How to run a thrifty freezer

If you are looking at purchasing a deep freeze, you may be worried about the potential increase in your power bill.

I was lucky enough to be given a chest freezer for my birthday a couple of years ago by my in-laws. An odd gift you might think, but a real godsend for a thrifty mama. My in-laws know me well :)

We have not noticed any appreciable increase in our power bill but we don't actually track it down to the last cent as it is fairly low normally. Our cooking, heating and water are on gas so that helps keep the power bill down. The gas bill in winter, on the other hand, needs closer attention. Oh, the bliss of a long, hot shower during a cold Melbourne winter!

Anyway, you want to make your freezer run as efficiently as possible.

The way to do that is to keep it full.

If it's not full of food, fill up some large plastic bottles with water and store them in the freezer too. As well as helping it run efficiently, the giant iceblocks help keep things cold if there is a black out and your power is off for any length of time.

Ice, ice baby...da da da da da daa da....ice, ice baby...

Ok, I'm oooolllldddd!.....and so are you if you now have this tune running through your head heheh...

Chocolate milkshake in the thermomix, mmmm

Ok, you can actually make this in any old blender, but because my thermomix is my (other) baby, that's what I use.

The how to is pretty simple....

Throw the following things into your thermomix (or blender)

• milk

• rapadura to taste or a pinch of stevia or a little of both (rapadura gives a bit of a flavour that stevia does not) I try to steer away from refined sugar.

• cocoa powder - make sure you get one with no fillers

• A blob of avocado

• A raw egg yolk, free range

• Whiz it all up.

• Add a couple of ice cubes before you whiz it if you so desire

This is a great healthy treat for kids, and others, (especially if you can find organic raw milk), without having to resort to the store bought variety that costs more money and is full of icky ingredients to boot.

Adding the avocado makes it more like a thickshake,beautifully thick and creamy, but it adds no flavour.

Yum yum yum yum yum!

Edit: I also put in a wee bit of kefir. Good probiotics, and the cocoa disguises any sour taste.

Need some kids gear?

Little bare bear are having a summer clearance, so check out the already reduced prices and for a further 15% off storewide, enter the code MGV15 at checkout.

Until 3rd March 2010.

25% off at Bubblebubs....cloth nappies and more

Head to Bubblebubs.com.au for 25% off storewide until 3rd March. 

Enter code MGV at checkout to get your discount.

Free e-book "How to bake" from The Prepared Pantry

Need a little help in the kitchen? 

Sign up for a free 250 page e-book on "How to bake", from The Prepared Pantry. 

MiniEco - thermos funtainers for $7.50

Update:
I just checked the MiniEco site and the funtainers are no longer showing up, I presume they've all been snapped up. They do still have other bits and pieces though, worth a look! 

Well, my blog is not quite all set up yet, but I have a great deal I just have to spread the word about.

MiniEco have 50% off everything in store, including sale items. 

They have organic clothing and bedding items and bpa free feeding items, including the thermos funtainer straw bottle. Which is on sale at $14.95, so 50% off that is a steal!

To get the 50% discount you need to enter the code 'bigsale' at the checkout and your 50% off total will show each time you add to your cart.

And shipping (within Australia) is a flat rate of $.7.50.

(They do ship overseas too.)

I'll be keeping an eye on the letterbox, because I have some things coming my way!

MiniEco.com.au

Right, another template, this time without twitter or ad space.

Hmmm, maybe...

Oops, gotta fiddle that type face size. 

Trying out a new look

Ok, I'm trying out a new template, which comes complete with advertising spots and twitter....except I don't twitter. Gotta see if my resident computer guru can get into the template code and un-twitter me...

Another offer from Bright Star kids labels

Bright Star Kids labels have another decent offer going.


If you spend $30 or more, you can enter the code below in the promotional code section....

FREE-BAGTAG-10FEB

hit 'submit',

and you'll receive 10% off your total order and a free bagtag.

The above icon will take you to their site, but be quick, this offer expires at midnight 19th Feb 2010.

Coddlelife glass baby bottles - 10% off

10% off coupon code for online store Safe-as-Mum, who sell non-toxic BPA free baby feeding products.

Enter code MGV_FEB10 at checkout to get your discount.

Bright Star Kids - 40 free labels

Update
My labels arrived today with only one set of free small labels.
Maybe I had the promo wrong?
I rang the company to check and it turns out to be a mistake and the 2nd set of free labels will be in the post asap.



As any parent knows, any item that goes to daycare, kinder or school needs to be named and the easiest way to do this is with stick on vinyl labels.

You could of course write on everything instead, which I did for a while when my youngest started daycare. Then I decided my time was more precious than that so I bit the bullet and bought some vinyl stick ons.

Well, both kids need more labels this year so I went looking for a good deal and found this one:



If your order is over $20, you automatically get 40 free tiny labels for every name that is in your order.

And free postage.

Yay!