Years and years ago–okay, decades and decades ago–I bought a cookbook that has been a great reference over the years. I haven’t strictly followed any of the recipes in it for a long time–and in fact, based on the many notes I added to these pages, I wonder if I ever baked any of these…

Another beautiful day of rain, bringing all the green leaves out in their full glory. Perfect for making yet another pot of soup before warmer weather turns our thoughts to more summery menus. As with the best of homemade soups, this recipe uses what I have on hand. I have been careful to measure what…

A few days ago I posted a recipe for a rich devils food cake made with mayonnaise. As I noted there (http://frugalfastfun.blogspot.com/2014/05/an-old-fashioned-recipe-with-great.html), I rarely have mayonnaise in the house, but I found a bargain price on a two quart jar of the stuff, so I have lots to experiment with. After making four of the…

Over the years, I have come to rely less and less on cookbooks, using the internet for lots of my inspiration. Still, I cannot give up a huge collection of hand-written recipe cards that have overflowed from that little card file box I started out with to three, then four, then five, long file boxes…

Do a web search for “chocolate mayonnaise cake” and you will find dozens of sites with very similar recipes, along with almost as many comments relating the cake to memories of those made by mothers and grandmothers and various other assorted relatives from the past. Few people can explain any source for the unexpected use…

Homemade soup is something most of us really like, but it can often seem like just too much effort. If all that chopping and preparation intimidates you, this recipe might be a good one to try. Yes, there is some prep work but the end result of perhaps half an hour (and probably much less)…

Egg main dishes are wonderfully versatile, serving well as a contribution to a breakfast or brunch potluck and taking on center stage for a quick weeknight dinner. This weekend I had the opportunity to make two stratas that demonstrate the wide range of dishes possible with eggs at the base. Our brunch would have fresh…

Though I have had a toaster in my home all my life, I rarely use this appliance and have it tucked away in a corner cabinet, behind a crockpot and a stack of cake pans. Not too long ago, I had some homemade bread a little less fresh than I wanted for a sandwich. Toasting…

Leftovers. Images of warmed over, unappetizing lumps of food kind of plopped on a plate or microwaved in a sad looking take out container. Rarely does the term have any kind of positive image. Still, if you are trying to be a more frugal cook, using up leftovers needs to be part of your “kitchen…

Okay, so maybe t”the best cole slaw ever” is just a little too emphatic, but this recipe is one that I have been making for decades, and it always is greeted with acclamation and requests for the recipe. Now that I have a stockpile of cabbages from the St Patrick’s Day sales, I have made…