Feather your Nest Friday, 20th January. 2017.

Every Friday I am amazed at the good it does me to stop and look back at the week.  Last Friday seems like a month ago at least! I am so thankful for my little notes on the fridge or I would not have a clue about half of the stuff we did this week. It is my moment to appreciate all the blessings that came our way  and what we achieved. I feel so happy when I do this.  If we don't consider how we are going I think then we are only looking at what needs doing which, lets face it, is never ending.  So I love Fridays for this reason.

This time last week I had figs and had used some for dinner. Then I went on and made four large pizzas with them.  They were really tasty and easy.  I spread the bases with cream cheese and sliced figs and baked. Then I topped them with rocket and drizzled sticky balsamic vinegar over the top.  Very simple.

All the remaining figs I made into jam.  This is good as you can use it like fig paste with cheeses etc or with cream on scones or toast.  I add almonds.

I got ten jars. Two for Dad, two for my sister in law who gave me the figs, three for gifts, three for us. 

I used the labels Chloe made for me...

I had free bananas so I made four dozen banana muffins.

Also a lot of basil ready in several pots.  I picked most of it and make pesto. This was another dinner and a gift.  

I forgot to take a photo of the pesto. It was so bright green!

My Hydrangeas this year haven't been very good. I picked some that have dried off and used them to fill a bowl and make some use out of them.

I had too many eggs so I made a huge baking tray of self crusting quiche which also used up a few left over sun sided tomatoes, a few leaves of spinach, herbs from the garden...

I have been asked how I make quiche.  I don't really use a recipe as to me its something to use things up but I used ten eggs, a large carton of cream, grated cheese, two fried onions, a bit of bacon, left overs all went in. I had no pastry so I added about 3/4 cup SR flour. Line a pan with baking paper. I pour it in and let it sit for a few minutes so that the flour hopefully sinks. Then you get a crisp edge to make up for no pastry!  It is very flexible. I might use milk, cream or evaporated milk or any combination depending on what I have. More eggs make it more eggy, less makes it more quiche/custardy.  Other use it up ingredients are grated zucchini, ham, tomato... or things like roast sweet potato which them make it more like a frittata. Truly use what you have. 

Anyway we had it with salad and relish for dinner then it was lunches/lunch box food.

This week I picked another ten kilos or so of peaches. So far a few have ripened and we have eaten those fresh. Sometime soon a lot will all be ripe at once then I will start working on them. I have a fair few more to pick yet. So between basil, figs, peaches this has been quite a lot of free food with a lot of potential for different uses. I have big plans for these peaches. I think everyday next week I will be busy on these.

On Monday we were talking about free ways to improve our preparedness.  Jane mentioned having a bike and using it in case fuel was in short supply etc. Joy agreed and so did I... I have thought about this before even looking at bikes but didn't go ahead and do it.  Lucy's house is only a few kilometres away.  If feel and communication were out I would want to get there. A bike with a basket to carry things could be a very good thing to have.  

I had been shopping and driving past the flats around the corner from us there was a bike. I had noticed it earlier but did not see the sign on it.  

The sign said "FREE" I could not believe it!  Vicky always says free is her favourite price! We have had a lot of laughs about that.  

It is a ladies 18 gear bike. I said I only need one gear (downhill) but all I need is a basket.  We also laughed how the free sign is so neat.  Very nice.  

So I am going to get that basket and consider this part of my emergency preparations.  So Jane we better get into training!

Also I found a beautiful old chandelier shaped light. It is quite big with scrolly pretty arms and a lovely shape... but without crystals.  I am going to make it over so we will have a chandelier at long long last in the bedroom! 

In the mail I got a $40 grocery voucher from Flybuys. Mostly I earned this using dockets that got me thousands of extra points. I stick the weekly deal tickets in my diary and make sure I hand in each one. It paid off!  I will turn this into $80 by waiting for half price deals and will build up my pantry with it. Yay!

My Vicky Challenge: 

Packed lunches for a short week $80

Four large pizzas for almost free $80

10 jars of fig jam  $30

10 kilos free peaches.... $40

Use it up meals plus quiche $20

Free bike $100 ( I counted $100 as it would cost at least that to go buy a second hand bike)

2 big jars of pesto $10

My $40 voucher.

So I wrote $400 into my savings book. 

Last night we had another storm. This one we got a red alert on the phone and by email. Other storms have been an amber alert.  When this came the sky is perfectly clear.  It was late afternoon. We had dinner and it was still clear. I decided to go pick more peaches while it was ok as strong winds and hail were in the warning. 

I got a basket of peaches and then brought in  everything from the clothes line.  By then we could see a storm was actually coming.  Then another warning came and it hit fast! 

For us it passed fairly quickly and although a mess the garden is well watered. But thousands are without power again and traffic lights are out again as well.  Our power stayed on so I am thrilled about that! 

How was your week? How did you feather your nest, save and get ahead? 

Have a lovely weekend!  xxx