Soup Mix

Here’s a handy hint for you.

I recently tried a recipe in my crock-pot (a sausage and mushroom casserole – yummy) and it called for a packet of mushroom soup. You know the ones, they are a small sealed packet and you empty the contents into a pot and add water and boil.

Well, the problem with those packet soups is they are too full of artificial additives for my liking so here is what we (Scarecrow and me) do:

Whatjaneed:
1 bag of dried mushrooms (about 15-20 grams)
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Mortar and pestle

Take your dried mushroom (we get ours when they are on the specials rack at the supermarket and dry them into small zip lock bags and store them for months) and use your mortar and pestle to make a fine (fine-ish) powder.

Bung in everything else and mix.

Use as a dried soup in the recipe that needs it.

I haven’t tried it but it would appear to make a nice soup if just used as a soup mix. If you do that, let me know how it went.

Anyway, it worked well in my casserole

Regards, Doc ;-)

Make Your Own Talc

Frugal Talc

Whatjaneed:
Appropriate container
Some bicarbonate of soda (every frugal home should have this as it’s used for just about everything)
Some dry beans
Your favourite essential oil (I like peppermint)



Step 1
Take the lid and using a very thin drill make lots of tiny holes. You can also use a heated pin held with pliers over a candle.

Step 2
Half fill the container with the bicarb.

Step 3
Bung in the beans. These help make it easier to shake out the powder.

Step 4
Add a couple of drops (LITERALLY A COUPLE) and allow it to stand in the container for a couple of hours with the lid on, shaking occasionally.

This makes for a very pleasant fragrance.

Use it on smelly feet, in shoes, on the carpet (check an inconspicuous area first) brush through the smelly dogs coat or even as a dry shampoo brushed through your own hair (test first and watch the eyes).

If you wish to use it as a personal talc test it first on a small part of your body because the oil can burn delicate skin.

Of course, you can omit the oil and just use the bicarb straight.

Just some ideas

Not really a tutorial, but thought I'd share a few piccies of some things I've knocked up for Scarecrow over time. 

Just to give you an idea what you can do when you try 8-)

All where made with recycled stuff from around the place although only new shadecloth was used.

Stand Alone Shadehouse





Recycled Old Van With Lean-to Hothouse





Inside the latest addition



Hope you are inspired!