Simple Living & Tuna Casseroles

It is not so simple finding an old-fashioned tuna casserole recipe. My usual place to find recipes doesn't quite cut it for tuna casserole. No sorry, Taste site, that and unusual ingredients is my only complaint.

I have two old-fashioned recipes, apart from our favourite, but I saw them not so long ago, then forgot where. So today I got out an old, perhaps early 80s PWMU cookbook and there were two nice sounding ones there that don't use cheese. One had white sauce, curry and potatoes instead of pasta. So that is what we had. It was very nice. A little like shepherd's pie.

Life As I See It

Well I am two posts down for Octoberfest on this blog. The other one, I felt like I hadn't posted, like on Friday for example, but overall for the month I think I posted 37 times, so that qualifies I think.

That means it is Halloween here now. Allens lollies were on special so we got 5 bags for $10. Meant to get some lollies at The Warehouse, but something was lost in our conversation and we both forgot. My husband went to the regional centre all day on Thursday. This morning he tried to find out why my car doesn't get fresh air through it like his does. Yes, I suppose we have his and hers cars. This morning, he actually started it last night, the bonnet was off etc. etc. and there it remains a mystery. Yes, my airconditioning is still not working, it is over a year now. I have to figure out if I can afford to drive down there and get it fixed. When it is an indeterminate (a word?) amount, it makes it difficult.

My son lives in the city and his tip for the lollies was the Asian stores. He says they were cheap. He got a pumpkin, and just at meal time tonight I said I could have dug out my pumpkin lights as we had some Halloween visitors, our first ever I think, and they would have appreciated them. Last year they were not found, and now everyone thinks they would be in my cupboard, which are my thoughts exactly!

What did I really want to write about? We got our first Chrisco box on Thursday! It was due on the 5th. It was a whole box of plastic wear for the kitchen. It is for our second son for when he goes to university or out on his own. He liked them, and wasn't going to part with them. Sometime after my grocery shopping day (every fortnight) 6 days later I'm getting Hamper King. Our trailer still doesn't have new tyres, so by some feat of organisation (very difficult at the moment) we hope to borrow a trailer, and you guessed it! We are back tracking and bringing the freezer here. My husband still hopes to move though when some painting and weeding gets finished. I'm still scared of snakes.

We are getting sausages, fish and pies and some icecreams. I was hoping it would cheer us up.

The scents around the garden have been lovely. I haven't always identified the source. Such a change when it was so wintery, perhaps even a week or less ago. My daughter had her sports day on Friday and it was quite hot. Luckily not quite too hot. Then she got to go to craft at the Uniting Church. A lady talked to me so nicely, and I didn't even know her. I have been in this town 6 years but had no idea. Luckily I could ask my daughter later because they do know everybody.

What can you buy to eat for $2?

Eating the Right Sized Meals

This is a question I probably don't want answered. But it is a topic on one of my favourite show, Supersize vs Superskinny. I also watch Janella hoping her soup recipe will turn up again, the one with seaweed in it. The newer shows on each night at 6.30 of Good Chef Bad Chef are very watchable.

Harvest

Allposters

The writing prompt this week at A thousand words... and then some is Harvest.

At the moment where I live, people are starting to harvest their grass. I am not sure which are hay, and then covered, which are covered silage, and some are uncovered round bales. Last year I heard they made a lot of money. Also last year watering was involved. Yes, perhaps a shock to some, I think it is to me too. Anyway, maybe that comes later in the year.

However thinking about it more, harvest to me, the child in me, is harvesting grapes, tobacco, I have had lots of experiences with harvesting.

Around this place (which I have limited experience) the semi trailers drive into the large paddocks to collect the bales.

At home on the farm of my childhood it was the oldfashioned bales with two strings on them. The ones we loaded on the trailer on my weekends, and set off in the frost in the back of the "ute" actually it wasn't, not sure what it was actually called. Morning tea was always offered at the end of these big feed outs. My hosts driving the "ute" my Dad and my uncle, and my cousin came along too when we were sitting in the back. The trick was to stay out of the wind.

My grape picking was with my Nana. My reward for that her wholemeal sandwiches, nice bread, and nice butter. I think maybe on that occasion I had one of my favourite sandwiches at her house, invented by my uncles, raisins (large sticky ones) with honey and chopped walnuts.

Tobacco was my joy. The children, and there were a few from the share farmers and our family, were used in a chain gang to reach the outer tobacco kiln. Our reward black hands and a feed of watermelon. I particularly liked the ride home from the paddock (same trailer?) with the hessian wrapped tobacco and the watermelons in their own section!

Another joy was seeing my other uncle's maize bin. What did he use the maize for? I think for "free" chook food.

The Good Report

I found this at Pardon my Chaos who found it at the GOOD REPORT. It is late at night here, so I have lost track of which day is best to post my Good Report.

1. My daughter planted some cucumbers, tomatoes & capsicums.

2. I may watch Jamie Oliver's American Roadtrip. I was going to post a video but there are no suitable ones available that I can find. I hope I don't mind watching the show, it is on Monday on Ten.

3. It wasn't too hot and dry to do our gardening today.

4. Our jerusalem artichokes are not dead, they are growing quite well.

5. I think everyone is going to school tomorrow, it will be nice as I had one home for three days last week, and it was hectic with two big shopping days

6. I found a purple grannies bonnet that came up by itself in my wheelbarrow. I was looking at the different shades of pink and lilac ones we have last week. Now I have purple. It could have been a seed years old that came from my Mum's house, or just possibly blew in? I don't remember.

Are Black & Gold and other brands really cheaper?

The last couple of times my husband went to the shop to finalise some details on our fortnightly spending, actually one was our afternoon tea, pre shopping day I think, we have a couple of days overlap. He found the biscuits I think, Arnotts cheaper than the cheap ones, and today the Saxa salt was cheaper than the Black & Gold.

So here is the question? If you buy some or all your things plain label, do you check the price or just throw it in the trolley? Do you think they were just hurrying up the older stock because it was a smaller shop than say Coles? Or do you think you just have to be on your toes, as they are getting quite a few cents more out of you if you don't check the price.

Bocktober

What an apt title in some ways. Today was my son's last day of school before the exams. They decided to stay up all night instead, then go to the breakfast at school. My son got home at 4.30. No it didn't look like he had been drinking really. He was able to stay awake and go shopping with me after this breakfast thing. We took advantage of the fact his sister was home except for when she had to go to the hospital and have a bandage dressed.

So I drove to the regional centre, got there feeling like I needed a coffee, but no where near as bad as last time. I had woken each hour to see if he was home and must have given up at some point. We were able to get a formal outfit for him and his sister, plus shoes for him. The formal wear is for the high school graduation. His sister needs possibly shoes at a later date. The other sister has a dress that she made herself. That is good because the race wear, that is formal and in the shops at the moment has dresses at $250? My daughter tried on a yellow dress in kids size that she liked but was too long. I saw a yellow dress in a boutique window shorter and less than half the price of the other ones. Very pretty, but she thinks the thick fabric is a bit nana, and hopes to find a cover up for the front. It has a fabric flower on the front.

In our country there is an ad for Vinnies (op-shop) that says to shop there and outfit yourself for the races for $50. Sign of the times?

We also have needed a sandwich or toastie maker for a long time, and got a spongebob one. I find it hard with him smiling up at me, had to try one out though.

Menu at Last!

Thursday ~ Spaghetti Bolognaise
Friday ~ Mexican Mince
Saturday ~ Pork Mince (Pork Stroganoff)
Sunday ~ (Prosciutto) Lentil & Cannellini Bean Soup
Monday ~ Red Curry Beef & Bok Choy Stir Fry (Mince)
Tuesday ~ Chinese Cabbage & Lamb Stir Fry (Mince)
Wednesday ~ Tuna with mixed bean salad with lemon dressing
Thursday ~ Pork Sausages (Stir Fry Sausages)
Friday ~ Chickpeas with Chorizo & Silverbeet
Saturday ~ Simple Pork Pies with mashed potato (Pork Sausages)
Sunday ~ Zucchini, Tomato & Chilli Rigatoni
Monday ~ Mee Goreng

Simple Justice

Today I was watching a program on TV called Border Security. There was a man being filmed who came from Canada I think. He was questioning being body searched I think because he said he didn't have any drugs on himself. In the end they were going to get a Justice of the Peace to talk to him, because he was doing it for the principle of the thing. After watching it I was wonder really, how many people would do that. I don't think too many. Before I thought maybe some would. I have that tendency myself, so if no one really does it, yikes.

Does justice have anything to do with simple living? The blog Voluntary Simplicity and Social Justice has made that connection.

Here's Where I Am Up To

Making : blog bundles to share (haven't quite finished them)
Cooking : pies, peas & potatoes, hopefully
Drinking : hopefully a cup of tea
Reading: re-reading Tender Grace by Jackina Stark and her discussion questions and blog
Wanting: another book to read
Looking: ahead to buying some things at the real shops
Playing: just sitting on the lawn with my daughter
Wasting: time sitting under the tree at school waiting for the bus instead of reading the notice
Sewing: nothing at the moment
Wishing: for a part time job for our second son
Enjoying: A Golden Gaytime
Waiting: For hubby to come home from the shop
Liking: sitting on the grass in the garden
Wondering: if my husband will have the chance to get his hair cut
Loving: the sound of birds outside all the time, so special
Hoping: for good results on my son's VCE results
Marvelling: at being able to dry things on the line after a puppy and a foggy winter
Needing: to go grocery shopping, plan my menu and pay some bills
Smelling: unfortunately fumes in my car after taking the mower and petrol in it
Wearing: a black t-shirt & jeans
Following: it is very hard to read my reader at such a slow speed, but I tried
Noticing: how the bluebells are finished and there is a first rose on the arch (Renae)
Knowing: Christmas is coming, vaguely
Thinking: about planning some more things, like a trip to the dentist
Feeling: nicer after being in the garden and down the street
Bookmarking: I don't bookmark
Opening: my icecream
Giggling: maybe about the animals that my daughter saw today at the sanctuary
Feeling: Tired

From here