Some of us have long days at uni that seem to stretch forever with no end in sight. Some of us just have some long classes that go well into the afternoon.
Either way I think we can all agree that it can mess up your schedule. The later you get back from uni the later you end up having something to eat for dinner.
Now my big tip is that recently I had the same problem, I would leave at 8 in the morning and be back at 5-6 in the afternoon/night. I would be tired and not want to cook a decent meal, usually opting for whatever was quick on those days like cup noodles or a sandwich. But I recently went out and bought myself a slow cooker.
Yesterday I chucked in a corned silverside with some carrots, onion and covered it in water and a couple of spoons of brown sugar and vinegar. I set it to low and left for my 8-5 day. I came back and it was done, the meat was so tender that It was like cutting butter. Plus I had a lovely meal with little effort.
So I would recommend getting a slow cooker if you have the spare money. I got mine from Kmart for $20 and it has a 5 litre capacity.The Kmart brand one was amazing value for money as the brand name ones were half the size and cost $50 or so. You could maybe even find some at op shops. Alternatively you could even ask family or friends to borrow theirs (I know my Mum never uses her one so I borrowed it on occasions until I got my own).
You can make almost anything in these. Today I put a whole chicken into it and will find out later how it went. But other than that you can put almost any meat into it or vegetables and have them be super tender and delicious. There are thousands of recipes you can find online for slow cookers.
Anyone can make their own breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are not all that expensive to buy as prices can start at $2 and if you store them well they can last for a while. But if you want to cut any cost or reduce waste with bread (stale bread or unwanted sandwich crusts) or just need some breadcrumbs this is the way to do it.
Now if you have a bag of bread you pretty much have crumbs. I don't eat crusts on sandwiches so I cut them off and place them into a sandwich bag and keep them in the freezer until the bag is full or I need crumbs. I do the same thing for the end slices on the loaf. But it doesn't have to be just the crusts.
If you have a food processor it is just a matter of cutting crusts into small cubes and processing them until fine. With fresh crumbs you can freeze them for about 3 months until you need them. Just thaw in the fridge.
If you don't have access to a processor then there are various ways to make breadcrumbs.
One way involves getting a slice (or a few) cutting them in half and freezing them solid. Then getting a cheese grater and grating them finely.
Another method is the toast and smash. You take bread crusts or whole slices of bread and cut them into small slices or cubes and place in a 190-200 degree Celsius oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.
Let the bread cool for 10 minutes then place into a plastic sandwich bag or large bowl and smash with a rolling pin or similar. If you want you can put crumbs on a cutting board and go over them with a knife to make sure they are fine.
Chicken schnitzels are a food that can be used for many things.
It freezes well and cooked leftovers make great sandwiches for the next day. You can eat schnitzels plain or put some cheese on top or smother with mushroom sauce or any sauce really. I like to put some tomato paste on top, place ham on top and sprinkle cheese on top for a parma style meal and bake quickly in an oven to melt the cheese.
Ingredients:
2-4 Chicken breasts (Adjust quantities as needed, 1 breast makes 2 depending on thickness)
1 cup plain flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
Breadcrumbs
Method:
Season the flour with salt and pepper and set aside in a bowl.
Beat eggs with a whisk and add milk. Beat until combined.
Place breadcrumbs in a bowl and set aside.
Trim the fat and remove the tenderloin from the breast. Slice the breasts in half into thin slices.
Use a mallet to flatten into an even thickness with cling film to protect the breasts. Flatten the tenderloins.
Coat each piece in the flour, then eggwash and finally coat in breadcrumbs.
You can either cook the schnitzels now or place them into freezer bags to store in a freezer to use at a later date.
To cook: Shallow fry each piece in a pan, turning when golden making sure the schnitzel is cook thoroughly
This recipe is similar to the KFC popcorn chicken.
Now personally I find heating oil in a pan is rather scary. If you have the convenience of having a small deep fryer at home I would use that. If you don't have access to one make sure to be careful and pay attention at all times to the oil. No one would like a hot oil burn or a fire to happen. Safety is key.
Ingredients:
3-4 cups of vegetable oil
2 boneless chicken breasts *Adjust quantity if needed.
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Method:
Cut chicken breasts into small chunks. (The smaller the size the crispier it will be, about 2-3 cm cubes are what I aim for)
Sift the flour and mix in the salt and Cajun seasoning.
Dip the chicken chunks into the egg then generously coat in the flour mixture.
Heat oil in a pan (deep pans with high walls work well but a regular pan can be used).
Drop a few drops of batter into the oil and if it sizzles and fries the oil is hot enough.
Add the chicken to the oil slowly to avoid oil splashes in small batches and cook for 3-4 minutes, turning over to make sure both sides are cooked evenly.
Remove and drain on paper towel when golden. Leave to drain on the paper towel so the chicken becomes crunchy. Sprinkle salt to taste.
If you are a student it is worthwhile to go and sign up to Student Edge. They are a fantastic organisation that provide many benefits to high school and tertiary students in Australia.
Once you are signed up and have your student edge card you are able to get offers and discounts from many retailers. There are Edge member only competitions and surveys to win prizes, special Edge only movie previews and parties, resources to find part time jobs and an app that is available for smart phones. There is so much more that they have to offer as well.
Plus it is completely free to join if you are a student.
Some deals include: A free medium drink at McDonalds with any purchase over $3, Up to $250 off select products at the Apple store, Free connection and no contract on broadband services at Amnet broadband, Up to 25% off Microsoft products online and there are so many more deals and there are always new ones getting put up.
Not many people I know shop at Aldi, or they avoid shopping there.
Aldi is a discount supermarket chain. Meaning most of the products they sell are at low prices.
Aldi has most basic items but it may not have all the items you may need. The only way to tell is to do a shop at a local one and take note of anything you need that they don't have.
Checkouts
Aldi operates differently to other stores in that the workers at the checkout don't bag your items and you need to do the bagging. On top of this they do not provide the plastic bags other supermarkets do and instead expect you to bring your own bag to use. At the checkout area they do sell re-usable shopping bags (plastic, fabric and freezer types).
One bit of advice I will throw in here is that if you have a trolley of items, do not sort and pack them at the checkout. It annoys the other shoppers at the checkout. There are benches near the checkout for you to put your items into your bags you have brought along. Just simply grab each item after it gets scanned and put them in the trolley and deal with sorting afterwards.
I am not sure if this is the case at all stores but it has been at the ones I have been to, they do not have baskets. There are only trolleys. I have a small foldable basket (similar to supermarket ones except made of fabric with a metal handle and top frame that the fabric attaches to) that I use. If you can find something similar to use that would make a small trip so much more simple. Plus at the checkout you can just throw all the items into it, no packing needed.
Products
Aldi sells its own brand of items and you will not most of the time find a branded product such as doritos. Often you can not find a noticeable change in quality and taste in some products compared to the branded ones. But this is my own opinion and I encourage that you try the products yourself and form your own opinion on the taste.
Aldi also has a thing called "special buys", these are twice weekly thing. On Wednesdays and Saturdays Aldi stocks special items that they normally don't regularly stock. Each of those days stocks something different, such as for example Wednesday was kitchen utensils and appliances and Saturday is Valentines gifts and living room decoration/furniture.
Some Aldi stores have an alcohol section that stocks named brands, example Vodka cruisers and rekorderlig cider. Along with its own brand of alcohol, which they like to advertise has won various taste awards. I can not give my own opinion on their alcohol as I rarely drink except for certain occasions.
One item I love to buy there is their chocolate Bavarian cake in the frozen section. It is cheap and I love the taste of it. Regular items I buy there are the fresh produce, tinned items, bread, butter, cream, dish washing liquid, frozen berries and I love the variation of the special buy items you can get there. There are more things I get but can't name more off the top of my head.
In my opinion it is great value for your money and I find it saves me money than shopping frequently at the other supermarkets. But to find the best price always look around for specials and deals. You will find some items you can get cheaper at the other supermarkets on sale. I don't solely shop at Aldi as like most people have a preference for certain items due to taste. But you can save money by substituting some items at Aldi or getting the no named brand items when you shop.
I substitute flour for the coles or homebrand ones as it always under a dollar (flour is flour right? except bread flour that is a little different). Same with sugar, I buy the cheaper brand. Tinned vegetables I find that there is no difference between the taste of a brand and the cheaper tins. Just some examples from my experience.
In the future I may do a more detailed piece about supermarkets.
Some statistics + My way of making extra cash on the side
So a big part of being a student is learning to budget your money to make ends meet. Most students go and get some part time jobs to make extra money, some do it just to have money. Most students I have met get student payments from the government.
Not all students work part time jobs and rely on these government payments. It is not much to live on, in fact taking a quick look at the poverty statistics here it shows that the poverty line for a single adult was $400 per week. Now take a quick look at the income support section and notice that 50.6% of people on the youth allowance are living below the line. The payments are fortnightly and depending on the individual circumstances the payment amount can vary. But a single over 18 year old can get between $200 - $400. Still below the line.
It is best in the long run to stay at home if possible while you study. Starters you don't have to pay rent (maybe a bit of board money to chip in around the house), mostly no bills and you come home after a long day to be surrounded by your family. But it comes down to your family structure money wise. Some families pay for all expenses because they have the money. Some families have low incomes and all members need to chip in.
But if you are like me you had no choice in the matter and had to move out of home to study. My reason was simple, I lived about 3 hours away from the campus by car in a country area where there is absolutely no public transport out there. Now a round trip would mean I would be driving 6 hours a day. No way was I up for that, let alone the price of petrol and parking. So I moved closer to the campus and use public transport.
To make a bit of extra money I did online surveys and got paid for it. You get a credit to your account and when you have enough you can use it to get gift cards for many places even supermarkets.
I used two sites Mint surveys and Valued opinions. Both are Australian sites. I have had no problems with using either and when you have been on for a while and answered a decent amount of surveys you will eventually find you get offered a ridiculous amount of surveys to do. It is worth it if you have the free time.
For a long time I bought instant cheese powder packets or other sauce powder packets. I had no clue on how to make a simple sauce and to be honest the idea of making a sauce from scratch was a little scary.
But using this recipe you can make your own sauce for a fraction of the price and with stuff you are most likely to have anyway.
Ingredients:
1 cup of milk
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper
Method
Melt butter in a saucepan and remove from heat.
Add flour and stir until smooth
return to a gentle heat and cook for 1 minute, stirring well.
Blend milk with flour and butter mixture till smooth
Return to heat, stir until boiling.
Gently boil 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until thick and smooth
Stir in salt and pepper to taste
Now you have a basic white sauce to use.
You can create other sauces using the following variations
Cheese sauce
Add 3 tablespoons grated cheese, add with the milk
Mushroom sauce
Sauté 90g slices mushrooms in butter. Add.
Mustard sauce
When adding flour to the butter add 2 teaspoons mustard powder. When sauce is done add 1 tablespoon vinegar.
This is a recipe for an egg flip drink. Some people may be familiar with the egg flip flavour of Big M's this is kinda like that. I believe that egg flips may also be known as eggnog in some places. Not having made eggnog myself I am not too sure about this but I believe that eggnog would be a thicker consistency. Correct me if I am wrong.
This drink is essentially a meal in a glass. It makes a great on the go breakfast. It is super simple to make.
Ingredients
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 teaspoon sugar
Method
Place all ingredients into a shaker and shake vigorously until combined, or you can blend in a blender or milkshake maker. You can sprinkle some nutmeg on top if you so desire.
Just a nice simple dessert or treat idea.
Some people love chocolate and some people love bananas.
Bananas are energy bars without the bad stuff. They are amazing for a snack or a quick on the go breakfast and bananas make some tasty smoothies. You can use them for everything.
Why not try making one of these hot chocolate stuffed bananas.
Ingredients
Bananas (as many or as little as you like)
Cadbury Flakes or any chocolate. It doesn't have to be a flake as long as it is chocolate.
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Leaving skin on, cut a deep slit down the length of the each banana and press a flake (or any chocolate) into each.
Wrap the individual bananas in foil.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the bananas are tender
Serve by themselves or with cream, ice cream or a sprinkle of crushed nuts.
This is a sweet treat dessert that my Mum taught me to make.
It is simple to make and most of the ingredients are usually already something most people have. The only things you might need to pick up are a lemon (or small bottle of lemon juice) and a bottle of golden syrup.
Preparation time: about 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup Self raising flour
1 cup Water
2 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine (room temp preferable)
1 Tablespoon Golden syrup
1/2 cup Sugar
Juice of one lemon (or use bottled lemon juice)
Milk
Note: My family changes the 1 tablespoon golden syrup to a generous long squeeze of the syrup bottle. They really like the golden syrup taste and the general thickness it creates in the end. Makes it very sweet, feel free to change the quantities of the lemon and syrup as you see fit according to your tastes.
Method:
In a bowl, rub the butter or margarine into the flour using your fingertips.
Mix into a stiff dough using a little milk. Add the milk in small measures.
Form the dough into balls. about golf ball size is okay.
Bring water, syrup, sugar and lemon juice to the boil.
Drop dumplings into boiling syrup and cook for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
The syrup and dumplings will be very hot. You can serve with cream or ice cream or wait for them to cool down a little.
This is a recipe I use to make a simple pizza base. This dough can also be used to make some cheese and bacon scrolls.
Now the original recipe I used asked for 1 cup self raising flour and 1 cup Greek or natural yoghurt. But I found that there was not enough flour to make a dough consistency and in the end after adding more and more flour I ended up with more dough than I would have liked.
So with that said this is the measurements I use for it
1 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup Greek or natural yoghurt
Method.
In a bowl, combine the flour and yoghurt and bring together to form a ball. (Add more flour if mixture is too wet or add more yoghurt if it is too dry).
Turn out onto a lightly floured board to knead. Knead for 5-8 minutes.
Roll into a pizza shape and add toppings. Cook for about 10-15 minutes in an oven set to 180-200 Celsius. (cooking times vary between ovens, also on how thin or thick the dough has been rolled out)
I started this tumblr to post up some recipes and other things to help university students (or any students really). I am hoping to post some recipes that don't break the bank and be there to give advice when people ask.
I have been at university for 2 years and graduated. I am currently starting another course that goes for about 3 more years. All while I live alone. Although like some students it hasn't been easy.
My first year I lived in a share house and it was a nightmare. Now I live alone I need to keep my costs down and the easiest way was through cooking my own food from scratch and careful shopping.
Hopefully I can help out some others from my experiences. Looking forward to university life again this year :)
