difficult to stay positive and focussed.  When life gets me down and I seem to start worrying about every little thing.  I know I need to get things back into perspective.  I try to remember that when the time is right more information will be revealed to help me understand or deal with a certain situation I don’t need to have all the answers at once.  Life is a journey and if I have an easy does it attitude life seems to go more smoothly.  I tend to be able to ride the ups and downs better.  I try to have a gentler approach to the tough situations I find myself in and tell myself I’m doing the best I can at any given moment, this can help things seem more bearable.

Worrying about things too much can alter my perception until I lose all sense of reality.  I try to bring myself back to the facts and separate the emotions.  By keeping my thoughts in the present, as worrying focuses on the future, a lot of my worries don’t ever end up happening.  Today will have enough worries, so there’s no need to pile more worries into today, as anticipating all possible outcomes to situations is just me trying to protect myself.  I need to just take appropriate action as each situation throughout the day appears.  Letting myself indulge in worry is a choice that I don’t need to make.  I don’t need to act out of fear, as I’m learning to do life on a daily basis.  Enjoying this day as it won’t happen again, looking for the good and appreciating the little things.  Life can be simple and easy if I change my attitude.  I do have control over my reactions to things, sometimes I just need a listening ear and sometimes I need to be the listening ear for others.  I feel better already just by writing my feelings and thoughts!  I hope you too are feeling good today.

 

Ideas to Save Money in the Kitchen

Making different homemade snacks, cakes, slices and muffins will save a heap of money.  These treats can be cut and wrapped into individual snacks and kept in the freezer to be taken as morning tea or for when visitors drop in.

I have a household rule – No food can be put in the bin!  The biggest waste of money in a household is wasted food.  Leftovers should be covered and put into the fridge, for lunch the next day or frozen for another meal.  We also feed leftovers to the dog or the chickens.   All fruit and vegetable scraps go into the compost bin or to the chickens.

We have about halved our rubbish that goes into landfill, by not wasting food, cooking from scratch and not purchasing as many packaged food items has also reduced our landfill waste.

Here are a few more ideas:

·         A way to not waste bruised apples that no one wants to eat is to stew them to make a yummy dessert.  Just peel apples and cut into pieces, then place in a saucepan with a small amount of water.  You can also add cinnamon, sultanas and even walnuts if you like.  Simmer apples on medium heat until tender.  I freeze this dessert in individual servings.

 

·         Keep the crusts of bread if no one in your family eats them and put them in the freezer.  Once you have about a dozen crusts, you can de-frost them and blend them to make breadcrumbs.  These are great to use when making homemade rissoles.

 

Planning the Weekly Menu

I come up with 5 dinner ideas for the week, as we tend to eat about 2 meals a week from previously frozen meals.  I tend to cook most things from scratch as it always works out cheaper and tastes better.  I work out what ingredients I need for each meal, adding any ingredients I don’t already have to my weekly shopping list.

A great way to help plan your weekly menu is to ask your mother and grandmother for their favourite old recipes, these are usually cheap and easy to make.  Create your own recipe folder by using a ring binder and plastic sleeves.  Cut out recipes from old magazines or print them off a website.

On the weekend we have a special homemade “takeaway” meal, such as homemade pizzas or hamburgers.

I use Lebanese bread for pizza bases or make dough in my bread machine of course making my own dough is the cheapest option.  Most bread machines come with recipe books and instructions on how to do this.

For homemade hamburgers, I buy buns and make my own patties.  This works out so much cheaper than buying ready-made patties and tastes so much better.

A few more ideas:

Homemade white sauce is extremely versatile and can be used as white sauce on top of lasagne or as a cheesy sauce with pasta, just add onion and bacon for a yummy meal kids will love. This is so much cheaper to make, than buying jar sauce.

By buying a whole frozen chicken and roasting it, you can have meat for sandwiches, for a stir-fry and you can then boil the carcass and make homemade chicken soup.

Mince can be made into so many different meals such as casseroles, rissoles, meatballs etc. all these meals workout so cheap to cook.  Try to stay away from packaged sauces and casserole bases, as you are generally just buying something that could be made from scratch for a fraction of the price and only takes an extra 5 minutes to prepare.  We have been “marketed” into thinking packaged food is quicker to prepare.