Frugal Foodie

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2010-07-18T15:55:00.000-07:00

... make Lemon Snow!

I grew up in Los Angeles, which if not the land of milk and honey, is definitely the land of lemons and avocados. Almost all social gatherings included an exchange of surplus, and I pretty much figured that they were always free.

Imagine my shock when I moved out on my own to San Francisco, and was expected not only to pay for lemons and avocados, but to pay through the nose! Luckily, for the past two years I've lived in a home with a prolific lemon tree that thrives on benign neglect.

A few weeks ago I got up the gumption to pick a lot of lemons and spend an hour or so zesting and juicing. I used some of the juice for making lemonade for the boy to sell at our recent yard sale (yes, I squeezed the lemons and make the lemonade, and he kept the profits. I've got to fire my agent) Making the lemonade was not without its hazards - see the end of this post for what will go down in Starr family legend as The Lemonade Story.

While sales at the boy's stand were brisk (a few senior citizens even tossed him a couple of bucks extra as a reward for my, I mean his, industriousness) there was some leftover at the end of the day, which we froze in ice cube trays

Today I made the kid and his pal a treat of Lemon Snow - both to reward them for playing nicely all afternoon, and to kill the last 15 minutes before the designated Wii time

To make Lemon Snow, fit your food processor with the grater attachment

Pass lemonade ice cubes through the feeder tube

Et Viola! Fluffy, cold, sweet, tart lemon snow

For the kids, I piled it into a cup, added a slash of lemonade, and served it to them with Slurpee spoon-straws. For grownups, I'd add a shot of cold vodka.

And now...

The Lemonade Story

I made my first genuine batch of old-fashioned homemade lemonade

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 quarts water

Add the sugar, water and lemon zest in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the syrup cool, and strain out the lemon zest. Combine the syrup, juice and water in a large pitcher and chill. Serve over ice

I'd made it in a gallon jug with a spigot and added sliced lemons. It was picture-perfect! I placed the jug in the fridge and spent 10 minutes or so cleaning up the kitchen. I went to put something else in the fridge and the lemonade was.... GONE!

There was only an inch or two in the jug. I hadn't left the kitchen, and no one else had come in or out. Can you guess what happened?

The shelf in the door of the fridge had activated the spigot, and the lemonade had flowed out and filled the fruit crisper drawer! Can you believe it? I was definitely glad it hadn't flowed onto the floor, but it was still a big ol' mess to clean up, and a waste of "free" lemonade which had been pretty darn time consuming to make.

Have you seen my bagel?

2010-02-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

Some might call me a caffeine addict, I prefer coffee achiever. I drink strong black coffee and plenty of it. I can't indulge in the truly gourmet coffee and still afford to keep a roof over my head, and I'm not about to drink the swill they sell pre-ground at the grocery store. Trader Joe's French Roast beans fall right in the middle, and comes in these cool cans:

John Starr came up with a nifty idea that solves two of our breakfast-related dilemmas: how best to store bagels, and what to do with the empty coffee cans:

Viola!

You can even peel off the TJ's label ....

And make your own!

This is the Happiest Day of My Life!

2010-01-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

I started using these Ziploc 3-compartment containers for the boy's lunch back when he was in preschool. (with props to Mr. Starr, it was he who first spotted these things at the store)

They are the ULTIMATE lunch container. Cheap, easy to wash, holds a variety of food and plenty of it. No baggies, no millions of little containers to wash and dry before you can make a new lunch and the lids are easy for the kid to remove and replace.

AND they fit perfectly in a lunch box.

Then, when he was in Kindergarten, the unthinkable happened. Ziploc stopped making them. I'd been dutifully washing the ones I had, but every once in a while a lid might tear or the boy might lose one. No problem, $2.50 and a trip to Safeway and I could get more, right? WRONG!

I scoured every store I could. I looked on eBay. I sent a queries out on Freecyle and Craig's list. I enlisted friends and family far and wide in my search. I even wrote to Ziploc (they sent me the standard "crazy lady" letter and a few coupons). I freaked out a bunch of senior citizens when I squealed - yes squealed - upon spotting one at a yard sale. I poured my tale of woe to my friend Deborah at lunch one day and she said, "I think I have some of those at home, I'll send them too you" -I practically jumped her I was so excited. Except for those two infusions, I've been washing and drying the same two containers for the past 6 years. John Starr will go no where near them - he's not gonna get blamed when the last lid breaks.

And then... and then... tonight I get home and there are two brand new packs of Ziploc 3-compartment containers on the counter! John had been to the store and had dutifully done the usual check in the vain, valiant hope that they'd reappear on the shelves. And today, my prayers were answered.

I don't know what you use to pack your kid's lunch, but it's nowhere near as efficient as in these lidded trays. Run, don't walk to a store near you and get some - while you still can!

Cooking "Naked" on The View from the Bay

2009-11-21T15:47:00.000-08:00

A View from the Bay is a live, local talk show here in San Francisco. I was thrilled to be invited on to demonstrate a recipe from The Frugal Foodie cookbook

I let the boy play hooky to come to the studio with me - he had a ball and everyone at KGO was so super nice to him.

Here's the full recipe - and a lovely photo of the dish taken by Steve Aja

Green Goodness Naked Quiche

Save time and money by leaving the crust off your quiche, and spend your effort and dollars on yummy fillings. A thin coating of breadcrumbs helps the quiche release easily from the pie plate, and browns to an attractive golden color.

2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, kale, or collard greens, thawed and drained or 1 pound fresh greens such as spinach, kale, chard, escarole, arugula, chicory, or collard greens
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely sliced green onions
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter a 9-inch glass pie plate and coat with the dry breadcrumbs. First, prepare the greens. If using frozen, thaw the greens completely. Place in a fine strainer and press with a wooden spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. If using fresh, soak the greens in cool water. Drain, and trim all tough stems and less-than-fresh leaves. Chop coarsely. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the greens for 1 minute. Drain in a fine strainer and press with a wooden spoon to remove as much liquid as possible. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 3–4 minutes. Stir in greens and continue cooking for 5–7 minutes until any remaining liquid has evaporated. In a large bowl, combine eggs and milk. Add cheese, greens, salt, and pepper, and stir to blend. Transfer to prepared pie plate. Bake until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6.

Crabby Patties - and a give away, kittens!

2009-11-08T16:09:00.000-08:00

OK, they're not really Crabby Patties, but when you live with a 10 year old you can't help but think "Crabby Patties" when you've got round, fried seafood cakes. Squidward WISHES his were this good!

The fine folks at Safcol sent me samples of their canned salmon and tuna to try. Since Safcol comes in lots of tasty flavors - Lemon Pepper, Tomato Basil, Chipoltle, Spicy Chili, Cajun - I wanted to use it for something more than a run-of-the-mill sammi filler. My mind turned to crab cakes - which I love, but never make because good crab is so spendy. Subbing tuna or salmon is a yummy and frugal alternative. Are you ready, kids? Let's make:

Salmon Cakes with Aioli

1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 minced garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice

1 egg
1/4 cup aioli
1/2 cup green onions*
1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
3 6oz. cans Safcol Lemon Pepper Salmon, drained (about 9 oz)
2 cups fresh bread crumbs (made from sturdy bread)**
1 teaspoon sea salt

Oil for frying

First, make the aioli:

Put all of the ingredients into the bottom of a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Plunge a stick blender to the bottom of the cup. Turn on the blender, leaving it on the bottom while the mayo thickens. As it thickens, move it up a bit to incorporate all of the ingredients. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

Chick here for a video on this technique

(Don't have a stick blender? Get one! They're not expensive, will last you forever, and are indispensable in the kitchen. I'll never make mayo/aioli any other way. And they're the best for making quick & easy veggie soups)

To make the patties:

In a medium bowl, blend the egg, 1/4 cup of the aioli you just made, green onions, and herbs. Add the salmon and 1 cup of the bread crumbs. Blend until incorporated.

Using a tablespoon, form the mixture into flat patties. Chill for 1/2 and hour or overnight to make ahead.

Place the remaining 1 cup of bread crumbs on a plate and sprinkle in the sea salt. Drop a patty into the crumbs, cover with crumbs and press to coat. Place the covered patty back on the plate. Continue with the remaining patties. Chill for 1/2 an hour.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch covered skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of the patties and cover the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn, cover and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate covered with 2-3 layers of newspaper and 1 sheet of paper towel to drain (why? because its cheaper than 2-3 layers of paper towels!)

Serve with the rest of the aioli

Makes 18 nibbly-sized patties

The gears of my brain are turning with other ways I can season and flavor seafood patties. But yours is too. And to get you started, I've got 10 sampler packs of Safcol Tuna and Salmon to give away - just leave a comment here or on Facebook and I'll randomly select winners next weekend.

*Don't forget you can re-grow green onions

**I forgot to buy a baguette and used English Muffins. I muffin = 1 cup of crumbs

Frugal Fun for All - The KGO GNO!

2009-10-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Grab your girlfriends, mom, sisters and co-workers and join me and the women of KGO Newstalk 810 for an event like you've never seen - it's KGO Girls' Night Out!

The new Mission City Ballroom at the Santa Clara Convention Center will play host to a night full of food, wine, music and fun. It's a combination of informative classes and demonstrations, food and wine tasting on Friday, October 23.

All of the women who make KGO tick will be on hand to share their hobbies, interests and we'll take the party to midnight with live music and karaoke.

Don’t worry about finding a ride home, the adjacent Hyatt Regency Santa Clara has a specially priced Girls' Night Out rate of $81.00 per room, including breakfast and a tickets to the Saturday activities including a live broadcast poolside with KGO's own fitness and health guru Joanie Greggains. Joanie’s show will include live guests and experts on topics on everything from skin care to the latest fitness trends plus more classes and demonstrations throughout the morning! Check out some of things we have planned:

Morning News Anchor Jennifer Jones –"My Big Fat Napa Wedding." Jen teams up with her sister-in-law Brianne Jones and shares cost conscious tips on how to plan a party or wedding on a budget. Top Chef’s Ryan Scott chimes in with great food ideas for your next shindig!

Business Reporter and Author Lynn Jimenez - "Lynn’s 4K Theory of Investing and other useful things." Author of Se Habla Dinero will share her 4 basic principals of finance.

Afternoon News Anchor Rosie Allen and MindBody Wardrobes present - "Self-Confidence in Times of Transition." Personal style changes during transition... clues to help you find your style. Wardrobe tips focusing on projecting the authentic you and tips on clearing out the 'past lives' in your closet that no longer work for you.

South Bay Reporter Jennifer Hodges, color forecaster Lark Coryell, and designer/abstract artist Janet Gordon-Roberts - "Home Design on a Dime."

Weekend Host Pat Thurston - "Mommy Cubed." Pat will take you through the rollercoaster of parenting -- the exhaustion, fear and fun of triplets!

Reporter Jenna Lane - "Mom’s the Word!" Jenna is getting ready to welcome a baby into her life, and maybe you are too -- as a mom, grandmother or aunt. With a reporter's zeal she's been investigating the healthiest and most affordable baby products.

KGO Web Producer and Newswriter Jen Poole - "Byte Me!" Jen, the proudest of nerd girls, talks about "PurseTech." From apps to gadgets, she'll share mobile solutions for busy women that'll pique your inner geek.

KGO Jetcopter Traffic Reporter Michaelynn Meyers - "Changing Careers Mid Stream." Michaelynn Meyers in conversation with KGO’s Career Coach, Marty Nemko, about choosing or changing careers.

Dr. Dean Edell’s popular producer, Heather, and Bombshell Betty –"Burlesque 101"- Learn techniques of burlesque performance and get in shape while shimmying and shaking your way through a fun dance routine! Internationally acclaimed burlesque star, Bombshell Betty, will show you how to strut your stuff in a lighthearted and sexy class atmosphere. http://www.bombshellbetty.net

Demonstrations and Authors

Chef Ryan Scott - from Bravo’s "Top Chef"
Mind Body Wardrobe Expert - Nancy Korbet 650-678-3034
Author and Lecturer Dr. Lara Honos-Webb
Zumba lessons from David Dixon Jr. owner of Xtreme Fitness Silicon Valley.
A fun, sexy workout. Simple, yet diverse choreography from many Latin cultures. You do not have to be a dancer to take this class. The moves are carefully chosen to give you a total body workout. The music is always exciting and includes: Salsa, Merenge, Bachata, Cumbia, Reggaton, Soca, Samba.
Lara Starr, producer of "Consumer Talk with Michael Finney" and author of The Frugal Foodie Cookbook will demonstrate easy ways to decorate adorable cupcakes, and create soothing at-home spa treats for pennies. Make & Take you own mini cupcake and spa candy while supplies last!

And tickets are only $8.10!

A Cheap Date with the Frugal Foodie: Doing the Math

2009-09-27T15:34:00.001-07:00

Food + Drinks + Friends + Family + Music + Shopping + Money raised for a good cause = 1 Good Party!

Craft Corner: Bargain Bijoux Part Deux

2009-09-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

I also stumbled upon some amazing necklaces created by Lauren Manoogian out of paperclips and vinyl tape. Now that I just HAD to try.

And I just happened to have two packs of vintage paperclips - cool boxes, no?

I'd love to know where Ms. Manoogian finds her great colors of tape - but until then I used what I had, which was primary colors and black:

The trick to making these its "link - then wrap" - and now I'm wondering what kind of earrings and bracelets I can make.

I whipped these out while catching up on True Blood on DVD (I'm still early in Season 1 - the library will only let me get one DVD at a time, so It'll be a while...) I just love crafting while I'm watching TV, and now everything I see these necklaces I hear Vampire Bill whispering "Suhkie..."

Craft Corner: Bargain Bijoux

2009-09-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

While looking for something else, I stumbled upon this super stylish update on the child hood classic: macaroni necklaces:

I'd had a lot of fun dying rice and small pasta for other projects, but was quite taken with the sophisticated colors and fun design of this piece, and wanted to make one for myself to wear to upcoming Frugal Foodie events. I'm not above looking a little silly to make an impression, but would like to keep a modicum of chic.

Luckily I've got lots of Wilton Icing Colors so I could achieve rich, interesting colors like Moss Green and Delphinium Blue that would be hard to get with your basic McCormick set of droppers.

To Dye The Noodles

Using water to die rice and very small pasta like orzo works fine, but for larger shapes use enough rubbing alcohol to soak the pasta, and enough food coloring to make a deep dye. Add about 1/3 cup alcohol and 1-2 toothpicks of paste food coloring into a zip-loc baggie for a large handful of pasta.

Mush the pasta around until its soaked, and let it rest for about 15 minutes. Turn and kneed it a couple of times.

Drain the dye from the bag, and spread the noodles on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Set in the sun to dry. Will take about 1/2 an hour depending on the weather.

Oodles of pretty noodles!

For the Necklace

3 strands of 18 Tortiglioni noodles (not easy to find -I got some at United Market)
3 x 30" lengths of of mono filament wire

Tie all of the strings of mono filament wire together at one end, leaving about 2-1/2 inches that you'll use to attach the clasp.

String 18 pieces of pasta on each of the strings - one color on each strand, or mix 'em up.

Tie-off the other strings into a knot. Tie on a toggle or spring-type clasp.

For the green one, I braided the strands before I tied them off

And because what separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize, I made matching bracelets:

To Make the Bracelet

30 Piccolino Rotelle a.k.a mini wagon wheels
12" stretchy elastic string

Clip a binder clip to one end of the string to keep the noodles from slipping off. String the "beads" onto the string. Tie off and voila!

I Say Tomato (Sauce) and a Tool Tip!

2009-09-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

The tomatillo sauce was so yummy, I decided to try the same technique with Simple Pleasures Farms sweet little cherry tomatoes. And oh I'm glad I did!

The "recipe" is very loosy-goosey:

Take a bunch of:

Cherry Tomatoes- I think I used about 2 lbs
Onion - 1 whole, peeled and cut into 8ths or so
Garlic - 3-4 whole cloves

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (which I didn't have, I so I used a mix of white balsamic and red wine, but I wish I'd had regular balsamic) Sprinkle on sea salt and pepper.

Roast in a 450-degree oven for about 45 minutes

Dump it all in the food processor and add a good amount of basil leaves (my Trader Joe's basil plant is nearing the end of its life. It has served me well)

Ta-da! A super yummy, fresh-tasting and healthy sauce. I poured it over TJ's tortellini and it made a lovely lunch.

Oh, and the tip? I'm lucky that I have the counter space to keep my food process or out on the counter (and yes, I keep it plugged in and no, I don't want any grief about fire hazards or energy) but storing the disc blades has always been a problem. They're too big to put in a drawer, and are awkward and take up a lot of spaced in a cabinet.

The solution? I tipped the chopper blade to the side...

...and can keep both it and the shredder blade in the bowl of the processor - kewl!

I honestly have no idea where the slicer disk is, I don't think I've ever used it....

Frugal Foodie Freebie - It's a Contest, kittens!

2009-09-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

Fan me on Facebook to learn how you can win a set of nifty Grill Charms™!

Grill Charms™ are dime-sized charms placed in food before grilling so you can easily ID everyone's meat - neat!

These adorable charms are usually $19.95. There's still plenty of sunny weekends left for grilling - enter the contest so your next BBQ can be totally charming!

And, if you'd like to buy some more, just enter the code "GRILLING" at check out for $5.00 off - sweet!

Worth Its Salt!

2009-09-02T08:50:00.000-07:00

The very cool folks at the Epsom Salt Council have sent out a press release promoting The Frugal Foodie Cookbook and the chapter on "Frugal Beauty Tips" using Epsom Salts.

AND they have a contest running on their Facebook page to win a signed copy of The Frugal Foodie Cookbook - check it out!

The fabulous Deb at the blog Kahakai Kitchen recently made one of the recipes for Epsom Salt-based Tub Tea and posted these lovely pix:

Craft Corner: For Eyes

2009-08-29T22:52:00.000-07:00

I turned 40 this year - and like clockwork the gray hairs sprang forth from my scalp with a vengeance, and my heretofore 20/20 peepers began to fail me. After one particularly eye-opening book club meeting there was no denying that I, Lara Starr, needed reading glasses.

The plus sides of both of these signs of mortality is that they are opportunities to accessorize. Hence the somewhat saucy shade of red I'm currently sporting on my tresses, and the 1/2 a dozen pair of readers strategically placed in my purse, at my desk, on my nightstand, etc.... (FYI, those of you in Marin and on the right side of 40 can get readers for $5 a pair at Craig's Warehouse)

To protect these specs, I knew I needed glasses cases, but didn't want to spend more $$ - so I decided to make my own.

First, I got myself a sheet of 12" x 18" craft foam, and measured it into six 6" x 6" squares

Then I drew a swirly design with a pencil

Then I embroidered over the design with what I now know is called a stem stitch

Then I folded it in half and sewed it closed

Abracadabra! Right before your eyes, a nifty eyeglass case that cost less than $.25 to make

And so easy a child could do it. In fact - my child did! The kid made cases for me, his dad and his grandma.

I'm thinking if you didn't want to embroider you could do a cool design or pattern with a sharpie - and even staple the case closed. Let me know if you give it a try.

-UPDATE-

I made one with with the Staples & Sharpie technique - too cute!

Cookin' Good in the Hood

2009-08-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

I love farmers markets - in theory. But in reality, I don't often make the effort to go. I don't have the time, and the offerings can be overwhelming. And when you go with the kid - especially when he's little - you have to deal with the clown. And in Marin you it's not just any clown, it's Twee Twee the creepy mute-except-for-a-siren-whistle clown with the byzantine system of stool placement that guarantees you're in for at least a 45-minute wait in 95-degree heat before junior gets a Blues Clues balloon animal.

Lucky for me, just down the street, there's sort of a freelance farmers market set up. A family on Broadmoor owns Simple Pleasures Farm in the Delta. They pack subscription farm boxes (more than I can take on) for pickup and delivery, and sell the leftovers from their driveway on Thursdays.

Tammy and her kids have yummy little cherry tomatoes, luscious pears, watermelons, peppers, peaches, onions, and even fresh eggs!

I stopped today and got the fixin's for a tomatillo salsa. Tammy said, "I'm so glad you're buying these - so many people don't even know what they are."

What they are is yummy! Tart, sweet and fun to release from their little papery outer leaves.

I don't have a tested & measured recipe, but here's what you do

Take a bunch of:

Tomatillos - 10 or 12 (remove paper and rinse. Or don't rinse, I'm not looking)
Onion - 1 whole, peeled and cut into 8ths or so
Jalapenos - 1 or 2, remove the stem
Garlic - 2-3 whole cloves

Arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil (olive or veggie) and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Roast at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes (I use a toaster oven)

Pour it all into a food processor and Ole! Salsa Verde!

More Food Glamour!

2009-08-18T21:23:00.001-07:00

Tray Chic, no?

The gorgeous photography is (c) Steve Aja

I'll be serving some of these pretty little things at A Cheap Date with the Frugal Foodie: A Benefit for the Marin Community Food Bank- will you be there?

They grow so fast....

2009-08-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

Remember when I said you could re-grow your green onions? Well I wasn't kidding - just look at mine now!

They looked like this just a couple of weeks ago

I told the boy that with the exception of him, this is the most successful I've ever been at growing something!

"Bribe 'em With Baked Goods," I Always Say....

2009-08-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

Now don't those look yummy? A few months ago the fabulously talented Steve Aja came over and took some glamour shots of some of the recipes from the Frugal Foodie Cookbook - and boy did he make the food look good!

I made these Oatmeal Raisin Scones again this weekend to bring to an all-day department meeting tomorrow. I'm still getting to know my colleagues, and they're still getting to know me, and I'm not at all above blatant attempts to win their friendship through baked goods.

These scones freeze like a dream, so you can bake a batch and then pop one in a toaster over for a few minutes and have a warm, crunchy scone ready to ride with you to work on a moment's notice.

2 cups flour
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ sticks unsalted butter, chilled
¾ cup raisins
1 cup + 1 tablespoon milk, divided
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Put the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the
bowl of a food processor. Pulse 10–12 times. Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon
pieces and distribute over the dry ingredients. Pulse until the mixture resembles
coarse meal. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the raisins.

Add 1 cup milk and mix until blended. Gather into a ball with floured hands and
divide in half. On a floured surface, pat half of the dough into an 8-inch round.
Cut into 8 wedges. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Transfer the wedges to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes,
until scones are firm to the touch and golden.

While the scones are baking, mix 1 tablespoon milk with the granulated sugar
and the cinnamon. Remove the scones from the oven and brush them with the
glaze while still hot.

Serve warm or at room temperature. To freeze, cool completely and store in a
heavy-duty freezer bag, or wrap in plastic wrap and foil.

Makes 16 scones.

Veggies Grown by Wookies are Chewie

2009-08-05T22:04:00.000-07:00

Yours truly has been invited to Skywalker Ranch to be a guest chef at their weekly BBQ lunch. The talented, generous, handsome and brilliant Steve Simmons and his staff will be cooking recipes from The Frugal Foodie cookbook, and I'll be set up at a table signing books, shaking hands and kissing babies.

To say I am honored is an understatement, and how lucky was I that I got to do a recon mission at the ranch last week? The place lives up to its legend. You drive past the 3-acre organic farm, past the "if you build it they will come" baseball field, past the vineyard and several "they make movie magic in there" buildings to get to the main house. The huge, fancy, beautiful main house. Steve gave me a tour of the joint and it is impressive on every level. Since I'm not much of a Star Wars geek, I was only mildly interested in the memorabilia case. But since I am a book geek, I was thrilled to see a genuine copy of GOAT in the library. And because I am a food geek, was tickled to be able to buy a big bag of organic produce on my way out.

Ranch rules dictate that you must be in any photos you take there, so I can't show you the right-out-of-a-movie-adorable farm stand, but take my word for it - it was precious. And the veggies - delish!

Sangria Basura Blanca

2009-07-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

OK, so there are foodies and then there are foodies. I love fancy food, fresh organic produce, expensive stinky cheeses and unpronounceable brands of chocolate. I also have plenty of soft spots in my tummy for what a friend of mine calls "bad yummies." Food you know is kinda gross, but you love it anyway.

And, I have almost no palate for wine. Unless its really, really bad - like Manischewitz bad - wine pretty much tastes to me like, wine.

So given all this, I'm not at all above concocting a cocktail from less than top shelf ingredients. Mine comes from the bottom drawer.

One of my summer mainstays is White Trash Spritzer. The recipe is simple:

White Trash Spritzer

1/3 part Lemonade Chrystal Light
1/3 part Fresca
1/3 part Two Buck Chuck Chardonnay

Light, fruity, sparking, refreshing - perfect for a hot summer night.

Tonight the Boy Wonder was invited out to dinner and a movie by a pal (Thanks Monica!) So the Mr. and I had the evening to ourselves and I decided to whoop it up and have an adult beverage. I didn't have ingredients for a WTS, but I was able to make:

Sangria Basura Blanca

1/3 part Mixed Berry Chrystal Light
1/3 part Diet Sierra Mist
1/3 part Forrestville Cab

Very tasty on a chilly evening.

Bottom's Up!

I need a biscuit, baby!

2009-07-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Did you and your friends make up silly songs/rhymes/phrases when you were a kid? Me and mine did. And one that has stuck in my head since I was in 4th or 5th grade is:

I need a biscuit, baby
I need a biscuit, baby
If you don't give me a biscuit
I won't eat the dinner you made me!

I have no idea how or why we came up with that one - and it's not like I grew up in the south were biscuits abound, I was in the Beverly/Fairfax neighborhood of LA where bagels (or even tortillas) are much more common.

But this morning I did indeed need a biscuit, so I made some from the handy bag of Eye-Opener Mix I keep in the freezer:

3-in-1 Eye-Opener Mix (aka Your Own Personal Bisquick )

8 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl with a wire whisk.

Cut the butter into small chunks and add them to the dry mixture.

Toss the butter around to coat, and then use a pastry cutter or slash two knives across each other to cut the butter chunks into smaller pieces. Keep cutting until the mixture is sandy in consistency. You can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this step.

Store the mix in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Makes about 9 cups of mix.

For Biscuits:

2 cups Eye-Opener Mix
1 cup milk, sourmilk*, or buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Grease a muffin tin with vegetable oil spray.

In a large bowl, mix the milk and Eye-Opener Mix with a wooden spoon until
combined.

Then beat the dough briskly with the wooden spoon for 30 seconds.

Using 2 spoons, drop ¼ cup dough into each muffin cup.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Remove biscuits from the oven and serve warm, slathered with butter.

You can also cut them in half and toast them if you want them extra crunchy.

*To sour milk, put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a measuring cup, then fill with milk to equal 1 cup.

For CiniMinis:

Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry mix.

Fill mini muffin pans about 1/2 full.

Brush the tops with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Makes 24.

Rice, Rice Baby

2009-07-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's fun to play with your food. I played with rice & food coloring and made some cute craft projects.

Put one teaspoon of water and 10 drops of food coloring in a baggie - I used these nifty neon colors

Add 1/2 cup of rice to the bag and mush it around until the rice is completely colored

Spread the rice onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet and let it dry completely, it'll take about an hour or so (or much less if you put it outside on a hot, hot day like I did)

Brush a picture frame, box, foam ball - whatever you've got - with some white glue. Cover the glue with the rice (sprinkle it on or dip the surface in)

Et Voila! You've got some cute projects and a fun activity for pennies

Basil, Sweet!

2009-07-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

The fabulous $2.99 Sweet Basil plants at Trader Joes are the perfect excuse to make pesto, and a 8+ hour shift at KGO is the perfect excuse to make White Bean & Basil Spread with No-Kneed "Awesome" Bread.

My frugal pal Vanessa gave me the tip to use cashews instead of pine nuts in pesto. You still get that sweet, mellow, nutty richness, but at half the price. I also replaced Parmesan with less-expensive Asiago with no complaints from the co-workers who gobbled it up.

White Bean & Basil Spread

1/4 cup toasted, unsalted cashews
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup fresh arugula leaves, packed
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, grated
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cans (14 oz) white kidney (cannellini) beans, drained & rinsed*
water or chicken broth as needed

Place the first 5 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and whirl to combine. Add the beans and puree until smooth, adding water or broth to thin as needed.

Makes about 3.5 cups

*I usually use dry beans when I make white bean spreads, but I was short on time and the cans were only $.89 each at TJs - well within my limits of frugality

Little Green Onions

2009-07-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

Did you know you could re-grow green onions? You can! I feel a little like Dr. Frankenstein - I have the power to re-give life!

Just cut cut the onions a couple of inches from the bulb, stick them in an inch or so of water and set them in a sunny spot. Soon you'll see green shoots sprouting up - cool!

Keep doing it as long as you can, adding more water as needed. You should get 3-4 re-growths from your onions.

It's A Book (well almost...)

2009-07-10T12:33:00.001-07:00

I received an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) of The Frugal Foodie Cookbook this week and boy does it look great! The cover and interior layout designers did such an amazing job - yay!

Kale Krisps!

2009-07-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

My friend Danielle and her family were going out of town for a couple of weeks and in the midst of all of the backing and scheduling, she realized that she had a fridge full of fresh fruits and veggies. She hated to toss them, and could only eat so much - so she put out a call to her friends to come on over and grab a bag of organic farm produce as well as garden-variety grocery store goods.

My grab bag included a beautiful bunch of Tuscan a.k.a.Dino Kale. I knew that Mr. Meat & Potatoes and Young Master Picky would be less than inclined to eat it no matter what I did to it. but that the Gourmet Gals of the book club would love a to nibble on a basket of Kale Krisps.

These earthy little snacks have are great with cocktails, and have pleasantly bitter aftertaste. Don't be alarmed when they crackle loudly in the oven, or fill the house with a smell similar to cooked Brussels sprouts.

Kale Krisps

1 head Tuscan or dino kale, washed and cut into tortilla-chip-sized pieces (the stems are a little chewy, but tasty - go ahead and use 'em)
½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Place the kale pieces in a bowl and drizzle with vinegar and olive oil.

Turn the leaves a couple of times to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Arrange leaves in single layer on 2 large baking sheets.

Bake until crisp, about 30–35 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking time and turning down the heat down if they get too brown before they get crisp.

Transfer to a rack to cool.

Makes about 6 cups.

I don't want to alarm anyone....

2009-07-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

... but there are TOMATOES on my plant!!

Photo (c)Max Starr - he did a good job, no?

Tray Chic

2009-07-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

I just love saying "I have a meeting with my PUBLISHER" with an affected Jacqueline Suzanneque flourish. This week I had one at the Viva Editions office with the lovely and talented Brenda Knight and her new intern, Corinna.

And, because the Frugal Foodie wants to maintain her rep, I always try to bring a little snickety snack with me to a meeting. For this meeting, I brought Rosemary Flatbread and White Bean Spread with Chopped Green Olives - simple, cheap, easy and yummy!

I knew we'd nibble while we met, but that there would likely be leftovers I wanted to leave behind at the office for the folks to snack on the rest of the afternoon. So I needed to devise a frugal, attractive, disposable way to transport and serve the treats.

The solution...

I sliced off the bottom 2" or so of a small shipping box, then lined the box with some of the packing paper that it came with. One recipe of Flatbread fit perfectly, and I used a recycled hummus container to hold the White Bean Spread.

Looks good enough to eat, no?

White Bean Spread

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1/2 pound dry white beans, cannellini or Great Northern
1 tablespoon fresh or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano + additional for garnish
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 pound good-quality green olives, pitted and chopped
Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the beans, broth, and oregano and turn up the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pot and simmer until the beans are tender, about 2-3 hours. Check the pot every so often, adding more broth or water if needed the so the beans are always covered.

Drain the beans in a colander, reserving the liquid. Puree the beans in a food processor, adding reserved liquid if need to create a spreadable consistency.

Say Cheese!

2009-07-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

For better or worse, the state of the economy is such that there are amazingly talented people who have time on their hands, so my pals photog Steve Aja and Susan Eslick came over to do a one-day photo shoot of recipes from The Frugal Foodie Cookbook

I cooked 15 recipes in 2 HOT days, and was amazed at how good Susan and Steve made everything look. And, I learned a few food styling tricks as well, such as 7-up + coffee + salt makes perfect "champagne"

Where you or I may see a funky, faded swing, Steve saw a perfect place to pose a serving of Tout Le Fruit Crisp and a cup of coffee

The lovely and talented Ms. Susan Eslick

The results from the shoot will be posted soon - and they are beautiful!

Sometimes it's the little things....

2009-06-14T22:47:00.001-07:00

...like yeast for about 1/2 price :)

I've been baking a lot of pizza dough, flatbread and what Max calls "Awesome Bread" - all very very tasty breads that are super easy to make and require just a few ingredients - flour, water, salt, and.... yeast.

I bought a jar of your basic Fleishman's Active Dry yeast at Safeway, and it cost almost $10.00. A relatively high-ticket item, but still a bargain when you're using it only a teaspoon or two at a time.

Then, a couple of weeks later I'm at Target and noticed that the exact same jar of yeast is only $4.95 - score!! On the advice if Michael Ruhlman I keep my yeast in the freezer where it will last a good long time - but at the rate I've been turning out the bread - it won't have to last very long........

No-Knead "Awesome Bread"

3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
½ teaspoon sugar
1½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups warm water
½ teaspoon vinegar (balsamic, wine, or cider—whatever you have)

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. The dough will be thick and gloppy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and drape with a kitchen towel. Leave it in a warm spot in your kitchen. The oven works well; just make sure you put a note on it reminding you that it’s in there! Let the dough rise for about 6 hours. A little more or less is fine.

Spray a cutting board with oil spray (or film with a little olive oil) and turn the dough onto the board. Shape the dough into a round loaf and cover it with the plastic wrap and towel. Let it rest for about an hour.

Thirty minutes before the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 450°F.

Put a Dutch oven, lidded casserole (ceramic, not glass), or other heavy lidded pot (I use my Grandma's old school pressure cooker) into the oven to preheat.

Scrape or pour the dough into the heated pot. The dough will be very wet—don’t fret.

Bake for 30–35 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for 15–20 minutes more, until the top is browned and crusty.

Such a Deal

2009-06-08T07:40:00.000-07:00

(This is a post I wrote about three years ago for my long-abandoned first blog. It says a lot about why I love bargain hunting)

There is no bigger thrill than a good deal. I can smell a bargain from a mile away. A red "sale" tag makes my heart skip a beat. I gravitate toward the back of the store, the odd collection of bits shoved to the side, thrift stores, free crap on the side of the street. Close-out, Overstock, and Liquidation are the most beautiful words in the English Language. Would that every day was Tuesday Morning. I brake for yard sales.

I consider myself a treasure hunter, not a shopper. Anyone can go to Nordstrom and pay $100 for a $100 shirt, or to a dollar store and pay $1 for a $1 bottle of glass cleaner. Neither scenario has any challenge. I want the $200 skirt for $35 (my beloved Eileen Fisher grey silk) the $5 Razor scooter complete with carrying bag (have fun Max!) or the $.50 mint-in-box genuine Snoopy mouth harp (the prized item in John's Christmas stocking)

When I grab a great deal I feel savvy, creative, smart - I am a winner and there are no losers. I recently read a book by the founder of one of my favorite web sites/communities "Get Crafty." The author put thriftiness and craftiness into a larger context she boldly calls a "manifesto." Bargain hunting and thrifting not about being cheap, mean or even particularly acquisitive. As much as I love yard sales, I don't have much interest in having one. I'd much rather find a good, appreciative home for my excess stuff than to try to squeeze a couple of bucks out of it. The real motivator is rejecting the mainstream consumer culture, extending the life of products, putting your own stamp on things and living well within your means.

I'm also intensely curious about things that are none of my business, and usually too shy to ask. Picking through the piles at yard and estate sales is a little window into other people's lives that is endlessly fascinating. You can learn a lot about people from their stuff, and it's fun to imagine the backstories behind the 1970's disco dress, the collection of self-help books, or the seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time orange dinette set.

So I've been feeding my passion this summer by mapping out a yard sale schedule using the Craig's List ads. I spend a couple of hours on Saturday, usually spend no more than $20 and collect fabulous things I never knew I needed. Highlights from this summer so far:

Black wrought iron Halloween candle sticks with orange beads - $1
Black iron "Haunted Tree" Halloween tea light holder - $1
Black and white striped knit Jack Skellington gloves - $1
Halloween "drip candles" - $1
Razor scooter with carry bag - $5
Play tent with quad chair - $3
Vibrating cold/hot neck massager - $2
Leap Frog Multiplication Twist Game - $1
Rollerblades for Max - $3
Bike Helmet for Max - $5
Pop-up Atlas of the World - $1
Little Lit Book - $1
Clip Mobile - $.50
Full bag of Papier Mache mix - $2
Huge bag of black & pink tulle - $1 (OK, this was a little silly - not sure what I'll do with this stuff...)
Three narrow storage units - $5
Set of 4 Little Rascals DVDs - $10 (more than I'd usually spend, but I got some free stuff earlier that day...)
Two 3-foot Foam Bolsters - FREE!
Set of architectural stamps and idea booklet- FREE
Big box of assorted beads and jewels - $.25
Wood box for organizing cell phones, watches, sunglasses - $.25
Set of glow-in-the-dark stars - $.50
Huge Rubbermaid storage pitcher - $.50
20 red, gold and silver Chinese food boxes - $2
Huge tote basket with leather handles - $4
Rain boots for Max = $2
Cranium Cadoo Game - $1
Scrabble Junior Game - $1
Spider Man roller backpack - $5 (brand new - still had tags!)
Rubbermaid bottle for Max's lunchbox - FREE
YoYo - $1 (new - still in package)
Magnet set featuring antique map of Paris - $1
Wood slingshot - $1

Whew! I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting. Can't wait to see what's out there waiting for me next weekend...

From the "Small World" File!

2009-06-05T11:19:00.001-07:00

I just this week got to see the layout for the interior for The Frugal Foodie Cookbook and it looks FABULOUS!

But something about the designer's name was ringing a bell deep in my brain... and then I figured it out, it was Frank Weidemann - who I worked with at Double Rainbow on Haight street way, way back in the late 1980s!

Circa 1989

Oh the fun we had back then, serving everyone from druggies and the homeless to bridge and tunnel wannabe hipsters and San Francisco's version of the Von Trapp family.

The crew also included Jason Mecier, who has gone on to fame (and I hope for him fortune) creating celebrity portraits in beans and noodles.

Frank is now an amazingly talented designer working on lots of cool posters, CD covers and more
check out his work here

Circa 2009

Garden Goods: Tomato Watch '09!

2009-06-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the wisdom, encouragement and well-appointed nursery of my friend Silke and her fabulous store, Local Flora, I am attempting to grow my own tomatoes. I love a good, sweet, juicy tomato - but not paying $1-$2 each for them at the farmer's market.

I could have paid $19.99 + S&H for an upside down tomato planter, but why would I do that when I can grow mine in a recycled grocery bag I got for FREE with the purchase of the Wall-E DVD?

And I could spend up to $200 for an Eclectic Tera Cotta Planter, but I think my 'maters will taste just as good grown in the cage of an old circular fan.

So far the little guys seem to be healthy and growing beautifully, and have sprouted a few flowers. At the end of the summer, I hope to sip a glass of wine and nibble a slice of homemade bread topped with home-grown tomatoes and basil. Stay tuned for further developments!

Garden Goods: In Praise of Free Herbs

2009-06-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

A friend recently loaded us up with stalks of thyme and marjoram from his garden. We used them to jazz up some fish fillets from Trader Joes.

I brushed Dover sole (a mere $4.99 a pound) with olive oil and sprinkled with chopped garlic and a dash of salt. I laid the herb sprigs on the fish, covered it with plastic wrap and let it marinate for about 1/2 an hour.

I baked it, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. To serve, I removed the herb stalks and squeezed a little (free from my tree) lemon. Delish!

Is it me, or does free food just taste better?

Welcome to The Frugal Foodie!

2009-06-02T14:07:00.001-07:00

How lucky am I? I've been given the chance to combine two of the things that give me my favorite cheap thrills - cooking and saving money - into a fabulous new cookbook. And, to keep the ideas and conversation going - I've started this blog.

My first cookbook The Party Girl Cookbook was written 1998. Back then I was newly married and kidless, the streets were paved with dot-com gold, and a young Ben Stiller taught us how to laugh. I had plenty of time and money for parties that included elaborate themes, silly costumes and the inevitable next-day hangovers.

Now, in 2009, like most of us I'm striving to make ends meet, faced un- and under-employment, and am looking to save a buck wherever I can. I've also added a kid to the equation and am always on the lookout for healthy, nutritious meals that the Young Master Picky, Mr. Meat & Potatoes and Ms. Frugal Foodie will all enjoy and won't break the bank.

It's been so fun and satisfying to discover and develop new recipes, find lots of little ways to cut spending without sacrificing a yummy lifestyle, and share it all in the book and blog.

Let's have delicious fun saving dough together!