Puzzle or two.

The grand kids are now growing up with a 4th on the way and we are going through toys, games and puzzles at an alarming rate, they get bored of the same pictures.

I decided to expand upon my previous paddlepop stick puzzle using a printed image with something new, simple drawings of shapes with a felt tipped pen. Anytime the mood for a puzzle changes I can either go back to using a printed image or write numbers or the alphabet or whatever takes my fancy. His or her name.

I also made a matching or what we call a ‘same same’ game. I laminated shapes in this case flowers and a star onto a sheet of cardstock. I laminated the exact same flowers and a star as themselves and cut out around them. This gives me the shapes to lay on their matching partners. Do you have to laminate them, no but make sure they are on a thicker cardboard like cereal box thickness.

As times and tastes change the same same game can change as well. These are pretty simple easy to make out of scraps or things around the house.  It can be as simple or as complicated at you like.

 

Freezer Storage

I was over at my mother in laws the other week and I noticed a couple of these containers (see pic below) sitting in the sink. As a throw away comment I just said,  you’ve been laying the marg on thick to be going through a couple of containers at a time or have you been cooking up a storm?

Her reply was, no I use them as my freezer meal containers, that one’s spaghetti bolognaise for Roger and that one is shepards pie for me I’ll cook up some vegetables to go with it.

I thought that was a really good idea as they only have a small freezer and these containers stack well and are the correct portion size for them. Easily replaced if broken.

Her hints are to label well. If your food does not fully take up the container press a bit of cling wrap on top of the food.

Don’t put containers in the microwave, they are easy to run under some hot water, invert and pop out the food into a suitable heating container if not defrosted.

Yay mum in law!

Use what works for you.

TVP – Textured Vegetable Protein

No particular reason for this brand except that it was $2 at my local grocery. I’m not vegan nor vegetarian. This is based on soy.

I decided to give TVP a try simply because at the moment fresh vegetables and meat is  getting quite  expensive and I wanted not exactly a total alternative to meat but a way to bulk it out and still keep the meal filling.

Things I learnt and what I did to make my meal below.

TVP needs to be hydrated and it needs flavour. I used equal amounts of hot stock (using a cube) and TVP in a bowl, let sit for 5 mins or so giving it a stir and covered.

While that was sitting I made my spaghetti bolognaise as per usual but only putting about 1/4  the amount of beef mince in. When all was ready and gently simmering I mixed in the hydrated TVP and let simmer for as long as able to absorb all the flavours.

My hubby didn’t notice anything amiss so I’m guessing that this meal was ok and served with garlic bread as usual.

Will I use again, yes.

I think for the moment I will keep it to meals with sauces like spaghetti sauce, lasagne, taco, burritos or maybe my next try will be as a savoury mince.

From what I can gather there is a different way to prepare  the TVP, different stock to TVP ratios for things like rissoles, meatballs, hamburgers, meatloaf etc.

For now I think I’m happy with how it’s going. My meat to TVP ratio will probably change as time goes by.

Let me know if you’ve given textured vegetable protein a go.

Frozen vegetables

I always have frozen corn niblets and peas in my freezer to me they are a life saver. I do buy them fresh when in season sometimes but mostly these are my go to frozen veges.
I do also have frozen broccoli and cauliflower in my stash but I mainly use these for soups, casseroles or vegetable bakes.

I have to say that after the recent floods/petrol hikes and COVID and the lack of availability of fresh items or the dollars being charged to buy my favourite items I’m doing a bit of a rethink on my frozen vegetable usage.

Trying to keep the frozen broccoli and cauliflower in the best eating condition I’ve found that you need to steam them in stove top steamerpot/insert and cook them to just al dente or they go mush when serving. The best outcome for all I think is to steam to serve, and if they are a little overcooked I’ve found grated cheese, white sauce  or gravy over the top hides a few of those serving sins lol.

Have you had to rethink they way you buy your groceries, green or otherwise?

My fresh vege I always try to shop local but sometimes that’s just not possible.

Bulk

 

Bulk - Vanilla cake mix

1 large mix to store in the pantry to make into cakes. Like a packet/box mix but in bulk.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings: 3 Approx full cakes.
Course: Cakes, Slices & Breads
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 800 Grams Plain flour
  • 750 Grams Caster Sugar
  • 45 Grams Baking powder
  • 5 Grams Bi Carbonate of soda
  • 5 Grams Salt
  • 35 Grams Corn flour

Method
 

  1. Place all the dry ingredients excluding sugar into a bowl. Sift. (I sifted all into one bowl then sifted into a second bowl until all was combined as it was easier to handle). Add sugar and mix through.
  2. This dry mix will last as long as the shortest date on your ingredients. Take note and date your storage container. Label with the below wet ingredients to make the cake. Store in the pantry.
  3. ***To make a cake for a 21cm round cake tin.***
  4. 400 grams dry cake mix.
    2 eggs (medium).
    3 tablespoons softened butter.
    2/3 cup milk.
    1 teaspoon vanilla.
  5. Pre heat oven to 180°C
  6. Place dry cake mix into a bowl adding softened butter.
  7. Mix milk, vanilla and eggs into a small bowl and beat.
  8. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. (By hand or mix master.)
  9. Pour the cake batter into a lined cake tin and bake for approx 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
  10. Cool on a wire rack. Ice
  11. Store in a sealed container for approx 3 days in the the pantry

Notes

If you go through a lot of cakes and wish to make a bigger dry mix just double the ingredients listed.
I say approx in how many cakes it makes because sometimes I make a 1 1/2 amount of cake mix to make a larger cake in a big tray.
My mum likes a smaller cake so I halve the dry and wet ingredients for her much smaller tin.
1 single batch makes about 8-10 cup cakes.
Yes you can freeze the completed cooked cake.
Because I make variations on the amount of cake mix used so far I've not finished the bulk mix in an even amount. I just make up more and add the old to the new.
Yes you can add choc chips or coconut or dried fruit etc, treat this mix like the average packet/box mix.
Any questions I'm happy to answer them.
 

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