The Oily Rag Mailbag

 Read more Oily Rag articles by Frank and Muriel Newman 

The email inbox in chocker-block full of interesting and diverse frugal living tips so we thought it was time to share some with you.

Tex from Christchurch says “I save power by using a small fan forced bench top cooker instead of the big oven. I can cook a roast meal for 4 much more economically by not heating up that MASSIVE oven most of us have in our kitchens. The small bench top oven heats faster using less power too. Slow cookers also are a great way to cook a lot of food at once inexpensively.”

Tex also has a couple of baking recipes, “Learn to make a basic scone mix. Scones are so versatile you can add in whatever you like – dried fruits, nuts, spices, onion, pineapple, bacon bits… Use your imagination. 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 tablespoons margarine or butter. If using dried fruit I find covering with water and soaking the fruit in a 500ml container gives sufficient moisture to make the scones. Mix well by hand or use a mixer. The dough should become ‘plasticy’ pliable and dry to the touch. Bake 12 min at 220°C. Savoury or plain mixes can be dropped into stews to make dumplings. All scones mixes can be frozen. Gives a wide variety made simply and inexpensively.”

And, “I make a date and banana loaf each week. 3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar or honey, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup bran flakes, butter or margarine, 3 teaspoons baking powder,  mixed spices or others. One overripe banana cut into pieces. I whirl the lot in my food processor and add sufficient water to make a very thick moist mixture. Place in a greased ovenproof dish, and bake for 2 hours in a slow oven. Add or remove ingredients like dates, bran, sultanas or what have you. Makes a large loaf which lasts ages – mine does a week for two of us.”

JayFKay from Manurewa loves this sausage recipe. “Cook cubed potatoes. Fry sausages and sliced onions. Drain off fat and cut sausages into 3. Make up packet of Maggi Oxtail soup with 1 1/2 cups of water, add to pan with sausages, onions, potatoes and mixed frozen veges. Heat until frozen veges are cooked.  Ingredients can be added too for more people.”

The Oily Rag Good Samaritan of the Week Award goes to Thirties Depression Baby from Auckland who asks if you have sewing skills, a sewing machine and some spare time. “How about helping a struggling family by mending their children's clothes? I have recently 'adopted' a family and have been patching items of school uniforms and jeans, have fixed the seams and hems of small dresses, given tights a new lease of life with some imaginative decoration, and all of this for little cost. For patching material, go to an Op shop and buy, for instance, a worn pair of jeans in the same colour as the one to be mended. Use the good bits for patching… Let's use our old-fashioned skills again to help today's recession children. The same goes for the grandpa generation and for DIY skills in general, of course!”

Maggie from Tauranga has a suggestion for those moving into a newly built house. “Take time to rub the glass walls of the shower with Turtle Wax. Then polish off.  We have been living in our home now for 3 years and taking care to wipe down the walls after each shower, have scum free glass. We were advised to repeat this after 6 months.”

Many thanks for everyone for sharing your tips with others. The Oily Rag Club now has 1400 members and growing by the day. Send your tips in at www.oilyrag.co.nz.

* Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ. Readers can submit their oily rag tips on-line at www.oilyrag.co.nz. The book is available from bookstores and online at www.oilyrag.co.nz.