NICOLE is a former colleague of mine and a friend. She posted about her own efforts to cut waste and save her pennies. Her post reminded me of Keith Smith’s The New Hard Times Handbook. I refer to my copy for things like homemade furniture polish or how to deal with common garden pests. It also has a chapter on making cheap meals from what’s already in the pantry. If you see a copy at your op shop, grab it. They’re out of print and it’s a gem of a book.

A book I was given at Christmas was penned to raise funds for a community garden at Newcastle. The book, From the Earth to the Table is a series of anecdotes, recipes and recollections about simple and simpler times.

The pumpkin and ginger pecan crust cheesecake took my fancy. This one’s for you Concrete and Honey. Sorry about the dimly lit photographs, I am snapping pics in the wee hours of the morning before I go to work.