Making ends meet

Kefir ranch dressing

I posted a blog about kefir here, so to give you a taste, please find below a recipe to whet your appetite:)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups milk kefir, strained for 30 minutes ( I have an old coffee machine, that has a built in filter, instead of using the little filter papers, so I use that). You can even use a sieve lined with a clean cloth – please ensure that the cloth was NOT washed with washing powder and fabric softener, as the taste will transfer to the kefir. Yuck!
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar, even healthier!)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 fresh garlic clove, minced / half a teaspoon crushed garlic, then adjust to taste
1-2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well.
Allow to stand for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Serve drizzled over a fresh green salad or as a dip for cut vegetables.

Kefir: healthful and cheap!

Okay, so now some of you are scratching your heads and thinking “what the heck is kefir?” Am I right?

Kefir is a fermented drink or product if you prefer, which is made from adding grains to milk or water, to produce a healthy drink (mostly, but it can be used for other things!)

Two types of kefir are available: water kefir, which is added to a water and sugar mixture and left to ferment, and milk kefir, which is added to milk or some variation of milk and left to ferment.

Before you start eye-rolling, this is not going to be a long lecture about the benefits etc. I don’t want to bore you to death. All I want to do is introduce you to the idea of kefir and why you should at least consider drinking it, and what it has meant to me.

Okay, so as a result of our tight budget, we don’t always have the healthiest meals (vegetables and fruit are a luxury!), and as a result of long term stress, I have noticed some unpleasant changes in my general health and well-being. If, like me, you get up in the morning wondering where the heck your hangover came from when you didn’t have a drop of alcohol, then you know what I mean. That tired, drag-ass feeling, like you didn’t sleep a wink, the bone-deep ache, the head-ache that is a constant “friend”….

Yup, it sucks! It could be a consequence of aging, but I am inclined to believe it is a consequence of life-style.

So, in my general nuttiness, I have been exploring ways to feel better! I have been trying to go more natural in my approach to everything, from cosmetics, to health care. One of the ways I discovered was kefir.

I use milk kefir, because I haven’t been able to get hold of water kefir at a price I was willing to pay (me being ~~stingy~~ thrifty again!) All I do is use one of my ever-present glass jars, throw in a tablespoon of milk kefir grains, top up with milk, and let it stand on the counter overnight. I have found that in summer, overnight is generally long enough to my taste, but in winter, 24 hours is required. I then strain out the grains, throw it into a clean glass jar, and repeat.

Best of all, you only need to pay for the grains ONCE! Yay! If you take good care of them, they will multiply, and you will have extras to give to friends and family – spread the goodness around:)

Since I started drinking the kefir, I have found that I have more energy, I feel better and my IBS is better, and of course, my ulcers don’t hurt (and bleed!) any more.

Kefir is rich in vitamins and minerals, and pro-biotics, which makes it something you should really consider adding to your diet. (It has more probiotics in than yoghurt!). I know people also use coconut milk, rice milk and almond milk as variations on the dairy alternative for those poor souls who are lactose intolerant.

I use the kefir to make smoothies for my daughter who does not want to eat breakfast – sometimes I add fruit, such as bananas, this morning I added some honey, cocoa and a half spoon of coffee and called it a mocha chino – the name pleased her, the taste pleased her, and I scored because I managed to stuff SOME nutrition in her without her knowing. Personally, I drink it plain, because I don’t do sugar, not even in my coffee, so it tastes like plain drinking yoghurt, which I love. I have even strained the kefir to make kefir cheese, which I have used to make dips, and also put on baked potatoes, which tastes awesome, especially with some basil and garlic in it.

Okay, lecture over! My point is, it is fairly cheap to make, versatile, and nutritious. You should really consider adding it to your diet, especially given that it is really easy to make.

If you need some help getting your hands on some grains, do let me know, and I will do my best to assist you.

P.S for those of you who read my blog about saving money on groceries, I am working on a meal plan for a week that should help save some bucks and give you ideas on what to include in your own meal plan. Hopefully, I will post it next week sometime:)

How to save money on groceries

Personally, I find grocery shopping, in fact, any kind of shopping, terminally depressing. I keep looking at other people going past, their trollies piled high with groceries, and I wonder how they do it. I certainly cannot afford to buy trollies full of groceries, but there are some ways to avoid eating beans on toast every night

First rule – this seems so simple, and applies to any kind of shopping – eat before you leave home! If you are hungry, you will spend unnecessary money on buying lunch (take-away isn’t cheap), and you will be tempted to put all sorts of unnecessary things in your trolley.
This may sound strange, but I have found it to be a huge help – do up a menu for the month. This helps you determine exactly what you need to buy, so you don’t buy extra things you don’t need. Plan each meal so that there is some variety, but go for the cheaper meals. Cheaper doesn’t have to mean gross – stir fried chicken for four people means you would need two chicken breasts, whereas you would need four if you had fried chicken.
Don’t buy monthly – one of the best ways to shop if you are on a very tight budget is to wait until Thursday, when most stores start their weekend specials. I bought a bulk pork pack at Pick n Pay for R 39.99 per kilogram, whereas it is a lot more expensive during the week. Obviously, you would not be able to do this with everything, if you need dishwashing liquid, you cannot wait to wash dishes until the weekend!
Stop buying pre-packed frozen veg – it is usually cheaper to either buy fresh or freeze it yourself, or at least buy in bulk. Honestly, it isn’t really all that much work to freeze the vegetables yourself, but if you really don’t want to, rather look at buying in bulk. You could go to stores like Makro, which offers catering quantities of frozen vegetables.
For those of you just starting to shop – don’t be fooled by lower cost on a smaller package of an item. Look for the cost per weight / unit / volume. A good example of this is cheese – it is sold by weight, so a R 20 block of cheese is not necessarily good value. You would then look at the label which shows cost per kilogram. There is the real cost of the cheese – some cheeses, like goat’s cheese is over R 300 per kilogram, while Cheddar and Gouda is often on special on weekends at supermarkets at around R 59.99 per kilogram (normal price is usually between R 94.99 – R 119 per kilogram, depending on the brand).
We as South African’s have a “meat mentality” – we feel that our meals have to include meat. My husband looks at his plate if there is no meat on it, and wonders aloud where the dinner is! Chicken and Pork are much healthier options, and a lot cheaper too! Fish is also great, but here I have to caution – the boxed, crumbed fish is definitely not cheap, and actually can cost MORE than beef! Rather buy the hake from the fish department, and you can always batter fry it yourself. By all means, buy beef, but check for specials first, and rather buy cheaper cuts of meat. This used to be brisket, but that is very pricey these days and actually can be more expensive than tenderised steak! I normally check the price (on weekends, naturally!) before I decide what meat I am going to buy. Honestly, I usually by-pass the beef in favour of pork anyway.
Don’t be afraid to “bulk up” your meals. If you are making stew, you could bulk it up with beans, lentils or potatoes, thus using less meat in the actual stew. And it is actually healthier for you! BonusJ
In winter, serve soup often, as it can usually stretch to two meals, and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. We normally have soup at least once a week in winter, and sometimes twice a week.

These are just a few ideas, but hopefully it helps:). Have a super week!

Home-made beetroot salad

In our home, we go through a LOT of beetroot salad. My family is extremely fussy, particularly when it comes to vegetables, and the one thing they all agree on that is acceptable is beetroot salad. Oh, and only Koo sliced beetroot, will do, thank you very much!

Unfortunately, this has seen a very major price hike in recent months, to the point where it is almost R 30 for a single bottle. So…we go back to good old MIY – making it yourself.

Cost – dependent on the current price of beetroot, but I usually wait until it’s on special for about five bucks a kg. I buy two bags, and I end up with four bottles (I re-use old beetroot or mayo bottles). I would estimate that, including the spices, etc., it works out to under twenty rand to make four bottles of the salad. Which comes up to quite a significant saving, and the amount of work involved is actually minimal.

I have to say that it tastes pretty close to the Koo brand. Allow to stand at least a week before using, as it is very sweet initially. You may find that you want to add a little more sugar after that period. My daughter complained it is sour, but to my taste, it isn’t.

Ingredients

750 to 800 gram raw beetroot
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 cup (250 ml) brown vinegar
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) salt
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) all spice (optional)
Pinch of black pepper

Method

Wash and trim the ends from the beetroot and place in a saucepan.
Cover with boiling water and boil until tender. This can take about 30 minutes, but the time depends on the size of your beetroot.
Peel the skins and cut them into slices or wedges.
Use a large stainless steel saucepan to heat the water, vinegar, sugar and spices together. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and bring to the boil.
Add the beetroot, lower the heat, put the lid on the saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes.
Spoon the hot beetroot and sauce in to sterilised jars and seal the jars.

Allow the flavour of the beetroot to develop for at least a week before opening.

Notes:

Pickled beetroot will keep for 6-8 months stored in a cool, dark place. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Tip: use surgical gloves when you peel the beetroot, to prevent your hands from getting beet red.

Recipe from www.rainbowcooking.co.nz

Home made toner – super cheap and easy!

Okay, so the purpose of this blog is to help you save a buck or three…Personally, I am a huge fan of MIY – make it yourself. I find that many of the things we purchase can be made at a fraction of the cost, and best of all – you KNOW what’s in there. Most of us read those really teeny tiny ingredients list (particularly cosmetics), and halfway through, we give up. Not only is it too damn small to read, it’s not even in English! All that poly whosis and whatsis is meaningless to the average person.

So, where am I going with this? Why not make it yourself? Toner can cost anything from fifty bucks upwards, depending on the brand you buy. I don’t know about you, but I would rather spend that fifty rand on something else!

Here it is, super easy and cheap:

Home made rose water toner:

All you need is some rose petals, around a cup full or so. Rinse them off first to get rid of any unwanted creepy crawlies and dust. Place in pot and just cover with water. Simmer for a few minutes. You will notice the water changes colour and the smell of the roses will be very evident ( around twenty minutes or so). Allow to cool, and place in bottle. You more than likely would have more than enough to fill your little bottle – I normally only fill my old toner bottle around halfway, and that does me for a week, using very, very generously!

Place your excess in the fridge, or freeze in quarter cup measures, so you have more when needed. You can use as is, or you could be like me and get creative.

I have been accused (unjustly!!) of sounding like a witch doctor when talking to a friend of mine regarding what I add to my rose water. I tend to add some lavender to the water before cooking, or a green tea bag, etc. I have also been known to add rose geranium to the mix (and this plant is very plentiful in this country).

Whatever floats your boat – get creative if you want! Plants like lavender and rose geranium are great for skin, or you could add a few drops of tea tree oil if you have problem skin. I normally add some ACV (apple cider vinegar) too, which can be used on its own, diluted.

The other super cheap option is ACV – most people in this country are not really aware of the benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar, and if they are, they tend to think of the stuff you can buy in the supermarket. I am talking about raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. The stuff is kind of pricey – around R 80 for a bottle, depending on where you buy. Bear in mind though, that you would have to dilute it, so it does go quite far too. Please, please never use undiluted, and if you are just starting to use it, opt for heavily diluted. You can always lessen the dilution ratio as your skin gets used to it.

The Key to survival

Let’s face it – times are tough for most of us these days. Unemployment is high, companies have employees on short time, the price of everything has sky-rocketed, and if, like me, you have ever sat with your head in your hands wondering just how the heck you were going to get through the month AGAIN, trust me, you’re not alone.

Funny thing is – and I am sure you would be surprised to hear this, given the topic of my blog – the first thing I want to share with you is the key to surviving these tough times. Ready?

POSITIVE ATTITUDE.

This is the key to survival, and not losing your last marble. Doesn’t that just sound stupid? I bet you are sitting there, reading this and thinking something along the lines of ” It’s alright for you to say. You probably don’t have any money worries, your life is perfect. I have bills to pay, food to put on the table, with no idea of how I am going to do that”.

I wish! As I sit here writing, I am:

1) A year in arrears with my child’s school fees;

2) Two months in arrears with my car, life and home contents policy

3) Two months in arrears on my store card THAT I USE TO BUY GROCERIES!

With no way to pay! Let me tell you, I have done some serious panicking over the last two years, as I watched my financial situation worsen. We very rarely have much food in the house, as all the money goes on things like rates, electricity etc.

Okay, so now you know – my financial situation seriously sucks! Not all of you would have it so bad, and some of you may have it worse. My point in all of this is not to elicit pity, but to point out something very critical:

THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

The mistake we all make during times like these is to begin to believe that it is permanent, that things cannot change or will never change. This is just not true!

Think of the worst thing that has ever happened to you – at the time, you may have been very cut up about it, feeling that things would never get better, and yet, here you are, still alive and surviving, a testament to your own personal strength.

Now, the question is – does all the gloom and doom thoughts actually help you get through it? I don’t think so! I found that I was depressed and crying all the time, thinking how bad things are, and that I just didn’t know what to do. All I thought about was the negative in my life, and as I thought about it, it grew bigger and bigger, until it became the centre of my existence. And all the moping certainly did not help me figure out a solution, because I was focused on the problem. All I saw was obstacles in my path, with no way around them. Life sucked, and I wondered how I could commit suicide and get the life insurance to pay out – that was some of the darkest moments of my life, let me tell you.

CHANGE OF FOCUS

Then I read a inspirational book, and then some more, and a few more after that. I realised then that I had gained nothing by focusing on the suckiness of my life, and that I had nothing to lose by embracing a positive mental attitude. What I could gain was clarity of thought, and a heck of a lot more happiness than I have had in a long time.

Has my life actually financially improved? No, not yet, but I am working on it – I finally saw a way to dig my way out from under the dung-heap of my life. I am happier though, and more relaxed. Yes, I am still freaking out a little about all the bills due – I hate owing money and I hate paying late on anything, so yes, it bugs me ( a lot!). But not to the point where I need a paper bag to hyperventilate in anymore.

I am taking it one day at a time, trying to focus on what I have and all the good things in my life, like my family and friends, trusting that the rest will come in due course.

I am not saying that trusting in the positive is some magic pill – it is certainly not, and any one who tells you otherwise is either naive or a big fat liar. Thinking good thoughts won’t fix your life, but it certainly is a start. When you are not focused on what you don’t have and what’s wrong in your life, you begin to see a little clearer and maybe, just maybe, the answer that has eluded you all this time will show itself.

Let’s face it – when you’re feeling crappy about your life, you feel crappy about yourself. You feel like a loser, that there is nothing good about yourself and that maybe you deserve the general crappiness of everything. When you start focusing on the positive, you feel better about yourself, and begin to see that there are worthwhile qualities that you posses that you could use to get yourself out of your current situation.

YOU ARE YOUR OWN BEST ASSET AND YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY!

Those are the words I would like to leave you with. Think about them honestly – which is true of you? Are you helping yourself, or getting in your own way?