This is the first in a series I'm exploring called "What's Cooking?". As frequently as possible, I'll create a post on what is actually cooking here at la casa. You'll see anything from a dinner menu, to a great appetizer idea, desert, or homemade food gift idea. What's cooking today? Something on the rustic side . . .

Since it's Sunday and I'd much rather blog, enjoy the lake, and listen to my husband play guitar, we're going for something neither one of us has to stand and tend. Old Fashioned Split Pea Soup. We had left over ham, carrots, split peas and onions. Sounds like split pea soup night to me! We looked up the recipe, got out the crock pot and got cracking. Total prep time not including including hours in the crock pot? About 10 minutes.

Sound a little thin? I wouldn't let you down. For a dessert, as well as a snack item over the next few days, I made homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. This is a basic recipe I got years ago straight off the oatmeal package. I liked it so much, I've never bothered to look for another.

Why a cooking series? Several conversations I've had over the past few months have made me realize that many people who know us truly have no idea how we consistently achieve our monthly grocery budget (almost always under $200), and a percentage of those that do assume we spend all our time eating ramen, flour and sprout seeds. Not so.

Sure, we have our share of tuna casserole just like every other family on a budget. But we don't have nearly as much of it as even I expected we would when we first started shopping and cooking this way. I also have had my days when for the life of me I couldn't think of a single creative or appetizing thing to do with the homemade baking mix sitting in my cupboard. Hopefully, this series will provide ideas, strategies and recipes for those trying to carve out a life of style, whatever their personal style may be.