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by Aimee on April 20, 2013 • 2 Comments Link Love

Weekend links

The last lump of icy snow melted yesterday as temperatures soared and a warm wind ushered spring through the door. Mateo and I discovered the first purple crocus and a carpet of tiny green ramps pushing up through the damp leaves of the forest floor.

We swept the last remnants of winter off of the deck, dusted off the folding chairs, and served dinner al fresco for the first time this year. It was glorious.

On this Earth Day weekend we have plans to sow the first seeds in the garden – peas, spinach, lettuce and radishes – as well as tidy the yard and build a bonfire. Are you planning to get out in nature at all?

I’ve got some weekend reading for you, in case you’re still relaxing with a coffee.

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by Aimee on April 15, 2013 • 35 Comments Menu Planning & Batch Cooking

12 ways to help you eat well and spend less (recipe: Buttermilk Dressing)

Two long years ago a small group of keen food bloggers kicked off our Eat Well, Spend Less series, led by Jessica of Life as Mom. The series focuses on ways to feed our growing families nourishing and totally delicious foods while still staying within a reasonable budget.

Eat Well, Spend Less was created with you, the reader, in mind, but it has helped me immensely as the posts have been published over the months. The series has whipped my spending into shape and helped me to build better habits in the kitchen.

Since we’ve made it this far, we thought it was appropriate to take a look back at where we’ve come and the topics we’ve covered. Today I’m highlighting the best tips that I’ve shared since the series’ conception.

The points are brief, yet contain links to the full article should you wish to read more on the subject. And don’t miss my favorite new salad dressing recipe at the bottom of the post.

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by Marisa on April 10, 2013 • 20 Comments Preserving

Preserving Spring: Spicy Pickled Asparagus

pickled asparagus Written by Marisa of Food in Jars.

When I was a brand new canner, pickled asparagus was one of my very first projects. Asparagus has long been one of my favorite vegetables and so, when it went on sale in mid-spring, I bought several bundles, consulted a multitude of cookbooks and set to work.

I quickly learned that pickling asparagus was a task well worth doing (particularly since commercial versions can cost as much as $12 a jar) and added it to my list of mandatory yearly recipes. I have since made at least 100 jars and every year, I still run out well before asparagus season arrives again.

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by Aimee on February 25, 2013 • 34 Comments Pantry & Spotlight Ingredients

Eat Well, Spend Less: A personal Q&A with 7 bloggers behind the series

My homesteader upbringing instilled in me a lifelong love of cooking from scratch, and this passion I feel privileged to, in turn, share with you here on Simple Bites.

Making many of my own foods such as preserves, soups, and condiments, instead of relying on the options provided by companies to feed my family, is a conscious choice and one that I feel is the absolute best for my family’s health. It’s not always easy to choose homemade pantry staples over grocery store convenience, but I take small steps and pick up speed as I gain experience.

It’s a journey away from processed foods and back to natural, simple ingredients. I know why I can my own food, I understand the importance of healthy food culture, and I’m happy to roll up my sleeves and put in some hours in the kitchen to benefit my family – and save some coin in the process.

We all know that no two kitchens, budgets, and dietary needs are alike, and so the fabulous food blogging mothers behind our Eat Well, Spend Less series have come together to share a handful of different perspectives on a series of questions related to EWSL.

Naturally, my question was on the subject of scratch cooking, and these girls gave some great answers. Hit the jump to read them all.

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by Aimee on February 1, 2013 • 8 Comments Link Love

Eat Well, Spend Less: Back to Basics (a round-up)

In my kitchen, January feels like a natural season to get back to the basics in the kitchen and I know a lot of you feel the same way.

Fortunately I had quite a few recipes for pantry staples planned for the month, and so I hope you have bookmarked my roasted chicken stock, Danny’s waffle mix, and the unbeatable Chocolate-Oat Cereal Bars for school snacks. If so, you’re off to a great start of the year.

The ladies of our Eat Well, Spend Less group have all been talking about back to basics this week. You’re definitely going to want to glean some tips from them…

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