Dollar Stretchers
Make the most of money-saving silver beet (Swiss chard) in season or in your garden
In the Kitchen Garden at school, I have just discovered how incredibly easy it is to grow silver beet (also called Swiss chard) and rainbow silver beet. It is very prolific, providing a bountiful harvest with leaves you can pick as you need to, so there’s no waste.
Money saving winter warmers
Head for the comfort zone with these money saving soups and stews that will warm you up on the inside. We have provided links for the ones that are on the website; the others are in our book, Money Saving Meals.
How can I get my kids to eat more veggies?
These days the universally acknowledged truth is that kids and veggies just don't go together. 'Since I have been teaching children how to cook as part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program at Bondi Public School my views have totally changed,' says Diane.
Warm up this winter with soup - and pocket the savings
Not only does a main meal soup lift the spirits, restore the mind, warm the heart and delight the tastebuds, but it can be a great budget stretcher. You can create a one-pot wonder soup with what you have on hand in the fridge, freezer and pantry – leftover vegetables and herbs, a little rice, barley or pasta, a can of tomatoes or beans, a touch of spice, and dinner is served.
Diane’s perfect pesto for schools with a nut-free policy
Because peanut and tree nut allergies can be life-threatening and because children with these allergies can sometimes react even to a trace of them, many schools have become peanut and tree nut free.
Emma Sandall's Figgy-flavoured Pear and Walnut Slice
We always have something in the cake tin for a little sweet treat to follow dinner. One of my favourite combinations (and I am not alone in this!) is fig and walnut. Another favourite is pear and walnut. I thought that a slice that combined these loves, plus the surprise on the palate of a bite of chocolate would be quite delicious...
Julie and Julia and THAT Boeuf Bourguignon
You saw the movie and watched the Oscars, and now you want to try THAT beef bourguignon, the dish with the co-starring role in Julie and Julia that didn't even rate a nomination.
Roberta's Tasty Fish Cakes
‘Many classic dishes originally came into being to avoid waste, but have stayed popular (or enjoyed a resurgence) because they simply taste good; fish cakes are one such dish,' says Roberta Muir, Manager of Sydney Seafood School.
Emma Sandall's fabulous frugal fare in the spotlight
Emma Sandall is a dancer/choreographer. She and her partner Cass Mortimer Eipper have just set up a dynamic new dance company, Ludwig. Long hours, a tight budget and the need for a healthy meal to give them the energy they need for rehearsals and performing means that meals have to be planned, not left to chance.
Cooking from the kitchen garden
I have taken on an exciting new challenge for 2010 - Kitchen Specialist for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program which has been introduced at Bondi Public School in Sydney's east. The children are a very enthusiastic and exuberant bunch and love the garden and eating the dishes we make.
Healthy money-saving meals and snacks on a gluten-free diet
‘There is much more to your gluten-free lifestyle than focusing on foods you need to avoid,' says Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian Dr Kate Marsh.
Money Saving Meals Makeover: Coles "Feed your family for under $10"
Diane’s healthy meal challenge for Coles ‘Feed your family for under $10’ campaign.
If Coles ‘Feed your family for under $10’ campaign is anything like Sainsbury’s ‘Feed your family for a fiver’ with Jamie Oliver, it will be very healthy for the supermarket chain’s bottom line. But how healthy are the everyday meals ‘young gun’ Australian chef Curtis Stone has come up with for families?
Money Saving Meals 'Masterchef' Makeover
A health and price challenge
OK, you loved the show and now you are inspired to try some dishes. You loved Julie and her style of home cooking (we did) so you've decided to make her Pan-fried Steak and Chips with Tarragon Salt (the judges raved about it).
Home cooking cheaper and healthier than KFC, McDonalds and Domino’s Pizza
We hear that people are turning to fast food to save money. We compared the costs of KFC, McDonalds and Pizza Hut ‘meal deals' with similar home-cooked meals. If you buy a takeaway ‘meal deal' once a week, you save around $350 a year if you make it yourself along with saving yourself some 52,000 kJ (12,380 calories) per person. Check out our findings HERE.
Kick the stock box habit
The cheapest ready-made stock in a box costs $2.89 for a litre (that's 4 cups). The equivalent for stock cubes is 47 cents per litre (4 cups) and for stock powder is 22 cents per litre (4 cups).
It's available from all leading booksellers throughout Australia and New Zealand or online from