Budgeting food really can be a better quality of life. Think about how much you spend freely when you have a good job and are not paying attention to your spending habits. Just buying willy-nilly whatever you or your family wants. Maybe you’ve bought really good quality foods and named brands, some processed snack foods thrown… Continue reading Quality vs. Quantity

Work is good, it always is. Food and eating at work is another story. Everyone knows about my project and the concessions I’ve made for work. On Friday we have our work-lunch meeting which is a nice perk for the week. And once in a while someone will bring in a treat, either from home… Continue reading My Work Life

I know I’m a creature of habit but this is ridiculous! 13 weeks into this project and I’m starting to feel a bit monotonous. Keeping with my budget, I tend to buy the things I know will fill me up. I have to admit, trying anything new is a risk on my budget. I just… Continue reading Trying To Be Creative On A Budget

If you haven’t noticed it already, food prices are going up. This year the expected increase is supposed to be 2.5 to 3.5%. Gas prices are going up again. Natural disasters and financial market drops, also, play their part in the prices we pay at the grocery store. The best thing we can do is… Continue reading Rising Food Prices

I have a love for Cafe food. Food cooked on a grill, grilled cheeses, melts, burgers. Good, old coffee shop breakfasts – eggs fried on a grill, pancakes, french toast. I owned the coffee shop in the Culver Ice Arena for a couple of years way back when. The best part of running that little place was cooking on… Continue reading Tribute to the Highway Cafe

In my previous post, I talked about Pastels. This is what a gorgeous, Caribbean Pastel looks like!My cousin, Dan, did an amazing job, as always! I’m homesick beyond-homesick!!

It’s that time of the year – Time to prepare the garden! Join me in lots of hard work, wit, wisdom and plenty of sarcasm on Inspired Home Garden. Just click the “Garden” tab at the top of this page or go to http://www.inspiredhomegarden.com.

I don’t cook like anyone but myself. So, I think. My heritage comes from many places and tastes. My tastes that came from my family are not the same as my aunts, uncles, cousins or brothers and sisters. We all like different things. We all didn’t like different things. My grandmother adored curry and I… Continue reading Pastels – Fusion of Heritage and Taste

The frozen food aisle has good intentions. But the path to a good quality life is not paved with the frozen foods provided by the processed food industry. Preparing your own foods that can easily be reheated, after taking the time to prepare them and portion them out – either kept in the frig or freezer… Continue reading Reheating is not Cooking

I have a desk job. I was hoping not to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day when I moved to Idaho. Making a living is a high priority; paying rent and having a life, even though it’s a simple one. Desk jobs ultimately pay better than baking muffins or scones in a… Continue reading De-stressing

I’ve got grocery lists, meals, special occasions and other things to fill you in on – coming up this weekend! With Chris home this week and a full plate, literally, I have been busy. No worries, we’ll catch up so stay tuned!

This is full of flavor and easssy!! Prepare 2 cups white beans – soak and cook either overnight or for about 6 hours in the crockpot.Roast the chicken with some garlic, chili powder and salt and pepper. Cool and chop, set aside.Once the beans are ready, drain some of the liquid off and add: 2 cups… Continue reading White Bean Chicken Chili

The only way you’re going to develop your own cooking style is to cook in your own kitchen. Many people have different ideas about what works best for them, including, yours truly. And I will say that what works sometimes does not work other times. Given certain factors like ingredients being available inexpensively, time available and… Continue reading Tough Love

Finally a beautiful warm day!! Some clouds out there but the air feels warm and I didn’t need a coat this afternoon! March 20, marked the first day of Spring this year and here in the mountains it feels just on time. Not too warm and not too cold – hopefully this will last! But, as… Continue reading Feels Like Spring!