Saving Money
It’s official-drought season is upon us! Well, at least us here in California. Sadly, I don’t even remember when I last saw rain. So I thought I’d share some water –saving techniques I’ve learned over the years. Some of them hail back a couple decades and some I’ve come up with in recent years. Tip … Continue reading
When I think about Chinese food, I normally don’t think about “leftovers”. Let’s face it – Chinese food is just better fresh. But this dish will definitely have you ordering Mu Shu Pork, just to make Mu Shu Lumpia and have your family begging for Chinese” leftovers” on the regular. And, if you don’t like … Continue reading
Our friend Vinny came over again last week to share with me another of his mother’s heartwarming, satisfying dishes – pasta e fagioli, or, as Vinny calls it,” pasta fazool”. Any way you say it, this dish has it all – warm, hearty, healthy and delicious and it was really inexpensive to make. As Vinny … Continue reading
Last week our friend and neighbor, Phyllis, came over to share her latke recipe with me. This native New Yorker and die hard Yankee fan learned how to make these super delicious and addictive potato treats at a very young age from her grandmother and today she shares all of her secrets with me. Warning: … Continue reading
A zucchini recipe that can make a zucchini lover out of anyone! A special thanks to Wil and Lil for sharing the abundance of their garden! What an incredible haul from their nectarine tree, apple tree, zucchini and squash plants. While the picture doesn’t do the larger zucchini justice, trust me when I say it’s … Continue reading
These recipes are for low-cost, high-flavor, wedding day worthy appetizers! Bruschetta, Fruit on a Stick, Greek Salad, Caprese Salad on a Stick, Pig in a Puff and Warm Artichoke Dip. This past week was a very busy week for cookplantmeditate. We did catering of appetizers and cake for our step brother’s wedding this past weekend. We do about … Continue reading
All along the rolling hills of northern California live the most amazing things-free artichokes! Okay, maybe not the kind you are used to seeing in the store but, despite their smaller size, the flavor is the same (better in my opinion, actually). And free, if you don’t mind the prickly, aggressive spines. My husband and … Continue reading
What do you do when life hands you lemons? Make lemonade, of course! My sister/blogging buddy has the most amazing lemon tree. It always seems to be producing and, sometimes I feel like, the more we pick it, the more it produces. And we pick it a lot! Can you imagine? Free lemons right in … Continue reading
What’s in the Fridge pasta is something I make frequently. It’s simple, quick, cost effective and downright tasty. It utilizes miscellaneous ingredients in my fridge. Although it never has the same ingredients, the basic idea is always the same. The vegetable medley will be ready in the same amount of time it takes to boil … Continue reading
Some of the best recipes I’ve come up with were recipes created from a small budget, an abundance of one ingredient and a lack of time. This recipe is an example of that. Potatoes have to be one of the cheapest groceries you can buy. Potato chips, on the other hand, aren’t so cheap. My … Continue reading
Cook Plant Meditate 