Large Family Logistics - Clean Dinners under $12 - Crock Pot Beef Vegetable Stew

 

NZ Beef is $16.99/kg, not the most frugal thing on the planet.  Beef Stew is a great way to use beef and stick to my goal of $12 per dinner or $1 per person.  I split this beautiful pack and froze half for another meal, so I only spent $5 on beef in this recipe.  That left $2 for the tomato sauce/juice, and $5 for the vegetables.

 

 

Crock Pot Beef Vegetable Stew

WARNING:  Serves 10-12, recipe can be halved

2 medium onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups celery, sliced
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups sweet potato, diced
1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup frozen corn
.3 to .5 kg beef, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 cups pasta cooking sauce or tomato puree or tomato juice
4 cups beef stock
Salt, pepper, cayenne, to taste

Place all items into a large crock pot/slow cooker.  You may need to add extra beef stock if the liquid doesn't fully cover the vegetables.  Set crock pot to Low for 8 hours, or High for 5 hours.

Shopping in New Zealand - The Veg Shop

Almost every corner has a bakery, dairy, butcher, chemist, and take out.  No one-stop shopping here!  These tiny markets have most of what you need within walking distance. 

You will not find a Target or Wal-Mart.  There are a few stores like The Warehouse (similar to a Big Lots! or a mini Wal-mart) and PaknSave (I call it Food4less, because that is exactly what it looks like)

Here is our favorite veg shop, Simply Fresh.

Many stores keep banking hours.  Even the mall closes at 6PM Monday through Thursdays.  Need something on a holiday?  Forget it, everything is likely to be CLOSED.








Still, I find the smaller shops charming.  I have a favorite baker, dairy, butcher, and fish and chips spot.  I know all the owners, and they know our family, so when I send a kid on an errand for me, the shop keeper knows what I need.

 

You'll notice some things are cheaper in New Zealand.  Our prices swing wildly depending on what season we're in.  My favourite example is courgettes (zucchini) in winter is $29.99/kg, then $1.99/kg in season.

 

 



 

1 Kilogram = 2.2 lbs

These are Kumara, similar to sweet potatoes.  I'm not sure if they're specific to New Zealand, but you probably won't find them in the States.  They're AMAZING roasted.  Hey, that's a great price for avocadoes!

 



Large Family Logistics - The Ultimate Mom Bag (aka Diaper Bag)

In the early years of being a mother, I carried a pretty hefty diaper bag.  It was back breaking, and I found I wasn't using a lot of the stuff I packed and lugged around continually.  I began to think it was unnecessary and I needed to lighten the load. 

This lead to an evolving thinning of my diaper bag for when I had my third, and even up until having my eighth.  My diaper bag had been reduced to a small purse for my wallet, keys, and a spare diaper. 
The downside of this method is you may need to run home for missing items, and possibly an embarrassing moment of having to borrow something from another mom.

My evolution has come full circle.  I simply don't have time to run home or miss anything.  Its time for a complete diaper bag make-over.  I'm calling it the Ultimate Mom bag.  Its got everything.  Do I carry this thing around with me all the time?  Yes and No.  Sometimes it just stays in the car, but its always close by.  I've separated the list into age groups if you want only supplies for certain ages, but for a mom with the whole spread of kids, this bag will not let you down!

How To Prepare the Ultimate Mom Bag

The First Year

Diapers
Wipes
Petroleum Jelly/A & D Ointment/Butt Paste
Onesie
Sleeper with feet
Bibs
Burp Cloth
Receiving Blanket
Teether Toy
Small rolled blanket
Canned Formula OR Water Bottle and Baby Bottle with measured powder formula inside
OR Breast Pads and Nursing Cover
Pacifier
Diaper Changing Pad
Non-perishable snacks
Infant Tylenol and dropper
Little Noses with aspirator
Thermometer
Infant nail clipper
Plastic bag for wet clothes
Diaper sacks for soiled diapers
Copies of Immunizations
Socks
Beanie

For Mom

Sunglasses
Extra set of house and car keys
Wallet
Cell phone with car charger
Kindle (when waiting for kids)
Lip balm
Travel lotion
Make up essentials
Non-perishable snack
Hair Brush
Bobby Pins and Elastics
Pads and Tampon
Hat
Ibuprofen
Water Bottle
Gum or breath mints
Emergency Cash
Hand Sanitizer

For Everyone

Umbrella or poncho
Sun Cream
Insect Repellent
Basic First Aid (Bandaids, ointment, hot/cold packs)
Allergy medication
Nail Care Kit
Toilet Paper or Facial Tissues (for nose bleeds)
Q- tips and cotton balls
Scissors
Bleach Pen

The Second Year Through Preschool

Training Pants or Underwear
Extra Clothing
Snacks
Wipes
Picture Book
Toys (crayons and tiny notebook)
Gender Neutral Flip-Flops (for when they forget or lose shoes)
Hair clips, elastics, brush for girls
Combs and hair gel for boys
Children's Tylenol
Copies of Immunizations

Ages 5-18

Emergency Bag of Smarties or lollies (for sharing with the class/team)
Watch and/or cell phone
Extra set of car, house, bike, and locker keys
Pens, Pencils, Calculator
Lunch money/Bus money
Deodorant
Water Bottle
Hat
Pads and tampon
Hair brush and accessories
Basic make up
Gender neutral sport shorts (black or navy)
Gender neutral black flip flops to avoid shoe crises
Back up extra-curricular necessities (mini towel, violin rosin, guitar picks, mouth guards, shin guards, sports socks, etc.)


Does all this fit in a single bag?  It does!