Many meals from one rolled roast

I have found a way to get maximum meals and value from one single rolled roast. I bought a rolled pork roast which was way too big for just the two of us. Not wanting to be living on leftovers all week, I decided to cut it in half before cooking it. As I was about to place the uncooked half in the freezer, I decided to cut it into thinner slices and use the meat as pork chops instead. This has worked well! I also plan to cut the rolled roast into chunks in future, to use for stir fry, sweet and sour pork and so on. Normally you could never get pork chops or stir fry for $7.99 a kilo! There's no reason why you couldn't use this method with other rolled roasts too.

Bundle up your bags and don't get caught short

I have come up with a super easy way to solve my shopping bag dilemma! Like many people, I was sick of trying to organise a whole bunch of bags of different shapes and sizes in the back of the car, ready for shopping trips. I really like my car to be free from clutter, so wanted a thrifty and simple solution, I decided to use an old cosmetic purse and filled it with 99c reusable nylon bags from the supermarket. These roll up tiny and fasten with a elastic tab, making a neat and tidy little roll. I can fit eight of the tiny rolls into my cosmetic purse and this in turn fits nicely into my handbag or centre console of the car. These days I never get caught without a bag and these ones can get used over and over again. Being made of material, they can also be thrown into the washing machine if they have had meat or something drippy in them and are soon as good as new again!

Make baby fruit gels at home

If your baby or toddler enjoys Heinz fruit gels, you can easily make your own at home. The benefit is that you know exactly what you are feeding them and it costs you a lot less! You will need:

2 cups of fruit juice (apple, blackcurrant or whatever you choose)
1/2 teaspoon Agar powder (you can buy this from health food shops; don't be put off by the cost as it will last a long time). You need to measure the ingredients exactly to get the right consistency, otherwise the gel will be either too firm or too runny.

Put the juice in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Then sprinkle the Agar over the top and let simmer for about 30 seconds. Pour into jars or containers and let set in the fridge. This should make around eight serves depending on the size of the containers. Unlike gelatin, Agar will stay firm if the gel is taken out of the fridge. You can also mix pureed fruit like apple, and it won't affect the recipe. For toddlers or older children you can mix two fruits and it is just like the jelly fruit cups you buy in the supermarket.

Natural sanitiser

I have been receiving your fabulous emails for ages and I thought I'd share a favourite saving hint of my own.
 
My naturopath gave me a tip which saves money and is better for our health too. She said that most hand sanitisers contain chemicals and antibacterial properties that not only kill bad bacteria but also kill off essential good bacteria. The good bacteria on our hands helps to fight off infections and acts as a barrier, so hand sanitisers can compromise our ability to protect ourselves.
 
My naturopath gave me a natural alternative. She told me to buy some small atomisers and a bottle of water-soluble tea tree oil from the chemist. I would then pour about 20 drops of oil into each atomiser, and fill with water – that's all it takes to make your very own antiseptic.
 
These natural sanitisers are cheap, effective and have a lovely scent. An atomiser easily fits into a handbag, and is very handy if the kids get scratches and scrapes after playing – a quick spray on the affected area is all it takes.
 
Tea tree oil really is the best antiseptic around and there are so many uses for it. Happy natural sanitising!