Comments of the Week

This week, readers brainstorm tips for hot-weather cooking, Jaime salutes the ultimate ballpark food, and Kirby explains Hulu for the uninitiated (i.e. me).

On CHG Favorites of the Week

Kirby: (re: Hulu.com) It offers free episodes and clips from tv and movies. You have to sit through short (30 sec.) commercials, but the offerings are worth it (like all of Firefly, full episodes of Family Guy and the Simpsons.) You don't have to sign up to use it, but if you do they will notify you when they add new episodes of shows you are waiting for.

On City Kitchen Chronicles: My Wet Hot New Yorkian Summer

c.r.a.: Not opening the windows until the temperature outside is less than it is inside, is also key (an indoor outdoor thermometer comes in handy for that).

Anonymous: Try using a slow cooker for some meals, if you have one. It won't heat up the apartment like an oven. I also swear by lemonade in the heat.

Paul: I'm all about cottage cheese and hummus... especially mixing it with Trader Joe's chipotle hummus... which I'm pretty sure is the best hummus in the galaxy.. it looks sort of grody but tastes like heaven.

Pam: My favorite summer meal is shrimp cocktail w/buffalo mozzarella and sliced tomatoes.

On Tuesday Megalinks: Longest. Ever. Edition.

Jaime: (re: stadium eats) The only ballpark food worth eating is Dippin Dots. Eating anything else is wasting time, money, and calories that could be spent on Dippin Dots.

On FAQing With a Side of Curried Chickpeas

Chief Family Officer: I highly recommend these CL sandwich recipes (hopefully he likes pesto): Turkey Pesto Sandwiches (from 2002! can you tell I've been a CL fan forever?) and Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwiches (makes a ton b/c it's a lunch club recipe, I usually make half a recipe).

Cookus Interruptus: Curry powder can be kind of uninteresting. YOu'll get a lot more flavor by either fresh grinding the whole spices purchased in bulk (cumin, cardomom) and combining with some tumeric OR making a cool curry paste to keep in your fridge and add to things (my favorite).

(Photo courtesy of Treehugger.)

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Comments of the Week

This week, it’s coupon tips, suggestions for forgiving yourself, and a slew of fantastic ideas for thrice-a-week veggie dinners. Cam, as god as my witness, I am trying those Nachos Grande. AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME!

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

On Of Plumbing and Turkey Burgers
(I mentioned Dave and Kelly's sink woes in Tuesday’s post. This is his update.)

Dave: after an entire weekend spent in the house, approximately fifteen calls to the landlord, and two visits from some very nice gentlemen with some exceeding hard core pieces of equipment, kel and i have, like you guys, come to appreciate the wonders that a fully functional kitchen represents. i also appreciate the wonder that is the modern drain snake. probably a little more than kel does. but man, that thing is awesome.

OTHER GREAT COMMENTS

On Relax Frugal Eater: A Measured Approach to Lifestyle Changes

Ms. Meghan: Make sure the reward doesn't offset the act it's rewarding. In other words, if you managed to lose five pounds, don't go out and have an ice cream cone to celebrate (unless treats are part of the plan).

Kristen: I've had a bad habit of wasting food for a long time, and I've finally started to work on it in earnest. I'm blogging about it now(link is in my profile), and it's helped me a lot. Knowing that I've promised myself that I will post a photo of the food I throw away has really motivated me to persevere in using my food.

Daniel Koontz: Allow yourself a "cheat day" once in a while. On that day, you allow yourself to break a few of your rules without feeling guilty about it.

On Monday Megalinks: The Kitchen Sink Edition
(re: Vegetarian dinner ideas)

mollyjade: It's vegetable grilling season. Beyond the usuals like corn or vegetable kebabs (with or without marinated tofu), you can also grill things like pizza or potatoes. And leftover grilled vegetables make great sandwiches or grain or pasta toppings.

Jesse Harris: Beans are often a great way to enjoy meatless entrees without resorting to everyone's favorite carb. I'm especially fond of lentil soup or even a simple meal of hummus with cucumber slices and pita.

Marianne: Our #1 favorite is the Vegetable and Bean Tamale Pie from Cook's Illustrated's "The Best Make-Ahead Meals". I make the full recipe but portion it out in cheap aluminum bread pans, then chuck them in the freezer.

Jill: My 14 yo daughter went veggie on us a year ago and rather than cook two meals, I just started serving more vegetarian meals to all of us. It is cheaper and healthier (usually!) anyway.

Cam: I have two words: Nachos grandes. Take a 9x12 casserole dish and fill it about halfway with tortilla chips. Add a layer of sliced avocado. Add a layer of refried beans (we prefer homemade black beans). On top of that, corn, on top of that, salsa, and on top of that, cheese. Cook 15 min at 450. Nom, Nom, Nom.

molly b.: My favorite thing in the summer is to make up fresh guacamole (avocados are cheap and plentiful in my neck of the woods) and serve it with the black bean flautas from the old Vegetarian Times Cookbook. ... They're also really good with Southern Living's Hill Country Salsa. Another favorite is a big spinach salad, with homemade pita chips and a dip that a friend told us about: black beans and feta in the food processor. Just add some of each until you get the desired consistency. :-)

Kelly: My favorite meatless meals are Epicurious' Spiced Black Bean Burgers and Cooking Light's Baked Eggplant with Savory Cheese Stuffing.

On Eating Healthy While Clipping Coupons

Anonymous: 1. Don't use that little "coupon wallet" to store them in. I keep mine in a trapper -keeper filled with transparent baseball card holders … 2. Check the coupons in the paper before you leave the store. … 3. Some larger stores will triple coupons less than 40 cents, and double coupons less than 51 cents. …4. If you're lucky, and brave enough to rummage in the shadows, your store has a dark corner filled with food unworthy of being sold looking pretty. Coupons count towards these items.

Saving Advice: You can contact organic companies directly and often get coupons for their products. Here is a list of contact numbers for organic and natural food companies.

Monroe on a Budget: If you want to buy "pantry items" (useful for cooking from scratch) on coupons, you will find them as part of the Thanksgiving / Christmas foods marketing campaigns.Yes, I'm talking about flour, canned milk, Splenda, cinnamon and other spices, even cookie sheets.

NH Mom of 3: First -- I was recently shopping at my local food co-op and noticed near the entrance a coupon book (geared towards the natural/organic type of items) in the rack with a list of weekly/monthly specials at the store. … 2nd -- I sometimes can find better deals on pantry staples and fresh fruits/veggies at stores like Costco, BJs, etc. But this tip is really only effective if you know your family can actually EAT everything that might be in the bigger item there.

(Photos courtesy of downtownpropertymanagement, and i can has cheezburger.)

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Comments of the Week

This week, it’s kale recipes, coupon clipping, vegetarian beefs, and remembrances of Presidents of the United States of America gone by. Oh, and if you have the time, check out all the great responses to What Would You Do: Restaurant Gives Meat to a Vegetarian. The consensus: I should have spoken to a manager, yo.

On Millions of Grilled Peaches (Grilled Peaches for Me)

molly b: Can't believe someone else actually remembers that song. We had a hamster once that we named Peaches... because we got her for free. :-)

Monica: I loved that song! So much I bought the whole CD. Oh the crapola we listened to in order to get one great song. Thank you so much iTunes!

On Eating Healthy While Clipping Coupons: The Dos and Don’ts

Pam: I started clipping coupons a couple of months ago and was amazed at how many of them are for personal care items. Since I'm not brand loyal for these kinds of things, I've saved a lot of money using coupons. It's freed up more of my grocery budget for the organic dairy I've been wanting to purchase but couldn't.

Di Hickman: Also for those looking for healthier coupons, try Mambosprouts.com they have some health food coupons, but then you gotta search the supermarkets to find the items! (though whole foods does take coupons)

Chocoholic: Another thing on the websites, especially organic companies, sign up for their emails! I routinely get emails from Horizon, Organic Valley, etc. that have coupons in them. Make sure to check out the register coupons some places print. I've bought Amy's pizzas and gotten Kashi pizza coupons and vice versa.

On Kale and Hearty: White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage

c.r.a.: Now that you have discovered kale, may I suggest my favorite kale recipe, Pasta with Kale and Fontina? It is so good. I only use half of the pasta called for to make it more about the veggie goodness (and as a result, you can scale back the chicken broth a little) and gouda cheese is, I think, even better than the fontina. It also makes rocking leftovers.

Leigh: Kale is my favorite leafy green. When in doubt, just sautee with garlic and mmm! Enjoy your new, healthy relationship.

Anonymous: As for other greens, can I suggest Swiss Chard? I make a one dish meal (sounds better than casserole ?) with Canadian bacon, Swiss chard, potatoes and Gruyere ( or regular Swiss) cheese that is very good. Recipe is here.

On Veggie Might: That’s What I Was Going to Say

Jen@BigBinder: When I go to a restaurant, I want someone who can do something snazzy with vegetables so I usually order a vegetarian dish. I think there is a greater potential for interesting and beautiful and tasty dishes I can't make at home.

CraftyKate: I can only speak for myself of course, but as a long time veggie who lives with a meat eating boyfriend it makes me uncomfortable when a meat eating family make too big of a deal about me being veggie. … I really don't want to be a burden, and while it's incredibly sweet she's willing to go out of her way to make me welcome in her home, I always feel like a finicky pain when she buys me my own meal. I'm happy with the non meat portions of the meal!

Michelle: I know food choices can be hard, but I think vegan shoes have really come along way! One of my favorite vegan shoe sites is: http://www.vegetarianshoesandbags.com/. They also just added a children's line as well! doesn't get any easier than this!

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Comments of the Week

Y’know, sometimes, it’s hard being Snoop D-o-double-g, but not this week. There was some GREAT commentary - suggestions and stories both - on brown-bagging. Be on special lookout for Jennifer, who goes above and beyond the call of lunch.

On The Brown Bag Brigade: Your One-Stop Shop for Work Lunch Ideas

Meags: I hate leaving the office during lunch because it wastes 20 minutes of my hour getting to the place and back.

Deborah: I think the best thing about taking lunch to work is that I'm not stuck in a restaurant, or standing in line, or rusing to and from my food destination for an hour. ... I would often take my lunch to the local park, or to the local lake. 30 minutes sitting watching nature go buy sure beats sitting at a table or standing in a line when it comes to resting my brain.

Annie K. Nodes: A good quick lunch I made the other day was grape tomatoes, corn, and cheddar cubes mixed with italian dressing. Very good. A good snack is edamame. I boil it in the morning, throw in a tupperware and munch munch munch!

Anonymous: Low fat string cheese is easy to carry to work and just the right size for snacks. I also like making larget batches of soup so I have left overs for a while. A cup of soup or chili and a think slice of whole grain bread is healthy, inexpensive and amazingly filling.

Aryn: I do wraps instead of sandwiches and my husband likes to intersperse his sandwiches with salads. The key to our success is quality deli meat, not the cheapo stuff that comes in a package.

Jennifer: One thing I do instead of buying lunch meat is make my own (sort of). I buy 3lb frozen boneless turkey breast portions, roast them myself, then slice them. I usually do 2 at a time and those two will last me probably a month. Whatever I won't use in the next week or so goes into the freezer until I'm ready for it. This saves a good deal of money over processed lunch meat. Depending on where I buy the roasts, they cost $7-10 for the 3 lb which works out to $2-3 per pound, much cheaper than deli meat and even the prepackaged stuff. Plus it tastes so much better!

Cam: For the afternoon snack, I highly recommend pumpkin chocolate chip bread (I found the recipe at tastespotting.com). I make it with all whole wheat flour, halve the amount of baking soda (because I could taste it in the first two loaves I made - yech), and use dark chocolate chips. It's very satisfying both in filling you up and sating the evil sweet tooth, and way better for you than a vending machine run! You just have to remember to only bring one slice :)

Claire: When brown-bagging, remember that the all-time cheapest option is leftovers! (it's been tested;))

Kristen: I pack my husband's lunch without fail. 99% of the time he eats leftovers (lunch meat is way too expensive for our budget), and the odd time he'll eat a PBJ, or a french bread pizza that I throw together. I have no idea how much money this has saved us over 11 years, but it's got to be an impressive amount. It's also saved me from throwing away untold amounts of leftovers!

Marcia: I carefully plan my dinners to have leftovers. I had to start doing that because my husband, who was perfectly content to eat PB&J for 30-odd years, one day decided he wanted leftovers for lunch too.

Julia: I cook on Sundays JUST to brown bag during the week. Once every few months I'll make a healthy lasagna, cut it into single servings, wrap each one and freeze them. Then when I'm out of leftovers I still have something healthy that I made to brown bag. Recipe here. And one of my absolute favorite things to make for the week is chicken salad. I just keep coming up with new flavors!

Kazari: always, always leftovers. with two of us in the house, it works out best. we have a whole bunch of lunch-size freezer containers, and they get filled as i serve the dinner. as long as it's not salad, everything gets frozen. and during the week you just open the freezer and go. mystery meals!

On Veggie Might: Lentil, Spinach, and Bulgur Stew That Wasn’t

Daniel Koontz: I worship Jay Solomon. We've been exploiting his Vegetarian Soup Cuisine book for more than a decade for easy-to-make, highly scalable meals. I also LOVE the fact that almost all of Solomon's recipes are preposterously inexpensive. An entire pot of soup with all sorts of healthy ingredients for under $5.00? Yep. Jay Solomon is The Man.

(Photo courtesy of lunchboxsetco.uk.)

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Comments of the Week

This week it’s all about Food Network stand-ins, classy party strategies, vegetarian solidarity, and a little bit o’ sweet, sweet Motown. As always, some comments have been edited for length.

On Mm-mm Good: Cooking Light's Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

nyjlm: My parents say that one of my very early spoken phrases was "Sheaaaa stadium," so it was no surprise that I became a Met fan.

Daniel Koontz: I have to tell you, I fear fake maple syrup. Too much sodium hexametaphosphate. Nothing beats the real thing.

On Veggie Might: That Food Crisis Everyone’s Just Raving About

Mrs. H: My husband hunts, and so fills our freezer every year with deer, duck, fish, and hopefully this year, turkey. We figure out how many we need for the coming year, and off to the woods he goes. All that being said, we have cut our meat portions a little smaller lately, mainly for health reasons. ... As good quality produce gets harder to find, more expensive, and leaves a larger carbon footprint, we are choosing to go local...as in, our own backyard.

Phrakture: I actually just went through a "month of vegetarianism" (cut out dairy and eggs too). I was amazed at how cheap it was. My lunch was costing me about $3 from the produce section of the grocery store, as opposed to getting a $10 sandwich down the street.

Nicole: My boyfriend wants meat all the time and I could live without it. Our compromise is we eat it twice a week. … He's starting to understand that meat is expensive and not the best for him or the planet. A slow conversion in the process...

Bigbinder: We decided to eat less meat, but not go totally meatless. … I dragged my ratty old Moosewood cookbook out and started making some meals from that again; dinner takes longer to make but we feel better about it. Almost smug, but not quite.

Jaime: I've been a vegetarian for ten years, but only in the last couple have I really started eating vegetables and whole foods. … Processed foods can be almost as expensive as meat, and are not quite healthy. (I loved them, but after so much time away, I wonder how a Chik Patty would taste now...)

On CHG Favorites of the Week

Chocoholic: Maybe [the recipe of the week is] this recipe.

Gretchen: For cover versions of songs: how 'bout Gladys Night and the Pips' "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" or Stevie Wonder's "We Can Work It Out" (Cover of the Beatles' hit)?

On Classy Parties on the Cheap: Baby Showers, Barbecues, and Beyond

Nancy: What I've learned from 21 years of marriage and 21 years of hosting every major holiday dinner: ... people are happy to eat the same menu for all occasions, with just the main course changing with the seasons (turkey for Thanksgiving, lamb for Easter). ... to play to my audience. When my mother became legally blind, I cut corners on the dusting and spent more time moving furniture so that it would not be in her way.

Nicole: There are plenty of free/cheap things to set ambiance: music, candles, a bouquet of flowers. The moms will notice and appreciate the extra touches so it's good to whip it out for them. (Boyfriends aren't quite as observant, at least in my experience...)

Caro: For our wedding (which we hosted and catered ourselves) we found that Trader Joes has a great set of $3 wine … They were returnable. So we bought more than we could use and then at the end we returned the un-opened bottles. A very nice perk for us.

Mel: Accept help, people want to see the hosts, not see them scurrying around. … And relax. The whole point of having a party is to have fun!

Kyle: My strategy is to make sure I have enough beer and wine even if no one brings anything, and save the leftovers for the next time I have a party (assuming my roommate and I don't drink it all in the meantime!).

On Grilled Sweet Potato Salad, Food Network, and the Ultimate Test of Frugality

Trinity: If it's any consolation, FN has an awesome website with videos and recipes and such...

JAB: You could hang out in empty hospital rooms and watch their FN. Just kidding.

Sarah: I have been cable-less for almost 3 years. I get by on PBS cooking shows (America's Test Kitchen, Rick Bayless, Everyday Food), food blogs, magazines, Food TV shows on DVD from the library, and video podcasts.

Cinzea: We're forgetting one very important thing: PBS, FREE public broadcasting! They have some of the finest cooking shows, i.e: Lidia's, Jacques Pepin, Everyday Food, Everyday Baking (both by Martha Stewart), Daisey Cooks! as well as other ethnic foods such as mexican, asian in addition to America's Test Kitchen, Ciao Italia, Mark Bayless. ... Try it. It's free!

Mamacita: I get TONS of great recipes and food ideas from the internet. Here's a new site I heard of last night, in fact: Open Source Food.

Autumn: Gasp! No more FN? No more Alton late at night when you can't sleep? No more Chairman's ridiculously dramatic eyebrows? No more laughing at the way Duff laughs? (Kind of like a cross between an old man coughing and a duck quacking.) .... I suppose there are plenty of people who live without FN, and from what I can tell, they still manage to be happy with their empty, flavorless lives. If you decide to try it, well...Godspeed.

Kelly: [FN is] not about food; it's about the personalities, and I won't put up with that nonsense from anyone except Alton Brown, who is my Food Network boyfriend and can therefore feast on asphalt any time he likes. … Remember - if you give up Food Network, you never have to wake up in a cold sweat knowing that in some small way, you're contributing to the income of Sandra Lee.

Sara l: I agree with most of the other commenter's, if you're doing fine without cable you can find way to live without food network. Now that I've given the 'good' answer I'll confess that I don't want to cancel my package and loose all of the great things I have on my DVR.

(Photos courtesy of Flickr members wallyg, gwarcita, and Dshalock the Libertarian Emperor as well as foodwiser.com.)

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Comments of the Week

This week, a plethora of food crisis opinions, the obscene beauty of Frickadellen, and David “Ewok” Archuleta splits the vote. Thanks for all the great comments, folks! And as always, some have been edited slightly for length.

Oh yeah! I forgot to link to this week’s Festival of Frugality, which is over at Sound Money Matters. Hurry! (Uh, when you’re done here.)

On Roasted Chickpeas: Wrong Way, Right Way

Autumn: My pound cake ran over once in the oven...I spent hours cleaning it up. Got a few nasty burns, definitely employed loud oaths, and ended up buying some spray stuff that made the burned-on goo disintegrate like magic. It was pretty cool.

Ms. Meghan: I highly recommend smothering them with hungarian paprika and garlic powder as well.

On Tuesday Megalinks

Chief Family Officer: Do you find that you go to nice restaurants and think to yourself that it's so not worth the cost compared to what you could have prepared at home? I've felt that way for at least the last five years.

On The Ultimate Guide to Understanding the Food Crisis: How it Started, Who it Hurts Most, and How to Solve the Problem

Keith: You forgot one of the most important reasons for high food costs (at least in the US), and that is government subsidizing of farmers, encouraging them to not grow crops.

Aryn: And how does our Congress respond to the increase in corn prices? Why increase the subsidies, of course, which leaves the average person paying twice for food - once in subsidies taken from our taxes and once when we buy it in the store.

Finally Frugal: We'll need to adapt to the higher prices, but that could be beneficial: eating less meat (and fewer resources used to 'grow' that meat), buying more raw food (less packaging and more support for local growers) and less waste of leftovers.

Jill: I know I will be canning peaches, pears, jams, jellies, etc this summer and I'm buying it now rather than wait because, in all likelihood, it will be more expensive this summer. … I don't call this hoarding because I'm actually going to use this and we are not talking hundreds of pounds!!

Jennifer: Grow your own food. … Not only does it reduce your costs, but it reduces the demand on the supply for every one else. Plus, you can't get produce any fresher and more local than your own backyard!

On CHG Favorites of the Week

Kim: Just FYI - this version of Everybody Knows is also on the Pump Up the Volume soundtrack. Ahhh...the late 80's goodness...

trmbmom: I would have definitely named a girl Betty if a) husband ok'd it and b) we hadn't had two lovely boys instead...

Grace: Betty's next book, "Joy in the Morning" is darn good, too. And surprisingly feminist given when she wrote it.

TwoHandsAndARoadmap: All those food descriptions in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn are really something else. Frickadellen (the meat/bread mixture Katie makes) is also a great swear word substitute for when the kids are around.

On Lightened Mashed Potatoes with Leeks and Sour Cream. Also, American Idol.

Jill: As for David Archuleta, I adore him. I have two teenage daughters (16 and 14)who also adore him … I'll admit he needs to act like a teenager a little more and less like miniature 40 year old, but still . . .!

Amy: Amen sister. You nailed the David Archeletta nail on the head. I agree 100%. ... David Cook will win, I seriously hope so. Then again, I would have bet my house on the fact that Carley at least makes it to the top 4, so what do I really know? (Carley = so sad, sniff sniff)

Sarah: Amen on the David Archuleta summary. … His song choices are that of 50 year old woman

American Fork: I totally love both Davids and Syesha. Being from Utah, we all consider David Archuleta our Hometown Hero and totally want him to win. Castro has to GO this week!! :)

(Photos courtesy of PAB and Soundtrack Collector.)

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Comments of the Week! (Now With Extra !)

A bunch this week on the diet foods post, including Dani’s sugar substitutes, Anne’s Tasti D-Light observations, and Kelly’s inventive SnackWells sandwiches. Plus, check out Slinkystar2002’s solid, extensive comment on Touchy Subjects: Confronting Loved Ones About Weight and Money Problems. It’s a bit long to cut-and-paste here, but her stories provide some good insight on the subject. (It’s the last one.) Finally, three cheers for Elaine, who dropped 50 pounds! Nice!

On Popovers and Out

Collier: I woke up starving this morning with nothing in the house but egg whites, flour, skim milk and pam. so i made this recipe substituting pam for shortening and using three egg whites in place of one egg and two whites. they are delicious, and cooked in 20 minutes under 450. the batter made 12 popovers at about 50 calories a serving.

On The Problem with Diet Foods

Dialectially_yours: To make things 'fast food easy' and to control portion sizes a bit more, I sit down and portion out snacks into the plastic snack bags. It's a good visual activity to SHOW someone how quickly those calories have stacked up.

Jaime: 90% of the time, I'm much happier eating a mango and a small piece of dark chocolate than 2 100-calorie packs of Oreo wafers. Of course, the other 10% I'm clutching a bag of BBQ Fritos like my life depends on it, so who am I to say.

Annie K. Nodes: One thing I've noticed lately...I rarely see anyone who's thin eating Tasty D-Lite.

Elaine: I know ALL about the SnackWell Syndrome. I think that's part of how I gained weight a number of years back. BTW, in the last year I've lost 50+ pounds, mostly by reducing portion sizes & taking up bike commuting.

Kelly: On Snackwell's syndrome: in high school, I used to take a Snackwell's brownie, slice it in half lengthwise, and fill it with peanut butter. This was my favorite side dish for a while. The more I pay attention to nutrition and to my eating habits, the more I'm convinced that eating as little processed food as possible - diet or regular - is the way to go. If I eat, say, a Lean Cuisine for lunch, I'm hungry again almost before I'm done eating. The same calories in homemade beans and rice fill me up all afternoon!

Sally Parrott Ashbrook: It's taken my taste buds a couple of years to adjust to a whole-foods, no-fake-sugar diet, but honestly, now that they have adjusted, a much smaller portion of the sweet stuff (the real sweet stuff), homemade or from a bakery, is far, far more satisfying than a larger portion of diet foods is. And I have the ability now (that I previously did not possess at ALL) to tell that some foods are actually too sweet to enjoy much of.

Daniel Koontz: What worked for us was this: instead of buying diet foods, we switched most of our weekly meals to vegetarian. Vegetarian cuisine is typically higher in fiber, more nutritious, less energy-dense and best of all, cheaper. We still eat meat, but only on occasion.

Dani: To cure sweet cravings, go cold turkey on sugar and use an unprocessed equivalent like muscovado or rapadura. They're not addictive and you'll find that in no time at all the sweet cravings have gone.

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Comments of the Week

This week: stellar suggestions for maximizing kitchen equipment, a few great ideas for healthier mac and cheese, and the start of the Great Ranch Dressing Wars. Bring your courage ... and a salad.

As always, some comments have been edited for length.

On Mission: Light Mac and Cheese

Erica: I've also found a great way to make mac and cheese low fat is to sub in some cottage cheese. If you use 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 low-fat or 2% cottage cheese it tastes almost as cheesy. And the cottage cheese actually becomes very creamy.

Kevin: I have tried a few lower fat versions of mac and cheese. … My favourite of the ones that I tried is from a show called Eat, Shrink and be Merry.

Kristen: Whenever I made mac and cheese, I depend heavily on a roux to make it taste richer than it is. It helps a great deal with any weird clumps of cheese, and you can just toss it with hot pasta and the cheese, then stick it under the broiler for a browned top. An uber-simple roux is this: melt 2 T butter in a microwave-safe dish, then stir in 2 T flour with a fork. When it is lump-free, add 1 c milk (1% works just fine, or you can use something less skim), and heat until just bubbling around the edges. Whisk thoroughly to dissolve the flour mixture in the milk, and you'll see it start to thicken. Alternatively, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, and whisk constantly until you can smell the nuttiness of the flour. Add the milk, which you've heated to just under boiling in the microwave or on a separate burner, and whisk until the mixture thickens. Season with freshly ground black pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Toss with the hot pasta and sprinkle with cheese, or add the cheese to the roux, stir to combine, and toss with pasta.

On Tuesday Megalinks

Paid Twice: Sandra Lee still sucks. She could be blind and have one leg and still suck. Maybe she's missing taste buds... maybe that's why.

On Cheap Healthy Salad Dressing: 102 Light Recipes

Hops: Ranch dressing is everything that's wrong with this country.

J. Sassydo: Agreed, hops--ranch should never have ventured forth from the hidden valley. Also, when I want to keep it light, I dress my salad with a few squeezes of lemon juice or a drizzle of good vinegar. (Berry vinegars are especially great on summer greens.) Toss in some salt and freshly ground pepper, and you're in fat-free business.

Mamacita: Don't be hatin' -- ranch dressing has its place.

On Of Cheese and Rock: Low-Fat Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Julia: I've been meaning to make my ricotta-spinach soup from True Tuscan by Cesare Casella, a fabulous cookbook, and you've inspired me to do it this weekend. It's an absolutely luscious use of part-skim ricotta cheese...does that fall under healthy? I hope so. But honestly, it's so good I don't care.

On Free Cooking Lessons Part II – A Beginner’s Guide to TV Chefs

Anonymous #1: I learned to cook from one of the early TV chefs - Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet - who passed away a few years ago and disappeared from the air severals years before that because of a bit of a scandal. He was incredibly informative and took pains to be sure to show all techniques and methods. I'm sure you must be able to get all his different series on DVD, and, as I have them, can recommend the companion books wholeheartedly. (Good call, Anonymous. Can't believe I forgot this guy. - Kris)

Anonymous #2: I'd just like to add that Ina can't go a half hour without saying "That's fabulous.” (This is TOTALLY true. It’s like her favorite word next to “Jeffrey.” - Kris)

On Finding Quality Kitchen Equipment on the Cheap

Anonymous: One thing to keep in mind is that certain pieces are WAAAY more versatile than others. Steel, NON-TEFLON cookie sheets get such a workout at our house that I have half a dozen and am always looking for two more, just to avoid having to stop cooking in the middle to wash and dry them! The other thing to remember are non-standard uses for less "necessary" items. Ramekins- the 7oz ones, or the new, 16oz "soup mugs" which are microwave and oven safe and come with a plastic lid. Why buy a jumbo-muffin pan if you have four or six 7oz ramekins? Set them on a cookie sheet for easy carrying/handling, and dont fill completely--there's no support for really big muffin tops. … 7oz ramekins are *wonderful* for making individual meatloaves or meatless quiches, and actually cook faster and more evenly in the smaller containers.

(Photo courtesy of Jupiter Images.)

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Comments of the Week

(Hi there, everybody coming over from Money Saving Mom. Very happy to have you, and please feel free to look around and e-mail me with questions or suggestions. Thanks for the linkage, Crystal!)

This week, Jaime lightens her brownies, Linda flings some fruit, and Ms. Meaghan sounds off on Billy Corgan and Co. Plus, lotsa hardcore shoppers share their grocery-buying strategies for the good of all.

As always, some comments have been edited for length.

On CHG Favorites of the Week

Laura: Heh. Yeah, I was like, fourteen when I finally realized that *none* of Cookie Monster's cookies were going in.

On Tuesday Megalinks

Linda: OK, I confess. I think I tried the citrus fruit slinging thing. Now I feel much better.

Jaime: In hopes of getting some pumpkin flavor, I replaced all 2/3 c of oil with pumpkin puree. Used 2 eggs and 1/4 c water as directed. I've never made applesauce-for-oil brownies, so I don't have a lot to compare - I also am a novice brownie maker - and this might just be lame brownie mix, but they're not impressive. (Or pumpkiny!) Flat, dense, sticky, yet still sorta dry. Definitely not fudgey. … Half oil half pumpkin probably would've worked better.

On We’ve Got the Means to Make Amends: Cooking Light’s Fresh Tomato Lasagna

Liz: Sometimes Cooking Light cracks me up. Call it 8 servings instead of 6, and it's "light!"

Ms. Meghan: I still listen to the Smashing Pumpkins, which were my version of Pearl Jam. And a good portion of "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" sends a chill down my spine when I hear it. I also heard "Caress Me Down" by Sublime on the radio the other day, and I had an intense flashback to being 13 and wishing I knew Spanish.

On The Hour: How 60 Minutes a Week Can Save Hundreds of Dollars on Food

Karen: Make sure coupons are really saving you money. … I found that they don't save money for me - I just don't buy many items that are coupon-able. Being a geek, I calculated it out with a spreadsheet a couple of years ago. I compared the price with coupon to the price I'd normally pay (so if I normally buy the store brand, I'd compare the store brand price to the price of the name brand with coupon). I kept track over three months, and by the end, I had saved some money. But once I factored in the price of the newspaper (which I normally don't buy), I ended up losing money. I decided it wasn't worth it. The caculation would be different if I could have gotten coupons for free, or if I bought more "couponable" foods.

Aryn: I like to keep my weekly menus in a little notebook so I can go back and see whether we've eaten a particular dish in the last month or two. That way I don't make jerk chicken with homemade tortilla chips and fruit two weeks in a row. I also have a magnetic list on the fridge where we write down anything we run out of or are about to run out of (like margarine, which I don't use and therefore don't think to check.)

Aahzmandius Karrde: The list is where I go to the extreme. I have a spreadsheet setup that I record what aisle the items are in, including a lookup table that tells me what order I hit those aisles in. After I mark the items I need,I sort by needed then order. So as I go through the store I pretty much check things off top to bottom. Avoids having to backtrack in the store and gets me to the checkout faster.

Brian: I recently created an Excel-based “menu planner” for recording the circular deals, a spot to create the weekly menu and a couple other items to help with store shopping. If anyone’s interested, feel free to look at it at Weekly Menu Planner.xls. (See comment section for this. – Kris) I have it up on the computer when I go through the circulars and recipe sites, print out the results as a grocery list, and hang it on the fridge as a daily reminder of what we planned to eat.

Monica: Don't forget about "Manager's Specials" on items nearing their sell-by dates. I routinely get bread, cheese, and sometimes meats and produce for 50-75% off this way.

Sarah: My Hour happens once a month - I look at my list of meals (inspirations plus last month's meals and seasonal favorites), select about 20-25 (lasts a month with some meals that provide leftovers), and then make my lists - Farm, Aldi, Walmart, Fresh foods ordered by meal. Print my text file of menu / shopping lists / recipes, and I'm set for a month. It is probably more than an hour, but I'd rather spend more time at the computer planning and less time in the store overall.

(Photo courtesy of sanseverything.)

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Comments of the Week

This week, Monica and Dani offer takeout advice, Leanne devises a chicken dish shortcut, Dialectically_Yours has a few great cookbook suggestions, and lots of folks have lots to say about confronting loved ones on weight and money issues.

As always (well, as of the last three weeks), some comments were edited for length.

On Healthy Takeout on a Budget

Monica: Indian: Saag paneer and aloo gobhi are also on the healthy end, as well as most vegetable curries. Yes, they're both made with butter, but they're mostly vegetables in butter, which is better than lamb in butter. If you have a Korean takeout nearby, bibimbap has infinite variations and most of them are healthy as takeout goes, although not quite as healthy as my home bibimbap. Finally, Greek delis often have wonderful bean salads and marinated vegetables.

Dani: In Australia, all Asian takeouts have a plain stir fried vegetable dish which, with rice makes an ample meal.

On Sweet Victory: Chicken with Shallot-Apricot Sauce

Leanne: At the end you pour pan juices AND sauce over the chicken. But, wouldn't it be easier to combine them and make it one "sauce"? I think I would sautee the shallots in the chicken pan after the chicken is cooked, deglaze once with chicken broth, and then proceed with adding vinegar and jam.

On The Dos and Don’ts of Buying a Cookbook

Dialectically_Yours: COPY OUT the dozen or so recipes you use most from one cookbook. If you're having trouble cutting the list DOWN to twelve, it's a keeper … Cooking is as much about memory and tradition as it is about nutrition, so DON'T gut your shelves over a new diet, ESPECIALLY if it's a result of health issues.

On Touchy Subjects: Confronting Loved Ones About Weight and Money Problems

Anonymous: Here is my suggestion if you are concerned about someone's weight: ask them to go for a walk with you. Also, be aware that weight is an incredibly private issue for some people. Some people would rather die than talk about it. Just because someone isn't harping on it, doesn't mean that they aren't thinking about it and trying.

Anonymous #2: Ive been overweight my entire life, and my ex-husband, who eats at least twice as much as I has always been very thin. Even his "gentle" comments were offensive to me becuase he has absolutely no idea what it is like to be in my shoes.

Anonymous #3: I have been married to a women for 30 years. ... She has added 5 - 10 pounds every year or so and now is about 60 -70 pounds overweight. I never said a word about her weight. … Sad point is, it affects our social life, our sex life and her health. I seem to have two choices, accept it or divorce her. That is a sad situation to place a devoted, loving partner. Any suggestions from people on either side of this issue would be greatly appreciated.

Kinder: My mother-in-law has a quickly worsening weight problem. At some point, I asked if she wanted to work out with me, under the pretense that it would be a positive social experience, a time to bond. But she bailed out after three trips (once she realized that going to the gym entailed doing exercise). I said nothing about her diet of baked goods and fried food; I was silent about her complete resistance to an exercise routine. And now I'm just exhausted. I actually really dislike going to the gym, but I do for the sake of my children. I'm kind of hurt by my mother-in-law's aggressive inactivity, but I want to help her have a better life. And I want her to be there for her grandchildren.

Anonymous #4: I have two cases - one friend, one relative - who constantly complain about their weight, who feel free to comment on my not being overweight, etc. My favorite was the friend told me I must be so skinny because I drank grapefruit juice. Never mind the fact that at the time I was an avid cyclist, and had ridden over 200 miles that weekend. … I do worry about their health, I would love to say LET ME HELP YOU. … It kills me because I know it's killing them. … So yeah, it would be lovely if these two would LET me be eyes on the paper. But it's hard to do when they keep waving their paper under my nose.

Anonymous #5: "Mind your own business" on these issues is a fine philosophical position - as long as it's consistent. If a person's actions are self-destructive, and they are fully aware of the consequences of their actions, then they have no claim on you for assistance when they've messed up their own lives.

Julia: Re: "I wonder: is there 'an enjoyable social experience' you can share with somebody who suffers from poor fiscal management?" What about asking them to take a financial workshop or course with you like the Dave Ramsey course? My dad took it and asked me to join him. I know it was his way of giving me financial advice without US actually having to talk about it.

Jeff S.: It's always important to remember that while your choices are your own, they can affect the people you love. These people may have to care for you when you are incapacitated, nurse you when you are down, or mourn for you when you have passed away. If you really want to avoid their input, then you may as well break all ties now, because they have a vested interest in seeing you happy and healthy. Unconditional love is not the same as unconditional acceptance of all of your choices.

Ering: I have changed a few habits and they way I did it is to use the challenge on ZenHabits website. Leo has a forum where you state the habit you want to create (i.e. eat healthy instead of stop eating badly) at the beginning of the month (or whenever you find out out about it!) and then you make a commitment to two things 1) meeting your habit and 2) report on it daily.

Anonymous #6: Justifying an intervention because someone's weight inconveniences your friendship is no more right than raping a friend because you feel a child will make her happy one day.

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Comments of the Week: The WAM Edition

Gigantic apologies for neglecting this last week. See, there were eggs and ham and a bunny and … never mind. I have no excuses. In contrition, this week’s Comment section has been super-sized. Keep reading for thoughts on the Pope, confrontation, food TV, and of course, Women Against Moist.

On Tuesday Megalinks (re: ruminating on the pope)

• Jen: does he watch his daytime pope operas? rinse out his mouth with spope? use his can popener?

On Touchy Subjects: Confronting Loved Ones about Weight and Money

• English Major: I am firmly in the camp that there is never a good reason to "intervene" in someone's weight stuff other than concern that the person in question has an undiagnosed eating disorder. Otherwise? They know already, and their choices are theirs. Money is a little different, though, I think, because I think many money troubles are genuinely related to a lack of information.


• Anonymous: All of your ideas sound spot on except for the part where in the end you cannot fix anyone. They have to fix themselves. Just make sure they know that if they ever decide to work on that area of themselves, you will be there to help. (Some people are better motivated to work on themselves alone, and then to surprise their friends with their results.)


• Stacking Pennies: People generally do know when they are overweight/unhealthy. I don't think a conversation would help. (the same thought applies to smokers. They know it is unhealthy and expensive, they know I wish they would quit because I love them... what does me telling them do?)


• Milena: I would add Do Seek Professional Help if problems get out of hand. It might give you the perspective you need to stay out of the situation, or the support to intervene appropriately. Also Do Create and Stick To Boundaries, if someone else's life choices interfere with yours, you can find the ways to keep your sanity and the relationship by maintaining boundaries.


• Anonymous #2: I think the biggest piece of advice I can give is to continue taking care of yourself and in the end recognize that adults make their own choices and must live with the consequences of those choices. It is good to express concerns, but in the end, you have to be strong enough to tell the truth and set your limits. Don't let a loved one's problems suck all the life and joy out of your own marriage/job/daily life. This is a hard balance to achieve with people you love.

On Free Cooking Lessons Part II: A Beginner’s Guide to TV Chefs

• Jaime: Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller (Food Network) - This show annoys me to no end. The recipes and menu planning is actually decent, but I think it's godawful TV, and it's just not worth it. (I know, this isn't about watchability as much as learnability, but I have trouble learning when I'm trying to poke her eyes out with a fork.)


• Paid Twice: If you think Rachael Ray is annoying, Neely woman is way worse. Food to get yourself a man! This is food to get your man! And the husband just simpers. The food might have been good but I spent most of the show wanting to punch her so I didn't notice.


• Auntcy1: Sara Moulton … has a new show on, I think the Discovery Channel, you can find the info on her website.


• Liz: Mark Bittman's PBS show is more of a travelogue; fun and somewhat educational to watch but not much instruction going on. I love his How to Cook Everything book, though.


• Julia: I've seen PartyLine with the Hearty boys, and while they make some good food, they tend to bicker which I find annoying. If that doesn't bother you, you might like it.


• Cindee: I find Simply Delicioso simply hateful. She is more annoying than Rachael Ray and her cooking is very semi-homemade. Bittman is terrific. Nigella's foodgasm style is just over the top now. Her old show was much better.I like Robin Miller too. She's soothing. Her theme song, however is like a bad sitcom opener.


• Arkay: Nigella Lawson of Nigella Feasts and other various shows: when given an opportunity to watch an attractive, self deprecating British woman with a lovely round bottom cook while wearing a silk robe, I TAKE IT. Her food is easy, and my go to food for those nights we are trying to make a quick or simple, but delicious, meal for friends.


• Chocoholic: On the shows you haven't seen, Jamie at Home is great! I love it. I've made two things from the show so far. It's good if you enjoy looking for fresh ingredients but sometimes you may need to look up what he says on a British slang glossery.


• Marcia: I like the Take Home Chef (Curtis Stone). He's cute, fun to watch, but I've never been tempted to make his recipes.


• Anonymous: PBS has a show called New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad that I love. He's is like a younger, clumsier, but no less enthusiastic Alton Brown. As for Paula Dean, I love her show. The loopier she is, the better she is. I always assumed she had a bottomless Mint Julep just off camera.

On It's Moist: Alex’s Slightly Altered Light Chicken and Mushroom Marsala

• Jody: Eew, I hate the word "moist" more than the words "blouse" and "panties". Who knows why.


• Jody #2: I HATE the word moist … my whole family mocks me for it and make jokes that include all the gross words I hate strung together - one of their favorites being "moist panties" - could you just gag all over the place???

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Comments of the Week

Hey everybody! It's another special Saturday post full of spot-on comments from the past couple of days. I’m thinking I might make this a regular feature, a la one of my favorite blogs, The Comics Curmudgeon, so keep ‘em coming!

On Recession-Proofing Your Diet

Jen@bigbinder: Here is my plan: I am working my way up the food pyramid. My logic is that if this is the bulk of what we should be eating the bottom) best to start there and make a big impact. It might not be the most expensive proportionally but I like visual aids and this is a good one. For example, I am learning how to make my own bread (the kind that we will actually eat) and anything in that lowest category of the pyramid. … Once I get that category nice and cheap, I'll move onto the most frugal but still healthy way to buy and consume veggies, etc.

Julia: Re: the cookbooks, I found a fantastic Cooking Light cookbook called "Superfast Suppers" at a thrift shop. If you love cookbooks, like me, that's a good place to shop for them.

Sheila: I heard it like this: don't eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. In other words, none of those lunchables. No cheesies. No fruit roll-ups. Just real food. It's cheaper and healthier.

Dan: I had a suggestion that involves Applying the 80/20 Rule. It's more conceptual than specific, but hopefully it helps your readers. Around 80% or so of your recipes will be made from some 20% of the ingredients that you normally stock in your pantry and fridge. Meaning most of the food you eat will heavily rely on a fairly small number of ingredients. If you can carefully manage the cost of those heavily-used ingredients, you should be able to slash your food bill materially.


On Pork Loin with Roasted Red Pepper Relish

Sally Parrott Ashbrook: I made a pork roast last night, using local, pastured heirloom pork and an apple sauce. The roast had beautiful marbling, and even though I overcooked it … it was way, way tastier than the overcooked grocery store pork I grew up eating. The extra fat in the heirloom pork made all the difference, I think. And honestly, I'd rather have a less frequent, really tasty piece of pork than a factory-farmed, so-so one.

Sarah: I regularly do pork loin in the crockpot and find it works well (stays moist and yummy).

Maggie: I love pork in the crockpot with green chilis and a few chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It tastes best made ahead and stored covered in the liquid.I really like crockpot pulled pork also.


On Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

Julia: Have you tried adding basil to that? I saw it on a cooking show and it sparked my curiosity. Also, I've heard strawberries dipped in freshly ground black pepper is amazing. Is summer here yet?

Ginnyberry: I absolutely love strawberries with balsamic vinegar! I don't use any sugar at all when I prepare mine.

Thanks everybody! (It's Kris again.) Can't wait to see what you have to say next.

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Weight, Money, and Personal Responsibility: Reader Thoughts

Special Saturday post! There have been some fantastic responses to Wednesday’s article about personal responsibility, weight and finance - really insightful stuff that deserves a spot beyond the comments page. The conversation’s still going (so chime in!), but I wanted to highlight a few good reader points in the meantime:

Michelle: If you take personal responsibility for your situation, and direct your time and effort toward loosing weight or learning to manage your finances, you'll be much more successful that if you spent that time and effort complaining about predatory lending or the advertising of unhealthy foods.

Jessica: For every problem, issue, over-indulgence, etc, there is a very personal cause. It is difficult to make generalizations or assumptions about what motivates and drives people, particularly with such personal issues, such as weight and debt. That being said, many people find themselves with debt they can't afford, not because of over-spending, but because of unfair practices by lending companies… I am not a "victim" - I am someone who does not appreciate my government allowing banks to lie, cheat and steal.

Hops: My opinion, though largely unformed and malleable, is that family is the greatest influence on spending/eating. It's inevitable that we absorb our parents' habits.

Ameliat: Personal responsibility is the only piece of the equation I can control. Yes, there is a whole marketing industry out there with the express goal of trying to get me to part with my cash and eat their processed food products. But it’s up to me to educate myself and do something about it, at least for myself. Maybe further down the line I’ll become more political and want to fight to “change things” out there in the world but for right now, I must limit my scope to what I can reasonably control – my own behavior and choices. …

Scott: In both cases, most people want a quick fix and fail to appreciate the incremental nature of debt and weight. One latte isn't going to kill you, but 2 a day five days a week will account for about a pound a week and about $800 in a year.

Jaime: One thing that interests me … is the pleasure from the illicit indulgence - the binge, the splurge, the "Oh, I shouldn't, but it feels so good." Whether it's a piece of chocolate cake or a pair of earrings (or *buying* a piece of chocolate cake, for, like, $4), breaking perceived rules feels like this self-empowering rebellion. Indulgence. "I deserve it." And in both cases it hurts more than it helps. It can just be hard to remember that in the moment.

Julia: I'm a huge fan of rewarding myself for goals met, and that's my indulgence. But it comes with two rules--1. That I wait until the goal is met and 2. That I wait at least a week or two after first seeing my "want" to make sure I still want it. That's how I combat impulse buying...and it works.

Allison Cabral: I work with clients every day in helping them overcome weight issues and 100% of the time I have found a DIRECT correlation between their debt and weight!! As a life coach, I recommend they cut the excess out everywhere in their life. They also have clutter and stuff issues. Once they clear up the core issues in their life, the weight drops off! It is about small baby steps and a vision of what you want, not focusing on what you don't want.

And finally, congratulations to readers carol m and beanalby. Carol recently signed up for Financial Peace University, and beanalby and his wife have lost a combined 90 pounds. 90 pounds! My mind is boggled. Nice work!

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