Well, being that I was practically raised by a fabulous great-grandmother that survived the Great Depression, I'm always rattling off advice about how to save money on meals; how to make cooking simpler and how to make grocery shopping less of a chore.  For me and my great-grandmother, Mom Buck, nothing to do with cooking (even the shopping!) was a chore because we always did everything together and it was always a bonding experience.  Well, now I'm asking all of you how you survive the recession by saving money, making shopping less of a chore, and how you splurge, even when you feel that perhaps you shouldn't!

This is what some of you said:

How do you save money on groceries for your family every month?

Virginia Willis, chef and author of "Bon Appétit, Y'all", said, "I do look for specials and I seek out less expensive cuts of meat such as a flat iron steak, traditionally a restaurant cut now making its way to grocery stores, over a ribeye. I'll use chicken thighs not only for flavor, but also for economy. Finally, I shop seasonally and as local or regionally as possible. The food tastes better and it's often less expensive." http://www.virginiawillis.com

Heather Sokol of Inexpensively.com says, ' I buy only what is on sale, with coupons and create a meal plan each week that uses what will be on hand."

Cleo Stamatos of consumermom.org says of organic and hormone-free foods, "I save money on these items by: - shopping local organic produce when I can, and comparing prices. - I buy in bulk when I can for the meat products, and use store coupons and specials.  I freeze what I dont use or I buy cheaper cuts of the nonhormone organic meats and use the meat in stews."

How do you keep grocery shopping from being a chore?

Julie Parrish says, "Shopping is a chore for most people because they don't have any idea what they want to eat. They know they need groceries because they don't know what to do with the things they have in their pantry, so they roam aimlessly through the store picking out things that for many, inevitably go to waste. Having a plan for your menu and looking forward to the meals you're going to prepare can make shopping fun rather than a boring chore. I'm not advocating a full-on, stick-to-it we're having tacos come hell or high water on Tuesday night meal plan. But having an idea of 3-4 nights' worth of meals can be very helpful."  www.hotcouponworld.com | www.organicgrocerydeals.com

I love what Kat Bretcher said!  Kat says, "I make into a competition between me and the store; I love to win." www.cheepchix.com

What is your time saving tip in the kitchen to keep cooking simple?

I absolutely agree with what Scott Duncan says on this one.  "Oven roasting vegetables - not only do they taste great, but it only takes 5 minutes of prep time, then there's nothing else to do while they cook."  www.InexpensiveEating.blogspot.com |www.DuncansCreativeKitchens.com | www.GetTogetherGourmets.com

Tanya Peila says, "Slow cooker!" and is she ever right!  Throw everything in there and if you use a slow cooker liner, clean up is as easy as the "kooking"!  www.tanyapeila.com

What ingredient do you splurge on, but how do you find the best price for it?

Almost everyone agrees - CHEESE!  Finding the best price is often just about finding one that is one sale, but if it doesn't go on sale, the taste is worth the price, so just use it in moderation!  (At least a dozen of you said that and that's exactly what I do!)

So this isn't an ingredient, but we all have to really go all out and completely splurge now and again, right?  Michelle Morton of Send Out Cards (www.sendoutcards.com/9961) says, "Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream - Wait for it to go on sale and then use coupons if I have any."

My big splurge is anything chocolate!   And I don't go cheap on baking chocolate!  It makes such a difference in taste and since I do sweets in moderation, I can afford really great chocolate now and again.

A BIG thank you to everyone who contributed advice to all of us and if you're reading this and have more advice, please comment with your "kooking" tips for surviving the recession! 

   Easy Herb Thanksgiving Turkey                       

**If this is your first Thanksgiving turkey, I advise you to cook the

stuffing separately until you are confident that you can cook the

stuffing inside the turkey safely! Be well for the holidays!**

* 1 (14 pound) turkey
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
* 4 c. chicken broth
* 2 c. water
* 2 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered

* Herb Butter:
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 2 tablespoons dried thyme
* 2 tablespoons dried sage
* 2 tablespoons dried,flat leaf parsley
* 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
* 2 teaspoons dried rosemary

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

1. Remove giblets and neck from the turkey.
2. Rinse and dry bird.
3. Fold wing tips behind the turkey.
4. Season inside of turkey with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine butter and fresh herbs very well. Be sure herbs are evenly distributed.
6. Starting at the neck end of the turkey, loosen the skin by sliding your fingers underneath it, being VERY careful not to tear it.
7. Slide your hand as far as you can toward the other end of the turkey, separating the skin from the meat.
8. Rub two-thirds of the herb butter over the entire breast.
9. Tie drumsticks in front with oven safe twine.
10. Place the bird on a rack in a roasting pan breast-side up.
11. Place onions inside the turkey.
12. Mix broth and water and place in roasting pan, beneath the rack.
13. Make a foil "tent" to keep the breast from cooking to quickly and place it loosely over the turkey.
14. Place turkey in oven and decrease the temperature to 350 degrees F AFTER the turkey has been placed in the oven.
15. Bake 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
16. Remove foil tent from turkey when 45 minutes are left and baste every 15 minutes with broth.
17. Melt remaining herb butter when there are 20 minutes left.
18. When there are only 15 minutes remaining, baste turkey with melted herb butter.
19. USE A MEAT THERMOMETER! The turkey is done when the thigh meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees F and the breast meat reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.
20. When the turkey is done, remove from the oven and let set 30 minutes before carving. This ensures that you have a moist turkey!

Enjoy!

Egg Nog Divinity                                                                                             

I apologize for the delay, but as you can see; I have been

updating my website so that it is easier for you to navigate and find

what you need!

I hope that you all will still find a good excuse to enjoy a delicious

candy like this!  I made it for Christmas and it was GREAT!  Please let me know how you like it if you make it!

FYI...This recipe is MUCH easier with a stand mixer rather than a hand mixer and it is more affordable than your usual divinity because I eliminated the need for corn syrup and it was still delicious!

    * 3 2/3 cups white sugar
    * 3/4 cup water
    * 1 teaspoon rum extract
    * dash of nutmeg
    * 2 egg whites
    * 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

   1. Cook sugar, extract, nutmeg and water in a 2-quart pot over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. (On humid days, use 1 tablespoon less water.)
   2. Cook, without stirring, to 260 degrees on candy thermometer (or hard ball stage).  Hard ball stage is when you drop it into cool water and it forms a ball of candy that is firm to the touch.  When you put a spoon in the candy and lift it, it will form a "rope".  This means it will make one line instead of dripping, but not be stiff, when it is ready (should you be brave enough to attempt without a candy thermometer!).
   3. Beat egg whites in 1-1/2-quart bowl until stiff peaks form, but do not overbeat!
   4. Continue to beat while SLOWLY pouring hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites so that they do not cook.
   5. Beat until mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull. (Mixture may become too stiff for electric mixer - because of the stiffness, this is why stand mixer is best.  Your hand will tire with a hand mixer, but it is possible because I did it!).
   6. Fold in walnuts (if you choose).
   7. Drop from buttered spoon onto waxed paper. I also sprayed foil with nonstick spray and that worked well.
   8. Let stand at room temperature, turning candy over once, until outside of candy is firm--at least 12 hours.
   9. Store in airtight container and ENJOY!