Tag Archives: Pasta

No Brown Foods, Please!

My father recently had some dental work done that left him very sore in the mouth. The pain was bad enough that he was on a diet of mostly mush for a few days! Luckily, he’s a fan of certain mushy foods; for as long as I can remember, my dad has loved Cream of Wheat hot cereal. (I like it with accessories like dried fruit or maple syrup, personally!) So he ate a lot of Cream of Wheat while his mouth was recovering. But when my mom served up the first bowl, it prompted this comment from my father: … Continue reading →

Tis the Season for Soup

Tis the season for frigid temperatures and family gatherings. If you’ve hosted meals for friends and family during the holiday season, then you know nothing feeds the masses like homemade soup. Not only is soup affordable, nutritious and tasty, it’s also very simple to make. What’s more, nearly all soup recipes can be prepared in advance, so you aren’t left chained to the stove in the kitchen while the rest of family is partying in the living room. The following are some of my family’s favorite winter soups: SIMPLE RAVIOLI SOUP Ingredients: 1 pound Italian sausage 1/2 cup diced onion … Continue reading →

A Hundred Ways with Pasta

Pasta is a very economical food. It is enriched, filling and can be a healthy part of a frugal diet. There are many enhanced pastas these days, including ones made with whole grains or containing added protein. These special pastas often cost more or offer less in the box, but they are still generally less costly that many other meals. Okay, so I have never counted up all of the ways that we have prepared pasta, but I bet it has been at least one hundred ways. There are so great recipes out there. You can boil pasta, bake pasta, … Continue reading →

Pasta Party

The Easter brunch we attended at a local hotel had the most amazing pasta bar. It allowed you to select your favorite ingredients, hand them over to a chef, and within minutes—PRESTO—a piping hot, made-to-order pasta creation was ready for your dining pleasure. The buffet got me thinking about how easy it would be to host your own pasta party using the same set-up as the hotel. Simply set out a number of different pastas (angel hair, penne, rigatoni, etc.) and sauces, along with mushrooms, sausage, green peppers, plump Roma tomatoes, plus a host of different cheeses, and you’ve got … Continue reading →

Leftover Night

I have nothing against leftovers. In fact, there are many nights where I purposely double a recipe to ensure I have extra for lunch and dinner the next day. The following recipes are ideal if you have leftover pasta. The first recipe is perfect for getting rid of extra spaghetti. Meanwhile, the other two recipes for simple pasta sauces prove that it doesn’t take much to spice up leftover noodles. SPAGHETTI FRITTATA Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups spaghetti, cooked 4 eggs 1 cup half and half Salt and pepper 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese Directions: Preheat broiler. Coat … Continue reading →

Mediterranean Lasagna

Lasagna is a go-to menu item for many home cooks. However, if you are eating the same traditional meat and cheese lasagna once a week and not getting a positive response from your family, then it might be time to experiment with the following recipe. This Mediterranean Lasagna is just as easy to prepare as traditional lasagna, but the taste is intensified with a variety of non-traditional lasagna ingredients, including cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh mint. If you are concerned that your pickiest eaters will be turned off by the flavors, don’t be. The end result is just as (if not … Continue reading →

Kick Up Ordinary Chicken with These Tasty and Affordable Recipes

Because of its versatility and affordability, I prepare chicken for dinner at least three times per week. Fortunately, my family enjoys eating “bird” and rarely complains about seeing it appear on their plates so frequently. I attribute this lack of whining in part to my vast chicken recipe collection. The following chicken dishes are among my family’s favorites. Not only are they delicious and simple to prepare, but they taste even better the next day. If you are looking to save time in the kitchen, consider doubling the recipe so you have enough leftovers for later in the week. PEACH … Continue reading →

Easy After Christmas Recipes

Christmas is over, but your houseguests haven’t left yet. When leftovers just won’t do, consider feeding the troops these super simple dishes. The recipes are ideal for large groups and hold up well in situations where not everyone can make it to the table at the same time. But, the best part is that you won’t have to spend hours in the kitchen making this feast while the rest of the family is gathered around the TV. HEARTY BEEF DIP Ingredients: 2 pounds lean ground beef 1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic (crushed and minced) 1 can (4 ounces) … Continue reading →

Scrumptious Spooky Treats for Your Halloween Buffet

Seventeen days and counting until ghosts and ghouls come knocking. Are you ready? If you are planning a Halloween Monster Bash to celebrate the haunted holiday you might consider adding these simple yet scrumptious treats to your menu. Both were served at my daughter’s playgroup Halloween luncheon last year. Each mom was given a Halloween-themed recipe from a magazine, cookbook or newspaper and asked to make it as creepy as possible. In the end the buffet table was filled with Tombstone Brownies, Pumpkin Face Pizzas, and ghost, pumpkin, bat, bone and cat shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (using cookie … Continue reading →

Five Little Grocery Shopping Tricks: Look Left and Right

When it comes to shopping for groceries, we need all of the help we can get. Rising prices and reduced coupon values make reducing your grocery bill by 70 percent a thing of the past. And those grocery stores have plenty of tricks up their sleeves to get you to buy the products they want you to buy and to buy as many of them as they need you to do. We’ve been going over the different strategies these stores use to grab your shopping dollar, Now here is a really sneaky one. Marketing research shows that when someone is … Continue reading →