Articles on Food and Drink

Surviving the Holiday Season: Entertaining (and Being Entertained) on a Budget

With the holiday season upon us, invitations to dinner parties – and expectations of reciprocating invitations – are on the increase. You bring a nice bottle of wine or bouquet of

Holiday Gift Ideas Straight Out of Your Pantry

When it comes to thinking up creative holiday gifts, it's worth taking a look in your pantry. If you're looking for a way to make your own holiday gift from scratch, consumables —

12 Affordable Ingredients that Add Gourmet Flair to any Meal

Here is an expert list of a dozen common ingredients that will add some flair to your dish — for less than you'd expect.

4 Meals You Can Make With Thanksgiving Leftovers

With these tasty meal options, you'll never let your Thanksgiving leftovers go to waste again!

Roundup: Thanksgiving Survival

'Tis the season for family and food, but also family and food-related stress. Here are some tips that will help get you through the next few months with grace, beauty, and health.

8 Spectacular Uses for that Lone Can of Fruit

It doesn’t matter what it is: plums, fruit cocktail, or an awkward can of cranberries – it can sit there for years if not put to a creative use. When pennies must be pinched, the

Going Back to the Root Cellar

My grandmother once told me about her parents' root cellar: it was just a story of something so different from modern day that she thought I would get a kick out of it. But root ce

10 Things to Do With Leftover Halloween Candy

Leftover Halloween candy can be a treat or an annoyance. If your kids came home with a huge stash, or you have many leftovers from your own home, the tummy aches can put a kibosh o

Deciding Which Produce to Buy Organic - The Dirty Dozen

When money is tight and you can't buy every single thing organic, how do you choose? Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group has separated the veggie nasties from the veggie O

The Great Coupon Debate

What's the one thing worse than talking about a budget with your spouse? Grocery shopping. I live with a coupon cutter who insists we buy nothing that isn't bought with coupons. Bu

8 Nifty Tips for Getting the Most from an All-You-Can Eat Buffet

I’m no promoter of gluttony, and I would never recommend stuffing yourself for the sake of stuffing yourself. However, as a mother of 4 growing kids who only eat out once or twice

Lentil Love: How to Sex Up a Simple Staple and Save

Let's face it. Lentils aren't usually a food that folks write love songs about, at least in this country. But for price and nutrition, they're pretty tough to beat. Bonus? They don

In times like these, separate the want from the need.

I remember saying to my dad, a long, long time ago, that I really needed a whole bunch of He-Man action figures for Christmas. Oh, and Battlecat, too. My dad looked at me, a hopefu

4 Sort-of Small Kitchen Gadgets that Equal Big Savings!

Are your kitchen counters cluttered with unused small appliances and dusty “do-it-all” gizmos? Learn how to use these top four appliances to cut meal prep, clean-up time, and a bi

Sure Savings at the Supermarket

A SURE way to save 20-25% on many of your groceries? Oh, yes, and it couldn't be simpler!

Fresh Fruit for Rotten Cheapskates Like Me

What’s a good way to save money on fresh fruit? Eat with the season. Out of your own backyard. Or your neighbors. My quick and easy raw foods apple sauce recipe is at the end. You

5 Easy Recipes Perfect for the Traveling Chef

All you need is a basic, stocked kitchen and widely available ingredients to prepare these travel-friendly recipes.

8 Meatless Dishes for Meat-n-Taters Lovers

Whether you're frugal or bored, meatless may be an avenue you've been wanting to explore for awhile. Here are my eight top meatless picks that are guaranteed to fill you up and

Frugalize any recipe

My wife picked up a cookbook at the library--one of those beautiful cookbooks with a gorgeous pictures of each dish. It had an above-average number of dishes that appealed to me.

Small, Cheap Steps to Weight Loss

If you prefer baby steps to great strides, try these tips and tricks for cutting calories from your diet and burning off some extra pounds.