#Cooking at home on a budget

[heal-well-blog]

Learn how to enjoy nutritious meals on a budget with these affordable healthy eating tips. Save money while maintaining a balanced diet for better health.

[petula-xx]

A cast of left overs, AKA Vegie Fried Rice.

I've been time poor recently due to a busy work schedule. I'd fallen behind keeping up with my fridge and pantry stocks. A free week has allowed me to get on top of things again.

I already had every ingredient in this pan on hand. A lot of odds and ends including:

old, soft juicing carrots

old, softening onion and garlic

near 'best before' eggs

a left over cup of frozen peas

assorted Asian condiments

Lots of frozen meals ahead from this effort!

Basic kitchen skills can mean eating well, saving money and minimizing food waste.

[expatesque]

Referring to your recent post, would love to see some of the fun things you’ve bought! You have the best taste 😊

Aw thank you.

So the main categories of things have been home stuff and fashion stuff. I do have a tag (of course) but haven't posted everything so to summarize...

Home stuff

Living room: The swan table (an icon, a queen, the inspiration for the room), the insane green velvet chair (we love her, gotta keep it eclectic), snake rug (hiss hiss), a fundamentally impractical sofa (Ikea, concessions had to be made somewhere. I'm going to restuff to make it look more fluffy and expensive). I'm keeping my vintage curio cabinet, 1960's referencing 30's circular bar cart, black arched lamp, and big rubber plant. The inspiration is somewhere between this 1930's Thorne miniature room and hummusbird. I need some paintings, a little table for under the window to display a great vase (got this one in ivory, tbc if it's the right size), and some big new throw pillows (I'm thinking dusky pink). Oh also I'm getting a fish to go in the bookcase (I wanted a white Betta but my dad has said that's a bad idea and suggested a gold fish instead).

Kitchen: An oval marble topped cast iron bistro style table. Keeping my black bistro chairs (2x) and will also use 2 of my armless ghost chairs (like these). Likely to get a small floating island to get a little more counter space. Also bought an insane copper kettle ala my man Rajiv recently.

Main bedroom: I've got a new headboard for my bed (this one), I'm getting rid of the wardrobe in there (using the one in the 2nd bedroom) and will replace it with a vintage dressing table and mirror (I do like this one but would rather not spend that given... everything else) to display my great great grandmother's silver mirror, brush, etc. Need some big Euro shams and perpetually looking for a navy woven blanket that's big enough (I want it like, almost duvet sized).

2nd bedroom: Currently is an office / video game room, turning into a proper 2nd bed. I'll use my meh existing bed, need bedside tables, maybe a new desk chair.

Fashion stuff

It's been a lot of big skirts (my love the Prada one, a really full white canvas-y one, this crazy pink one, a beige cashmere Theory one), a set of heavy ribbed tops with high necks in black and browns (for autumn, this is one of them), a few cropped cardigans (can't find any specific ones that I've bought right now, but short enough to wear with the skirts), a totally sheer cream colored top (that is proving surprisingly versatile already), two cheap Zara wrap vests that I'm waiting to arrive (one in cream and one in black, we'll see the quality when they get here), a Victorian gold charm bracelet (+ a charm of a monkey holding a pearl), a pair of really gorgeous silver and mother pearl earrings from the 50s, some rag and bone soft leather mules, some baby blue Mary Janes, and a set of tiny kitten heels that I really like but am not sure I'm keeping (they're a little narrow but I think I could stretch them). I think there's more but if I think too much about it I'll be stressed (rip my budget). Pro tip: Laura Riley has an incredible fashion newsletter that rounds up what's new and what's on sale -- I've gotten almost everything I've bought on 50%+ off.

[wisterianwoman]

Mediterranean Chicken Wraps

These Mediterranean Chicken Wraps are a flavor-packed delight, perfect for a quick and healthy meal any time of day. Tender shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, creamy avocado, and nutty quinoa are wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla.

These Mediterranean Chicken Wraps are a flavor-packed delight, perfect for a quick and healthy meal any time of day. Tender shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, creamy avocado, and nutty quinoa are wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla spread with garlic hummus. Drizzled with homemade tzatziki sauce, these wraps burst with Mediterranean flavors. Versatile and customizable, they’re great for lunch on…

[lovelaceisntdead]

Dad mad because I didn't make dinner yay now I will dissociate forever

[peachyykira]

.

[negentropies]

im ngl im actually happy we aren't getting a bg4 from larian because it means larian doesn't have to put up with wotc's bullshit or be limited by 5e rules for another game

[themanwhowouldbefruit]

i will never own property or have a family but by god can i eat two meals drink 1-3 cups of ice coffee and wipe my ass for slightly under $5 a day

[ruralcat]

yay first day of work was good and i can wear my hair down and not come home soaked in green chemicals. ill miss being able to listen to audio books but its actually work that is productive to my future and moving me along in life so yay for that

[todayisafridaynight]

oh i would could and should draw but ghhhhhggg rock candy...

[petula-xx]

SCRAP SOUP

It started with half price, limp celery from the organic grocer. An hour in water and the stems are hard again. Problem solved.

Cheap, organic juicing carrots.

Other ingredients from the pantry: home grown onions, mushroom stock, avocado oil, butter, green lentils, salt and pepper.

Result: a delicious, cheap, healthy, easy pot of soup. Food scraps and some pantry oddments become multiple meals.

I love this kind of cooking!

[kc22invesmentsblog]

Smart Ways to Save Money: Tips for Cutting Expenses and Increasing Savings

Written by Delvin In today’s fast-paced world, saving money has become more important than ever. Whether you want to achieve financial stability, build an emergency fund, or work towards your long-term goals, cutting expenses and increasing savings is a smart financial move. In this blog post, we will explore some effective tips to help you save money and achieve your financial objectives. 1.…

[whiskeyswifty]

Do you have tips on how to save money to afford concert tickets?

i'm just very disciplined/frugal with money in general alkdjfalkdf sorry to disappoint. but one tip i can say that i use is I keep "funds" for things, and every month i put a percentage of my paycheck into those funds. it's never a lot that i put in, but a little bit over time grows into something very helpful. One is for concert tickets, and i'm always putting money into it. so when the time comes that an artist springs a tour on me, i at least have some put away to offset the cost of a ticket. If not, like with taylor this time, then I just go for the cheap seats. My era's tour ticket was $95 which i got LUCKILY at face value, which was what I was able to afford without going into a little debt. as much as i wanted better ones, that's just part of me disciplining myself. that's all that i could afford at the time and that's that!

[bryonyashaw]

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A post shared by Bryony | Lifestyle | family | foodie (@bryonyannie)

𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗮 𝗙𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲

Tuna fishcakes are super easy, quick and cheap to make (all about that rising cost of living)

There are various recipes you can use - although its simple you can add more ingredients or keep it basic. You can also make and freeze them, serve with a crispy salad, rice or vegetables for a tasty and filling dinner.

𝙄𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨

• 2 medium floury potatoes, peeled and quartered

• large knob of unsalted butter

• 1½ tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest only

• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced

• 150g tin of tuna, drained

• 2 slices bread

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• plain flour

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙙

1) Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

2) Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until tender.

3) Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan with the butter, mayonnaise, lemon zest, spring onions, salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Mash together until smooth. Stir in the tuna and set aside.

4) Put the bread in a food processor and pulse until it crumbs (or just do it manually) Put the egg, flour and breadcrumbs into three separate shallow bowls.

5) Shape the tuna mixture into six fishcakes. Coat each first in flour, then in egg, then in breadcrumbs. (You can use one hand for the flour and breadcrumbs and another for the egg, to keep your fingers clean)

6) Place on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are just golden. You can also put in a frying pan with a little bit of oil or put in the air fryer to cook.

7) Serve!

[argentumindustries]

Every once in awhile I have a conversation with someone - a parent or family member with a young kid - about activities for their kid to do and every time, without fail, I mention theatre.

I believe that it is in the interest of every young child to be part of at least two theatre shows (not just one and done - one to learn, and the second one to apply the lessons). On stage, acting, in front of a crowd. Because for what it teaches, theatre absolutely maximises its impact. All at once, in the act of preparing for and then performing in a show, a child will learn everything from how to perform a task in front of a crowd, public speaking, team work, diction, independent study, body and postural awareness, and more.

Yes, there are other extracurriculars you could have a kid do that have them perform in front of a crowd. Sports, music, dance - but for each of their strengths, they all fall short of theatre's efficiency.

I had the luck that my public school had a local theatre director come and teach second and third grade kids (as part of the public school system at the time, schools had an allowance of time and budget for an art/music/performance module). Two hours per week, and each year both grades would put on an end of year show. It didn't matter if a kid was shy, disinterested, etc - it was part of the curriculum, and you were going on that stage.

It won't turn your kid into a professional. It's not supposed to - all it needs to do is put a kid on a stage where they have to say some lines and move around with purpose. Most of the kids in those classes never did anything related to theatre again. But what I know for a fact is that - each kid to their own ability - those two years of curriculum fundamentally improved our ability to *function* with all eyes pointed at us.

Like you want to be able to do every time you present in front of a class, or team, or when you need to defend your ideas, negotiate, or even just tell a story. Or to have more ease in *asking* a question in front of a group, loosening that anxiety that can otherwise push many to keep quiet and leave their doubts unanswered. Learning how to project your voice, make sure you're being heard and understood, clear diction - as useful as when you need to monologue on stage as when you're on a zoom call with patchy connection.

The TLDR is this. Being able to remain calm and at ease, speak clearly, and improvise when all eyes are on you is a skill that fundamentally improves your life - and theatre is by far the most efficient way to learn those skills.

So yeah. Put your kids in theatre. Hell, put yourself in theatre. For at least two shows, with the only requirement being to go through with performing in front of a crowd.

[thriftykitchen]

LUNCH

Sweet Potato Kale and Sausage Hash