Yum! I will buy some cake mix next time I'm shopping:)

Just had to go to see the settlement agent for my DD...don't want anything to hold up settlement on her new home. My potential sewing room is at stake!

Anyway, while I was out I bought some cake mix, one butter one chocolate, 72c each;) Will try your recipe tonight Sandy:)

I have just filled up my freezer with my bulk meat buy. I purchased a fore 1/4 of beef (has a lot sof roast/stewing meat & is more suitable for winter eating than a hind 1/4). It cost me $165 dollars ($4.90a kilo).

For that I have
2 large roasts (with lots of sanchwich meat leftover)
2 rolled roasts
7 sausage meals
8 mince meals
2 1/2 scotch fillet meals (10 steaks)
7 chuck steak meals (stews, curreis, meat & guiness pies - my sons specialty)
1 shin whole (braising)
so thats 30 beef meals for $165 just over $5.50 per meal

not too mention a huge bag of dog bones

as we normally have only 1 beef and one mince meal a week this is going to last a while. BUT lamb is so expensive at the mo that we might have 2 beef most weeks and lamb only when I can pick it up cheap.

It may be a big outlay but it is so worth it. I mean even sausages are more that $4.90 a kilo.

I am hoping this gets us half way through Spring, then I will buy a hind 1/4 for summer which has much more steak than stewing meat.

freezers are wonderful things.

Fantastic recipe Sandy, they taste so good. Like real homemade ones. I added a cherry to some, choc chips to some, rolled some in coconut and left some plain. I am going to try using the chocolate cake mix too.

Thanks Sandy:)

Wow, Gail, that is a great way to save on meat! I bought a leg of lamb a few weeks ago, the cheapest one I could get was $18:eek: -only got it because I won a $20 Woolies gift card at Ladies day at the club.

Linda, I haven't tried the cookies yet. I was going to make an easy date slice yesterday, but discovered that what I thought were dates, were dried apricots.
There is even a very easy banana cake on that site, you melt the butter and sugar together, so no creaming- it has had good reviews as well, but there wouldn't be anything much cheaper to make than those cookies. So glad you like them.

The cookie monster, aka my DD, arrived home from work at 1am and ate all the rest of the biscuits. She was off to her other job at 6am and all that is left in the container is "Yummy biscuits, make more"!

I think I might add ginger powder and chopped ginger to a batch.

Linda there is also a recipe for "cockeyed cake" sounds weird, but great reviews- very easy to make-no egg butter or milk in it. It is a chocolate cake.
let me know if you're interested.

Yes please!

For me personally I try to limit my packet mixes - I do like one of the continental satay chicken mixes, but I don't buy packet cakes as I think made from scratch tastes better. I keep my flours and cooking ingredients in an airtight container so they stay fresh for ages, and buying a couple of KG of flour is pretty cheap. I usually find next time I want to cook something (cakes, biscuits, pancakes, etc) I usually have everything I need in the cupboard already. Eggs are the most expensive item you might not have in the fridge and now I have my very own "urban chickens" and can't wait till they start laying.

I agree Metanoia, I almost never use packet mixes because I think the real thing tastes better. I generally find all packet mix cakes and shop ones have thta same taste, however, these biscuits are so nice and really taste like homemade ones. We have our own chooks so unless they are off the lay we have a steady supply of eggs.

Here it is Linda:p


"cockeyed cake"

1 and 1/2 cups sifted plain flour
3 tabs cocoa
1 teas bi-carb soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 teas salt
5 tabs vegetable oil
1 tab vinegar
1 teas vanilla
1 cup cold water.

Method-
1. put sifted flour back into sifter with cocoa, carb soda, sugar and salt.
2. sift mixture directly into a well greased medium size cake tin.
3. make 3 holes in dry ingredients, and add the oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
4. mix until no flour remains in the corners of the pan, and mixture is fairly smooth.
5. bake at about 175c for 30 mts.

don't use olive oil as its taste is too strong.

Thanks Sandy:)

I was going to try this straight away and then realised I only have Olive oil.

How about peanut oil.. DS bought it during the I'll make dinner (Chinese) phase
Didi

I think that would have a strong taste as well. The person who supplied the recipe uses rice bran oil, but I would probably use canola.:p

Canola oil on the shopping list as of today!

I'm not sure, but I would try Peanut oil, wouldn't it taste like peanuts

Hi Cheryl, you could be right. The recipe just said don't use strong flavoured oil. You could put crushed nuts in and choc chips:idea:
I looked at the site this morning and 40 people have reviewed this recipe- and they all love it.:p

When my daughter was young, she was potentially anaphylactic to nuts, soy, dairy, wheat and eggs!! I used to make this cake with potato flour, so when we went to birthday parties, she never felt left out!! It works well, and I still cook it today - she is now 9 and has grown out of all her allergies except for peanuts. We are so lucky.

Linda I just made the cake mix cookies a short while ago. I rarely buy sweet bikkies, just lo fat savoury ones (premium for DH). Was going to have a cuppa and had a mad urge for something sweet. I put chopped apricots and walnut crumbs in the mix, and rolled in coconut. DH came in from the garden and said they smell lovely, so we have both had a couple. So easy- I am thinking of what I can add next time. No wonder your DD polished off the lot:):)

I have to cook some Gramma for DH- no pies- he will just have it as is or on his brekky biscuits. We call at a farm when we go to visit DM, and buy our pumpkins for $4 each(Qld Blues)- last time they were small so only $2, and DH wanted a gramma, it had a couple of marks on the skin so lady insisted on him having it for free. I don't like gramma at all. I cook it with some sugar, lemon juice and sultanas, so that will keep DH happy for a while.

what is a gramma Sandy
ann

It looks a bit like a pumpkin, sort of a cross between a squash and a pumpkin I guess. Lots of people make pies out of them. The local bakery has been advertising them on special for $6.95.

yuck! reminds me of the marrow etc that mother tried to feed me as a kid. pumpkin is fine but the rest are just too watery.
ann

Ann - it is watery, that's why when you are cooking it, you add little or no water.