Oily Rag – A Smorgasbord Of Tips

Read more Oily Rag articles  By Frank and Muriel Newman

Here’s a smorgasbord of the great money-saving tips we have received.

Diane of Paraparaumu makes inexpensive gourmet meals for her cat! “Here’s my cat food recipe – dogs may love it too and may get the same benefits.  Get about 3kg of fish scraps from a fish purveyor – the cost is minimal if not free. Put in a large, preferably stainless steel pot. Just cover with water and cook gently until fish turns white. Use a potato masher to mash up the fish and loosen all the bones. Remove bones and bury in the garden if you have one. Once the mixture is cold, put into plastic containers, water and all, and freeze. It makes around eight decent sized pottles. When thawed for use, it will have formed into a lovely gelatinous jelly and will be a welcome addition to a cat's diet.”

Tex has a couple of baking suggestions. “Learn to make a basic scone mix. Scones are so versatile you can add in whatever you like – dried fruits, nuts, spices, cheese, onion, 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 can be frozen. Gives a wide variety and are simple and inexpensive to make.”

And, “I make a date and banana loaf each week. 3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar or honey, ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup bran flakes, butter or margarine, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ tsp mixed spice, a handful of dates and 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.”

Kevan from Kaiwaka has an extra healthy baked bean recipe. “Take half a can of baked beans and stir in two tablespoons of pumpkin seeds, two tablespoons of ground (not crushed) linseed, two tablespoon of sunflower seeds and two tablespoon of sesame seeds. Serve on toast. Seeds are cheapest if purchased at a bulk food outlet.”

Apteryx from Kaipara writes, “Tomatoes require plenty of water when fruiting. The hose is useless on a hot summer's day. Take an empty two litre plastic bottle, put a pin hole in the side down at the bottom of the bottle, then fill with water and place it in the garden by the tomato plant. Remove the pin and a fine stream of water will run out, taking about 4 hours to empty. The tomato will get the full benefit, resulting in more fruit. Do this daily in fine weather.”

“H” from Canterbury has this motoring tip. “Don't fill your fuel tank right up. Driving around with a tank full of fuel makes your vehicle weigh more which will reduce fuel economy.” For the record, the average car holds about 55 litres of fuel, and 1 litre weighs around 0.71kg. That means a full tank of petrol weighs about 40kg.

Some time ago Dot asked oily rag readers for advice on where to buy Pearson’s sandsoap. It was a Kiwi icon that you might remember using as a child. J Pearson, a relative of the inventor, has sent us this fabulous reply, although sadly, the soap is no longer made. “In answer to Dot – Pearson's sandsoap has not been available since about the 1950's when my great great grandfather's company went out of business after about 70 years of trading. I believe someone bought out the name and continued making soap but my understanding is that the last person who knew the secret recipe didn't divulge it! The soap was made using pumice sand found on my great great grandfather's property in Hamilton. The only remaining bars are those in museums around NZ and Australia!”

Do you have a favourite tip that you would like to share with others? Let us know by going to www.oilyrag.co.nz or writing to PO Box 984, Whangarei.

* 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.