Your pumpkin for my onion?

Posted on March 13, 2014 by must be thrifty

Many moons ago, I wrote a post about veggie swaps, meets where you swap your excess homegrown produce with others. Being a lazy gardener, I haven’t planted many annuals this year but that doesn’t mean I can’t swap my food.

In order to minimise waste, I’ve been splitting my bunches of spring onion and coriander with my friend Sarah. Yesterday, she returned the favour by giving me a chunk of her pumpkin, corn, and some coriander:

Food swaps don't have to involve homegrown produce — Food swaps don’t have to involve homegrown produce

She even gave me a soup recipe that uses up the pumpkin, the coriander plus the short-dated peanut butter jar that she offloaded to me the other day!

Food swapping doesn’t have to be limited to fruit and veg. Make two trays of lasagna and exchange one of them for some of your neighbour’s casserole. Swap short-dated stock with friends and family. Set up a ‘free shelf’ in the pantry and the fridge between housemates. Bribe your local grocer with banana muffins and end up with an armful of free, overripe bananas. Not only will you cut back on waste, you’ll also nurture a sense of community amongst all those involved.

Clever Cooks, Glut(tony)

Crumbed

Posted on June 18, 2013June 25, 2013 by must be thrifty

Cheap Geek likes his sliced bread but he and I rarely finish our loaves before the use-by date. We could buy smaller loaves, but they cost nearly as much as the regular-sized ones, so we end up buying the big loaves ‘just in case’ and throwing half of it away. It’s a prime example of how much good food goes to waste in our society. According to Food Wise, ‘Australians discard up to 20% of the food they purchase’ or $1036 in an average household, money that could have been better spent on six months worth of electricity bills. Continue reading →

Gardening on a Budget, Going Green

Plant food

Posted on August 20, 2012August 27, 2012 by must be thrifty

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s time to feed the plants. Gardening nubes will waste money on proprietary fertilisers but an experienced gardener knows where to get most of their supplies for free (or very little money). Here are some cheap/free alternatives and the pros and cons of each Continue reading →

Clever Cooks, Footnote Frivolity***, Reviews

A frugal diet: Smart Food – 101 recipes that won’t break the budget

Posted on February 20, 2012February 27, 2012 by must be thrifty

All the ingredients can be bought at the supermarket—nothing is exotic or expensive—and the dishes are delicious and simple to make. (blurb from Smart Food)

Using pantry staples such as carrots, canned tomatoes, and mince, the Australian Women’s Weekly’s Smart Food trots out predictable fare: soups, pastas, stews, pies, and the occasional curry or stir fry. A North African pork and cabbage rolls recipe is the only oasis in a culinary dessert, and even then it requires mince and canned tomatoes.

There’s logic behind the lack of imagination. By showing what can be done with a restrictive list of ingredients, Smart Food reduces waste in the kitchen, potentially saving households $1,036 each year*. Continue reading →

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