Powerful Prose

Emily, over at Remodeling this Life, has written another powerful piece about her moves forward to create the life she aspires to.

I loved it - and hope you will take the time to visit and read - well worth it - cheers le

The frans are found objects from my morning walk - see what Emily says about fresh flowers in her post.

Soon I will post at the Third about the simple pleasures of my walks in the hood ... stay tuned.

Modish Me - Yes Please

Wow Weee .... words hardly adequate to describe the November give away at Modish - go here.

I am so loving this site - indie producers and hand made treasures abound.

I have spent way to long browsing and looking and compiling mental 'would love' lists in my head ....

So go have a peek if you feel like Christmas should come early - cheers le

Frugal Falcon Ware

At the time of the Christmas dress purchase I also found these.

Royal Falcon Ware, five plates - smaller than mains, entree size maybe - for $10. Made in England, cira 1930-50s I think.

I understand I could have gone to Target and done more with my dollars. But I like the sense of recycling someone's treasures.

I like the wee step back in history too. And to be honest I just love the motif - the black outline flowers with two shades of green, yellow and the touch of orange red in the centre of the flowers.

The size is perfect for our dinner portions too.

These plates give me a mild sense of occasion which I enjoy. Reminds me of Sunday lunch at my nana's place.

So I think it is a win-win. I have lovely plates that work for us, at $2.00 a pop that has to be a frugal amount for the sense of joy they bring me. Money well spent yes.

Anyone else own any Falcon Ware, or hand me down china ... if so lucky you :) Le

Red Velvet for Le

So one of the ways to save the dollars and slow down at the same time is to home bake. Hence my persistence with the scottish fudge.

We have gluten free, sugar free children and MIC is a GF zone too, so my baking is limited.

One cake I have always wanted to try is the US Red Velvet. I don't know the history - yet - I will google it before I put this post to bed - but I am thinking for some reason it is from the south.

So I put the call out to good buddy BJ - the divine Texas blogger from Don't Overthink It, and she came back with this ... so give it a bash and tell me how it goes ... I will put it thru the le test kitchen next time I need a gluten full baked item. Thanks BJ :)

FROM THE SOUTHWEST AIRLINES COOKBOOK:

1/2 C. BUTTER

4 T. COCOA

1/2 C. SHORTENING

1 C. BUTTERMILK

2 C. SUGAR

1 TSP. VANILLA

4 EGGS

4 T. RED FOOD COLORING

2 1/2 C. ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

1 TSP. BAKING SODA

1/4 TSP. SALT

OVEN 350.

GREASE AND FLOUR THREE 9" CAKE PANS.

CREAM BUTTER, SHORTENING, AND SUGAR. ADD EGGS, ONE AT A TIME, ADD BUTTERMILK.

COMBINE FLOUR, SODA, SALT AND COCOA, GRADUALLY ADD FOOD COLORING BLEND WELL.

POUR INTO PANS AND BAKE 25 MINS.

COOL AND FROST.

FROSTING

16 OZ. POWDERED SUGAR

4 T. WHIPPING CREAM

1 C. MARGARINE

1 TSP VANILLA

1 TSP. RED FOOD COLORING

1/2 CUP SHREDDED COCONUT (OPTIONAL)

BLEND SUGAR, MARGARINE, VANILLA AND CREAM UNTIL SMOOTH.

FROST LAYERS AND ASSEMBLE, TINT COCONUT WITH FOOD COLORING AND SPRINKLE OVER THE TOP.

PUT ON THE COUNTER SO EVERYONE CAN SEE IT AND OOHH AND AHHH AND SAY WHAT A GREAT COOKER YOU ARE. SEND ME A PIECE

Thanks BJ - you are a gem :)

And here is the history lesson and pic ... adapted from here.

Sometimes it is hard to trace a recipe's origin. Take the Red Velvet Cake. There are many theories; some say it comes from the South, others say it originated in the North. But in actual fact all we really know is that it has been a favorite for decades, not only in the States but also in Canada. It is a very dramatic looking cake with its unusual bright red color that is sharply contrasted by a creamy white frosting. A Red Velvet Cake is really a Devil's Food Cake that has red food coloring added to it. John Mariani tells us in his book "The Dictionary of American Food and Drink" that the name 'Devil's Food Cake' is so called "because it is supposedly so rich and delicious that it must, to a moralist, be somewhat sinful."

If we look beyond the striking appearance of this cake, we will find that it has a mild chocolate
flavor with a moist and tender crumb. The mild chocolate flavor comes from adding a small amount of cocoa powder to the batter and the moist and tender crumb is obtained by adding buttermilk. If you are not familiar with buttermilk it has a nice thick creamy texture with a rich tangy buttery taste that makes baked goods tender. Whereas in the past buttermilk was made from the liquid left over after churning butter, it is now commercially made by adding a bacteria to whole, skim, or low fat milk. You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, or lemon juice to 1 cup (240 ml) of milk. Let this mixture stand 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Fudge Follow Up

So some time back I wrote about a delightful Scottish tablet fudge. I was inspired by Alison from Before Our Time to give it a go.

Well first time thru I made caramel sauce. I froze it and ate it spoonful by spoonful as my mid afternoon 'pick me up'. Very frugal of me ...

So I went into battle with the Scots again and made a better effort of it this time.

I had thought the err in my ways was insufficient 'rapid boil time'. I was right. I am victorious. I have seen, I have made, I have ate, I have none left even for a photo .... you see it was a 'test batch'. And I tested it good and proper ...

So now - on the next child free Wednesday I will make the batch for xmas pressies for my hand made gift swap with the school girlies ... I am the Queen of the Scots - they were always frugal yes ..... :) Le

Simple Beach Story

Emily is one of my fav simple life, frugal bloggers. She was part of the inspiration for me to rethink parts of my life.




Today she writes of a family beach outing that to me typifies a simple life encapsulated into actions that any of us can emulate -hows that for a series of big words (just for M) - so if you like go here and read it for yourself.

Cheers Le

Picture courtesy of Free Nature Pictures - thanks

Marketing in a Frugal World

When seduction is replaced by coupons is it time to throw out the satin naughty nightie and find the cotton pjs ? Just for the record MIC and I tend to be nudie sleepers .... it's a skin thing for him and a less washing thing for me.

The New York Times tells me seduction is out, coupons are in. Read the full story here.

I loved the thought, expressed here, that marketers now have to focus on the value story over those whimsical, aspirational product 'qualities' that really amount to very little in a tangible sense. So now maybe we will have to sell the sausage and not focus solely on the sizzle.

..... “marketers were hesitant to bring up value overtly because they were worried about it diluting the aspirational aspect of the product,” .... but now they “have to try something, because nothing else is really working.” OUCH !

The article went on to say .....

... in October. Almost every chain, from purveyors of haute couture to practitioners of the philosophy of piling it high and selling it cheaply, suffered percentage declines that reached double digits.

And gave examples of high end perfumes, furs etc now being either discounted or coupon-a-fied. I think the States are much more 'coupon literate' than we are here in Australia. But we are getting the hang of it, my mum for one is a bit of a shopper docket queen.

Where are you on the coupon front ? I am willing to snip and save for sure ! Le

Ps while not bought with a coupon this wee bag was found during the same excursion that secured my Christmas dress. It will now wait till March and be given to First Born's best friend at birthday time.

Frugal Third

Pop on over to my home Third on the Right and enter your wee selves in the great Aussies creative giveaway ...

Open to the whole blogger world - not just Aussies - this wee give away aims to showcase some delightful talent in the lead up to Christmas.

And who knows scoring a give away gift is a very nice way to start the silly season ... and frugal at the same time :)

Oh and if you don't win all the give aways are nicely priced to fit in a frugal budget. My best Le

Recessionista - are you one ... Michelle is

I was never a fashionista ... but I do smile at the tag of recessionista.

One, because I like new words that reflect social and cultural change. Two, because I can feel a tee shirt slogan coming on ....

There is even a blog, authored by Mary Hall called http://www.therecessionista.blogspot.com/.

Started to chronicle Mary's cheap and chic choices, she now tells me the first lady elect is a recessionista ... go here and you be the judge.

So bring on your own inner recessionista - if it is good enough for the first lady, it is good enough for me :)

Tis the season to be merry ....

So around this time of year I usually look for a Christmas dress.

Something to wear on xmas day and new years day.

And here it is .... DB and I paid a visit to a local Lifeline shop and now I have my dress. We were just popping in for a quick look see and look what I saw. Pretty eh.

And a pretty price too - $7.50.

Now before anyone says I could have gone to a factory outlet and bought for a similar dollar value, let me add for me, part of the joy of thrift shopping is knowing the dollars I leave behind serve a greater purpose.

I love the grandma volunteers, I love the hit and miss nature of what you find.

I love that we also walk out with a $2.50 nude barbie with hair down to her ankles, a wee girls bag and a brand new pair of shorts for DB at $3.00. I love that here small change can make a difference.

It's all good :) le

ps I am officially a recessionista ....

Frugal Family

So yesterday I 'took a meeting' in the city. It was weird to be taking it when no one was paying me to take it.


On the way back to the bus I passed a lovely florist. Right out front in the 'see me see me Le' spot was a huge basket of wonderful sweet peas. My fav flower from memory lane, my grand-dad grew them.


Ohhhh I am thinking, I should grab me a bunch of those. Hmmm $10.00, well no. First Born has Christmas Theatre on Friday and that is $5.00. So no, no sweet peas for Le.


No worries. I am fine with a small amount of self - denial.


So I go home, go about my day and only once or twice think of the sweet peas.


Then after swimming with First Born - a whole nother world of pain and angst - we go to pick up Darling Boy from Nana's.


And look what greets me at the door, DB resplendent in floral blooms from Nan's garden. Oh, my heart melts. who needs a florist when I have my mum and DB .


And the love and care that went into these bunches was in plain view to see.

And I still have my $10.00, well I did until I went to the thrift shop this morning ..... stay tuned .... will post soon. Le

So what goes, what stays ...

With the news of economic gloom and doom, and our own downsizing and newly voiced frugal-ness, we are now contemplating 'what stays and what goes'. MIC thinks my take out coffees should go ... I think his er um er - I don't know I'll think of something should go.

I can tell you what has gone with my increased blog awareness and that is buying and reading magazines. I now have my fill here on line and seem to love it more each day as I discover the depth of the talent pool.

Judith Timosn from the Globe has had similar musings .... Read here for the full article.

She wonders if frugal is the new chic or just about being in control. Personally I think it is a control issue - or lack of self control maybe ... that has led 'the world' to this place.

Judith says ..."I spent the next day asking friends what they were cutting back on, and realized that what we're willing to go without, and what we deem mandatory, says something about us.

Most said restaurant meals, many said upscale coffee. I wouldn't shed a tear if I never went into a Starbucks again, but others swear their daily latte is just the little $5 luxury they need to feel good about life. And think about the poor baristas!

We all have expenses others would sniff at as luxuries, but that we deem vital to our emotional or physical well-being.

I refuse, for now, to give up buying fresh flowers for the house (a $20 outlay can keep me happy for more than a week) or my Pilates class ($15). Or books and magazines. Or theatre. Or even going out to movies, an outing that has become so lamentably expensive I'm always surprised when the cinemas are full. But I think that's how movies should be seen, with your fellow citizens, as part of the culture."

So what will you apply frugality to, will you make do with less to stretch the dollar ... is the coffee safe while the credit card expands .... is it in the dollars or the cents that we make the difference .... just wondering .... Le

Go see the girls

Want to be Quince for the Day ... My fav part of this posting is the neighbourly context of sharing the seasonal produce - nice one Megan - cheers le

Hand Made Bris Stye

Fitting into what I see as a buy handmade genre is this little gem of a co-op.

And better still in a frugal sense, they are having a wee giveaway featuring items from the talented bunch of artists themselves.

Open to all - international bloggers too - so pop on over and say cold peas sent you - cheers le

The Simple Life

Alison - aka Scottish Fudge Lover - has just written about the ritual that is tea.

It got me thinking about the simple pleasures we have in life .... the no fuss, low cost, no drain on resources kind of pleasure - the pleasures of a simple life.

Here are my top ten. In no particular order. It was hard to limit it to ten - I didn't even get to music or colour really ....

1. my children sleeping peacefully


2. MIC by my side


3. great black coffee


4. the after the rain smell


5. my mum on the other end of the phone or better yet at my door


6. my photos


7. flowers picked from the footpath by First Born on his way home from school and presented to me like the greatest treasure of the known world


8. home grown tomatoes and herbs


9. the seaside in winter


10. art and craft by the wee lads

Your top ten if you please. Cheers le

This is so true I'd wish I'd written it ...

"I spend a lot of time looking out for our family. Being frugal, to me, is making wise choices and the best use of our resources, and sometimes that takes time. But I can get caught up in the details and the minutae and start to ignore the things that keep me centered and able to handle all the bits and pieces of a life well lived."

To read the full post go here .

When I read something that is said by another - here Jaimie- and feel a connection to those words I am just overcome with the warm fuzzies ... Must be the old 'safety in numbers' thing kicking in :)

Anyways thanks to Emily at Remodeling this Life for her suggestion to check this out. Cheers matey - Le

Buy Local Buy Handmade

As part of the push to be a more conscious consumer we might all take a look at the 'buy local' concept.

As I understand it to buy local is a decent consideration to make to minimise waste thru less packaging and handling, minimise pollution thru less transportation, encourage local micro economies and recognise regional strengths.

I think there is a restaurant in Melbourne or maybe Sydney - I will have to see if I can hunt it down - called maybe something like 120 km, that aims to buy all its consumables from local producers who reside within a 120km radius of the restaurant. This would pose some challenges for menu creation and execution. But I think the outcome would be worth the effort.

Now to Buy Handmade - similar but different. Etsy is a good example of this taken to a great outcome. Crafty, arty types from all over the world can create virtual shops and sell their products direct to discerning consumers.

While not exactly, always 'buy local' I do think it has similar aims - to put the dollars into the hands of the artist without a 'middleman' skimming too much off the top. To allow artists and craftspeople to have sustainable enterprises. Good news.

Anyways in support of the two inter-related concepts I have a Buy Local Buy Handmade sidebar space dedicated to just that - buying local and buying handmade. Shortly I will seek out and feature the links I post there so you too might embrace / experience what is on offer.

Cheers for now Le