Breaking the Habit

So I've decided that I've gained far too much weight since moving in with my boyfriend. I think it is because of all the chocolate and coke he likes and I like chocolate and coke as well. However its horrible for me and I can't fit into my old jeans anymore. SO it's time for a detox. Beginning Sunday I fly to my mothers house. She only drinks diet coke, not more healthy, but significantly less calories.

So, I believe I will be at my mothers for around two weeks and it is said that it takes 28 days to break or make a habit. So here are my goals:

1. No more coke
2. No more chocolate
3. Brush my teeth twice a day

When I return I hope I won't break and start drinking coke again, I may have to buy diet coke as a substitute. I have tried substituting water before, however it never stuck.

So, wish me luck!

Jane

Spaghetti

Hello there again friend, I decided to share my favourite recipe for spaghetti that I've come across. 

My sister first shared the full recipe with me when I stayed with her once, but due to the family not liking mushrooms or onion, those were removed. This contently feeds four of us though it can easily be filled out with more vegetables and less meat and then frozen for later. 

I will also include the extras from my sisters recipe in italics.

Ingredients:

• 500g mince ($3 at Coles)
• 1  regular Zucchini, I cut it longways into four, then slice, but its about preference $1.05
• 1 jar of barilla pomdoro pasta sauce (it was on special here for $2 this week, normally $3.79)
• Pasta (we use homebrand, which costs $1 for 500g, but less if it is 1kg)
• 300g mushrooms, sliced (~$4)
• 1 large carrot (or 2 small)  ($0.50)
• Val Verde Pasta Sauce Traditional (if I did use this I'd use the homebrand at $2.48) $3.24

Total Cost: $8.84 ($16.58) this is the full price version, this weeks only cost me $7.05! My sister also uses a Brand name pasta so hers is more than the 16 dollars I totaled. Per person, this is $2.21 ($4.15) and is easily one of the more expensive meals I make. 

What you do:

• Chop all of your vegetables, get your pot of water on for the pasta
• Dry fry the vegetables, less oil is good! Remove and place in bowl.
• Brown the meat, we add pepper and garlic salt to the meat for that bit extra, the meat also releases a lot of liquid so I generally pour some out.
• Add your veggies back in and mix it up.
• Add your Barilla sauce and mix. At this stage my sister would then add the generic pasta sauce to give it more sauce. You can add this based on your own preferences on how 'saucy' you like your spaghetti.
• At this point your pasta should so have been cooking for 10-13 minutes, drain and place on plate.
• Once your sauce has simmered for a few minutes for it to be lovely and hot, add to your plates and voila.

I absolutely love this recipe. I love it when I can add the extra vegetables in (almost never the mushrooms though, expensive!) because the kids just love it. I love zucchini and my lovely partner was finally sold on it this week after never had vegetables in his spaghetti before!

Jane

Me, Myself and Family

Hello there. This is the obligatory post dear reader where you find out more about me without actually getting to know who I am, unless I myself have directed you here!

You can call me Jane. Not my actual name, but for the sake of anonymity it is what you could call me if you feel the need to address me by name. I am nineteen and I live in Australia where I have just finished my first semester of university where I am studying to become a teacher. Some people say that being so young and already having a family is hard. It is, but lets not get into the opinions and judgments I receive.  There is a long story behind it all and its just easier to accept that its my family.

Now. I currently do not have a job, as a full time university student and parent, I have found it hard to fit a job into the mix until this upcoming semester where I will hopefully will at least be able to get a casual job before December. As a high school student I worked at McDonalds for three and a half years, I wouldn't mind returning to the job but I am not too fussed on where to work currently!

I have my own sealed savings jar of which I started in May, it is going towards a holiday I am taking in December to go to Melbourne for four days. Currently, my flights have been paid for, my mum offered to pay for the hotel as she would like to visit me while I am there, so the money is to go to spending money and food.

I also have a online savings account for the kids which I add a couple dollars to each week, it isn't a sort of university fund, yet. For now it is for anything related to them, be it a birthday party, christmas, clothes, ect. I plan on opening an account for them to manage with me in the next month or so once we start pocket money up once I figure out how to do that!

As the main cook, I do most of the food shopping, we don't use a car in our house so it is delivered (we get elsewhere by walking or using the bus, with the price of petrol these days, I prefer the bus!), I usually plan out which means I want to do and generally the overall price of the meal is pretty low. Once I figure this out more I'll put up some of the meals I do for the family (I'll put up my recipe for my spaghetti shortly after this one!).  I love cooking, however I don't eat cuts of red meat. I'm fine with mince and sausages, I just do not find the appeal of steak and the like. 

We live in a three bedroom house in a quiet suburb. We're fortunate enough to have very low rent. We have a simple life compared to most of my friends, but thats the way life is until we come out of university. We basically live on around 20,000 AUD a year and we're pleased with that. One day we'll be able to get a better handle on saving for our future life. For now. It's just one dollar at a time.

Jane