Frugal Tasks

Last night I made yoghurt for the first time. Which was pretty nice of me considering that I hate the stuff.
K however loves it and it is very expensive here in our local shop. Close to twice the price I would pay in Darwin. So I bought a EASIYO system for $16 and a couple of  sachets of mix to get me started. Buying the sachets is half the cost of yoghurt at our local shop. But I found directions for how to make yoghurt from scratch in an easiyo yogurt maker  so that will bring the cost per kg down to less than $2. K can experiment with flavours for himself.



My first batch of yoghurt. Berry flavoured EASIYO mix.

 

 K needs to keep his salt intake down. So we have always  bought low salt butter spread. There is no such thing in the local supermarket so this is another of things we have to do a 200 km round trip to buy.
My daughter makes spreadable butter for her family and taught me how in the summer this year. I love it because I can make a small batch each week. No-salt butter, water and oil, I use olive oil, and whiz it up until smooth. This also works for me because my stick-blender runs on the battery and inverter so I can do this even if we are travelling. I make just enough to fit in a reused Lurpack butter container.  This is one of K's special foods that I like as well.


Ingredients for homemade salt-free butter and olive oil spread.
100gms salt free butter, 50 mls water, 50 mls olive oil

 

Another frugal thing I did today was to prepare sticky lamb ribs. Every year before we come back to the NT for work we fill up the fridge freezers with a lamb that our daughter and son-in-law have grown on their NSW farm. Great meat and really cheap. Lamb costs the proverbial arm and leg here.  This is beef country thank you very much!
Using lamb ribs from the camp freezer, the ends of bottles of tomato sauce (ketchup) and chutney, and a few teaspoons of a gluten free spice mix these ribs will spend an hour in the BBQ oven . With Potatoes baked along side, a salad and a glass of red. Not bad for a caravan dinner.

Sticky lamb ribs
Lamb ribs, tomato ketchup and gluten free hot spice mix.
 

And I did the washing in the twin tub and hung it on the caravan line.

Coffee and a book now.

Cheers Sue
A Ferg on the Move



















Salt and sugar free Tuscan Spice mix

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Tuscan spice mix ingredients

The commercial bottles of spice mixes include salt and sugar, both of which we try to keep out of our diet where we can.  Some also have rice flower to absorb moisture and bulk out the mix.

So today I am making Tuscan Spice Mix.
I three quarters fill the bottle with equal amounts of dried rosemary and parsley and then top up with dried garlic to almost full. Then I add ground peppercorn to the very top, screw on the lid and shake to mix. These proportions work for us but if you look at the ingredients list on a commercial spice mix there should be percentages of each ingredient. Mine is heavier on garlic and rosemary than the bought one.

Without salt the mix will not keep indefinitely so I sometimes make only half a  bottle. We reuse the original commercial bottle which has the label on it already.


Now I can make Tuscan Chicken and Rice for dinner in my mini 1.5ltr crock pot.

 

Mini 1.5 ltr slow cooker ideal for small space
 

250g chicken thighs skinned
1 teaspoon Tuscan Seasoning
1/4 cup water
vegies of choice - today mushrooms and tomatoes




I just put it all in on low for the day and half an hour before eating add a bit of cream and mustard. If the sauce is thin I mix a bit a thickening into the cream and mustard. Serve with rice, mash or noodles. Low salt and yum.




Cheers Sue
A Ferg on the Road