Food Products Category

CONFESSION: I was afraid of making my own stocks for a long time. It was tedious, quite frankly, and I’m all about the shortcuts, right? Well, who knew that spending a little time to make the stocks could be an awesome shortcut?
When I made my Shrimp Scampi a couple weeks ago I knew I’d be [...]

Recently I spotted a new addition to the always interesting ethnic foods section at our local Woodmans. Something South African’s bagged sauces caught my attention immediately and I knew I had to try them. I started with the Durban curry, and I’m so glad I did.
Earlier in the week I roasted my first duck, a [...]

Shrimp Scampi

In: Food Products, Quick Tip, Recipes

The Food4Less near our house has the most amazing seafood section. Almost every time we go they have piles of great seafood that’s marked for half-price, and it’s always excellent. With our FoodSaver we can stock up!
These enormous shrimp were so cheap it was amazing they were still fresh and delicious, but their seafood’s never [...]

Italian restaurants and I have a tricky relationship. It’s because I make REALLY good Italian food. I’m better at some cuisines than others, but Italian is easily the one I understand the most completely. Because of this I find a lot of Americanized Italian food bland, often salty, and usually end up saying “My lasagna/ravioli/pesto [...]

I Confess…

All my cakes come from boxes. My spaghetti sauce isn't from scratch, and I think making my own pasta and bread (unless it comes from a mix…) is rarely worth the effort. I believe individually frozen chicken breasts and ready-made pie crusts are among the best inventions ever. Through these menus, recipes, tips and recommendations, I hope to show that the options for creative cooking are limitless, even when time and money are not.

Flickr PhotoStream

    From-scratch JambalayaShrimp ScampiSouth African Durban Curry with DuckCountry Fried SteakMeat LoafVodka Sauce w/Smoked SalmonSausage & Sweet Potato SkilletMushroom Alfredo