Monday 1 March 2010

I swear that the cost of food is increasing daily (Jan 23rd 2009)

I just returned from a shopping expedition.

$106 later for what seemed an incredibly small amount of food! When did three litres of milk jump to over $6? The tots have discovered muesli (granola) so I looked at the prices - $7 for 750grams for what is basically rolled oats, honey, coconut and some nuts - you know what I am making right now don't you;

Muesli!

8 cups rolled oats (about one kilo)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded almonds
I heated the butter and honey, added the vanilla extract, and bunged the whole lot into a large mixing bowl with the other ingredients to toss them together. Then into a large baking tray in the oven at 180 degrees for about 15/20 minutes. Make sure that you stir it around at the ten minute mark to make sure that it isn't burning.

If you buy your oats, nuts and coconut at a bulk store you can make this for around $4 per kilo.

I checked out the price of crackers again (you know how after a while of living/cooking frugally you sometimes look longingly at the pretty boxes?) $2.49 for 180 grams of crackers! I thought that crackers came in 250gram boxes! Is this the latest trick, keep the price the same but lower the contents amount? Tricksey or what!!!

You all have my cracker recipe don't you?

3 cups of plain flour (or a mix of white/wholemeal)
1 cup of water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tea salt
Throw into mixer and mix until mixed ;). If it looks a bit dry add a bit more water. Roll thinly on your pasta machine and use a pizza cutter to cut. Bung onto oven trays and back until golden brown.

Julie aka crazy mumma is going to join the Evil Plant and Book buying alliance (notice the addition to the acronym hehehe) She tempted me with her synopsis of 'Artisan Bread in five minutes a day' so I caved and whipped out the credit card before you could say "Expiry Date" You see books for me are like shoes for Cathode - The Angelic Hosts will have to tear my books and coffee plunger out of my hands before I float up to heaven on a cloud of gin ;)

Now back to shopping. At the fruit markets I noticed that the price of tomatoes has increased again. The forty degree lashing last week fried all of my tomato plants so it's back to buying them. Last week I was able to buy 10kg's of sauce tomatoes for $5.99, this week they are $10. I am planting some more seedlings this weekend in the hopes of getting a late season crop.

I did come across stewing plums in bulk though so it's a jam making session again today. The tots have a terrible habit of only eating half an apple so I have collected their left overs for the last few days to chuck into the pot of plums. Plum and apple jam sounds ok don't you think?

Other plans for today are Rhonda Jean's sauerkraut, bulk bread making, piccalilli and perfecting an instant latte coffee mix (I need to reduce the cost of my coffee addiction).

Despite all of my grumbles, my life is blessed. My thoughts and prayers are going out to all of the mine workers laid off this week in Western Australia and their families. May you all find new jobs soon.

3 comments:

The Crone at Wits End said...

8 Responses to “I swear that the cost of food is increasing daily”
1.Clarinda Says:

January 23rd, 2009 at 2:36 am e

I also use a little maple syrup instead of honey on occasion. Although we get our honey cheap from a couple who makes it themselves.

I MUST try your cracker recipe though.

2.Di Says:

January 23rd, 2009 at 4:46 am e

My mum always made muesli when we were kids but added dried fruit medley to the mix along with hiding other goodies such as sunflower seeds etc. ‘cept she did the healthy untoasted version.
I hear you on the shrinking packages and yep, that is exactly what they are doing. Keeping prices same and reducing volume.
We have done the crackers with just a rolling pin rather than pasta machine and they still worked fine - well they all got eaten LOL

3.Di Says:

January 23rd, 2009 at 4:47 am e

What kind of milk are you buying for $6 for 3 litres?

The Crone at Wits End said...

4.admin Says:

January 23rd, 2009 at 5:01 am e

Di, I was trying to buy local WA milk rather than the homebrand milk today (homebrand milk has been too highly pasteurised to successfully make mozzerella), so I grabbed the local $5.99 for three litres one

5.naturewitch Says:

January 23rd, 2009 at 5:43 am e

Hi Crone

LMAO - I just put a toasted msuesli recipe on my blog before coming over to visit! Great minds must think alike.

Know what you mean about the groceries. Each time we visit the supermarket, prices seem to have gone up. And we don’t buy that much there. Interest rates and petrol prices have come down, but each fortnight it is still a juggle to make the books balance.

BUT that is nothing compared with the miners and their families. Bet they’ll be doing it tough. We all need to rein in our spending in preparation for the times ahead, despite the Government trying to convince us otherwise.

Let’s just put it out there that everyone will have enough. xx

The Crone at Wits End said...

6.Cat Says:

January 23rd, 2009 at 8:09 am e

I hear ya on the milk. We buy the boys “Junior” milk at around $2.50 a litre, and when they drink up to 12 litres a week!!! not including our milk (we can make 2ltre last a week).
If you need tomatoes, give me a call. I have them coming out the kazoo! I have some seedlings popping up everywhere too (which you can have). Those snow white ones - I planted, got seedlings up, they didnt grow bugger all, then I went out one morning and they were just gone?!!!
I have some lovely gold roma’s if you want one for seed?

Anyway, call me and let me know - your site here doesnt email out responses and Im crap at remembering to check what I wrote where : )

7.nathalie Says:

January 23rd, 2009 at 10:01 am e

Thanks for the cracker recipe - sounds great!

8.admin Says:

January 23rd, 2009 at 6:55 pm e

Yes please Cat!

Will call you this afternoon if that’s ok?