Strawberry Muffins with Streusel Topping I talked about how we can be frugal shoppers and a conscientous consumers all rolled into one. You may lean more to one end of the spectrum or the other, but there is definitely room in the zoo for a happy combination of both. In that post, I made the observation that, "Buying bum produce, no matter how cheap, is a waste of money." Michael Pollan calls it "voting with your fork." In other words, we send a message every time we buy food. Like most of you, I strive to buy quality produce in season. Generally this isn't a problem. No problem, that is, until those cartons of ridiculously red strawberries Keep Reading
Simple Kale Salad with Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
Simple Kale Salad with Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette Back in January, I read that kale was so last year. Apparently this will be cauliflower's turn in the spotlight. Seriously, who decides this stuff? Is there some powerful vegetable lobby group in Washington? An Anna Wintour of the produce world? Some marketing experts doing vegetable focus groups? These are the questions that keep me up at night. So I set out to do some serious research Google it. It's true: cauliflower is the new kale. Just ask your friendly global culinary trendologist. I love a humble head of cauliflower as much as the next person, but I'm not ready to kick kale to the curb Keep Reading
Rhubarb almond cake recipe
Rhubarb Almond Cake My rhubarb will soon pop up from its winter hibernation. I love the bright splash of color it adds to the garden this time of year. Growing rhubarb is not a difficult task so it's great for beginning gardeners. It's one of those low maintenance, high yield plants that makes you look like you know what you're doing. Last year it was more like an ornamental shrub in our raised beds, though. I didn't use it in one single, solitary recipe for some reason! I'm determined to change that this year. And this recipe is a great place to start (Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a good place to go next). It caught my eye as I was flipping Keep Reading
How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock
Homemade Chicken Stock Making homemade chicken stock is a super simple, versatile skill to have in your kitchen tool belt. In fact, if I had to pick just one frugal habit that consistently saves a significant amount of grocery money, while delivering a superior product, making homemade chicken stock would be it. If you are on a tight budget, trying to figure out how to cut back on expenses, food is a tough category. Your family is probably kind of attached to the whole 3-meals-a-day routine and beans & rice only get you so far. To make those grocery dollars stretch as far as possible, try this: At the beginning of the week, roast 2 chickens Keep Reading
Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free recipe)
Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free recipe) I used to be terrible at feeding myself lunch. I'd whip out lunch plates for my family like a short order cook at rush hour, but when it came to my own plate I rarely sat down to eat a real meal. I'd peck at some nuts and seeds or nibble on cheese and crackers like some kind of bird, while throwing in a load of laundry, emptying the dishwasher, and responding to three emails. Then I couldn't figure out why I was snappy and shaky and eating a fistful of chocolate chips at three in the afternoon. For the past month or so, I have been making a focused effort to eat a filling, nutritious Keep Reading
Roasted delicata squash with pomegranate and pumpkin seeds (recipe)
Anytime I know somebody who loves something within a category they normally hate, I sit up straight and pay close attention. The person who hates romantic comedies but has Sleepless in Seattle at the top of their movie list, who hates pop music but is gushing about the new Taylor Swift song, who hates sports but has memorized every Blazer player stat. Rip City, Baby. Or, say, someone who normally hates squash but saw this picture in an old Sunset magazine, went out the next day, bought three delicata squash for the first time ever, made the recipe, and ate it immediately (while taking pictures, no less). To use the most tired phrase in the whole Keep Reading