No more shopping lists with free app

We have eliminated paper shopping lists by using a free app called Our Groceries. You can link the app via entering one email address, so everyone who does the shopping at your house has the up to date grocery list at any time. The best thing is, you can customise the list to be very specific about what you want. There is a paid version of the app but we have been successfully using the free version and love it. No more wasted paper and no more forgetting things as the list is always with us!

Make your own nut butters for a fraction of shop prices

I save a fortune on buying nut butters by making my own. Almond butter, cashew butter and good quality peanut butter can be fairly expensive to buy so instead I buy roasted almonds for about $4 at a bulk supplier (Bin Inn if you're in NZ) and blend it in my Nutribullet with the addition of a smidgeon of olive oil. This gives me twice the quantity of a shop-bought jar which would cost at least $12! You can also add a little honey or chia seeds to add variety. I use the same method to make cashew butter. I simply buy 200g of cashews for $4.80 from an Indian grocer, roast them in the oven and blend them with the addition of a little olive oil to start the process. At around $15 a jar to buy at health food stores, this is a terrific saving!

A wee piece of good advice

Toilet cleaning, deodorising and water conservation has never been easier.

You can kill three birds with one stone by piercing a few holes through the lid of a bottle of vinegar and putting the bottle in your toilet cistern. The weight of the bottle displaces the water meaning you use less water with each flush. The vinegar will slowly seep out, leaving your loo smelling nice and making cleaning easier. When the bottle is empty, simply refill it with homemade vinegar which is simply half a bottle of cheap white vinegar topped with rainwater. Leave for 24 hours and it will be full strength and ready to use.

Now, if we could only get men to leave the toilet seat down...

Bulk white sauce mix for leftovers

Make all your leftovers taste fantastic with this bulk white sauce mix. Makes enough for 24 servings and you can keep it in the fridge:

2 cups (500g) powdered milk (I use skim)
1 cup (250g) plain flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (250g) butter or margarine.

Combine dry ingredients, add butter and blend until mix resembles dry breadcrumbs. Put in large air tight container. Store in fridge. Use within two months. I label the container with the date and method.

Method:-
To make sauce combine, 1/2 cup mix to 1 cup
cool water. Add flavourings to suit, for example, curry, vegetables, onions, cheese, whatever you like!