Home Cooking

For the past few weeks we have been using some manufacturered goods in our evening meals. Usually our meals are all homemade. Last night for example we used frozen fish, frozen potato wedges and a homemade salad.

The frozen fish, and about seven pasta sauces and bakes were in hampers I ordered from either Hamper King, Castle or Chrisco to help with the burden of cash over the Christmas period. I wasn't sure earlier on in the year why I ordered this year. Well last pay day I found out. We only bought fresh vegetables and minimal groceries such as toilet paper and a few other things. Of course, you can order these in your hamper too if you wish to.

Last pay I got $800 worth of school books and a power bill, so that was it really. We have been more than fine and have been using these manufactured goods.

I have been enjoying them. I have noticed an increase in heartburn though. I suffered from this badly in pregnancy. My last pregnancy seven years ago. I wonder if I would have had it if we cooked all homemade then?

I have been much healthier lately, minimal eczema, though it could be the fresh air and water as well and the excercise on living on a hill. Though it took awhile, a guess a little at a time. We have lived here five years. The homecooked meals a response to shopping difficulties. I buy out of town and bring an eski but don't buy frozen, unless hubby pops into the shop here which I try to keep to a minimum.

I have had such good luck with the Taste Australia website over a period of time, that I am even considering decluttering some of my cookbooks. My system is still working well. I don't even use a meal planner anymore, just participate in Menu Plan Monday and use Taste. The main books I would keep would be the old Women's Weekly ones, Cookery The Australian Way, the old and new one. My old scrapbook, and a few others just in case.

Most of my usual meals revolve around sausages and vegetables. We have been enjoying chicken lately, but I keep away from it in case I really need some antibiotics to work one day. We also use mince, pork and beef and lamb but it is hard to get only had it once. These are the cheapest for us.

I know sausages are not perfect either. I do love legumes and at the moment am mostly using cans.

If you are using jars as a stepping stone to homecooking, sort of bridging the gap between take away and homecooking I recommend a website Simply Great Meals. They are excellent. They incorporated lots of extra ingredients so you are not just pouring the sauce over the pasta so to speak. Both the sites recipes seem to be adaptable with great success. Taste has a rating system and it is interesting to read the comments on each recipe to see what others have done with it.

Most sausage recipes don't part fry, cut and refry like my husband does. This seems to get rid of the boiled sausage taste.

We were growing our own herbs, and this helps. Some are at our new house, but unless we need thyme or sage, everything else is here, like rosemary and oregano which don't need much water. We hardly water here.

I do recommend having a few spices like tumeric in the pantry.

The people on Jamie's Ministry of Food seemed to have little trouble learning once they had a go. The other thing I noticed on his shows was the difficulty some had shopping for ingredients. I am not sure if anyone has any tips for learning vegetable names or finding things in shelves. If you have a ds game consider the cooking games for them, including the one by Jamie Oliver.



Utensil/Baking I