Late last year I read the book Eating Between the Lines: Food and Equality in Australia (no longer, it seems, available – I borrowed it from the library). While this book raised many interesting points, the one that resonated with me the most was the observation that Australians are very, very good at accepting and incorporating other ‘ethnic’ cuisines into our diet, and yet we’ve all but ignored the foods of our own country.

Apart from being the food source to Aboriginals for thousands of years, Australian native foods also helped keep early white colonists alive. However, native foods soon gave way to more traditional and familiar European foods, and apart from macadamia nuts and the occasional interest in ‘exotic’ cuisine, Australian native foods haven’t enjoyed widespread popularity.

I think this is a real shame. It’s at our own loss that we have, by and large, ignored our native food source. It doesn’t make sense that you can buy chia seeds (native to Mexico) at your local supermarket while wattle seeds, for instance, are much harder to source.

Native foods are, obviously, perfectly adapted to growing in this country’s climate. They are also very nutritious: the Kakadu Plum is thought to be the richest source of Vitamin C of any food in the world. And if you forage for wild foods, then they are also free.

My own exposure to native foods has been limited to the occasional Quandong jam that my dad used to make, some lemon myrtle tea, as well as macadamia nuts, of course. And if you count kangaroo as bush tucker then yes, I’ve eaten that too (there’s an irony there – a nation that’s all but rejected it’s own native food is also one of the few that eats it’s national emblem).

But I’ve been looking into ways to widen our palate by making native Australian foods a regular addition to our diet.

Below are the five steps that we are taking to incorporate native Australian foods into our diet, beginning with the easiest. If you would like to explore native foods but find the idea of foraging for your own a little daunting, you can go the baby steps route like we are taking.

One reader, who does have experience in foraging, was wondering if there are other like-minded people out there who forage for food in Australia. If you do forage for native foods, it would be wonderful if you shared your experiences in the comments below (and there’s a link to a native foods forum in the resources if you’re looking for other passionate foragers). I would also like to hear about the experiences of others as I am very interested in learning more.

1. learning about bush tucker foods

If you’re new to Australian native foods, then the first step is to learn about what’s available. Information overload can be counter-productive, which is why it’s best to pick one food at a time to explore (something that I am doing).

Choose a native food (one that is palatable and not just edible) that grows in your local region, and learn how to identify it, it’s natural environment, it’s seasonality, what parts are edible, how to grow, how to harvest it and how to prepare it, use it (some plants are also medicinal) and cook with it.

Buy some. Try some. Taste it. Cook with it yourself. Grow it.

And familiarise yourself with native foods one plant at a time. The knowledge you gain through this process will be more valuable than any single book.

At the end of the article is a list of resources, including information on various plants, to help you get started with this process. Your local library will also have books on native foods.

2. buy foods made from native ingredients

We went to the food festival in Kenilworth over the Easter break and came home with a local product: a lovely jar of bush tucker / Moroccan fusion simmer sauce. At $8 a jar, it wasn’t cheap, but as the lady suggested, we only used about a third of the jar, so it will make three meals for the three of us.

Once you begin to look, there are actually lots of ready made products that incorporate native Australian ingredients (like sauces and jams); local markets are one of the best places to find these products. They make a good introduction both to the taste of native foods as well as ideas on how to use them.

Another place to find these foods is in your health food shop (and even sometimes in your supermarket). Lemon Myrtle tea is a good example. This is the one I’ve tried, although there are many different brands (as well as different native teas).

3. buy native ingredients to cook with

The next step is to buy raw native ingredients to cook with, things like native herbs and spices or native fruits and greens at your local markets. Find ingredients in specialty stores, health food stores, greengrocers, at local markets or online.

There are many recipes online to guide you in using native foods, although it will be a lot more fun to experiment and come up with your own recipes.

4. Grow native food plants in your garden

This is the aspect of native foods that I’m particularly interested in: incorporating native food plants into the garden. The benefits of growing your own bush tucker are many.

Firstly, and particularly if you’re buying from nurseries that specialise in native food plants, you can be assured you’re eating plants that are not poisonous.

Secondly, by planting native trees, you are providing a food source for native birds and insects as well as helping maintain a good balance between native and introduced species and helping to keep endangered species alive. Native plants are also hardy and water wise.

Thirdly, as much of the bush tucker currently consumed is ‘wild harvested’, increasing demand puts pressure on its sustainability. Many native plants are low maintenance so by growing your own, you have the best of both worlds.

If you are interested in adding native food plants to your garden, find out which ones are appropriate for your local climate and start from there. Your local nursery should be able to help or check out the resources section for more information.

5. Forage for native foods

Foraging means food for free, which is always nice. One day I would like to get more into foraging; it’s a great way to supplement what you buy and what you grow. Foraging is also a great way to really understand, appreciate and live within the natural rhythms of the environment.

Of course, foraging doesn’t just mean native foods, there are many introduced plant species (aka weeds) that can be picked and eaten. If you’re in Melbourne, Doris Pozzi does edible weed walks and workshops; she also has a book that you can buy online.

There are two things to keep in mind when foraging for foods. The first is to really make sure you know what you’re picking and eating. It can be very easy to mistake one plant for another, sometimes with deadly consequences. In the reading I’ve been doing lately, I’ve discovered that even within the same species, some plants are edible while others that look very similar are poisonous. Also, some parts of a plant may be edible, while other parts poisonous.

Ideally you would want to take a course or workshop (if you can find one) from someone who knows the native foods in your local area  and can teach you where to find them and how to identify them.

Secondly, keep in mind that some plants are endangered and protected and therefore require a permit to harvest. The NSW variety of Davidson Plum comes to mind here (although the QLD variety is not endangered). You will also need to check out regulations if foraging in National Parks.

Further resources

• Queensland Bush Food Association
• Australian Native Food Industry Limited
• Australian Bushfood and Native Medicine Forum – lots of info here
• Australian Bushfood Magazine
• NSW Flora Online
• Learn how to use bush tucker – ACS Distance Ed Course
• Bushfood shop and their blog with info on plants plus recipes
• Witjuti Grub Bushfood Nursery

If you have any other resources or experience in growing, foraging, cooking or eating Australian native foods, let us know in the comments below.

Have you read these articles?:

1. 12 creative ways to make money
2. six ways to save money and have beautiful skin
3. 8 Ways To Improve The Value Of Your Property Without Breaking The Budget

If you’re looking for the perfect lemon saving device, then look no further, because have I got a beaut one for you today.

When I first discovered this lemon saver, I fell in love. It keeps our cut lemons fresher for longer – a great way to store lemons in the fridge, reducing waste and saving you money.

This also works well for storing avocados too.

And here it is…

Now I bet you thought I was going to recommend some product . Nah. A rubber band (you probably get some for free with the dreaded junk mail) isn’t made of plastic and doesn’t cost you anything.

I saw a whole heap of fruit savers the other day at the shop for lemons, tomatoes, avocados… this works just as well.

If you’ve got lots of lemons or don’t plan on using the juice soon, an alternative is to juice the lemon and freeze the juice in ice cube trays.

I have to admit though, that a cut lemon half keep for weeks in the fridge, they just dry out a little bit. Slice a thin slice from the top and they juice almost as well as fresh.

What’s your method for saving lemons and other fruits and veg?

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday – lots of lemons
2. Easy Chinese Style Lemon Chicken
3. lemon and thyme roasted vegetables with cous cous

Autumn is a time of abundance when it comes to fresh produce. I love the flavours of autumn: apples, lemons, pumpkins, pears, leeks…along with the colours and temperatures this is most definitely my favourite time of the year. I always try to plan our trips down south to coincide with Autumn so that I can make the most of my favourite season.

Because there is such an abundance, it’s easy to cook with seasonal produce and create a wide variety of meals. Cooking in season means that you save money, can shop locally, the food is fresher and tastier and often healthier than cold-stored food. It’s a win all round, in other words.

Today’s post is a downloadable guide (pdf) to what’s in season over Autumn. You can put it in your household binder, with your menu plan or stick it to your fridge to help you plan meals around what’s in season.

Seasonal produce does vary from region to region, so use this as a rough guide only. For instance, the strawberry season is just ending in southern regions of Australia, so you may still be able to buy fresh, inexpensive strawberries. However in Queensland the season ended a few months ago, so they are more expensive now (and shipped in from down south) than they were in October and November, when they were local.

Also, I’ve only included the more popular fruits and vegetables; speak with your local grower, market stall owner or greengrocer to find out what other produce is in season in your local area.

Click here to download the Australian fruit and vegetables seasonal list for Autumn (pdf).

Have you read these articles?:

1. Things to do in autumn
2. preparing for the cold and flu season
3. A savings guide for university students

Generally speaking, my philosophy is that if it looks good, if it smells good, if it tastes good, then it probably is good to eat, despite what the date might say on the packet.

My caveat to this is that I’m a lot more finicky and particular about the food I eat while pregnant. Apart from avoiding the usual no-nos, to my pregnant nose ALL meat smells off, regardless of whether it is or it isn’t, or whether it is well in date. This makes it harder to trust the senses I normally rely on.

I am also more particular about the food the little fella eats, my reasoning being that his digestive system isn’t as well developed as ours and I would prefer that he didn’t get sick.

Despite being less than absolutely strict with used-by dates, I have never had food poisoning from home (I’ve had it twice, once from eating in restaurants, once from KFC). We defrost meat on the bench (my dad used to hang it on the clothes line in the sun!). We store the butter in the pantry in winter. Last time I cleaned out the pantry I found Worcestershire sauce that had a best before date of 2006. We were still eating it (not very often obviously). It was fine, but I erred on the side of caution with that one and tossed it anyway.

So over to you: what is your policy on used-by and best before dates? Are you strict with dates, or do you trust your sense of smell and taste? What are your tricks for using food before it expires?

We all know the guidelines recommend we eat five serves of vegies per day. But do you ever feel that eating your five serves is, well, a little hard?

And what are five serves anyway?

According to the guidelines, 1 serve is equal to 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables, 1 cup of salad, 1 medium potato or 1/2 cup of cooked legumes.

Which sounds simple enough, but how does that translate into everyday practice? How do you know whether at the end of the day, you’ve managed your vegie quota? After all, I don’t usually cook by measuring out a cup of vegetables.

When researching what ‘five serves’ actually are, I came across this great article at Limes and Lycopene by Kathryn Elliott, a Sydney based nutritionist. The article includes photographs of just what five serves looks like – and it doesn’t seem very much at all! Seeing what five serves actually equates to in the real world makes the guidelines more concrete – something we can actually work with. I recommend checking out the rest of her blog – lots of healthy recipes and ideas for healthy eating.

Below are some ideas on how to increase your vegetable intake by eating them at any meal throughout the day, not just dinner. These meal ideas are ones we use ourselves on a daily basis.

Breakfast

We eat eggs on toast most days with mushrooms and tomato. It’s a great way to start the day, leaves you feeling fuller for longer and only takes a few extra minutes to cook up.

• Eggs on toast with any of the following: mushrooms, tomato, spinach, herbs, avocado
• Vegetable omelette (use leftover veg from the night before to make this quick or have cut up veg in the fridge ready for the morning)
• Mushrooms on toast
• Avocado and tomato on toast (with fresh cracked pepper – yum)
• Fresh vegetable juice
• Bubble and Squeak
• Beans on toast

Snacks

• Vegetable sticks
• Homemade vegetable dips: salsa, hummus, beetroot, carrot, broad bean, vege pate
• Vegetable muffins
• Zucchini bread

Lunch

• Salad
• Salad sandwich
• homemade pizzas
• Vegetable fritters – very quick and easy to prepare, we eat these quite often. Prep ahead and take cold fritters for lunch with some homemade salsa for dipping.
• Mini quiches or frittata
• Vegetable soup
• Filled jacket potato
• Quesadillas

Dinner

Most dinner meals usually include vegetables but here are some ideas where you can add extra veg:

• Casseroles, stews, curries
• Stir Fry
• Mornay
• Meat and veg
• Vegetable risotto
• Vegetable soups
• Hidden vegetables as in fish rissoles, mince rissoles, or spaghetti bolognaise
• and, of course, vegetarian dishes.

By making vegetables the main focus of a meal (with meat as the accompaniment) and including vegetables in more than one meal a day, you are certain to be eating your five serves of vegetables – plus some, without ever having to measure a cup of veg or count your lettuce leaves.

What are your tips for increasing your vegetable intake during the day?

Have you read these articles?:

1. marinated pork chops with honey roasted vegetables
2. balsamic roasted vegetables with quinoa
3. eating your greens. Fresh v frozen vegetables

I thought I would share with you the most popular recipes on Frugal and Thriving for 2011. These recipes were the most viewed and the most searched on the website and all of the recipes appear in the top 100 pages viewed on the site.

And like all of the recipes on the site, they are ones we cook and eat at home.

Of all of these recipes, my favourite would have to be pea and ham soup, although we probably eat the tuna rissoles the most (about once a fortnight), with the savoury pumpkin pie coming in second for most frequently cooked meal. The recipes appear in descending order of popularity. Click the picture to go to the recipe.

10. Pea and ham soup

9. Savoury muffins

8. Rock cakes

7. Portuguese chicken drumsticks

6. Honey and balsamic salad dressing

5. Tuna rissoles

4. Roast pumpkin and feta salad

3. Best ever rissoles

2. Chicken schnitzel

1. Savoury pumpkin pie

Have you read these articles?:

1. pea and ham soup
2. merry christmas from frugal and thriving 2011
3. Hiding The Lentil. 10 Top Ways To Feed the Family Lentils

I read this tip in an old magazine a few months ago.

Back in the day when I was single, ‘cashed up’ and debt free, I used to subscribe to a few cooking magazines. Several years of monthly mag subscriptions add up (to over 100), so I’ve been slowly going through them one by one, tearing a few of the recipes out and either recycling or donating the rest of the mag (depending on how many recipes I kept).

Ah, the cupboard space I’ve gained!

It’s been fun. Reading through those recipes again, being inspired to cook new ones. And I’ve shrunk shelves full of recipes to two folders worth.

Anyway, here’s the tip I read: recreate a sandwich press by toasting your sandwich in a fry pan and place a plate on top, weighed down with a tin of tomatoes or what not.

Similar result without another electrical appliance cluttering the benches (although I admit that the toaster we were give gets almost daily use).

Have you read these articles?:

1. an alternative to the usual plastic sandwich bags
2. tip tuesday–making peanut butter and honey more efficient
3. tip tuesday – tricks with onions

I can’t take credit for this one. We were cutting out shapes from the play dough when the little fella ran to the cupboard and returned with a milk bottle lid (we collect these for play).

And so the idea was born: a (clean) milk lid cookie cutter.

I altered the design a little by hacking cutting a hole in the top of the lid with a knife. There were two reasons for this: the first is to push the dough off the cookie cutter after the shape has been cut; the second is to stop air ‘resistance’ when pressing the milk lid into the dough. Here are a few pictures of the cookie cutter in action:

And these were the end product: chocolate freckle cookies.

The recipe, by the way, comes out of the Woman’s Weekly BAKE cookbook, which I love. So many good recipes, it gets good use.

The little fella refused point blank to taste the dough – I guess all the nagging of ‘don’t eat dirt’ and ‘don’t eat play dough’ has worked.

More for mum.

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday–making peanut butter and honey more efficient
2. tip tuesday – lots of lemons
3. tip tuesday – tricks with onions

The most important cook book you will ever own is the one that you write yourself.

Your cookbook will include family favourite recipes, recipes you’ve created and adjusted yourself, recipes passed down from parents and grandparents, recipes you will pass down to your children and grandchildren.

It will be the recipe book that you refer to over and over, unlike all the unread and unused cookbooks gathering dust on the shelf (or is that just me?).

I wanted to share with you a couple of photos of my own cook book and my father’s cookbooks, that I claimed as my own.

They are just simple notebooks, but much treasured and much used. My cookbook is a little ‘girly’, because I started it when I was about 15 years old.

You can keep ‘official’ recipes and write your own notes on how you changed the recipe, how long it takes to cook in your oven, what pan you use etc.

You can impress people at dinner parties with your culinary knowledge (and pronunciation) .

But it doesn’t need to be impressive, nor do the recipes.

You can organise it how you like, make it as decorated as you like, or leave it plain. Do it on the computer or write it with old fashioned pen and paper. (It’s hard to tell in the picture, but the stains are testament to a much used book).

But at the end of the day, it is a record of the home food that you love to cook and eat.

P.S. You can click the pictures for a larger view, if you want to read the recipes.

Have you read these articles?:

1. tip tuesday– essential cookbooks
2. Book Review: Little Book Of Big Savings
3. tip tuesday–frugal toasted sandwich press

I read this tip on the Tammy’s Recipes blog. Her tip is to mix together the peanut butter and honey in a bowl to make spreading it easier.

I have to admit, I’m not a fan of the combination, but if you eat this often, I would go one step further and make a jar of it to store in the pantry, ready to go, without having to mix it at spreading time.

The great thing about peanut butter is that it is a healthy and cheap protein that everyone seems to love (except me).

Actually that’s not true, I thought I hated peanut butter for years until I started buying the freshly ground stuff from the health food store. No salt. No vegetable oil. No sugar. Just peanuts. And it tastes sooo much better than what you get in the supermarket. Turns out I do like peanuts, just not adulterated peanuts. The downside is that natural peanut butter is a little drier than the brands that include oil.

Here’s a different version of peanut butter and honey on toast that I ate by the truck load when I was pregnant:

Spread a piece of buttered toast with mashed banana. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and sesame seeds. Yum.

Have you read these articles?:

1. honey roasted pumpkin risotto
2. marinated pork chops with honey roasted vegetables
3. Honey Balsamic Salad Dressing