Just recently I decided I needed some more inspiration in the kitchen department. OK a lot. I have a small confession to make.....I cannot cook. I can bake but when it comes to cooking I kind of lack in this department. I struggle with deciding what to cook and I often open a full pantry and cannot come up with a simple meal. This is frustrating for me and my poor husband often comes home from work to find something only really half edible for dinner.
So I went through my cookbooks looking for inspiration. I found it alright but what I have not realised since now is how expensive a lot of the recipes in my books are. Some call for bunches and bunches of fresh herbs that are $2-$4 a bunch and ingredients you would really only use once and then they sit in the fridge festering away until you end up throwing it out. I am trying to cut down on my food waste and keep my food budget at a low so until I can grow all those herbs those recipes are not going to happen.
I came across a couple of books that have a some great ideas in them.
The good life for less by Amy Allen Clark
Money Saving Meals by Philippa Sandall & Diane Temple
Both have some great ideas that I hope to use and some tasty recipes.
the good life uses a lot of recipes that you cook from scratch. I'm a huge fan of this kind of cooking. Less processed crap and nasties is always a plus in my books. This is an American book and a few things aren't relevant but most of her ideas will work here in Australia.
Money saving meals is great. It includes menu plans and meals for $10-$14 for a family of 4. These ladies are from Australia and I have found their book more relevant. It shows you how to extend meals for extra people and to make recipes out of those things in the pantry that I cannot think of how to use :) It is also from scratch cooking so another win.
Today I am going back over theses books and coming up with a meal plan that will hopefully produce edible dinners and come in on budget.
I also came across a book I have been wanting for quite a while but really couldn't justify the $50 price tag. A local lady was selling it on a FB page for just $10! I snapped it up and it has been amazing so far. It's the CWA (country women's association) Classics. 400 recipes submitted by CWA members all over Australia. So far it has produced some yummy yummy food. Oh yeah loving this one. I also love the recipes for preserving food and for making Jams and relishes. I believe this will come in handy when we move.
So I went through my cookbooks looking for inspiration. I found it alright but what I have not realised since now is how expensive a lot of the recipes in my books are. Some call for bunches and bunches of fresh herbs that are $2-$4 a bunch and ingredients you would really only use once and then they sit in the fridge festering away until you end up throwing it out. I am trying to cut down on my food waste and keep my food budget at a low so until I can grow all those herbs those recipes are not going to happen.
I came across a couple of books that have a some great ideas in them.
The good life for less by Amy Allen Clark
Money Saving Meals by Philippa Sandall & Diane Temple
Both have some great ideas that I hope to use and some tasty recipes.
the good life uses a lot of recipes that you cook from scratch. I'm a huge fan of this kind of cooking. Less processed crap and nasties is always a plus in my books. This is an American book and a few things aren't relevant but most of her ideas will work here in Australia.
Money saving meals is great. It includes menu plans and meals for $10-$14 for a family of 4. These ladies are from Australia and I have found their book more relevant. It shows you how to extend meals for extra people and to make recipes out of those things in the pantry that I cannot think of how to use :) It is also from scratch cooking so another win.
Today I am going back over theses books and coming up with a meal plan that will hopefully produce edible dinners and come in on budget.
I also came across a book I have been wanting for quite a while but really couldn't justify the $50 price tag. A local lady was selling it on a FB page for just $10! I snapped it up and it has been amazing so far. It's the CWA (country women's association) Classics. 400 recipes submitted by CWA members all over Australia. So far it has produced some yummy yummy food. Oh yeah loving this one. I also love the recipes for preserving food and for making Jams and relishes. I believe this will come in handy when we move.
Hi Sam,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on getting your dream property...I did take a peak at your new place (it came up when I typed Bangor as I wasn't sure where it was lol) and it looks like something I would enjoy too. Love the whole house and the lovely creek. It looks so nice and green, something that is lacking here. I wish you all the best with your new venture, I am sure you will love it :)
I am a lot like you in the cooking department. I have not read those books you mentioned, but I do have a few of my own. These include;
The $21 challenge by Simple Savings writers Fiona Lippey and Jackie Gower.
Eat Well, Save More by Cath Armstrong from Cheapskates.com.au (this one is a good one with recipes). Cath also has a blog http://www.debtfreecashedupandlaughing.com.au/
Hard Times Handbook and Hard Times Kitchen book by Keith and Irene Smith.
Also coming in the post is a book called Wartime Recipes that I found on the website 1940sexperiment.wordpress.com.
I have others I refer to like the old Woman's Weekly Menu Planner books. See if you can get hold of the series of these, some good old fashioned recipes in them. Try eBay :)
x
Hi Tania, Thank you we are very excited! It's not so green at the moment but greener then Roxby! I will deffinatley check out the books you have suggested. I could use all the help I can get. Thank you for replying!
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