Oca, oca ocado, ocado, ocado

I have been having the most wonderful love affair with Ocado.  For over a year now I have had my groceries delivered to my door, by nice drivers, on time and what's more--with very few "substitutions."  (I have had two very poor experiences with Sainsburys deliveries and Tesco won't deliver to me because I live on a farm.  I am not a farmer, but that does not matter to them.)  Yes, I prefer our local farm shops and our meat and vegetable box delivery scheme, but they don't sell everything.  So needs must.

But they are too expensive, you say?  No, they have Tesco price match, Waitrose brand products, Ocado brand products, and deals all of the time.  Plus, when I go to the grocery store I end up putting tons in my trolley.  Online, I can take them out if I go over budget---much harder to do at the till with a toddler.  I have actually been able to reduce my grocery spending over the last year using ocado.

I want to pick out  my own stuff you say!  Well, I don't with a toddler.  Any trip to our Tesco Extra means 20 minutes in the toy aisle and then a frantic look around for what I want.  I can never remember what I want by then, and always leave disappointed. (I do like Tescos, but on my own, or with a lot of leisure time to explore the toys!)

Actually I am sometimes disappointed with the produce from ocado, but I do pop into other store occasionally.  (The produce is usually very good quality, but your avocados might not be as ripe as when you pick it out yourself. ) I also purchase cheap toilet paper elsewhere, because we need the really cheap stuff because we have very old drains which can't cope with puppies and teddy bears.

I don't want to pay for dellivery, you say!  Well, the nearest supermarket is 20 minutes away from me, and with the money I save by not putting extras in my trolley, I can afford the delivery.  Plus I have a trick.  They offer a annual delivery pass for about £110 or so.  I wait until they have an insanely good offer like last year when I got the delivery pass for £59.  You can then have as many deliveries as you like for the price. 


Having said all of that, I have to make some dramatic cuts to my spending and so I need to cancel my ocado for a few months.  My free delivery pass is expired.  And with a minimum spend of £40 per delivery I cannot manage this amount for a while.  I need to be extra frugal if I am going to meet my financial goals this year.  So it is farewell and not good-bye.  We will meet again one day.

Budget Cuts

So it is time to face up to the fact that we cannot manage to get out of debt or save up for the future without some really dramatic changes to our spending habits.  I believe that even a few months of cutting back will have its rewards. 

There isn't actually much we can do about some of our direct debits without cutting off the phone altogether.  Tempting sometimes, but I have only just started my blog and would like to keep broadband if possible.  So the areas we will target are food, petrol, and entertainment.

We are dividing our goal into monthly and three monthly segments We have already decided that we do not need to purchase the following for the next three months:  clothes, books, going out, and we will reduce eating out too.  That was the easy part!  We don't eat out much, we have enough clothes for a little while, and we have an inexpensive on demand tv service which gives us movies and tv at our convenience.  (We are considering cutting the tv service, but when the nation goes digital we will not have any tv whatsoever except for on demand---because we have an ancient aerial hanging off the house which will not pick up the digital signal.)

I would like some maternity clothes, but can manage on what I have and make a skirt if necessary.  And I insist that the family gets to eat from the major food groups each day.  I will have to compromise on our food choices, but all of our meat and eggs have to be at least free range as usual.  I am afraid fairtrade may go out the window for a month or two.  But we will do our best.

So here are a few of the ideas we have been discussing to try to cut our spending over the coming months.  I will let you know which ones worked for us when we have tried them out.

1. For January, cut on food bills by eating from the pantry and freezer, setting an extremely low budget, and using store reward vouchers to pay for food.  (I usually save them up for gifts and treats).
2. Pay money towards the credit card on the first of the month, so I cannot spend it.
3. Take out cash for food and petrol and make it last the month.  The amount will vary each month according to what is in our pantry already.
4. Declare one car off road to defer having to get a tax disc and MOT until we have saved up for it.  (This will work better if I am still off sick---but I hope to feel better soon).
5. If I do return to work, take up some freinds' offers of childcare to save some costs of the childminder.  (I would offer to barter, but it is illegal to provide childcare "for reward" in this country unless you are fully registered.)
6. Cut down on extra car trips to save petrol.
7. Other Half will do some overtime shifts and sign up to do some agency work on his spare weekends to bring in more money.
8. I will start doing some craft projects to sell at a craft fair in July.
9. We will gather items which are suitable for a car boot sale in the spring.  (Years worth of boys clothes come to mind---since I am having a girl this time.)

Eating in Tanzania

Tanzania is a place where many cultures have come together.  Over the centuries there have been many Arab traders and Indian settlers who have mixed with the native Africans to create some wonderful foods.  Food really does vary by region, from plain boiled meats and vegetables in Arusha to spicy curries and fish in the coastal regions like Dar es salam. 

Like much of Africa, people in Tanzania often eat their family meals in the communal style.  There are a few rules to follow:

1. Meals are eaten in the living room on a mattress (mkeka) on the floor.
2. Small families can share one plate.
3. Large families are divided, with males, females, and children having different plates. 
4. Very small children eat with their mothers.  Babies are fed from the communal plate by the mother. 
5. People eat with their right hands only (because the left hand is used in the toilet).  If you only remember one thing, remember this!  You will have your fellow diners suddenly wash their hands and refuse more food if you breach this rule.
6. The shared plate will have stew, meat, salad, or fish along with little piles of salt to dip your meat in.  These foods can be eaten by hand or scooped up with chapati, rice or ugali (maize meal).
7. Meals begin with a bowl of warm water being passed around to clean your right hand.  It often has some lemon juice or a slice of lemon in it.


8. You can make a small ball of rice or ugali .  Then pinch the ball slightly and use this to scoop up food.

Then place this in your mouth.  It is important to not let your fingers touch your mouth at all.  This can be messy to start with, but with practice gets easier. 

 9.  At the end of the meal everyone washes their hands again.  (For large groups the bowl is quite big). 

10.  Everyone then thanks the mother for the food.  (This really means that you are thanking the father for providing the food as well. )

Ugali



Ugali, fried tilapia, sukumawiki



Ugali is a staple starchy food much like potato or pasta in other cultures.  Ugali is made from maize flour and is used in many parts of Africa.  It is has many names, such as sadza in Zimbabwe.  In some parts of Africa semolina (made from wheat) is used in a similar way.  Ugali is usually prepared with water and is very plain.  It is served with stews or other wet foods.  It is eaten with your hands and can take some practice!  Make a small ball of ugali in your right (always the right!) hand,  flatten it slightly and use this to scoop your stew.

Meals are always served with a bowl of warm water, perhaps with a slice of lemon.  This is passed around to wash your right hand before and after the meal.  I have a friend from Zimbabwe who comes around with a bowl and a pitcher of warm, lemony water which she pours over your hand.  A lovely ritual.

You will need:

fine white maize

water

saucepan

wooden spoon

1. Fill half of a medium size pan with water and bring to the boil.

2.  Take a few spoonfuls of boiled water and add to 1/4 cup of maize in a bowl.  Mix with additional cold water and stir until the maize is smooth.  .

Add back to the pan and stir almost constantly to prevent lumps on the bottom of the pan.  Boil and stir for a further few minutes until the mixture boils.

3.  Next, add one cup of maize and begin to stir quite vigorously.  It is quite like mashing potatoes.  You are looking to smooth out any lumps quite quickly.  If it is still quite wet you can add another 1/4 cup of maize.  When it is smooth it is ready to be moved to a burner with low heat.  Place a lid on it and leave it for ten minutes.  You can check on it and give it a stir a few times. 

4.  The ugali is then emptied out onto the serving plate.  It is quite firm at this stage, and stands up on its own in a mound. 



Ugali, fried tilapia, and sukumawiki



Traditional "Mwiko" which is a flat wooden spoon used to make ugali.

 

Flavourful Fish

This is my favourite way to cook just about any kind of fish.  Steaming the fish in the microwave is not only quick, but healthy too.

You will need:

Fillet of fish per person
one small tomato, sliced
1/4onion sliced
bay leaf
peppercorns
Salmon seasoning (optional)

glass dish or silicone fish steamer
plastic wrap (if using glass dish), or tight fitting lid

1. Place the slices of onion and tomato on the bottom of your glass dish, making them as flat as possible.
2. Place fillets of fish on top of the vegetables.
3. Add a bay leaf and some peppercorns and seasoning if using.
4. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and microwave for a minute and a half. 
5. Check to see if fish is cooked through.  Add more time, half a minute at a time, depending on the power of your microwave.  You may need more time if you are doing two or more fillets at once.  Many microwaves have automatic "fish" settings these days which will take this guesswork out for you.  (One salmon fillet in my microwave takes 1.5 minutes).  You want fish which is opaque through.  Since it is steamed it should also be moist.
6. Be careful when checking and serving because the steam is hot!
7. Serve with ugali, rice or new potatoes and vegetables.

New Year's Resolutions 2011 Part 5: First Goal

Using my goal writing tips I will work on my first goal:

Creating a Family Meal Routine

1. We would like to develop a way to plan our menus and set times for our meals.  Initially we would like to try to have Breakfast at 6 am,  Snack at 10:00, Lunch at Noon, Snack at 3:00 pm, and Dinner at 6 pm.  I hope to have a workable routine in place by March.
2. Now   Our meals follow this schedule much of the time, but not all of the time.  Strengths  We have two adult cooks, I have time to menu plan and shop, we are motivated to try this, our work schedules are planned in advance which allows us to plan who will cook when, we have been experimenting with freezing meals, we have a number of quick meals in our repertoire  Weaknesses  Our 4 year-old often wakes at 5 am, although our work schedules are planned in advance they are not always convenient, our kitchen is cold and uncomfortable in winter (so we eat in the living room often), our son is becoming a picky eater lately---maybe because of haphazard meals in the living room with distractions, we have two very different eating traditions (the African way of eating 2 meals a day, on the floor, with a communal plate, with our hands, and the English style of eating 3 meals a day, at the table with a knife and fork), different food preferences (i.e. spicy vs. plain)  Research/Help  We could explore more quick recipes as well as meals we can freeze in advance
3. For this week, I will plan the menu on paper.  I will focus on quick and easy rather than cordon bleu because I would like to work on the times of meals.  Both adults are off work this week and so I hope this will make our task easier.
4. I plan to evaluate how we are doing on Thursday, when I will make the new menu and shopping list.  We will have groceries delivered next Friday as usual.

Sukumawiki

Sukumawiki means "push the week" in Swahili.  It refers to a vegetable dish you have to resort to when there is no money left for meat and all you have is greens from your garden.  Since greens are one of the things I can actually manage to grow successfully in my garden we eat this weekly.  We use any kind of greens, like cabbage, Swiss Chard, and spinach.  We often use frozen spinach in the winter months. 

This makes up part of one of our favourite meals: fish, ugali and sukumawiki.  It is actually my son's favourite meal.  We eat it at least weekly and I am always amazed at how such a picky eater gobbles down spinach and fish!


You will need:

Small onion
Cumin seeds
2 Tomatoes, chopped (optional)
Greens, chopped and washed--leave wet

1. Slice and fry the onion in a little bit of oil in a large frying pan until quite soft.
2. Add cumin seeds to toast lightly.
3. Add tomatoes if using and stir for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add greens and allow to wilt.  Stir as needed until the greens are all wilted and the ingredients are well mixed.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve on its own or as a side dish to meat, chicken or fish.