tejon

Mmmm....what flavor? I miss Utz potato chips.

I think mine would be pretty dull, too, at least in comparison with most of the previous ones. Feeding a family of four on a serious budget tends to cramp the ol cooking style a wee bit.

Herbicidal, where do you live? I remember moving to PA and always laughing when I went to a WaWa...something about that name . I loved the sandwiches and fresh fruit, though. Alacarte - WaWa is similar to 7-11, though they don't sell alcohol (have to go to state stores for that). Also yummy deli sandwiches

Chana dal is also your friend on a low carb diet - really yummy, too

Thank you! I'm off to the fabric store, in search of a bit of linen

Question - for the banneton, what diameter basket would be best? I have many baskets and some unbleached muslin, and I figure making one up would be pretty simple. I have two baskets that are about the right shape: one is 8.5 inches (about 21.5 cm), the other is 11 inches (28 cm). I'm thinking the smaller one would be about right - what do you think?

We have those as well. Tried the Safer pantry moth traps, which help, but I've had to toss all our grains, beans, and a bag of sunflower seeds (who knew they loved nuts?). Much airtight containers later....I'm crossing my fingers that they take the hint and GO AWAY . We've got a lot of overstock. I like to be prepared in the event of an earthquake or other natural disaster, as well as lay offs that seem to happen constantly. We have storage room in the garage, so the pantry has backup out there. Tons of: bottled water boxed mac & cheese (my 4 year old loves it) tomato sauce canned chili canned fruits and vegetables canned soups condiments of all kinds: hot sauce, salsa, mayo, kechup, mustard, BBQ sauce, etc vinegars of all kinds rice - I have more than 10 pound each of basmati and Nishiki rice pasta of all sorts I *used* to have a ton of dried beans, dals, and lentils.... dried chiles soy sauce (I buy it by the quart at least) oils (I also make soap, so I always have olive, palm and coconut oils in bulk) boxed rice and soy milks most spices, especially cumin & cardamom

I love Taste of India! Their sag aloo is delicious, and the chicken tikka masala is incredible. Definitely try the masala chai - it's one of my favorite comfort warm drinks when it starts getting cooler here. I wish I was still close enough to go there often.

None of this is anywhere near haute cuisine, but it's all cheap, easy, and tasty: * Cook pasta, toss with sauce of choice, layer in a casserole with cheese of choice (believe it or not, cheddar is pretty darn good here!), bake at 350 until cheese is melted. * To a can of refried beans, add: garlic powder, salsa, cayenne or hot sauce of choice, sliced green onions, and shredded cheese (lots). Heat on low in a saucepan until cheese melts throughout. Great with chips, or cut up veggies, or spread on crackers or bread, or off a spoon.... * Scrambled eggs with lots of sauteed onions, topped with a little cumin and some cilantro. * Cook up some spaghetti and toss in broccoli florets a couple of minutes before the pasta is done. While cooking, heat some oil, add in minced garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Drain pasta and broccoli, pour oil mixture over, then top with grated Parmesan (optional - still pretty good without it) * Cold cooked rice, sauteed with chopped vegetables, onion, leftover meat, some soy sauce, minced garlic, and a bit of sesame oil. Scramble an egg in there if you have one. * Baked potatoes topped with just about anything you can think of.

I skipped my usual trek to Ralph's yesterday, and chose Stater Brothers instead. I get most of my groceries from Trader Joe's and our local asian market, so it just meant a slightly longer drive.

Hmmm.....I'd steam or stir fry the broccoli, so it gets eaten before going bad. I'd also make up one of the frozen dinners, again so they get eaten while still edible. At least, that would be the most frugal choice. Otherwise, I'd scramble the eggs, adding some of the mushrooms, and perhaps have the broccoli alongside.

Looking forward to reading this foodblog! I remember living on $10 a week for food - ate a lot of pasta, potatoes, and dried beans.

Ah, the snack of choice of my two year old Sure, he loves falafel, but that crunchy cat food is good eatin' As for eating baby food, I will admit to loving Gerber Baby Pretzels - especially when dipped in melted cheese. Shhhhh.....don't tell anyone.....

Those tacos sound divine. A bit like carnitas, but spicier? Drooool....

Back when I was single, I stored ginger in sherry - works really well. Now that I cook for 4 every night, I keep ginger in an open basket on the counter, and whack off a knob when I need it. I use it often enough that I go through a hand of ginger or so a week, so no worries about it getting dry or spoiling. I tried keeping it in a bag in the fridge way back when, but it tends to get too moist and moldy that way.

I was just given a stand alone freezer, so I'm taking notes from this thread :-). We currently have a side by side refrigerator, which means almost no freezer space, but I have that packed with soups, single serve amounts of many different dishes, stock, frozen lemon juice and zest, puff pastry, butter, nuts, etc. I can hardly wait to start filling the deep freeze, especially knowing that the foods in it will keep for much longer without too much degridation in texture and flavor.

Congratulations on your weight loss! I've lost 30 pounds since last year, using something similar. Breakfast is also difficult for me, especially since I'm not much of a breakfast person in the first place. As for exercise, I agree that you need to find something that works for you, and that you'll continue to do. For me, I bought a mini trampoline and use it quite a bit - it's actually fun to jump and turn while I watch stuff late at night. I also do ashtanga yoga, which has really given me both definition and flexibility - also clears my head quite a bit. But you have to find what you like and what your body takes to.

I always make up Cranberry Jezebel Sauce to dip the turkey in (along with gravy). I think it originally came from Food & Wine. It's something a bit different, and is luscious with stuffing and just about any other T-day dish.

Sounds great! When and where?

Wonderful suggestions above. I used to cook in a kitchen that looked almost identical - did several dinners for 10, hosted parties, cooked all sorts of things, just more creatively than I do now. I used the sink area (covered), the stove (evil electric, covered), and the nearby table. In a pinch, when I was doing a lot of prep work and really needed space, I rolled dough or chopped vegetables on boards on the living room floor. All precious counter space was kept clear - I stored everything above or in a nearby closet, so as to preserve the tiny bit of usable space. Think of it this way: if you can cook well in a space like this, think what a cinch it will be to cook anywhere else!

I usually do grocery shopping once a week, sans children. My oldest is mildly autistic, so going to the store can be difficult on the best of days. If he's doing really well, I do occasionally take him along for a quick Trader Joe's run - he loves the tasting area

Same here. My husband will eat pretty much anything, and I usually manage to get my oldest son interested in whatever we're having for dinner by involving him in the preparation - he peels, chops things, measures, stirs, and watches while standing on a step stool so he can have a better view of what I'm doing. I do ask our oldest for input on the weekly menu - his response is usually "pizza", or his favorite menu of all: "chicken, broccoli, and rice" (which can be stir fry, blackened chicken breasts and steamed broccoli, chicken tikka masala with sauteed broccoli and basmati - he doesn't care about the form too much). I also plan by what's in season and on sale - both for financial and reasons of taste. I'd much rather have asparagus in season, when it's the most tender and delicious, than pay $4 a pound in November for tough, stringy stalks that bear little resemblance to what you find in the Spring.

This is why I menu plan - not the most spontaneous way to go, but I get all my shopping done on one day (sans children, which works best for all involved ) and have a general idea of what to pull together for dinner. Takes a lot of stress out of the week, and I end up making more involved meals than I would on the spur of the moment with two boys under 5. With small children involved, there's a lot of survival skills going on

I have two boys, 2 1/2 and 4 1/2. The oldest loves to "help" cook - note the use of quotes, as the help he gives is often of questionable merit My oldest would eat anything at all when he was a baby - jalapenos, raw onion and garlic, and practically anything else. When he got to be around two, pickiness suddenly became rule of the day. Now he's back to eating just about anything he sees with great gusto. I have to think it's something developmental, since I've seen a lot of children go through a similar phase at about the same time. Our youngest is currently in the "Food? What a crazy idea" phase, so at least we save on groceries

So far, this is sounding a lot more like my daily menu - I'm eating a lot less impressively now that I have two small children. Carry on!