Money saving tip of the week: Indoor herb pots.

Last week I was wandering around the produce section of Wholefoods in search of rosemary and stumbled upon a stand of bright green rosemary and basil plants. I was faced with the decision of buying a few rosemary springs in a plastic container for $1.99 or a bountiful rosemary plant for $3.99. Needless to say, I chose the rosemary plant. And I decided if I was going to be watering one plant, I might as well be watering two plants, so I decided to buy a basil plant too.

I didn’t …

Last month I purchased a bike in hopes that I would get some exercise, save money on gas, and have fun roaming the city of Chicago on my new toy. I have ridden my bike less than 8 miles since date of purchase, and thus have accomplished none of the above.

The single bike ride that I have taken so far was to the farmers’ market-and I hope to ride there more before the summer ends. It was because of this trip that I learned to make Zucchini Tomato Casserole.

As I was rummaging through some tomatoes at a small …

This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration among participating bloggers. Each week, we will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us!

This week’s Food Matters recipe was selected by Alyssa of Everyday Maven. With the exception of the peanut sauce, I decided to stick very close to Bittman’s original recipe. I used a recipe for peanut sauce which I served with these chicken skewers a few months ago. Even though I decided to stick with an old …

A few weeks ago I mentioned that I would be eating less processed food and cooking basic items myself. Over the last few weeks I have baked bread, churned ice cream, and stocked my fridge with heirloom tomatoes, red onions, and leeks from the farmers’ market. I’ve found that I am cooking with a lot more vegetables and less meat, and have become addicted to Mark Bittman’s The Food Matters Cookbook. I have cooked Pasta with Rich Leek “Pesto”, Not Your Usual Steak Fajitas, and these Beet “Sandwiches” from his cookbook. This week I’m expanding my repertoire …

This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration among participating bloggers. Each week, we will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us!

This week’s Food Matters recipe was selected by Mireya of My Healthy Eating Habits. The original recipe was for Roasted Potatoes with Chicken and Romesco Sauce-which I altered to make into a spicy orange chicken.

I don’t generally like roasted chicken. Maybe it’s because I grew up eating dry, overdone roasted chicken. Or maybe because I …

This past week has been one heck of a week. Part of the week I was swamped with adult-stuff and the remaining part, I spent remembering what it was like to be in college again. My conclusion: college is awesome.When else do all the good parts of childhood and adulthood meet in one place?

…I can name one other “place”: Saffron and Pistachio Ice Cream. It combines the soft creaminess of ice cream (which I used to stir into a melted, soupy cream when I was little) with sophisticated saffron and pistachios-a delicious intersection of childhood and …

This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration among participating bloggers. Each week, we will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us!

This week’s Food Matters recipe was selected by Jenn of Vanilla Lemon. The original recipe was for Corn-Avocado Salad (with a Little Something Seared on Top) and called for several ingredients that I ate during my trip to Peru this Spring. Creamy avocado, massive corn kernels, lime and fresh seafood are staples in many Peruvian dishes…

I recently moved into a fantastic new apartment. It’s a brownstone on a tree-lined Chicago side street with large bay windows and gorgeous mahogany wood. And the cherry on top-it has a big kitchen!

While I love my new place, I had to make some sacrifices when moving. Among sleep, money, and my sanity, I also lost all of the contents of my fridge.

Thanks to wonderful friends and family the fridge at my new place was quickly populated with delicious cupcakes and chocolate.

These treats made up one meal a day, but for the remaining two I had to …

This post is part of the Food Matters Project, a cooking collaboration among participating bloggers. Each week, we will cook a recipe from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook, which places an emphasis on mindful and sustainable eating. Follow along with us!

This week’s Food Matters recipe was selected by Meg of My Wholefood Romance. This was the first recipe I’ve made from The Food Matters Cookbook, and I can’t wait to try more.

Before you plan to make these delightful Beet “Sandwiches” for lunch, I will warn you that these aren’t your typical sandwich. …

Lately I’ve been in a cold-weather-comfort-food rut-Yesterday my banana loaf turned out too dry and last Wednesday my crockpot chicken lacked flavor.

Today, as I was searching for yet another winter weather recipe, it hit me: I should be cooking warm weather food. After all, it’s technically spring. (Although the overcast sky and chilly Chicago wind make me think otherwise.)

I quickly discovered a delightful summer dinner recipe on 101 Cookbooks: Cherry Tomato Couscous. Although tomatoes don’t hit their peak for three more months, the lemon and lime juice offer a fresh veil that hides the fact that the …