Blue Palate on the Road: Nature’s Kitchen

July 31, 2009

Interstate 5 from Oregon to California, which I’ve driven a dozen or so times in my life, is the quickest way to travel up and down the west. It’s scenic in parts, but mostly it’s just straight and quick. And if you’re trying to make it to San Francisco in less than ten hours, be [...]

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Cheap beer: Yes we can

July 26, 2009

I have mixed feelings about cheap beer. Beer is high in calories for a beverage and if I’m going to spend it I like to taste it. But a pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon or can of Hamm’s can be quite refreshing on a hot day and I can drink a couple and not feel heavy headed. [...]

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Blue Palate Special: Black Beans a l’Awesome

May 27, 2009

Black beans are a true Blue Palate Special. They’re full of protein, folate, fiber, magnesium, iron and other wonderful nutrients. Black beans low in fat and can cost as low as $0.49 per can. And prepared my special way they can be quite delicious and served a variety of ways. This recipe takes about 15 [...]

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Recession in Style: Happy Hour at Home

May 20, 2009

I had a hankering for happy hour the other day, and while Portland is filled with a cornucopia of choices for cheap eats after the work day, I am pretty budget conscious these days. I’ve been trying hard to limit eating at bars and restaurants, despite inexpensive options some might offer. Instead, I visited my [...]

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So little time, so many recipes

February 11, 2009

I am leading a hectic life these days. Not to whine, but my weekday schedule consists of three consecutive 12 hour days. Bottom line: I don’t have a ton of time to cook (Or write blog posts…wink wink). This Sunday I was very proactive though and, with the help of my legal boyfriend Peter, made [...]

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Blue Palate Special: Chicken Dinner

January 6, 2009

A roast chicken is an absolutely perfect meal.  Tender meat infused with garlic or herbs or citrus, potatoes and carrots or other tough vegetables that can withstand a couple of hours simmering in the savory juices. Chicken dinners are simple but feel like something extravagant, specially when presented on a platter and carved at the [...]

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Trimming your grocery budget

January 4, 2009

Smart Money recently published a helpful article detailing 8 Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill. This article  caught my attention because I recently implemented a grocery cost cutting plan of my own. My goal was to trim our weekly grocery bill from $100 to $75, saving us $100 per month. I’m not a coupon clipper, [...]

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Kitchen Fatigue

December 28, 2008

It’s probably really bad blog etiquette to promise to post something and then fail to do so. A few posts ago I wrote that I would share a recipe for Kapustnica, a holiday soup from Slovakia, in my Christmas Day post. Not only did I not share a the recipe, I didn’t even write a [...]

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Blue Palate Special: Hungarian Mushroom Soup

December 23, 2008

Periodically in Blue Palate I will share recipes – my Blue Palate Specials. Whether they’re old favorites or new experiments, they will always be affordable and usually include healthy adaptations. My first Blue Palate Special falls into the experimentation category. While Hungarian Mushroom Soup is simple to make and one of my all time favorites, [...]

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