Here we stop off in Budget Beauty Town, and as promised I have clearly marked as NSFM (not suitable for men). Although, on further consideration, this seems sexist to me and, were it not such a mouthful, I would re-tag as NITMM (not interesting to most men) as I do not wish to exclude either those male readers who prefer an alias on a Saturday night or those who might be searching for a thoughtful gift for their girlfriend.
Although somewhat of a make-up / skin care fanatic I do not proclaim to be an expert, and lots of the products I suggest, whilst excellent for me, may not be suitable for more sensitive skin. I also endevour to describe products which are both wonderful to use and truly inexpensive. This is not a blog in which I will proclaim that a £24 moisturiser is a "bargain" even though as compared to a £150 moisturiser it may be... in reality if you are accustomed to spending £150 on moisturiser you really are insane, especially when the same results can be achieved for a fraction of the price.
Make-up
- Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer - Boots, Superdrug etc. £2.09
This concealer is, in my opinion and that of MANY beauty bloggers, the best on the market. It is well pigmented, a lovely texture and long lasting. I challenge anyone who starts to use this concealer not to fall in love instantly.
- Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - Boots, Superdrug etc. £4.99
I am a mascara-aholic (who isn't?!) and over the years I have tried MANY. These range from the pound shop ones which smudge instantly and sting like mad to remove, through to the higher end, raved about products such as Benefit They're Real! (£19.50). Through this panda-eyed journey I have always returned to Maybelline mascaras, and whilst I love the Rocket Volum' Express (£7.99) the Great Lash is not only cheaper it is also the best mascara I have found for the wide-eyed look. The small brush makes it easy to apply to all lashes allowing you to achieve thick and full blinkers.
- Natural
Collection Loose Powder - Boots £1.99 (although all Natural Collection
make up is almost permanently on 3 for £5, making a blow-out hoard even
cheaper).
This powder is a great powder for light coverage in the
Summer or foundation setting in the Winter. I am truly yet to find
anything better. However, it is worth baring in mind that this powder
is LOOSE... so if you are clumsy, like me, perhaps opt for the Natural
Collection Pressed Powder, also £1.99, which is less likely to cause a
mess.
- Natural Collection Sunlit Bronzing Pearls - Boots £1.99
These pearls are a marvel, easily creating a bronzed and highlighted look. If you like to be bronzed, these are all you will need, although again they are perhaps not the best choice for those of a clumsy disposition (I have dropped a whole pot of these on the carpet before and let me tell you... they are not easy to retrieve). I was once in possession of the No 7 Perfectly Bronzed Bronzing Pearls (£9.95), and whilst the packaging is slightly different, I am sure that the internal product is the same.
- I-Divine Palette in Au Naturel - www.sleekmakeup.com £7.99
This product is slightly more expensive than the others I have recommended but, let me assure you, it is worth every penny (and I do not say that lightly). This eye-shadow palette contains TWELVE shades that you will actually use. Some are pearlescent giving a glamorous sheen without being glittery (a problem with many cheap eye-shadows). The product is long lasting, comes with its own applicator and is wrapped up in a little black box with a mirror large enough to use to put you whole face on, should you need to. This website contains many inexpensive products highly regarded by beauty bloggers out there, if you have your own sleek favorites, let me know in the comments below as I always love to receive to recommendations.
Skin Care
- Johnsons Baby Soothing Naturals Nourishing Lotion - Boots £2.25 for 250ml (although I have a more handbag sized friendly bottle which is 100ml).
I made this discovery in Spring this year (quite by accident) and have never looked back. Although not its official purpose, I use this product morning and night as a face moisturiser which not only smells heavenly but is easily absorbed and equally (if not more) nourishing as anything I have tried before. I have normal to dry skin and often find more expensive, "recommended" moisturisers to be greasy and, worse still, never absorb properly into my skin to work their magic. This product is completely different, it leaves my skin silky and has banished all of my dry patches. A miracle in a little green tube.
Perfume
- Suddenly - Madame Glamour - Lidl £3.99
I can not lie to you... I am in possession of, and in fact, in love with, a very expensive french perfume. It is a luxury, usually bought for me as a gift. A gift which I cherish and use sparingly. It is not an everyday perfume, and is saved for dates, holidays and depression days when my spirits need rousing in a way that only Chanel can fulfill. However, this perfume from Lidl is an astonishingly good every day substitute to throw in your handbag and lavish yourself with generously whenever the mood takes you. Does it last as long as its French counterpart? No. Do I get compliments when I wear it? Every time! At less than 6% of the cost of Coco Mademoiselle you can spray away with this Lidl find safe in the knowledge that your bank manager would not go into cardiac arrest were he to discover how much it cost.
- Smell it in Duty Free, buy it in TK Maxx
Ok, I realise this is not a product recommendation, but it is a way of life so synonymous with the Wise Old Rabbit mantra, I feel I must include it here. TK Maxx often sell expensive perfume at hugely discounted prices (particularly around Christmas). The only issue is that you can not test the scents in store, you need to know what you like beforehand. The easiest way to do this is to venture around Boots, Debenhams, Duty Free etc. and spray away, making notes of your favorites as you go. (I am sure this goes without saying, but do use the tester strips, don't spray on yourself as if you don't love the scent, you will hate smelling of it all day.) Although endorsing a celebrity you don't particularly like may make you cringe, don't rule out celebrity fragrances as they often smell great and are usually cheaper than the branded perfumes. To illustrate this point I once bought Kate Moss Eau de Toilette for around £6 from TK Maxx, and although I have no interest in the career of Kate Moss, the perfume is lovely!
I am certain I could ramble on for much longer about the most economical way to fill your wash bag, but I will save the rest for another day. If there are any areas you are particularly interested in, comment below and I will divulge what I can.
Until next time... spend wisely, give generously,
The Wise Old Rabbit
A significant part of the Wise Old Rabbit mantra is to give generously. However, in order to achieve this without causing detrimental damaged to the lining of your pocket you must consider your offerings over and above their monetary value. I suppose what I am trying to say is that when you are giving a gift, or hosting some guests your presence will be presents enough (providing that you are surrounding yourself with the right kind of people - which I can not recommend strongly enough). All in all, I urge you not to feel guilt at the idea of reducing the cost, especially if you are maintaining the impact, as you most certainly will be, with the following dishes.
Today I am addressing the no-money-but-must-entertain panic. Perhaps you are a student who forgot they promised to bring the main course to a friend's Eurovision Screening Party and spent most of your weeks money on Taurus from your local Aldi. Or maybe you are new parents who, whilst eager to show off your bundle of joy, do not have the patience or pennies to produce a three-course meal for your second cousin who is insisting on visiting next week. Never fear - the Wise Old Rabbit will guide you through.
When it comes to feeding the masses on a shoe string, I will leave the loaves and fishes to those with divine intervention and instead insist that the following word will carry you through - MINCE. Weather it is beef, pork, turkey or (heaven forbid) quorn, mince is undoubtedly both delicious and versatile. And, perhaps most importantly for this particular extract, it can easily be BULKED OUT. By this I simply mean that you can increase the volume of any mince-based dish without compromise on taste or texture. "With what sorcery?!" I hear you cry! Below I have explained a few simple kitchen tricks to do just that.
Celery
In its raw form, I personally find the stuff revolting. Why anyone would consider that such a sad, bitter vegetable should find its place in a salad is beyond me. However, when cooked, celery has a bewitching ability to transform itself into the more pleasant components of the dish. Moreover, the addition of celery to any minced based dish will certainly enhance the flavours - the meat will have more depth, the tomatoes (if using) will have more sweetness, and the dreaded "watery sauce syndrome" will be banished.
When adding celery to a mince based dish, you really can go all out. A 500g pack of mince (pre-bulking, enough to feed four) can easily take a whole head of celery if you follow these simple rules;
1. Cut the celery fine.
Now I mean really fine, hold each stick at the widest end and slide your knife down its length 3 to 4 times, leaving the widest end in tact by about a half inch. From here slice thinly across your sections to achieve the desired dice.
2. Soften before adding the mince.
Use the celery as a base to whatever you are cooking. Combine your diced celery head with a few onions and carrots, cut similarly. Soften these gently on a medium heat in the cooking pan with a little oil or butter (whatever you have to hand), after 10 minutes or so add the mince and turn up the heat and continue with the dish as you wish.
Bulking with celery alone can increase the quantity of any 500g mince based dish by a further 2-3 portions. As mince beef costs around £4-£7 per kg (depending on fat content*) at the time of writing, and celery just £1.50-£1.80 per kg, you really don't have to be Rachel Riley to realise the saving you are making.
Rice
Strange as it may seem, rice, when added to a mince-based dish, majestically transforms into more meat. When left to cook in a rich, meaty sauce, the gains puff up and absorb the flavors around allowing them to perform their trickery on your pallet and stomach without causing your wallet any distress. Please note - the celery and rice tricks are not mutually exclusive, they can be used alone but used together they will unite to push all known boundaries of meat to plate distribution.
A half builders mug of cheap long grain rice added to a 500g mince based meal (previously bulked with celery) will add another 2-3 portions to the meal. At a striking 40p/kg, at the time of writing, bulking with rice is almost beyond cost effective and into the realm of money minting.
The rice should be added to your dish at the point where all other ingredients have been loaded into the pan. After adding, place a lid on your pan (or a tinfoil hat will suffice if your lid is long since smashed or never existed in the first place), reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked. If you find that the rice is still chewy and your dish is becoming dry add more beef / vegetable stock and continue to simmer. If you are cooking a tomato based dish (such as bolognase) the stock that you add should have some tomato puree stirred through to maintain the richness of the sauce.
Season to stimulate
Seasoning correctly is, without doubt, the single most important thing when bulking out a meal. If you are using the meat content for 4 people, but have increased the volume of the meal to feed 8 (as above) you MUST season for 8 (if anything, season for 10 as the rice itself lacks flavour and so will need all the help it can get). If you skip this step, you will produce a a voluminous meal with diluted flavour. That is just spending wisely without giving generously and no one will thank you for it. Below I have listed a few simple tricks using ingredients you will have in your cupboard (albeit at the back) to help your bulked out meals pack a flavour punch.
1. Stock cubes
When it comes to mince, bulking or not, these are a must. Add 2-3 beef stock cubes, crumbled at the time of adding the mince. The salty, crumbled cube will caramelise on the mince as it cooks intensifying the flavour ten-fold. If you are substituting beef with turkey for its health benefits, I would still recommend using a beef cube as you want the finished dish to be as reminiscent of the original as possible. If you are using quorn because you are of the vegetarian persuasion, add two vegetable stock cubes and a heaped tea spoon of Marmite. Love it or hate it, Marmite will add a meaty richness to your meal. This step should be followed with all mince based dishes whether the finished product will be tomato based (as with bolognase) or gravy based (as with shepard's pie).
2. Dried herbs / spices
Don't be fooled by modern misconception into believing that, when it comes to herbs, fresh is always best. Dried herbs are not only cheaper than their fresh counterparts, but they can also bring more to a dish that is simmered over time, as these mince dishes will be. In my experience dried herbs should be added both when adding the mince (at the stock cube stage) and later when adding the liquid (either stock or tomatoes). I would recommend at least a teaspoon at each addition, although this is down to personal taste. Below I have listed some mince dishes that work well with these bulking methods and the dried herbs / spices that compliment them;
Bolognase - oregano, basil, garlic powder (go easy with this one as it is quite pungent), mixed Italian seasoning, rosemary.
Chilli Con Carne - paprika (smoked, sweet or otherwise), ground coriander, corriander leaf, chilli powder, tumeric, cayenne pepper, cumin (use sparingly or your dish will take on too much of a "curry" flavour), mixed Cajun seasoning, rosemary, thyme.
Shepards Pie - paprika (just a pinch), rosemary, thyme, sage, mustard powder (use sparingly).
Taco / Burrito filling - paprika (smoked, sweet or otherwise), ground coriander, corriander leaf,
chilli powder, tumeric, cayenne pepper, cumin (use sparingly or your
dish will take on too much of a "curry" flavour), mixed Cajun seasoning,
rosemary, thyme.
Mince meat pie - paprika (just a pinch), rosemary, thyme, sage, mustard powder (use sparingly).
Not all herbs/spices are needed for all dishes, this is just a guide of what can be used. Experiment with the flavours yourself to get the right balance.
3. Other adds
I rarely follow recipes to the letter, and often find that a dish once created is never to be recreated the same again. Perhaps my ever expanding list below will explain why. Before merrily listing all of the store cupboard finds I have at one point or another added to a mice dish, I do feel it is important to add a disclaimer (or two), all seasonings should be added carefully and sparingly (if you dump a whole jar of Marmite into a dish, the only creature you will be feeding is the bin); and ALWAYS taste and add, do not add superfluous seasonings for the sake of it, or you will just be increasing the cost without increasing the impact.
Sugar - a small amount of sugar can add richness and depth to a meat dish, whilst helping to banish the sourness of tinned tomatoes. For a tomato based dish for 8, add around a desert spoon (a teaspoon at a time!) or slightly more for a spicy dish such as Taco filling. For gravy based dishes, sweetness can also be added with a small amount of store cupboard items such as redcurrant jelly, cranberry sauce and honey.
Marmite - adding marmite will add depth to a meat based dish, go steady it is salty.
Worcestor Sauce - a splash of this British staple will enrich your gravey based dish, I would avoid using it in a tomato based dish which already has the acidic notes covered. Add sparingly or your sauce will be vinegary.
Garlic - I am a garlic lover; its health benefits are outweighed only by its heavy-weight flavour prowess. In my opinion, there are few dishes that would not benefit from a clove or two gently softened at the beginning of the cooking process. However, here I share with you the secret of raw garlic. If you find that your finished dish lacks depth and instead tastes watery and one dimensional, stir through one clove of raw crushed garlic. It my sound insane, but I promise that the aroma of the garlic will bring out the other flavours of the dish.
Butter - Need richeness? Add a knob of butter to a cooking sauce. Go steady as greasy is not what you are aiming for.
Salt and Pepper - if you have used enough stock cubes it is unlikely that you will need salt, but do serve it at the table and don't be offended if it is used, people have differing pallets. Pepper, however, should be added throughout cooking to taste and at the table if desired. I usually set my table with salt, pepper and chilli flakes... WHY..? Because my guests might want them, and I aim to please.
On that note, I will close. Go forth and multiply the portions to your heart's content. Please do comment below with any mince based dishes you have tried these methods with as I do love to hear from you.
Until next time... spend wisely, give generously,
The Wise Old Rabbit
*As a side note, when bulking with vegetables or rice, it really is ok (dare I say it, better) to opt for the lower cost, higher fat content mince as the fat will be absorbed by the bulk out ingredients and so increase the flavor of the dish, rather than just swimming nauseatingly on the plate as it might were you choosing not to bulk. At the time of writing, beef mince with a 20% fat content checks out at around £4/kg, where its leaner brother with 5% fat is a staggering £6.67/kg. If you are watching your waistline and wish for something leaner opt for turkey mince which is usually sold with either 2% or 7% fat and is around £5.20/kg.
Every since I flew the nest and set up on my own I have been somewhat renowned among my family and friends for achieving luxury on a shoe string. I am the out and out queen of bargain shopping and creating something to be truly proud of from nothing more significant than the dust that collects on the rim of your washing machine door. During the Summer of 2014 I found myself at a crossroads career wise and, as a result, the possessor of rather more spare time than I was accustomed to. The marriage of my new found freedom, the tedium of day time television and my desire to spread the penny-pinching proverb gave birth to the Wise Old Rabbit.
Although I am neither old, nor especially wise I do have a perhaps slightly unhealthy fondness for bunny rabbits and a dislike for the term "thrifty" with all its mean spirited connotations, and so a bunny titled blog and a kinder synonym was required.
Hopefully this blog will empower you to push the boundaries of your thinking and achieve more impact for fewer pennies. Over time I hope to explore diverse areas in which you can save and improve from gift giving, through home renovation and dinner time delights. Although this blog is written from the female perspective, and will most likely contain a few stops in beauty town, it is most certainly for all - the need to reduce your outgoings whilst increasing your impact is genderless, and I solemnly swear to keep the female biased posts well marked for the benefit of my male readers.
Until next time... spend wisely, give generously,
The Wise Old Rabbit
