This month in the Eat Well, Spend Less series we’re going to take a look at a few things you can do to organize your kitchen to save you time and money. The ins, the outs, the ups, the downs and my own present failure. Plus more from everyone else on their food resolutions for 2012. My dream is to have a pantry like this someday. Via Escapade I have made quite the mess in the kitchen. We’re not talking an “I’ve been baking all day and have yet to clean it up” type of... more

A look at the weekly menu in the middle of January that includes plenty of coffee, hiding in the house, and a Keurig Brewer and Millstone Coffee giveaway to keep you warm this winter. It’s Tuesday. My computer is acting slow. Last night I asked my husband to make dinner. I offered some slightly pathetic options, and he turned them into a meal. It is one of the reasons I married him. Suddenly microwave rice and chicken and fresh green beans became Singapore-style rice with cilantro and lime,... more

How to make your own pompelmocello (or grapefruit limoncello) using seasonal grapefruits and Everclear. Start now, drink later. I’ve left you waiting unintentionally. My intentions were to come back and tell you a story or two, share a recipe and even a fun something I have been sitting on (tomorrow). Good intentions don’t get you very far, though. Forgiveness will. So, here I am asking you for a bit of forgiveness in my absence, as it’s now time to celebrate. The book is tucked... more

4-5 large organic grapefruit 750 ml Everclear (151 proof) or vodka 3 cups water 1 1/2 to 2 cups granulated sugar (depending on your sweetness preference) Carefully peel the grapefruit or zest, avoiding the pith. In a large canning jar or other airtight container add the grapefruit peel and pour the Everclear over the top, completely covering the peel. Seal the jar and place in a cool, dry place for 20-40 days, agitating regularly. After the peels and alcohol have seeped, in a medium saucepan combine... more

An easy way to get fresh, roasted squash butternut (or any other) purée to use in recipes at home. So, as evidenced by my insistence on making my own pumpkin purée, you can probably imagine that I did not purchase a can of squash earlier this week for the butternut squash soup with bacon and sage. Instead, I roasted a butternut beauty that had been sitting and waiting patiently for me to finish making desserts and to start making dinner for the family again. I purchased it way back at the beginning... more

1 medium-sized butternut squash or other squash Preheat oven to 350º. Make five or six 1/2″-deep slices in the side of the squash. Place the squash on a baking sheet and then into the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the skin starts to wrinkle and the flesh of the squash is soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Peel skin away and carefully scoop squash into a food processor or blender, avoiding the seeds and guts. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. Makes... more

A well-balanced butternut squash soup featuring chowder-like consistency with potatoes, parsnips, fresh sage and jalapeño, all topped with bacon crumbles. A perfect cold weather soup. Our house is rather small. A modest ranch-style home with three small bedrooms, each housing two people. In the hallway you will find a linen closet barely a foot wide and deep, and just to the right of it is the one and only bathroom for the family. It’s the size of a proper linen closet itself, and with two... more