photo by norriswong

“What’s for dinner?” is a common daily question. My readers tell me they sometimes have sandwich night, breakfast for dinner or COTF (”clean out the fridge”) meals. How about trying a “build your own salad” night? It’s a great frugal option for parties, to use up leftovers and introduce a variety of new foods to kids. With such a wide array of toppings and salad greens available, it …

photo by yugoq

I’m lost without my daily coffee, or at least tea or hot cocoa. Sometimes they perk me up and other times they completely relax me. We’ve become old friends through the years. They were my hand warmers during my long nights of studying in college. They are my go-to drinks when I’m curled up with a good book, and they are my drinks of choice in social gatherings. …

photo by freewine

What type of coffee drinker are you? Do you go through an entire pot of cheap home-brewed coffee? Or do you buy gourmet coffee and drink it by the $5 cupful? I’m a java convert. I used to overpay for custom blends, but now I brew my own cheap pot of coffee at home, enjoying my gourmet coffee without buying an expensive machine. It’s one of my vices. …

photo by bonvoyagetohappy

When my favorite frozen potpies were recalled, I decided it was time to let go of this guilty pleasure. Granted, they are inexpensive, but they’re not the healthiest choice or very hearty. It was one of the few foods that I hadn’t converted from convenience to homemade. I considered that a frozen potpie was something that only I ate in my household. Everyone in my family turns their …