Better Weather for Soup

I bought an Australian Woman's Weekly today, actually my husband did. I wanted to get some ideas about fashion. I don't usually buy it, but it turned out to be handy. I am doing a pantry challenge and found the omelette recipe really good. I had already ordered my fruit and vegetables which I am not scimping on as they are run down, and they had a special on red capsicum, and I had bought the vermicelli noodles last time when I saw them in Coles.

We took pot luck with the meat when my husband bought the usual UHT milk boxes, our eucalyptus washing powder and the cheese. We buy these from the farmer's shop and needed some meat for tonight. It was good as all we have left until the fruit order comes is cabbage. Thursday is my actual shopping day.

Tuesday ~ Pies & Chips
Wednesday ~ Beef & Cabbage Stir Fry (beef mince) meat from IGA Curried Mince
Thursday ~ Left over fish fingers? with Tomato & Onion Salad with Tamarind
Friday ~ Vegetable Noodle Omelette (from AWW) uses bok choy, vermicelli noodles, red capsicum
Saturday ~ Lentil & Cauliflower Dahl or Curried Lentil & Pumpkin Soup
Sunday ~ Cabbage with Split Peas
Monday ~ Indian Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry
Tuesday ~ Green Lentil Soup
Wednesday ~ Potato & Egg Salad with Caper Dressing or Potato & Egg Salad
Thursday ~ Mushroom & Caper Pasta
Friday ~ Prawn & Pumpkin Paella
Saturday ~ Wombuk Salad with Sesame Dressing with Felafel
Sunday ~ Zucchini, Tomato & Chilli Rigatoni
Monday ~ Clam Chowder needs cream or Seafood Chowder,

Swap recipes: Bean & Pumpkin Stew
Potato & Cauliflower Curry
Indian Styled Potato & Pea Curry
Mexican Macaroni Cheese
Asian Bean Cakes
Rice Noodle & Vegetable Salad (needs red capsicum)

Left-overs: Noodle Frittata with Plum Sauce

Baking: Carrot Cakes without Cream Cheese Icing, Icing made with Coconut Cream

Interesting recipes:
Lentil Burgers with Tahini Sauce
Black-eyed Beans and Sausages with Tomato Sauce
Sausage & Cannellini Bean Frittata uses beef sausages

Menu Planning, $21 Challenge, Simple Savings

I have been finding menu planning videos on Youtube. I came across one by a lady associated with simple savings, which I have heard of before, and the $21 challenge. One video I watched mentioned the Destitute Gourmet recipes. I went there and found one of my own secrets, saving money by using sausages as a main meat ingredient in recipes. It is great because I found some recipes that I can use myself. I like collecting sausage recipes.

Quick and Easy Sausage Carbonara

Chunky Sausage Bean Bake

Simple Savings Youtube Channel

Sometimes you need a sense of humor...

to help some younger people in your family.

Quick version of our favourite soup

Canned Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons ghee
vegetable oil
4 medium-small carrots
3 stalks celery
1 onion

Chop these vegetables and fry gently in ghee and oil. Add

1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 bacon stock cubes

until cooked well.

1/2 cup aborio rice

Mix with vegetables.

Add cans (420g)

2 cans tomatoes
2 cans lentils
1 can green peas

Chop tomatoes with potato masher, bring to boil cook 30 minutes.

Adapted from Brown Lentil & Vegetable Soup.

Simple Living Novels

I really want to share with you two novels with simple living messages. You'll have to trust me if you don't notice it when you start off. They are two books in a series.

I also found that Beth Pattilo writes novels with a Jane Austen theme, Jane Austen Ruined My Life and Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart. You can read about them here.

Menu & Pantry Challenge

No I haven't fallen off the menu planning wagon. I went for a small shop while I was buying deb dresses and shoes and other evening dresses etc. Mostly I bought the ingredients for tuna casserole we were to have that night as I would be home after the shops closed. I asked my husband to buy ingredients for the Greek Salad and the pies and things for when he was away on a business trip, or a trip for work to learn things. Obviously I have spent modest amount on the dresses, but since I don't usually do that sort of thing, I am doing a pantry challenge so my son can come home for the weekend as well, as it is Labour Day and Canberra Day, which is nice, it doesn't usually happen that way. Maybe it will again next year. I know I looked for borlotti beans recipes, as I always try to keep borlotti, lentils, chickpeas and butter beans in the pantry, 2 cans of each for recipes for 6 people.

Tuesday ~ Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake (Chicken Mince)
Wednesday ~ Pumpkin & Green Bean Curry
Thursday ~ Tuna Casserole
Friday ~ Tuna & Mushroom Spaghetti (I think)
Saturday ~ I forgot what it was but it was planned out
Sunday ~ Pies & Chips
Monday ~ Fish Fingers with Greek Salad
Tuesday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise
Wednesday ~ Vege Burgers & Wedges that we didn't have because of left overs (a new thing in this house)
Thursday ~ Zucchini Pasta
Friday ~ Red Lentil Burgers & Wedges
Saturday ~ Anchovy Puttanesca
Sunday ~ Instant Falafel Burgers with Rice & Herb Salad
Monday ~ Mexican Macaroni Cheese

Extra recipe: Broccoli Pasta
Spicy Lentil Noodles
Pasta Primavera
Brown Lentil & Vegetable Soup (depends how many cans of tomatoes I have)
Vegetarian Lentil, Carrot & Cumin Loaf


Interesting recipe I could use in the future:
Sausage & Pumpkin Curry
Noodle Salad uses lebananese cucumbers and cooked chicken
Rice Noodle & Vegetable Salad
Baked Beans with Cheese Cornbread
Left-over Spaghetti Frittata

Agricultural Show

Today my girls and Dad went to the Agricultural Show which is like a County Fair. We won a few prizes, which was pretty good I thought. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a section for our apple sauce, they only offered tomato and plum, which is fair enough I suppose.

Our dog got two show ribbons, second place ones. My youngest daughter entered a doll and did a floral saucer and got two red second place cards. My middle daughter got a first prizes for her photography, and a caterpillar made from the tomatoes she grew herself.

When I was a girl (boy)

I saw this song on CMC music awards last night, Sara and her brother talk about the influences on them as children. Sara talks about collecting eggs, baking a cake and having a cup of tea, helping her Mum rather than her Dad. Also making cubbies (cubby hut) in the scrub (bush). I made cubbies at school, we made booby traps in the pinetrees. And I'd rather hang with Dad. Nana's had footy on the radio.

Savoury Mince

This is my husband's version of two merged recipes we enjoyed recently.

Savoury Mince with Soft Polenta


Ingredients (serves 4)
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 3 carrots qtrd and chopped
* 400g Creamed corn
* 1 large brown onion, chopped
* 4 garlic chopped
* 500g lean beef mince
* 1 can 400g chopped tomatoes
* 2 tablespoon tomato paste
* 2 cups water , 2 beef stock cubes
* 2 ½ teasp worcestershire sauce
* 1 can 400g peas (or frozen)

Method
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mince cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up mince, for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned, then after cooked then add onion, garlic and carrots.

2. Add tomato, tomato paste, stock and worcestershire sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat to low. Add corn and peas. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until peas are tender. If too thin thicken with plain flour.


Soft Polenta

Ingredients (serves 6)

* 1 cup milk
* 1 cup water
* chicken stock cube
* 3/4 cup instant polenta
* 20g butter
* 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese


Method
1. Place savoury mince in a large saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until heated through.

2. Bring milk and 2 cups of cold water to the boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add polenta in a thin, steady stream, stirring constantly until combined. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and 1/4 cup of parmesan.

3. Spoon polenta onto plates. Top with the savoury mince. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan and basil. Serve.

Menu for Five

Our weather is humid, but not too hot to cook on the stove. We are slowly getting used to our new family size, but I think it will be awhile yet.

Tuesday ~ Beef & Broccoli Almond Stirfry
Wednesday ~ Japanese Pancakes
Thursday ~ Impossible Quiche (Chorizo)
Friday ~ Singapore-styled Fried Rice
Saturday ~ Pink Salmon Patties with Zucchini, Corn Cobs & Green Beans
Sunday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise
Monday ~ Stir Fry Beef & Vegetable Chow Mein
Tuesday ~ Pork Chow Mein Noodles (pork mince)
Wednesday ~ Sausage Casserole (chipolatas)
Thursday ~ Stir Fry Noodles with Pork & Boc Choy (pork mince)
Friday ~ Tacos with Chicken & Beans
Saturday ~ Tuna & Mushroom Spaghetti
Sunday ~ Tuna Casserole
Monday ~ Vegie Patties with Chips


We were supposed to have Vegie Patties last time but made these instead:

Onion Pancakes with Vegetables & Chilli Sauce

The things that went well were the Tomato Onion Salad with Tamarind, definitely a keeper, the Japanese Pancakes were just as delicious with beef strips rather than pork mince, and Pork Chow Mein Noodles (we had them already) are absolutely gorgeous even without the special Chinese wine in the sauce, and with more plain vegetables. They have a similar taste to each other.

We had a mince dish that was a hit too (hamburger). I grew up on savoury mince and I thought is was lovely. Char-grilled Vegetables Savoury Mince with creamed corn rather than corn kernels.

5 Acre Happiness