You guys are in for SUCH a treat today!  It may surprise you to find a recipe for King Crab on a blog all about cheap cooking, but it is possible to enjoy such a decadent ingredient on a tight budget.  I’ve mentioned several times that one of my favorite tips to save money on food is stretching your more expensive ingredients like meat and seafood.  If you buy just one or two King Crab legs, you can stretch them with other more affordable ingredients to make an incredible dish that’s perfect for a special occasion. Read more

The pilot series of the Healthy Cooking on a Tight Budget Program has been completed!  One purpose of the classes was to provide recipes using ingredients that are commonly turned down at the Food Bank because people don’t know how to use them.  The first item on that list was dried beans.  On my first day at the food bank the director handed me a couple bags of dried beans and I stared at them with a similar apprehension.  I know how to use them in soups and comforting winter time recipes, but what about in the summer?  Fortunately my friend Elise had the perfect recipe to try. Read more

This salsa verde recipe is the second recipe I requested from the chefs while I was in Mexico.  I had NO idea my post on pico de gallo and my hurt over the racism I’ve seen around me lately would spark such a debate, or the HATEFUL and ANGRY emails and comments I received.  I didn’t approve the comments but I have to say I was pretty shocked.  They say if you want lots of comments “be controversial”, but that certainly wasn’t my intention! Read more

See that funny guy up above?  He looks kind of like the start of a balloon animal to me.  He’s a butternut squash and I decided I wanted to try one last week because I don’t think I ever have before.  Don’t let the mild exterior fool you, inside he’s a bright orangey yellow and packed with fiber.  Plus he’s full of nutrients, especially vitamin A, we’re talking 300% your daily value in 1/2 cup of cubed squash.  What a nutrition powerhouse!  Here’s a quick photo tutorial on how to peel and seed the squash, with a recipe soon to follow. Read more

Hello, my name is Diana, and I am obsessed with cheese.  I’ve stood for a full 30 minutes in front of a cheese case, not speaking or touching anything, simply staring at the abundance and variety of amazing cheeses.  I’ve taken a plate full of cheese samples to a corner all by myself so I can savor the nuances of each bite completely without distraction.  My current favorite is a lovely orange cheese called Mimolette, which I got hooked on when my friends Todd and Diane brought it on our trip to Mexico.  But I have to tell you, Mimolette has a dirty little secret. Read more