Frugality, Anticipation and Other Musings

My long-time blogging friend Kate is posting every day in June, sharing her tips for living frugally.  It's a joy, for me, to hear from her again after a long hiatus.  Make sure you pop over and see what she's sharing - so far I've been nodding my head saying "yes, been there, experienced that...." and cheering her on.  She's a wise lady. 

My own desire to live frugally, these days, is probably more centred around not wanting to be wasteful and to be a good steward of the resources we are blessed with.  It's a constant challenge and tension when you have a family and someone always needs something.

What's your motivation for living ... resourcefully?

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I feel like I am poised to dive head-first into the unknown!  Tomorrow I begin a 3 week block of teaching rounds at a school my children attended eight years ago.  I'm looking forward to it but as you can imagine there are bundles of nerves to contend with.  Especially at 3am when I have been awoken by the evils of consuming sugar after dinner.  NOT doing that tonight!!!  I truly am excited more than nervous, but there's still that element of the unknown that can't be overcome until I actually get there.  And on top of that one of my little students is nervous about someone else coming to work with him instead of me.  I feel for him.  I feel for the lady who will be with him because he's going to be a challenge.  I reassure myself that God knew this would happen when He prompted me to do my teacher training.

Our senior pastor talked last week about the privilege of raising children and talked about "raising up the next generation".  That's a theme I'm taking along with me throughout the next 3 weeks.

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I've been a bit infatuated with baked ricotta for the last couple of weeks.  My chives have finally succumbed to the beginnings of winter and put themselves to bed so I had nothing to flavour my ricotta with.  Last week I just made it without any adornment whatsoever and ended up pouring a little maple syrup over little warm muffin-sized puffs straight from the oven.  Oh. My.  Who needs chives?  My Woolworths has a beautiful fresh ricotta sold in 1kg packages in the fancy-cheese fridge section so guess what is cooling on my bench now?  Yep - a whole kg worth of baked ricotta ready for some weekday lunches.  With maple syrup.

Monday Menus and Other Happenings

In the midst of challenging days at work and the stress of finishing up assignments for the end-of-semester frenzy at Uni I have had a very exciting day.

My final assignment has been submitted.  I finally have a school at which to do my 3 week block of teaching rounds.  It came through today - I start on Monday.  Talk about last minute stress!  The most hilarious part is that I'll be at the last school my girls attended some eight long years ago.  My how we've changed and grown since we left that little community!

Next week's menu will probably include more miracle meals.  You know, the ones that appear on the table in the blink of an eye...or not too long past that.  I'll be working full time so I expect to be quite tired in a happy kind of way.  But for this week, we're just enjoying our current 'normal'.

Monday:  Sweet & sour pork meatballs, vegies, rice (a swap from last week)
Tuesday:  Ricotta fritters, vegies
Wednesday:  Meatloaf, vegies
Thursday:  Potato gnocchi & mushrooms
Friday:  African style drumsticks, vegies
Saturday:  Garlic & Verjuice chicken, vegies
Sunday:  Tomato soup & English muffin pizzas

There you have it - meals all planned.  No Uni to do tonight so tomorrow's inevitable shenanigans will be preceded by a relaxing evening in front of the TV.  'Packed to the Rafters' anyone?

Menu Planning for the week ahead

One of the things I've enjoyed about a lighter semester load at Uni and less hours at work is time to cook and spend time with the family most evenings in an almost normal kind of way.  I'm bracing myself for the onslaught of 4 units again next semester!!  I was supermarket shopping with Mr Busy this afternoon after school and came across a Super Food Ideas edition with some bulk cooking recipes inside.  I thought perhaps I should browse and plan to get myself organised, especially with a trip to Costco hopefully in a few days.  I'm a little reluctant to stock up on freezer items in a big way because I'm never certain our electricity will be reliable.  Take Easter for example.  The power went off on Friday or Saturday and by the time we arrived home the freezer was warm.  I had to throw everything out!  The problem was as much a fault with our safety switch as it was about the power supply.  Hopefully we've had that problem sorted out now.

In the meantime I'm getting around to being inspired about meal planning, after being in a bit of a rut.  SFI, Steph's Country Kitchen and some renewed Nigella enthusiasm might just see me through.

Monday:  Honey mustard chicken, vegies
Tuesday:   Chicken, bacon & mushroom pot pies, vegies (Nigella Express, p.175)
Wednesday:  Captain Crunch Chicken, vegies
Thursday:  Sweet & sour pork, rice
Friday:  Tuna & Rice
Saturday:  Vegetable soup, bread & butter
Sunday:  Toasted sandwiches

Some notes:
*  We don't get 'Captain Crunch' cereal here so I'll just use more cornflakes than the recipe indicates.
*  Saturday & Sunday's lack-lustre meals are a result of birthday parties for my nieces and nephew.  We won't need anymore food!

One a semi-side note, I tried something new today.  Quinoa.  I'd never had it before but I've heard wonderful things about this little seed that impersonates a grain.  I cooked my quinoa in chicken stock (just powdered) and then mixed it with sauted red onion, toasted pinenuts, roasted red capsicum, sultanas and a little cumin.  The kids all had a little taste and were impressed.  Even Mr Busy who is a little wary of the unfamiliar.  The half cup of quinoa that I cooked was enough for 3 lunch-sized meals.  Each of the other ingredients were in about equal portions consistent with the amount of red onion....a fist-full of each.  I think quinoa might become my new rice.

Weekend Catch Up

It's been a whirlwhind few days.  I was all set to head off into the city yesterday morning for a PD (aka professional development).  I hopped in my car and turned the key.  Nothing.  Zip.  Not a sound.  My battery was completely, unexplainably and without any warning dead.  The kids were unceremoniously bundled into the car some 15 minutes before they expected to be and Dh whisked me off to the train station.  So not the leisurely drive in to the city I'd planned to have.  A whole hour (and probably more) in my own little head space pondering the world.   Anyway, I got there just in time and learnt heaps.  By the time I got home Dh had had my towed just up the road and had the battery replaced, the transmission repaired and the seal on one of the passenger doors glued back into place.  Definitely my hero.  Oh my goodness - the transmission is so light and smooth now.  And I can start the car in Park.  I didn't realise how much I missed being able to do that!!!!  I almost feel like I have a new car.

I feel like I've had my first real experience of running teenagers around.  Miss Mischief has decided to get involved in Kids Church on a Sunday morning.  A direct result of a spur-of-the-moment prayer that went something like "if you want me to do something please get someone to come up to me".  Bold prayer when you don't really know anyone at church.  And would you believe the next day the Kids Church lady came up and asked if the girls would like to get involved?  I laughed when Miss Mischief told me this the other night.  I told her you never pray prayers like that unless you mean them.  And she did.  Mean it, I mean.  Anyway, I earned good parent and bad parent points all in one night.  I dropped her off for training on Thursday evening....and then almost forgot to pick her up.  I was late.  Very late.  Very not like me!  But we'd been distracted by the unexpected coming's and going's for a couple of Dh's family members.  And last night we had to keep ourselves awake and remember to go and pick her up from church.  The youth were all whisked off to a youth event in the suburbs and returned back at church at a time when I'm normally going to bed....and to my knowledge she's still asleep.  Apparently this is what teenagers do.  Stay out late, sleep in the next day.  It's a new experience for us.

And now I'm avoiding an assignment that needs writing.  I really want it done this week so I can focus on studying for an exam.  I hate exams - give me a written assignment any day.  It may take longer but I do much better.

The rest of the weekend?  Dh's going to burn off a pile of stuff he dumped at a friend's property....and dinner with them.  Perhaps lunch with church/school friends on Sunday....studying.  And as Frances posted "cleaning. Maybe cleaning. Probably not cleaning."  I can so relate!!!!  Frances has also inspired me to start walking again.  Stories of her neighbourhood and gardens got me out the door this morning, sans dog.  We don't have a dog.  But I even enjoyed the light misty almost-rain as I walked.

The Winds of Change

Do you fear change? 

The women's ministry structure and program in my church is changing.  I don't think the changes are enormous, but then I've not been involved until just this term.  I think the future plans sound great.  But I've nothing to compare them to.  The ladies who have enjoyed the ministry over a number of years, however, are struggling with the changes.

I learnt something about myself this morning.  I'm not terribly afraid of change.  Not at the moment, anyway.  We've made big changes over the years,  as a family.  Sometimes those changes brought a season of pain and sometimes the changes have been because of pain.  I remember at one point really fighting with God about what I thought I wanted for my life and being put out that I was being pushed to be in a place I didn't think I wanted to be.  Surprisingly those changes have brought about a great outpouring of blessing in our lives.  If I'd clung stubbornly to what I wanted we wouldn't be where we are now, geographically, mentally, physically....spiritually.

My heart ached for the women, this morning, who are obviously grieving and don't want to embrace the changes yet.  They underestimate the power of their own stories and ability to share in a way that speaks into other's lives.  And to receive what others may have to speak into their lives.  I can't wait to see how things are in 12 months time and see how they are able to overcome their grief and move on to the new adventure set before them.

Change is hard, but when we walk in the path God sets before us we don't need to fear.  We just need to trust and claim God's promises for His blessing on our lives.  It's a choice we need to make.

Recipe: Ricotta Fritters

Image from backyardpizzeria.blogspot.com.au

Someone commented last week asking for the recipe for my ricotta fritters.  You won't be surprised to know that in my hands the recipe has altered somewhat.  Oh, the basic recipe remains the same, but the original recipe calls for 2 cups of fresh herbs.  My family are not herb lovers.  These days I put a handful of chives in.  Or none at all.  And true to their anti-herb tastes, my family prefers the herb-free version.  Me?  I love fresh herbs, so as long as I have chives growing and there is no rain that's what they get.  They love rainy days when ricotta fritters are on the menu because I won't go out to get the chives!

The other alteration I make is that I flatten these into patties and shallow fry them in a non-stick pan.  And I would stress here that your pan really needs to be non stick.  Otherwise you'll have trouble turning them.  I made about 15 fritters the other night so I had some leftovers for lunch yesterday.  Yum.

Herbed Ricotta Fritters

500g fresh ricotta cheese

2 egg yolks (I use 1 whole egg)

1/2 cup self0raising flour

2 cups mixed fresh herbs, chopped

(eg flat-leaf parsley, oregano, rosemary, chives)

150g parmesan cheese, finely grated

vegetable oil for shallow frying

1. Place ricotta in a sieve over a medium bowl.  Cover and refierate for 1 hour to allow excess moisture to drain from ricotta (I skip this step).  Drain, wash and dry bowl.  Spoon ricotta into the bowl.  Add egg yolks.  Mix until well combined.  Add flour, herbs and 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir until well combined.
2. Preheat oven to 160C.  Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Using 1 heaped talbespoon of mixture per fritter, cook fritters in batches of 4, turning often with a metal spoon, for 3 minutes or until golden**.  Transfer to a wire rack over a baking tray.  Keep warm in oven while cooking the remaining fritters.
3. Place fritters on a plate.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Serve.

**I use my regular non-stick frypan with a liberal covering of oil across the base.  The whole batch fits in my pan so I don't have to cook in batches or keep them warm in the oven.

Enjoy!

Recipe source:  Super Food Ideas, April 2007

Monday Menu Planning

After a weekend of celebration upon celebration life has returned to normal: work, homework, assignments, preparing meals, a bit of cleaning here and there, bedrooms that need straightening.  I'm sure your 'normal' is not so far different from mine on many fronts.

Mr Busy enjoyed his birthday on Saturday, with Yum Cha for lunch and party food for dinner.  Our tradition is that the children get to choose what they want to do for dinner.  I enjoyed Mother's Day, perhaps truly for the first time in 12 years.  The last Mother's Day I enjoyed as much I was in hospital with a two day old baby boy.  Generally, it's not been my favourite day.  Probably because there's quite a gap between my expectations and my actual experiences.  I forbade the children from buying gifts at the mother's day stall at school and begged them not to give me breakfast in bed.  As a result I received simple, but meaningful gifts and a breakfast with digestive recovery in mind (Yum Cha is quite filling!).  My toast was hot and my tea was perfect.

This morning I got some menu planning in before we set off for the day...and some assignment writing, but that's not terribly useful to anyone but me!

So here we go:

Monday:  Minestrone, toasted Turkish bread & butter
Tuesday:  Ricotta fritters, vegies
Wednesday: Creamy mushroom & bacon pasta
Thursday:  Oven fried chicken, vegies
Friday:  Freezer meal
Saturday:  Lasagna
Sunday:  Tomato soup, English muffin pizzas

For inspiration this morning I delved back into the internet archive "Way Back Machine" and fossicked about in Steph's Country Kitchen Goodness website archives.  The next week or so might see some of those recipes appearing.  And I need to dig through my Nigella and Maggie Beer books for inspiration too.  I hate it when our meals feel rut-like.

How do you celebrate things like birthdays and Mother's Day?  Did you feel special and spoilt on Sunday?