I've got a bread maker Ceri. It has spent a few months in the cupboard, while sprog was little. I didn't even have the time to sneeze then! I've got it out again recently as we're baking bread when people come round to see the house! I will deffo use it in Aus if the bread is so poor, as the quality of my own bread is great. It is really easy to measure the ingredients, as you have these plastic measuring things. The basic loaves use skimmed milk powder, but I've just ben using milk and it's turned out alright... or you colud maybe use soya milk? I've been playing about with mine, adding extras to the basic mix... I made a loaf with bits of fresh cherries in yesterday and it was woofed down by the family. Banana bread is lovely too. I will proably experiement with different seeds and nuts etc. too, good fro us veggies.
If it's just the two of you, buy a smaller size one... we could really do with a bigger one, as there are four of us, plus we really love the bread. Also, if you want it to cook bread for when you wake up, mine has a timer, but there are better ones that add the fruit for you - I have to put mine in when the bleeper goes.
I'm sure you will have fun experimenting... it is soooo easy!
Also, if you are thinking of kiddies, get a cool wall one. Be careful where you place it in the kitchen as they emit a lot of steam.
I would also check the availiability of yeast. I've always used dried yeast, but would experiment with fresh if needed. Also, make sure you use strong bread flour, not the ordinary stuff, as it doesn't rise.
ATB
Larissa
PS Easy to put together and clean - the thing you put the bread in is non-stick metal and lifts out the bread maker, so you put the stuff in away from the machine, so it doesn't fall in. There is a little paddle, which lifts out - usually gets stuck in the bottom of the loaf, but you just cut round it carefully. That's all the parts really.

Hey thanks for all the input re the "BAKED BEANS"!!
Any idea what the bangers (sausages) are like? I've heard they are abit crap.
What's the price on a 4 pack of beer? Do they sell stella?

Stella costs and to buy beer at a good price you have to buy it by the case of 24. The cheap beers generally are Tooheys, VB and 4x and are not that great. Case is normally $25 - 30$.

Snags here are crap unless you can find a good butcher. Supermarket snags are the pits.

Thought I had better correct the latest 'Ministry of Truth' propaganda.

Yes, you CAN get good curries in Oz. I'm quite fussy about Indian food, and have eaten excellent curries in several Aussie cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Gosford to name a few). They were just as good as - if not better/more authentic than - the Indian food you get here in the Uk. My indian colleague Deepak reckoned the curry we had in Sydney was as good as the ones his Mom makes. So there.....

IME if you try hard enough there's nowhere in the world where you can't get a curry. Even in NYC, the least curry friendly city on the planet, after much searching, I found a really good place on W 48th St (PM me if you want the details).

Anya.

Sausages - if you choose better quality ones, they are excellent, very lean.

Also there is a good selection of non-pork ones, so I was able to keep on the straight & narrrow with my Kosher diet!

However, a disappointing selection of veggie sausages

Anya.

Cheers Bondipom,
Bad luck on the snags, you can't beat bangers and mash, guess i'll have to get used to life without it!
Plus i'm sure a case of beer will help me drown my sorrows

Anya4oz thanks,
I spose you get what you pay for! Although you can't beat a good pork sausage if you ask me.
Not too keen on anything veggie "that's sposed to be meat"!

Dunno where you shop, but you are getting ripped off.

Shop elsewhere. I have never paid those sort of prices

Siren's b/h

I stil think that it depends where you shop! I know that these options are not available for everyone, but here aresome examples from my shopping trip to the local asian market in Melbourne yesterday:

2 kg apples: $2.50
loaf nice seeded bread $1.59
tin tomatoes 65c
dozen free range eggs $ 2.99
tomatoes (with flavour) $2.99 a kilo
peppers (red and green $2.89 a kilo
spices 65 c a packet
herbs 75c a bunch

Yes, supermarket prices are much more expensive, and we don't eat meat, but I have found food here _much_ cheaper than in the USA and a hell of a lot nicer.

These are my observations though. I know that everyone has different experiences/time constraints/location constraints. I just didn;t want everyone thinking that the prices stated by jad an rich are the only option.

COLES you know one of the two major grocery stores here. Lamb chops were from the butchers outside, could have got some nice fatty ones for less tho, half of which would have gone in the garbage can.

Wish I had a scanner here, I'd stick up the docket.

Thats a funny one; The Bloke said he was going to get sausages last night from the butchers - he must have seen my face as I looked at the pathetic examples in the window! Wouldn't get houseroom in the UK!!
He also likes those disgusting Cheerio things wrapped in plastic stuff, that you boil in water.....yeuchhh!!!:scared:

cheers for that, it does sound like too much trouble for me, and will be just collecting dust along with my food processor.Think I'll stick to the bakery for my fresh cob loaf.. much easier


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Jad n rich bill seems pretty normal to me, and to be very much on the ball. Seems like the prices I pay in these supermarkets . Like take potatoes ( I shop at Woolworths mostly) .. some weeks it is around $2.50 kilo , other weeks they have a special and will be under $2 a kilo.. $145 etc.

Lamb ( my hubby eats me , I don't) - A leg of lamb is around $25 a kilo - it's one of the most expensive meat on the shelf.

Bread (white sliced) - I pay around $2.89 for UP brand. .. close to $3.. can't stand the cheaper brands.. this bread seems to be the softest to me and no sugary taste ( They put a small amount of sugar into a lot of these breads here)

Vine ripened tomatoes - yes around 6 to 8 dollars ( they vary in price week to week) .. can't stand the cheap mass produced ones myself either.. no taste to them
Cucumber .. is around $2.99 , I usually pay around $2.45 .. some weeks they can be on offer and you'll get for under 2 dollars.

Eggs - free range almost $6 a dozen in Woolworths .. $5.80 something.


Supermarkets are convenient for most people, I don't have the time or inclination to be driving around to go shopping in how many places to find the cheapest food from butchers to veggie barns to tinned goods , when I can walk into a supermarket and get all my goods in one place.

OMG, everyone has told us that the food is cheaper over in OZ than the UK, reading all your threads i'm not sure which planet these folks are on?

Eating out is cheaper and meat is cheaper. Otherwise it is a false impression of the magical land of Oz that some in Britain seem to have. Probably caused by people just eating out whilst on holiday here. Who goes to a supermarket when on holiday?

For anyone in south-East Melbourne, my mum always makes an affort to go to Springvale for her pork and meat. She says it's very cheap and fat free and there are some real bargains to be had. We always have Springvale pork on the webber for Xmas day meal.