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California and Italy have much in common, which explains why many simple Italian dishes featuring fresh ingredients are popular in the Golden State. One dish that deliciously merges the Old World with the new is California-Style Buttered Pasta. While red sauce is the most familiar match for Italian pasta, as you move into Northern Italy the tomatoes and olive oil give way to creamy butter as a popular pasta topping. Northern Italy is a major dairy region, much like California, which is the largest milk and butter producer in the U.S. This delicious dish couldn't be simpler to prepare, combining cooked pasta with the rich natural taste of California butter. The dish comes together as quickly as you can cook the pasta. A topping of toasted bread crumbs adds a pleasing crunch. And for a uniquely California variation, substitute grated Dry Jack for Parmesan. Dry Jack is an aged form of the ever-popular Monterey Jack, both of which were created in California. Hearty enough ...

Experts say the average family throws out nearly 15 percent of all fresh foods they purchase each year. Depending upon where you live and the time of year, that could add up to quite a bit of money. It is important to find ways to store fresh food for longer. Here are seven ways to accomplish this. 1. Homemakers of years past had a root cellar to place root vegetables like potatoes, onions and carrots. They may have also used the root cellar to store home canned goods. Perhaps you do not have a root cellar, but you can use the same basic idea. The goal is to keep these vegetables in a cool, dry place that is out of direct sunlight. Storing them in the refrigerator will actually make them spoil quicker. An alternative is to store root vegetables in paper bags stored in the cabinet. Be sure to keep onions and potatoes separate or they will spoil. 2. Cheese is another food that spoils if not used quickly. Wrap cheese in wax paper before storing it in the refrigerator. This wil...

The phrase "pass the bacon" is beginning to have a more nutritious meaning for millions of health-conscious Americans incorporating Canadian bacon into their diets. Best known as an ingredient in Eggs Benedict, Canadian bacon's recent rise in popularity stems from the low-carbohydrate diet craze. Although carb counting is no longer as fashionable, Canadian bacon remains a healthy cooking option because it's low in fat and high in protein. With "bacon" in its name, consumers often confuse Canadian bacon with traditional American bacon, according to Philip Jones, president of Jones Dairy Farm, a leading U.S. producer of Canadian bacon. However, unlike its fatty American counterpart, Canadian bacon is a lean smoked meat made from the tender pork loin. It's precooked and has an appearance and flavor more similar to ham. Jones points out an important difference between Canadian bacon and Canadian-style bacon. Real Canadian bacon is strictly the loi...

Pepper in fruit salsa? If you think it sounds odd, just try this colorful salsa. Blended with blueberries and other fruit, dashes of red and black pepper add just enough heat to kindle a delicious combination. Serve this lively flavored sauce with ice cream and pound cake, as shown here. Or try it as a side with smoked ham, grilled pork chops or chicken. Fresh blueberries are available year round and are most abundant in midsummer-ready to blend into smoothies, toss into your favorite chicken salad, or sprinkle over lemon meringue or cream pie. You should know that blueberries are loaded with antioxidants. Studies show that antioxidants may help reduce the buildup of cholesterol that contributes to cardiovascular disease, stroke and other age-related diseases. Spicy Blueberry-Fruit Salsa 4 cups fresh blueberries 11/2 cups diced mixed fruit (such as melon, grapes, pineapple or kiwi) 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon grated lime peel 1/2 teaspoon ground all...

Do you love sweets? Has the economy made it more difficult for you to fill that sweet tooth craving? You might have to stop buying your cookies from the bakery, but you can still enjoy those sweets by baking them yourself. Here are some tips to bake on a budget while also making your sweets taste and look professional. * Buy in bulk. Get ingredients like cocoa powder, rolled oats, flaked coconut, nuts and spices in bulk. These ingredients are easy to store. * Don't be afraid to use things that are about to spoil. Do you have some bananas which are past their edible state? Use them in some banana bread. Do you have some leftover cooked rice? Turn it into rice pudding. Even leftover mashed potatoes can be used in your baking by making potato fudge. If you have bananas about to turn but don't want to make banana bread or muffins, then freeze the bananas peel and all so you can use them for baking in the future. * Use your pantry. Just the basics from your pantry can be ...

Batch cooking is becoming very popular. It's a great way to have healthy meals when you're short on time during the week because of work. It also means you don't have to eat out all the time, which saves you money. But cooking in large batches in and of itself is a great money saver. So if you're looking for more ways to save on your food budget, then here's how to do it with batch cooking. What Is Batch Cooking? You might be wondering what batch cooking actually is. Basically it's cooking large amounts of food at once to store and freeze for use at a later date. You can do it many different ways depending on what works best for you. If you have a deep freezer and a whole weekend, you could cook up food for the entire month. If you don't want to spend that much time or don't have the storage needed for that kind of batch cooking, then cooking in advance for the week might be a better alternative for you. How to Cook in Batches Cooking large a...

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so you don't want to skip it as a way of saving money. And while cereal might be your go-to breakfast of choice, it can get a little boring and start to add up. If you're looking for budget-friendly breakfast ideas, then try these tips. It's sure to give a little spice to your life while also saving you money. Muffins This is a great thing to make in bulk (which saves you even more) and freeze for a quick on the go breakfast. There's such a variety of things you can get when it comes to muffins. You can make bran muffins, blueberry muffins, chocolate chip muffins, a fruit and veggie muffin, or a nice pumpkin muffin. Oatmeal Making oatmeal can literally cost pennies. And with different toppings you can really change it up - from cinnamon and apples to blueberries. Or try peaches and milk or some frozen berries. Make it more appealing for the kids by dressing it up with some chocolate chips or fruit sprinkled o...

Making meals that are inexpensive is something many families are striving for. Having them taste good or maybe even restaurant quality while still not eating a huge hole in your budget can really be a challenge, though. But, it can be done. Here are five tasty meals that can be made for less than $10 each and will feed your whole family. 1. Roast Chicken Because you can get a whole chicken for very cheap this is a perfect meal that seems expensive, but isn't. Just include some potatoes and carrots in the roasting pan with the chicken and you have a whole meal in one pan that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Simply take your roast chicken and season with some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Place it in a roasting pan with rack. Surround the chicken with quartered potatoes and some cut up carrots with half a cup of water and place in a preheated 350 degree oven. Allow to cook half an hour per pound of chicken. About half an hour before the chicken is do...

Everyone is looking for a way to save money. The food budget isn't always an area you want to skimp on because it's a real necessity. Plus, eating healthy might not always seem possible to do on a budget. There are ways to feed a family of four on a hundred dollars a week, though. And it doesn't mean giving up healthy eating or some of your favorite foods either. Follow these tips to save money on your food bill. How to Feed a Family of Four on $100 a Week * Shop the sales. Follow those weekly sales ads. Look for the places that have the best prices on the things you need. That might mean going to multiple stores to save the most money. * Buy in bulk. If you can get a membership to a shopping club you can save a lot of money on meat. * Clip coupons. Be mindful of the coupons you use, though. If you have to buy two of something to save $0.50 on a third item it might not be the best coupon. Use them in conjunction with sales and when you can use double and triple c...

Cooking with the kids has many benefits. Shocker of shockers - you can even save time and money when you let the kids get involved in cooking. Here are some fun recipes you can cook with the kids that will save you time and money. Homemade Pizza You really can't go wrong with kids when it comes to pizza. Let them put their own toppings on it and they will be more likely to eat it. But why not let them make the whole thing, dough and all? Here's a super easy recipe. Dough * 2 ½ cups flour * 1 tsp salt * 1 cup warm water * 1 tbsp yeast * 1 tbsp Italian seasoning * 1 tbsp oil Toppings * Pizza sauce * Mozzarella cheese * Pepperoni * Ham * Meatballs * Sausage * Pineapple * Pepper * Mushrooms * Olives Dissolve yeast in warm water and add a dash of sugar. In a mixing bowl add salt, flour, Italian seasoning, and oil. When yeast is bubbly, pour into flour mixture to make dough. Form into a ball and place in lightly greased bowl. Allow to rise 30-60 minutes. Roll out dough on a ...

Buying in bulk can be a real money saver. But you do have to be careful. If you have a wholesale club membership, you might find you spend a lot of money - and while some things can be a really great buy, others are not so good. So make sure you watch those unit prices when you are shopping for bulk. You also want to make sure you have the storage and will use things before their expiration date. If you are a family of just two, buying 15 boxes of cereal because there's a "buy one get two free" sale might not be the best idea. Because are you really going to get through those boxes of cereal before they go bad? Do you have room in your freezer? If you have an extra freezer, then buying meat in bulk can definitely be cost effective. The family packs generally are cheaper per pound, but you'll likely want to split up the packs into smaller serving sizes before freezing. You'll need plenty of freezer space to hold everything. Here are ten items that it...

Cooking on a budget doesn't mean you have to say so long to your favorite dishes. You can still eat your favorite foods with just a little modification to make them less expensive. Here is a list of great substitutes to help stretch your food budget. 1. Eggplant - Come on; you know you love eggplant Parmesan. This meaty vegetable lends itself well to pasta dishes and stir fries. 2. Mushrooms - These are a very versatile meat substitute in recipes you're trying to make cheaper. As a base for a veggie burger or just a portobello burger, they taste divine. Use them in enchiladas or casseroles and many stews too. They take on the flavor of other things which is what make them a great and cheap substitute. 3. Beans - Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you...save. Stews, soups, chili, and salads, beans are a perfect protein substitute in many dishes. They are healthy and very cost effective. 4. Imitation vanilla - Do you bake? Here's a little-know...

We use the internet for everything these days. And now with smartphones keeping the internet with us at all times, there are plenty of ways we can use the internet to save on our grocery shopping. Here are the top five apps for saving money on groceries. 1. ZipList We need a list to go grocery shopping, correct? Well, we should have one. That right there is a huge money saver. Getting only what you do need and nothing you don't, but keeping up with the list or remembering to bring the list with you is always my downfall. I do always have my phone, though. And with ZipList, all of my list making troubles are over. Not only is this great at keeping your recipes all in one place, but it can help you create a shopping list with the items you need. It can even organize your list based on the layout of your store. What better way to keep those impulse buys at bay? 2. Weekly Ads & Sales This app is great for more than just your grocery shopping. Really, it's no wonder ...