Challenge For This Weeks Food for the Family

It’s been a while I know.

Life happens, keeps us busy, and you even forget you have a blog let alone write in it.

So here it is...a CHALLENGE.

I would love to save more money and I think one of the best ways to do it is by taking a good look at your eating habits. We spend a lot of money here on food. I mean, after all, we are feeding 9 adults every week. Every day. Well most days. Sometimes they eat their own food, or sometimes they go out. But generally, 9 adults.

Even if I buy nothing for the rest of this week except milk and bread, I will be happy.

I have already ordered a Marley spoon box and every Friday I pickup 3 boxes of fruit and vegetables from a company called box divvy. It’s low waste and local farms produce. I spend about $100 to $140 on these boxes. I am sure I could make that less.

I only bought the Marley spoon box because we got it for almost half price with the credit they owed us and the discount code.

I am about to take stock of the cupboard and fridge and work out what I am able to cook for the week. I will allow about $50 for the rest of the week for small top ups.

I need to get rid of a lot of food in the cupboards. That is my goal.
I need to cater for vegetarians as well as meat eaters.

I am excited to have food cupboards a little roomier.

Next week I will post some recipes and how it went.....so, are you with me?

Comment below if you are wanting to join along with this challenge.

Here are links to a few recipes I have found that I will be using.

https://hurrythefoodup.com/creamy-corn-soup/

https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chickpea-curry-basmati-rice

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/249990/carrot-soup/

All soups. They look easy and quick to cook.

Breakfasts will be toast, oats or wet bix.

That’s about if for today

Until next time.
Lots of it
Mandy
XXX

Budget Cooking Vegetarian and Vegan

I love cooking and particularly enjoy budget, but healthy meals. This one is particularly awesome because I used up whatever I had in the fridge. It also satisfies our vegetarian of the house. Have 8 and sometimes more, adults to feed and keep happy come dinner time can be quite challenging, but this one can be eaten by most, except those keeping away from carbs at the moment.

It’s basically lentils, spinach, onion, garlic, ginger and some spices, cumin seeds, chilli flakes, turmeric, hot chilli powder....pretty sure that’s it. I used one whole bulb of garlic just crushed through the garlic crusher. A tablespoon of cumin seeds, grated ginger, turmeric, and a small amount of chilli flakes and chilli powder...this you could do to taste. Two huge onions and about 6 overflowing cups of chopped spinach and kale. Oh, and three huge chopped tomatoes. Pop the spices in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, get the flavours up and then pop everything else in basically. I used the whole packet of green lentils and pre cooked in some water. Drained and added t the pot after it was all cooked. You can drizzle a little olive oil over the top and a squeeze of lemon, or lime...or nothing.

I made some coconut rice to go with it.

If you have any question just ask in the comments.

Until next time
Lots of it
Mandy
XXX

I am Back

It has been a long time since I last posted. My goodness...so much has happened. Life....am I right?

It would take a very long Post for an update, so here are some words to give you some ideas:

New job, new job, keto, cooking, Christmas, Easter, birthdays, illustrations, art tutoring, driving, shopping, gardening, Harry Potter, home life, crocheting, drs, dancing, lawn bowls, NDIS, specialists, new boyfriends and girlfriends, kids birthdays, shopping, Ikea, markets, gardening, organic food, growing your own food, produce swapping, Facebook, making a house a home, home schooling, budgeting.

There is a snippet.

Here are some photos.

Would you like to see anything specific? If so, I would love for you to comment below and create my posts around what you want to see. I have rediscovered blogs and spend a relaxing time reading them. I am incredibly interested in Slow Living. Stay tuned...❤️

Until next time

Lots of it

Mandy

Xxx

Another Tutorial: Watercolour Space Scene

Seems to be the thing I am doing lately. I am actually enjoying it and hoping others can get something from it.

It started with the class and it made me think I just may be able to share my knowledge so that others can enjoy learning new things, and of course painting is one of my favourite things to spend time doing.

So, here is another tutorial on using watercolour paints, and creating a piece of art in the process.

If you are here from home schooling, you can go HERE and you will see related activities and a list of linked outcomes. Both tutorials are very similar.

the list of things you need to create this piece is as follows:
watercolour paper
watercolour paints
two jars with clean water
white ink or watered down white acrylic paint
a plate for tracing an arc
two paintbrushes
rubbing alcohol or if you don't have this you can use water
a pipette or dropper
pencil
masking tape and board to tape watercolour paper to (this is not necessary but just helps the paper stay flat and helps stop warping of the wet paper)

Just be careful when using rubbing alcohol. If your children are young make sure you supervise them, or you can choose to use water instead.

You will find the latest video HERE

If you have any questions feel free to ask. Happy for requests as well.

until next time
Mandy

How To Paint a Watercolour Whale Illustration

I have been working on creating videos on how to paint. I have been doing these to coincide with a couple of art classes I have been teaching. Such a rewarding thing to do, help people realise they ARE creative. So many of us think we aren’t, and that we don’t have a creative bone in our body.

Truth is, we were all born with creativity, and as we get older we tend to not allow ourselves to get creative.  It has to be a conscious choice once we are adults. Creativity never goes away. We just need to provide ourselves with opportunities to be creative. Such an easy thing to put aside as life is busy.

Some of us sew, cook, draw, write, play music, live life. We can be creative in all areas of our life.

For me, creativity comes in the form of painting, cooking and I am constantly decorating and changing my home. It’s a wonderful outlet, and it always seems to be that I feel much better with paint on my hands.

How do YOU get creative?

Do you take TIME for yourself to be creative.

For those of you who home school, the outcomes are the same as last week. Just go back to the previous post and you will see it.

Here is the link to
HOW TO PAINT A WATERCOLOUR WHALE

Would love to hear what you think of he video.

Until next time
Mandy
❤️

Watercolour Night Sky Painting Video

I created a video showing a technique using watercolour paints. These are so much fun to do and you really don’t need much to create them.
Video can be found
HERE

Completed piece.

Materials needed:
Watercolour paper
Large brush
Very large brush(as big as a pastry brush)
Some watercolours
Two jars of water only partially filled
One for cleaning and the other for splatting and the initial layer on the paper

I would google nebulas and look at all the images. NASA has a great site, Hubble Space Telescope  photos


HERE


You could look at some famous artist paintings of the night sky. Discuss the artworks and reflect upon the time in which they were created. Discuss aspects such as colour, light, paint style and subjects. Compare these paintings.

The most well known being Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night.
Painted in oil on canvas in 1889.

Starry Night
Painted in 1893 using oil on canvas.

And Starry Sky, Attempt
Painted by Wenzel Hablik in 1909.

I would be wary using a hair dryer with little ones, but an adult could help with this part of the process.

Outcomes covered according to the NSW Visual Arts Syllabus.
Stage 1
VAS1.1
VAS1.2
VAS1.3
VAS1.4

Stage 2
VAS2.1
VAS2.3
VAS2 4

STAGE 3
VAS 3.1
VAS3.2
VAS3.3
VAS3.4

STAGE 4
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.6
4.7
4.8
4.9
4.10

STAGE 5
5.1
5.2
5.4
5.6
5.7
5.8
5.10

You could extend this and the child could create different mediums to create night skies.
They could create 3D pieces using the techniques used.
These images look beautiful framed.


If you have liked the video please like and subscribe. That way you won’t my miss out on any new ones.

Until next time
Mandy
🎨

Children’s Illustrations

I thought I better update since it’s been a while...a little tangent I have to keep my sanity. I joined an online Facebook group which offers a word to inspire you each week. I have many to show since it’s been a while.
I will do a bit of a catchup later this week.
At any time if anyone wishes to purchase a painting, or print, just let me know.

I will be linking this to paint party Friday. You can see the link to the right. Looking forward to seeing other's art...always brings a smile.to.my face.

Until next time
lots of love
Mandy
xxx