I literally feel smug when I am able to turn one dish into another because the possibilities are endless. Mashed potatoes to fish cakes. Old bread to crostini. The joy of it. Frugal is elegant.
Oh, every time the English version of bread and butter pudding, with added marmalade so it's not sickly sweet. If there's only a bit, I blitz it to breadcrumbs and add it to meatballs so they don't turn into bullets. Toasted sandwiches with lavish cheese, ham and tomatoes and enough butter on the outside so they don't stick in the sandwich press. The chickens also turn leftover bread into eggs for me, but not too much or they get pasty-bum. But my favourite leftover to convert to something new is rice. It's my main excuse to eat my mother's Nasi Goreng, which she learned from her father who was an engineer in Indonesia in the 1930s. Cold, dry rice, and there's always a bottle of Conimex Kecap Manis in my cupboard...
Opa was a very well travelled man, all over the Far and Middle East on his civil engineering work. I feel a bit sorry for Oma and my mother and her sisters, they didn't see a lot of him and I hardly knew him at all, but at least I got the Nasi Goreng and other recipes out of the situation!
It's not choices that bother me, Substack is far to commercial and demanding. I find it unpleasant and I'm inclined to unsubscribe. I'm sorry, I love the Kitchens Garden, but not like this.
Oh no. Well I do understand! It is different. Though no ads which I like. Give it a few more days and I will see if I can change some settings. I would hate to lose you after all this time. Is it the calls to subscribe or upgrade that you hate? That is totally fair. I hate them too. It is commercial. Every writer runs a little business here. Can you give me a chance to work on it? You are really important to me.
Yes of course, but it's not you! Substack is a very commercial platform and there are buttons throughout the text asking for money or upgrades to pro for money. I dislike it as much as I do FaceBook and Twitter. When you subscribe they start sending out emails asking for money for upgrades to pro.
This, I thought, was very wise advice. "Lets us not let React and Rage beat us down. Make sure to establish the other R & R. Rest and Recharge. We need to be strong. To continue to witness and comment, to continue to discuss and plan, to continue to safeguard the marginalised and at-risk, to continue to care for and protect our families and communities we must block out time for rest periods, periods of recreation and recharge."
I think most of us have done all those things throughout our lives but without thinking much about it. It is part of our nature. We want to be a positive influence in our worlds. Today, so much attention is paid to forces that appear to want the opposite. We feel threatened and in some sort of danger. Some, in fact, are truly in danger of arrest, jail, death, etc. We need to react and express our anger or rage that it is not right.
How does one strike a balance between those directions is the challenge we face? One way for me is to be a part of this group. Everyone here makes me feel safer and confidant that better times can be part of our future.
Jim what a wonderful comment. I too feel a great sense of relief knowing we have formed this group of supportive souls. And. These things do run in cycles. These disturbances to the peace (putting it mildly) - but once you and I get to the age we are, we know that things will tilt back after a while but scars will remain when things have settled down. And to recover and tend the wounds that will one day scar over - our support groups must stay strong and well fed. And I do love our group here. And I really do appreciate having you here, Jim
I always make crostini from stale baguette, with a sprinkle of flaky salt. Also if you have a stale crusty loaf or baguette, turn on the kitchen tap, pass the crust under the tap water. Don’t soak it just a pass under the water to wet the crust and put it in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 mins until warm and it will be like fresh bread. I have done this with a rock hard baguette and it worked beautifully.
That is such a great tip! That was first taught to me by the home ec teacher while we were chatting in the staff room one day. Years ago. I totally forgot about it - thank you for the reminder Lori!
Lovely post and the sea looks so placid. I’ve never seen seawater so calm. How relaxing to be there, walking beside it. Tomorrow, I am making lasagna to freeze for use later when we have a houseguest later this summer. Your seagulls remind me of the crows who visit our bird feeder. Noisy and bossy!
To your fish cakes and title, frugal is creative. Many artists limit themselves in some way to force the art: budget, materials, time... With ample everything, we rarely challenge ourselves!
I've been a great user of leftovers from my frugal days at the bach. A soup pot that bubbled away on the stove, accepting all offerings, was a favourite.
It is 10am . . . I have been 'doing things' on the computer for over an hour and your logic and practicalities, to which I so relate, have brought the first big smile on my face! Two matters - love your idea of the water spray bottle to tell seagulls to 'p . . . off' - they are supposedly a huge problem around all the open-air cafes around the Sydney Opera House, and they now have two continuous dog patrols frightening the birds away from the food on the tables - your way would be so much CHEAPER! Secondly, read Mad Dog's comment about Substack - oh, Celi - I SO agree! About half-a-dozen of my very favourite bloggers have moved over and I plain loathe it and oft do not make the effort to read . . . well, perchance just a few of us feel that way . . . I shan't unsubscribe, but . . . you have picked on some of the reasons on your return note to MD . . .
I really love it here for its ease and accessibility - there are some excellent writers here. Maybe toggle your notifications off then you won’t be bothered and just pop in when you have time. We are all running little businesses here and it is a great service to us. the system will offer us upgrades. After a while I don’t even see those buttons. So sad to hear you loathe this platform. That is very strong language. Hopefully it gets better as you get used to it.
I love the phrase 'milk pond' and it describes it perfectly. a new phrase for me that I'll now use from here on out. ooh, fishcakes sound delightful and I haven't had these in years, but I do love the spirit of them, having been a cash poor mom with children before and making food stretch in myriad ways. also love the crostini. thanks for the inspiration!
We do know how to stretch food and our knowledge is very useful too! Especially as the prices go up we need to use these old ways. Good morning from Aussie, Beth!
Coincidentally, I'm serving tilapia tonight. We aren't big fish people, mainly because I once read salmon is filled with tiny worms. I didn't much like the taste or smell of salmon to begin with. Being a 'macherel snapper" most of my life, I think that may have something to do with it. LOL
Good morning! Tilapia sounds like a lovely light dinner. I don’t eat fish often at all because I worry about the decimation of the ocean species due to over fishing. The days of little fishing boats like Dads are way gone.
First off, I am sending all the love and support for her delivery! Second, I'm wondering if I can recreate your fish cakes with hearts of palm. As a long-time vegetarian, I don't even know if I've ever had fish cakes, but I'm intrigued. :) PS) Beautiful black and white photo by the way!
Oh, every time the English version of bread and butter pudding, with added marmalade so it's not sickly sweet. If there's only a bit, I blitz it to breadcrumbs and add it to meatballs so they don't turn into bullets. Toasted sandwiches with lavish cheese, ham and tomatoes and enough butter on the outside so they don't stick in the sandwich press. The chickens also turn leftover bread into eggs for me, but not too much or they get pasty-bum. But my favourite leftover to convert to something new is rice. It's my main excuse to eat my mother's Nasi Goreng, which she learned from her father who was an engineer in Indonesia in the 1930s. Cold, dry rice, and there's always a bottle of Conimex Kecap Manis in my cupboard...
What a wonderful back story to the nasi goring. I was head waitress at an Indonesian restaurant for a while - owned by a Dutchman of course!!
Opa was a very well travelled man, all over the Far and Middle East on his civil engineering work. I feel a bit sorry for Oma and my mother and her sisters, they didn't see a lot of him and I hardly knew him at all, but at least I got the Nasi Goreng and other recipes out of the situation!
I love fishcakes and even leftover fish, like hake, can be used in making them.
I grew up in Cornwall and I have no love for seagulls ...and I'm sorry to say that I feel the same about Substack.
It does get a bit loud here with all the choices. I am missing the quiet of the farm too.
It's not choices that bother me, Substack is far to commercial and demanding. I find it unpleasant and I'm inclined to unsubscribe. I'm sorry, I love the Kitchens Garden, but not like this.
Oh no. Well I do understand! It is different. Though no ads which I like. Give it a few more days and I will see if I can change some settings. I would hate to lose you after all this time. Is it the calls to subscribe or upgrade that you hate? That is totally fair. I hate them too. It is commercial. Every writer runs a little business here. Can you give me a chance to work on it? You are really important to me.
Yes of course, but it's not you! Substack is a very commercial platform and there are buttons throughout the text asking for money or upgrades to pro for money. I dislike it as much as I do FaceBook and Twitter. When you subscribe they start sending out emails asking for money for upgrades to pro.
Totally get it!
You are still my friend regardless ;-)
This, I thought, was very wise advice. "Lets us not let React and Rage beat us down. Make sure to establish the other R & R. Rest and Recharge. We need to be strong. To continue to witness and comment, to continue to discuss and plan, to continue to safeguard the marginalised and at-risk, to continue to care for and protect our families and communities we must block out time for rest periods, periods of recreation and recharge."
I think most of us have done all those things throughout our lives but without thinking much about it. It is part of our nature. We want to be a positive influence in our worlds. Today, so much attention is paid to forces that appear to want the opposite. We feel threatened and in some sort of danger. Some, in fact, are truly in danger of arrest, jail, death, etc. We need to react and express our anger or rage that it is not right.
How does one strike a balance between those directions is the challenge we face? One way for me is to be a part of this group. Everyone here makes me feel safer and confidant that better times can be part of our future.
Jim what a wonderful comment. I too feel a great sense of relief knowing we have formed this group of supportive souls. And. These things do run in cycles. These disturbances to the peace (putting it mildly) - but once you and I get to the age we are, we know that things will tilt back after a while but scars will remain when things have settled down. And to recover and tend the wounds that will one day scar over - our support groups must stay strong and well fed. And I do love our group here. And I really do appreciate having you here, Jim
I always make crostini from stale baguette, with a sprinkle of flaky salt. Also if you have a stale crusty loaf or baguette, turn on the kitchen tap, pass the crust under the tap water. Don’t soak it just a pass under the water to wet the crust and put it in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 mins until warm and it will be like fresh bread. I have done this with a rock hard baguette and it worked beautifully.
That is such a great tip! That was first taught to me by the home ec teacher while we were chatting in the staff room one day. Years ago. I totally forgot about it - thank you for the reminder Lori!
Lovely post and the sea looks so placid. I’ve never seen seawater so calm. How relaxing to be there, walking beside it. Tomorrow, I am making lasagna to freeze for use later when we have a houseguest later this summer. Your seagulls remind me of the crows who visit our bird feeder. Noisy and bossy!
It was an unusually calm day. It was a 40 minute drive so we were excited it turned out so beautifully.
To your fish cakes and title, frugal is creative. Many artists limit themselves in some way to force the art: budget, materials, time... With ample everything, we rarely challenge ourselves!
Oh that is an excellent observation. Yes. I like that a lot.
Do you know, I have never made fish cakes!. Good recipe ideas.
The crostini is a really lovely snack for community meetings too. I used to make them by the hundred!
The sea is super calm here today as well
I've been a great user of leftovers from my frugal days at the bach. A soup pot that bubbled away on the stove, accepting all offerings, was a favourite.
Those wonderful winter soups! Just the smell in the kitchen is wonderful.
It is 10am . . . I have been 'doing things' on the computer for over an hour and your logic and practicalities, to which I so relate, have brought the first big smile on my face! Two matters - love your idea of the water spray bottle to tell seagulls to 'p . . . off' - they are supposedly a huge problem around all the open-air cafes around the Sydney Opera House, and they now have two continuous dog patrols frightening the birds away from the food on the tables - your way would be so much CHEAPER! Secondly, read Mad Dog's comment about Substack - oh, Celi - I SO agree! About half-a-dozen of my very favourite bloggers have moved over and I plain loathe it and oft do not make the effort to read . . . well, perchance just a few of us feel that way . . . I shan't unsubscribe, but . . . you have picked on some of the reasons on your return note to MD . . .
I really love it here for its ease and accessibility - there are some excellent writers here. Maybe toggle your notifications off then you won’t be bothered and just pop in when you have time. We are all running little businesses here and it is a great service to us. the system will offer us upgrades. After a while I don’t even see those buttons. So sad to hear you loathe this platform. That is very strong language. Hopefully it gets better as you get used to it.
I love the phrase 'milk pond' and it describes it perfectly. a new phrase for me that I'll now use from here on out. ooh, fishcakes sound delightful and I haven't had these in years, but I do love the spirit of them, having been a cash poor mom with children before and making food stretch in myriad ways. also love the crostini. thanks for the inspiration!
We do know how to stretch food and our knowledge is very useful too! Especially as the prices go up we need to use these old ways. Good morning from Aussie, Beth!
I'm a dessert eater, so stale bread most often becomes bread pudding at my house, sometimes breakfast bread pudding (less sugar) with dried fruit, candied orange peel, berries, whatever I have on hand. I recently made a delicious one that incorporated leftover chocolate sour cream frosting here: https://thekalechronicles.com/2025/05/09/where-did-the-sweet-corn-come-from-plus-an-amazing-bread-pudding/
I have not made bread pudding in years!! Thank you for the reminder.
Coincidentally, I'm serving tilapia tonight. We aren't big fish people, mainly because I once read salmon is filled with tiny worms. I didn't much like the taste or smell of salmon to begin with. Being a 'macherel snapper" most of my life, I think that may have something to do with it. LOL
Good morning! Tilapia sounds like a lovely light dinner. I don’t eat fish often at all because I worry about the decimation of the ocean species due to over fishing. The days of little fishing boats like Dads are way gone.
First off, I am sending all the love and support for her delivery! Second, I'm wondering if I can recreate your fish cakes with hearts of palm. As a long-time vegetarian, I don't even know if I've ever had fish cakes, but I'm intrigued. :) PS) Beautiful black and white photo by the way!