Friday, June 15, 2007

Day 15, the midway point! (a post mainly in dot points)

Bought today:

* Yoghurt (bio dynamic. I want to try making my own and have been recommended the
Easiyo maker as a good simple way to keep it warm while it does its thing. V says she's seen one at Vinnies for $2 in the past. I'll have to put it on my list for when I allow myself back into op shops)
* Yeast (I want to try making bread this weekend...)
* Bread Improver (not sure if this was a complete waste of money but since I've looked in three places for "Bread Flour" without success I thought I could add this to my ordinary flour and achieve the same result...)
* Green pepper (I should have saved some from last night but forgot)

* 2 lots of postage to Melbourne (the wristwarmers and the shoebags): $8.85. Yeah I know it doesn't come under the heading Essential Groceries but a) I'm at the halfway point so I figured I'd have a "Jubilee Moment", b) I'm sick of having them both hanging round here and would prefer to get them on their way and c) Buying stamps really isn't buying stuff is it?

Total spent: $20.10

Today's Menu:

Breakfast: Cup of tea, the last crumpets from the freezer with ginger lemon & lime marmalade, yoghurt.

Morning tea: Red chili dip from last night with crackers

Lunch: Tofu chili pizza (there goes the last of the tomato paste and the last pizza base) with tomato, cucumber and corn salad (also from last night)

(Here's the ubiquitous daily home made food picture)


Afternoon tea: Dark chocolate and an apple

Dinner: Left over
Cream of carrot soup. Crackers and cheese from last night.

Finished today:

* Crumpets (I've found a recipe! I'll try making my own this weekend!)
* Pizza bases (definitely not replaceable)
* Tomato paste (still thinking about this)

Things I'm missing:

* Going to the newsagents to see what new magazines they have for me. I popped in today for a couple of deep breaths of new magazine smell (and to remind them that I won't be picking anything up this month. Is it cheating to have them hold my mags until July 1 then pick them all up and have a magfest?)
* Op shops (although not as badly as I had thought I might)
* The thought that I could if I wanted do all sorts of things. Go for drinks at The Hyatt. Pick up a Turkish Pide for dinner when I'm sick of the sight of my own cooking. Buy that new CD that I've been wanting. See a show. Go to a gig. Buy a fabulous outfit. Piss off somewhere.

Of course I know that I probably wouldn't do any of those things (except maybe the CD) if I wasn't on a fast but to know that I can't makes them suddenly so much more alluring...

Although I'm approaching it like I approach being a (fish eating) vegetarian. I can eat meat any time if I really want to. Therefore I don't. Ditto this Fiscal Fast. It's self inflicted and so I could, any day I want, say "Bugger this for a joke", blow the cobwebs off the Visa card and head for the mall. But knowing I could stops me from doing it.

I'm finding it interesting seeing what I miss, what I don't and how, in such a short period of time, my attitudes have changed. Doubly interesting will be seeing what happens on July 1st.

And now I'm off to curl up on the couch with a video from my vast selection. And some leftovers.

Total spent since 1 June: $105.08

5 comments :

sara said...

You know, when I first started baking bread, I couldn't find bread flour either, and I thought that was why my bread wasn't great...but I found a different recipe, gave that a try, and turns out my regular plain flour was just fine. Maybe switching up the recipes? Anyway, hope the improver works.

Denise said...

At the risk of being a pest, and just in case you didn't see what I posted to you on Taph's Blog (no reason why you should have seen it, really) :

Don't buy a yoghurt maker, you can do it yourself in your oven and with a few large glass jars. Try this recipe - I've had good success with it. One trick is to make sure you leave the yoghurt to sit in the fridge for another 8-10 hours after it's come out of the oven.

This site has lots of photos and instructions too - but you don't have to have a gas oven as she claims.

Taphophile said...

The magazine thing is kind of cheating, but who am I to judge - I'll be buying Interweave Knits if the newsagent ever gets it in and there's a book at Academic Remainders that will be coming home with me tomorrow.

SnB in Civic tomorrow if you're up for it. :)

AMCSviatko said...

Jejune - not a pest at all - I missed your comment on Taph's blog. I followed the link and the recipe says I need even MORE stuff (thermometer - actually I might have one somewhere already - wide mouth thermoses and milk powder)

Taph - you're right but I figured what's the difference between the subscription ones that keep dropping into my post box and holding them at the newsagents.

Can I come and watch you buy a book? ;-P

Anonymous said...

I've seen the Lauke bread flour at Coles Gungahlin.

And Hackett Shops has the yogurt makers. I bought one but haven't used it yet.....