I confess, I’ve a little bit of a fascination with larger families and how they ‘make it work’. Four children is probably considered a large family nowadays (though if you haven’t seen The Duggars on YouTube…. they have 19 kids). Aucklander Jas McPhee has followed her success on Facebook with this recipe book, Feed a Family of 6 for under $20. She makes it look entirely possible to do so with her budget-friendly tips and bulk recipes.
I’m liking
A lot of these recipes look (and are) delicious! They’re homely, kiwi-style food for the most part but Jas draws on a lot of international cuisine that kiwis will be familiar with and makes cost-conscious versions of recipes that don’t compromise on taste. Her husband has photographed her actual dishes, so you can replicate the way it looks on the plate – charming but simple. It’s rare to see the actual figures written down for each ingredient and what the total cost of a recipe is unless you’re reading a food magazine or something on the Internet, as this type of detail could date quickly. However the cost breakdown is a unique touch in this book – you can actually see on the page what each item will cost if you get a good deal. Admittedly, some of these good deals will often only be available in the bigger cities, but if you have your own vege garden you’ll be immediately saving some of the costs in the breakdown anyway.
Things that made me go hmmmm
I have to say, some of these recipes are not going to get the heart-foundation tick! You will see a bit of deep-frying, coconut cream, pastry and the like. There is a small section for lighter meals though.
The recipes are also heavily meat-based, which is interesting in a budget cookbook. Obviously removing the meat from dishes can save a tremendous portion of the cost – so it’s a tribute to the McPhee family that they can almost always put meat in their dinners!
The conclusion
I like what Jas is trying to do, and judging by her Facebook success, a lot of others do too. She is really trying to raise the profile of how to menu plan, shop to a budget and make sure all your children get fed when money is tight (which is clearly an issue in many parts of the country). You should be able to often feed a family of four on around $10 a night using her formula. To get an idea of some of the recipes, check out her Facebook page, and if you like what you see pick up the book – it is actually under $20 (smart move, Penguin publishing).
