I really like the look of old fashioned hair accessories. Big horn combs and such, you know the ones without tons of gobbly gook Swarkovski crystals. I think they are subtle and really show well in the hair. Lily Millicent makes hair accessories that just ooze that upper crust class made from vintage lace and pearls. Want a peak, here you go:
I really love vintage lace…
With all the hoopla involved at the State Dinner, you like I, might have missed that they served a sparkling wine from Virginia with dessert. However, my Father-In-Law bought a couple bottles for us to enjoy for our Thanksgiving and introduced me to the wine and it’s history:
Thibaut-Janisson, Cuvee SparklingChardonnay
Claude Thibaut and Manuel Janisson have had years of noteworthy experience with Champagne, Thibaut comes from a family of champagne makers. You can find their history and where to purchase their wine here on their website, but it can be found locally quite easily, including Best Cellers, Daily Planet Wine, Rick’s Wine and Gourmet and the Georgetown Dean & Deluca. The Cuvee, is made of 100% Chardonnay from the Monticello Appellation, the grapes are grown in Ivy, right by where we dined for Thanksgiving- isn’t growing local great. Then they are fermented right down the road at Veritas Vineyards. It was a very crisp and refreshing sparkling wine that was balanced nicely between being fruity and dry with definite notes of pear.
As an interesting note, I learned from the below article Thibaut is also an instructor at Piedmont Virginia Community College. I just adore people that are not only passionate about what they do, but imparting that knowledge to others. Thibaut says the grapes in the Charlottesville area yield sparkling wines that give Thibaut’s hometown of Champagne, France a run for its money.
An article with more information can be found here.
We really enjoyed this wine and I hope you do too. I am a really big fan of sparkling wine, champagne, cava and etc, I think it pairs nicely with so many types of food. Plus, I think serving sparkling wine really shows dinner guests you are celebrating their company.
After a weekend of volunteering for the Campagna Center’s Scottish Christmas festivities it got me in the mood to decorate for Christmas.
Normally Hubby and I get a real tree, but this year we are going sans tree because of how busy our schedule has turned out to be. And the Momma who normally helps me decorate is away this week in Barbados. So here is a simple guide for decorating a condo for Christmas.
If you get a tree, I really recommend a live tree. They are a bit of a pain in the butt, but they look and smell so nice. Try to get a fresh tree. I prefer Douglas fir or Frasier firs. Make sure when the tree is cut that you give it lots and lots of water until the sap seals the tree. When putting the Christmas tree stand down. First put a plastic bag or something to keep any water off your floor. Next I like to place a little padding to keep the stand from scratching the floors, like a rag rug or old towel. Then the stand goes down. If you have a big tree I suggest securing it to the wall with fishing line or nylon line. Let the tree fall for a good day or so before decorating. I really recommend the new LED lights because they are so much less of a fire hazard and use a lot less energy.
It can be as much or as little as you like. My Mom gets a table top tree from Whole Foods and they are really cute for a small place. And if you like color try finding a foil tree with a color wheel.
I have a wreath that I really liked a few years ago, but now it is looking a bit shabby. So I secured a new ribbon on it, and adorned it with gold stars. You can always buy a plain wreath and glue or use wire to secure ornaments or adornments to make it special. Often you can spruce up old wreaths with new decorations or inserting some flowers.
Make a focal point in your main room. For us it normally is the fireplace in the living room which is open to the dining area and kitchen. We normally line it with boxwood or greenery from Meadows Farms or Cox Farms, that we then wrap garland around. Hang the stockings, put some Christmas items on the mantle, maybe some big poinsettas and voila. Since our place is relatively small and cohesive, I try to continue the same theme of color throughout the house. This year it is green, red and gold.
Make sure to put some holiday touches in each other room, I like putting poupouri that smells like Christmas trees around because I love that scent. My nutcracker collection and other Christmas items get placed. I like to hang wreaths in the windows with battery candles below. My favorite wreaths are grapevine ones that you can add ornaments, parts of Christmas cards or other special memories. Maybe a few poinsettias because I love fresh flowers in the house.
Then the table gets dressed. If you are having people over, I recommend getting or making a nice Christmas flower arrangement for the table because it really sets the look off. If you are buying one, make sure to go to a good independent florist and make sure it matches your design and theme. I often specify the flowers and colors to be used. If you want something minimal and elegant you might have to choose your florist carefully. I really like Blue Iris on Capitol Hill.
But a nice hurricane or a large bowl, with ornaments or holly would go over nicely as a centerpiece too. I think fully dressed tables just look beautiful in a home if you are having people over for a meal. If you need help with correct table setting here you go, but remember you can get creative.
Don’t be afraid to remove wall art temporarily for a switch to something festive.
Need more ideas? Check out open houses at Florists or Garden centers nearby or take a hint from the Master- here is a link to the Martha Stewart Christmas Gallery.
Good news readers! KatelinTaylor.com has just gone mobile friendly. So now you can easily navigate the site and read posts on your mobile device. Happy viewing.
-Katelin
So my L.A. friend is tasked with a sustainable Christmas. You know recycle, reuse, repurpose.
I have lots of books I have read that I could pass on, or jewelry from Grandma (all those clip earrings I don’t wear). I have made spiced nuts in the past or cookies. I have given presents of cleaning and organizing closets. Unfortunately sometimes, especially when you are moving around a lot for school or just starting out, you don’t have a lot of things or time. But don’t worry you can still find some cool sustainable finds:
Decking the Halls
Recycled Paper Garland- what a neat and colorful Christmas decoration. My family always had particular garlands that we used around greenery and this one would look great with all the colorful nutcrackers I hang on my garland. Available on Etsy, here.
I love making beaded jewelry for people at Christmas. One of my favorite necklaces is made from paper beads that my stepsisters made. Paper Beads is a great blog for learning to make paper beads, and then using the paper beads for different uses. Below are Paper Bead Ornaments you can make with instructions on the Paper Beads Blog, such a neat creative site, definitely check it out! If you aren’t up for making them yourself, you can already buy ready made ones at another great Etsy site here- upcycling paper and reusing it, very sustainable, while supporting small artists.
Upcycled Gifts
Beer has always been a treasured thing. But perhaps not all those empty beer bottles. Luckily now many of them are recycled, but here is another cool use- drinking glasses. Unlike the above beads, I suggest not trying to make this at home, but check out this Etsy Shop with many different beer bottles to choose from.
Need a more flowery find? I absolutely love the jewelry made from old spoons. The details that went into old silver spoons are just incredible. This ring is beautiful and a bargain. I don’t know why I am even posting this, now it will be sold in no time. Luckily this artist has lots of neat spoons to continue making really neat things.
Recycle that Wrap
My brother in law wraps his Christmas presents in Newspaper, my brother wraps his in Trader Joe bags. Both are great ways to save paper, and then that paper is of the type that is normally recyclable too. I save my ribbon all year long to use again at Christmas. Another great embellishment is to stamp them with a cool Christmas stamp. Since we don’t get daily papers I steal them from recycling downstairs where they stack them in big piles.
Plan the Party
Here in Virginia there is a lot of wine to love, and how better to show off the benefits of staying sustainable than practicing what you preach. Keep your party hopping with local wine, and keep it fresh with beautiful, unique bottle stoppers; I like this one made from recycled materials. Find it here.
Dress up your sweet treats with these vintage reusable cupcake toppers! You could also use them as reusable toothpicks. Just make sure you have a small basket for them to be discarded in, so you can wash them and reuse.
If you live out in the country you can even buy a Christmas tree with the roots and plant it afterwards. My friend Suz’s family did that one year.
So even if you feel the need to buy gifts try to buy local, buy recycled goods or buy things that you can turn into something neat. I turn to Etsy because I like their artists, but a quick search and you can find other places with recycled goods. But don’t forget your own merits. You don’t have to be a jeweler or baker, give someone some hours of your computer skills, or teach them a skill you have they might enjoy. Giving someone your time and company is always the best gift.
Well readers there are only a handful more days until Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving, probably because I grew up in a family of superb cooks. They brine the turkey, the gravy is off the hook, green beans are from the can- which they canned a couple months ago and they are not topped with any crunchy casserole things. I dream about the food produced at my house for Thanksgiving. But this year will be the first year that I spend the whole entire holiday with Hubby’s parents, which is all fine and good, except it is really hard for me not to cook so much of the meal.
In my family cooking is a group ordeal, except for putting the turkey in the oven, which my Aunt always does because my Mother and I just don’t get up that early. This year I already have four pies baked. One pumpkin custard and one pecan will go to my friend Warren’s house. I made them pie one year because I had an extra pie crust and well pecan pie is so easy and now it has become tradition. They would probably let me come over and cook their whole entire meal if I gave them the option, but no Warren it isn’t an option, sorry. But to fulfill my need to cook I decided I would give you readers some good tips:
1. Giada’s Ciabata Pancetta recipe is really good. I make it without the garlic. This is wonderful stuffing that has a very savory and satisfying taste, a little crunch, some crispy pancetta, but your normal savory and tender flavors of carrot and celery. I just love it.
2. When making mashed potatoes use evaporated milk instead of fresh milk. And let the butter sit a bit at room temperature before using it. You will use a lot of butter and salt to make good mashed potatoes, and you know what it’s Thanksgiving so go for it. This is a go big or go home day. (My Mother is probably appalled that I am giving you all this secret, but sorry Mom they won’t get our pie recipes)
3. The secret to good gravy is a good turkey, brine the thing and cook it well with butter and herbs under the skin, don’t pull it out too early and save all those pan juices. Then roux it up! Make sure you sift your flour so there are no lumps and whisk, whisk, whisk.
4. Buy the cranberries in the bag and make the recipe on the bag. My Uncle insists on canned gelatin cranberry sauce, which doesn’t taste like real cranberries at all, and I just don’t think it is right. Perhaps he doesn’t like very tart things? But I really think the real deal is very good, it has nice texture and flavor that bursts into your mouth with a fresh tangy taste. My Father in Law makes a cranberry, tangerine jello mold that is actually one of the highlights of the meal for me, it has a low jello ratio and is baked with fresh fruit.
5. Make homemade pies. They aren’t very complicated (you can buy the crust if you want), but store bought pie is so lackluster.
6. Make sure your smoke alarm works. (Just in case. And on this note- if you are one of the idiots who deep fry your turkey inside, look up how many houses catch on fire that way and move it outside you lazy ahem (beeeeeeeps))
7. Yeast rolls. I highly recommend if you can’t make rolls yourself to get them from a good bakery, not the grocery store. Great Harvest Bread Co. makes really good North Carolina yeast rolls that remind me of home (they call them old fashioned white at the Vienna store), I think all locations are a bit different so I am not sure if your local one will have it, but hopefully so. Well not my house, but a great restaurant at home that I can still close my eyes and dream of how their rolls tasted. Nowadays my family normally had my Amish Nanny make us some pumpkin rolls. Mom used to make these herself, but now with all the traveling and etc it just doesn’t normally happen.
8. If you can get your hands on real butter, use real butter. I have a big block a family member made me that I have been using and it really makes such a difference.
9. And last surround yourself with people you love- whether they are family, friends or people who need a companion and some cheer for the day.
10. Lastly when you can stand those people anymore, you can get a lot of online Christmas shopping done and get many of the same deals as black Friday in the stores. Or go take a walk or enjoy holiday festivities that might be going on around you.
My friend Alysha loves shopping and sustainability, and while I saw all the L.A. fashion I thought to myself of all the interesting vintage finds that looked as good or better than what was in the stores right now. I love Etsy.com for their great handmade finds, but they also have really neat Vintage sellers, as well. I wanted to take a moment to show some of their finds that are very fashion forward.
Mod Caramel Drop Waist Coat- I love this coat, you may have to resew on that one button that is a bit droopy, but I have had brand new coats that I had to resew on a button for, no big deal. It would fit but would not leave a ton of room, if I had the extra money to spend I would buy it for someone I really liked, like my friend, she would look awesome in it.
I saw an uglier version of this gorgeous Royal Blue Jacket in a store in L.A. This version is 80′s cool, not 80′s bad… you know you like it.
This is a great belt. I have one similar one in brown that I love. This one has a pretty small waist, but would be wonderful to cinch a great white shirt.
I love this VintageBlue Dress. It would be so cute for a holiday party with a skinny silver belt and some nice rhinestone or diamond jewelry.
And this one would double as beautiful work wear. Now I think Dorthy Draper would really like this.
This Yellow Dress is a little summery, but sooo Michelle Obama. Really classy, and to make it a bit more FLOTUS you could pair it with a cream or white cardigan.
A casual belted dress that would be so comfortable! Love it for summer when I want to throw on a dress and start the day or have an interesting beach cover up.
So I am not allowed to have any more White Sweaters as my collection is quite large, but if I could this might make the list.
And this dress has an amazing print. It is so cute, really nice attention to detail. I have a friend that had an online handle of SunshineandBeauty and this dress is sunshine and beauty.
And to top it off, a Neat Print Dress that is sooo J. Crew or Tory Burch, for a fraction of the cost. My sister in law would love these colors. She could share it too…
And can’t find or afford those fantastic electric blue pumps in the stores, well check these Pumps out, they are rocking.
So don’t worry you can be eco-friendly, fashion forward and save some money. That’s a win-win-win. And if you make an Etsy Account you can create a favorites list and export it (great for X-mas).
She was tasked with a sustainable Christmas too, I might have some ideas coming her way soon…
Readers, I just came back from a gorgeous sunny weekend in L.A. that was filled with all sorts of fun. Hubby had some frequent flyer miles that had to be used before they expired, and I have a good friend who is finishing graduate school and she and her family offered to host me for a weekend so out I went. My brother took me to the airport and offered the following advice: Eat Mexican, especially breakfast burritos and sushi, make sure you get some sushi.
I arrived on Friday in early afternoon and we drove to the Westwood area and wandered around a bit and settled in at the Napa Valley Grille a mini-chain for lunch. They had a nice salad/soup/sandwich combo and outdoor seating which drew us in, and I was rather hungry after my flight so sushi or something light, wouldn’t quite do. Then we headed up to The Getty. The Getty is free (ahem), but it does cost $15 to park. It sits up on top of a hill and the building as a whole is just a remarkable structure in terms of architecture. The textures, use of light and space make it a lot of fun. They have some really amazing art ranging from Turner’s with really white/blue skies a departure from his dark ominous stormy skies you normally see, Van Gogh’s, really well put together decorative art rooms with interesting paneled walls, tapestry and furniture, then onto pastels by Toulouse Lautrec and different seasonal exhibits. Outside the terraced gardens are beautiful with bougainvillea, roses, pomegranate trees all manicured and placed amongst fountains and interesting shaped paths. There is also a cactus garden which has a beautiful view that extends to the ocean on clear days. As the sun was setting we headed back down to the parking lot on the tram and headed into Santa Monica.
Santa Monica was a lot of fun with lots of shopping, including the 3rd Street promenade lined with dinosaurs spouting water, bars and restaurants. Along the promenade there are musicians and it is a nice area to go out for an evening. I unfortunately was limited by East Coast time so we headed home to our neighborhood of La Canada and grabbed some margaritas and Mexican food at Los Gringos Locos, where I had some fresh and wonderful guacamole and tacos, and let’s not forget a huge margarita. Had I been up for an all nighter East Coast time- I would have made my way over to Father’s Office for some burgers and brews. But alas after my margarita I fell pretty fast to a state of California dreaming.
I woke the next morning, enjoyed getting some much needed Vitamin D while reading the papers, and then we headed down to the Huntington Library. Can I just note for anyone who doesn’t know the Huntington Library is not just a library. The gardens alone are 120 acres, including rose gardens, cactus gardens, lilly ponds, a Japanese Garden and a Chinese Garden. Then you have multiple buildings of art including The Huntington Art Gallery and Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art. The Huntington Art Gallery has notables by Gainsborough such as The Blue Boy to Hooper and more sculpture and decorative art. The Virginia Steele Scott has some noteable Cassats and Stuarts and they have a really nice collection of Greene and Greene work.
All that working can make you work up an appetite. Luckily, Old Town Pasadena is right around the corner. Don’t miss out on some of the neat places back the alleys. We lunched at Cafe Santorini, a Mediterranean Cafe with a nice view and a really beautiful terrace. Apparently there is a great noodle shop right by the Cheesecake Factory too. After a nice lunch of chicken kebabs which were good (but Lebanese Taverna don’t worry) we headed down to check out the shops. A bit of shopping in November in Old Town really isn’t complete without a trip to STATS (the website doesn’t do the gaudiness justice). Oh yes, STATS is Christmas galore there are rooms of Christmas trees, Christmas villages, Christmas Ornaments and any other holiday necessities. It is a huge place that really puts you in the mood for Christmas even in L.A.
Now it would be a shame to go to Pasadena and not go see the Greene and Greene houses in Pasadena. For those of you who don’t know Greene and Greene was the center of the Arts and Crafts movement and you can tour one of their ultimate bungalows the Gamble House. No dinner out tonight because we had a party at home where I was served some fresh artichokes and spare ribs. There is nothing better than a dinner made for you with love, this one was especially tasty.
Sunday we were off to Newport Beach, Balboa Island and Seal Beach. On the way to Newport we stopped at Roger’s Gardens- a plant and decorating mecca. Their arrangements were lovely and their holiday shop beautiful. Worth a stop if you like plants even if like me back at home it isn’t the growing season. We then went on to explore Newport Beach. We then crossed the bridge onto Balboa Island and walked the perimeter of the island checking out the houses, boats and dogs. On the way to the car we had to stop at Sugar N’ Spice for a Balboa Bar, which is like a homemade klondike bar on a stick with various toppings. I got mine with heath bar crunch. They also have frozen bananas dipped in chocolate. We also stopped in at the Balboa Candy Shop for some saltwater taffy to bring back to the Hubby. We then drove up to Seal beach and walked downtown and out to the pier. We stopped at Ruby’s on the pier for an afternoon snack with a view. The weather was so nice for a day out on the beach. The night ended with dinner back in Glendale at Pasta Preziosa with the family. A nice little Italian restaurant with a love of garlic, and since California is home to the Gilroy Garlic Festival, a love of garlic is only appropriate.
The next day was a late start because I had to pack. Going home with weather so nice was really hard, especially when I was having so much fun and my friend and her family were so gracious to me. Sitting out on the balcony in the sun looking at their lovely garden and pool it was hard not to want to stay for weeks while Washington, DC gets cold and wet. We stopped at Ichiban in La Canada (no website that I can find) for some sushi, and it is amazing that even little neighborhood places like this have sushi that is really fresh and succulent. Here that type of quality and freshness comes with a high price tag, but it was really reasonably priced. We then drove down through Beverly Hills before going to the airport and I enjoyed the sunny, palm lined streets of endless designer shops and huge houses. Now I will have to go back for a trip to the Norton-Simon and breakfast burritos.
I arrived home and took what will probably be my last trip on the People Movers across Dulles. My Brother-in-law picked me up from the airport, which was nice since Hubby was out of town. It is always nice to have a familiar face to greet you at the airport.
Hubby and I have some really dear friends who treated us to dinner at Trummer’s on Main a few weeks ago. I was excited to go as it was just recently in the Washington Post’s Fall Dining Guide and I had heard good things. Walking in to the bar area downstairs I was blown away by how different it looks. So modern, but warm and inviting.
The onyx bar makes you want to stay at the bar all night. It is lit from underneath so the lighter onyx glows and gives the room a warm and really pleasant feeling. I might be back as Adam the line cook has assured me the burgers are worth the trip. One thing that really impressed me was when we ordered glasses of wine at the bar we were offered small tastes to make sure we liked the wine before given a full pour. I often like to try new things, so it is nice to be able to taste before you commit.
Our friends arrived and we had our cocktails before heading upstairs to dinner. We got to look at the beautiful wine cellar and private rooms downstairs before heading up, and let’s just say when I make partner this is where I will be taking our friends as a return trip to celebrate. (Note to Trummer’s on Main, this might be a while so keep up the good work.) The cellar is enclosed in glass and hosts an impressive selection of domestic and foreign wines including some local Virginia wines from Barboursville, Kluge and Pearamund.
We headed upstairs to the beautiful open dining room. Now this room still resembles the former space, with it’s huge open windows and lofty ceiling, but it has been upgraded. Out the back there is a lovely lit area which is slightly reminiscent of dining at 2941 with such nice outdoor views, but on a smaller scale. The bamboo fans keep it casual, but really classy.
We started out with a Cakebread Chardonnay and some very good bread, warm and crusty, but tender. I started with the Vanilla Belly. A vanilla pork brisket with rhubarb, spinach and grenadine. This was luscious, but not overwhelmingly rich, the rhubarb really balanced the vanilla. I also stole a taste of the oxtail ravioli, which was really rich, but the pasta was really well made and the meat was tender as can be. Based on the multiple entrees I got to sample the best thing to order is fish, although everyone’s entrees tasted good my favorite was my Cobia really tasted wonderful.
But dessert really stole the show. I ordered the sweet potato, which was sweet potato ice cream over a gingerbread poundcake, maple and fluff, which really tasted like fall to me and was really comforting. But the concord grape stole the show. The soft cake with the tangy grape sorbet and cognac cream was so refreshing I was a little jealous I didn’t order it myself.
Overall it was a great meal in a beautiful setting and I can’t wait until I can go back. It truly is worth the drive for the city and if you are looking for a romantic special occasion dinner this place is a wower. And now I have to try to get back out for the burger. I was told it is special, they better be right.
One thing I have always been good at is making food last. I am not sure if it is a left-over mentality from my Grandfather growing up in West Virginia, poor with a family with so many siblings everything counted, or my Amish nanny who preserved everything she could.
Even my Mother used to say that I ate like it was the Great Depression. That might have been because when I told my Mother I didn’t want school lunch she said that was fine, but she wasn’t packing my lunch. This was a true statement because not only did I have to pack my own lunch we often didn’t have the traditional sandwich making ingredients or other lunch staples (Not to mention the poor bus lady who waited and honked her horn as I would go flying out the door with who knows what in my bag). And when my parents divorced my Father did no better. So I learned to make due with all the wonders that were left in the refridgerator. This mentality has really paid off now when like so many people coping with the recession my food budget has been slashed. Here are some things I do that may help you keep down your food bills, but not feel like you have given up everything:
1. I save my leftovers, even if small, to use for something else. Leftover cooked spinach from this morning and BBQ from dinner the other night get combined with onions and peppers cooked in some Worcestershire sauce, to which I added some chili pepper, cumin and basil to make some rockin fajitas for dinner. On sites like Epicurious, Food Network or Allrecipes you can type in ingredients you have leftover and see all the recipes that use all those ingredients. And there are so many things that you can freeze if you can’t eat them soon.
2. I also plan out my menus and buy only what I need. I know which vegetables turn first- asparagus and green beans- which ones seem to last inevitably- broccoli and green peppers. So I plan to make meals with those veggies accordingly. Some people say they have no idea what they will want to eat, but if you browse through some cookbooks (or those awesome food blogs like 101 cookbooks permalinked to the right in my favorites) and get lots of ideas they look so good you want to eat them and they can be interchanged. I really like recipes from Everyday Food, they are simple, healthy and quick, and often very economical. I get the magazine, but if you don’t get it, no big deal, they are online too.
3. Limit the meat, go for the veggies. I try to make sure that most of my cart is filled with veggies. I know sometimes they seem expensive, but cooking with a lot of fresh vegetables is healthy and ends up being more economical than boxed or prepared meals, even if you buy a few things like fennel, leeks or butternut squash. Also if you cook 1-2 meatless meals a week it really cuts down on your meat costs which tend to be the biggest purchases.
4. Splurge where appropriate. I love good cheese, so I still buy a couple pieces of nice cheese, but I look at the prices compared to ounces and try new types that are slightly more economical, but still better than your typical cheddar.
5. Look at prices and compare prices. Look at the tub of cut butternut squash, is it close to the weight of a butternut squash and the price? Well then it might have more usable squash than the real deal and might be a better deal. Buying packaged lemon juice when lemons are 3/$1? Lemons last a fairly long time and you can juice them yourself? I look at the prices of everything I buy and compare it with other brands or other substitutable goods. Yes, I would like to buy Organic milk but when it is triple the price I just can’t justify that expense right now.
6. Buy cheaper cuts of meat. There are some phenomenal meals to be had with cheaps cuts of meat. And with the ease of getting recipes online here is what I suggest. Look at what the specials in stores are then look up recipes for those meats.
7. Make a couple splurge meals. Since Hubby and I aren’t eating out as much I have on the menu a braised veal shank and carrot risotto for this week. It is much cheaper than eating out, but is fun and satisfying. (And set the table, light some candles, open a bottle of wine, play some music and make it special!)
8. Pack your lunch, pack your lunch, pack your lunch. Whether it is a sandwich, leftover spaghetti and meatballs, or yogurt with granola and some fresh fruit and honey make it creative so you don’t feel the urge not to eat it when lunch time rolls around. Make some pesto or some interesting mayo, buy a couple gourmet ingredients. Even if you have to buy a couple jars of pricier items in the store it is still much cheaper than buying out.
Many of you might already do these things, but if not they really can add up. So go forth and be frugal foodies.
