Food Diaries

I love to cook, so much so that I will even experiment with recipes and create my own. I haven't always had a love affair with the kitchen. In fact, once upon a time I remember having this conversation with a friend about having nothing in the house to eat:

Me: I'm hungry but there's nothing to eat in the house and I don't have the money to go out. Mini Martha Stewart, aka my friend the cook extraordinaire: There's always something to eat. Do you have a loaf of bread?
Me: Well, not a whole loaf but maybe half.
Mini Martha: Do you have some cheese?
Me: Some American slices I think.
Mini Martha: Why don't you make a grilled cheese?
Me: But I don't have a microwave.
Mini Martha: You don't use a microwave to make grilled cheese.
Me: Then how do I make it?

Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad…but definitely close. Nonetheless started my love affair with self-sufficiency in the kitchen, and especially with grilled cheese.

April has not only been deemed National Financial Literacy Month, but also (drum roll please) National Grilled Cheese Month. Coincidence? I think not. What's the most inexpensive meal at Denny's? What warm sandwich earns the love of both veggies and carnivores? None other than grilled cheese. Check out this awesome spectacle of culinary goodness and financial bliss:

It's enough to make me want to forgo my weekend dinner plans. Eating at home can save you money, but only if you actually eat at home. Often, the simple lure of dial-a-dinner wins over the seemingly arduous task of making your own meals.

One trick Mr. Cents and I have found for making the effort to eat at home is to plan our meals for the week when we make our grocery list. We break out the cookbooks and look over our favorite recipes and some of the earmarked pages of magazines we've been meaning to try. This way, we are actually excited about the upcoming meals. Anticipation of a delicious meal can often win out over takeout, even when we are both exhausted from a long day at work. Sometimes it's worth it to splurge a little on carefully selected ingredients because in the end you create a much more satisfying meal…which is much less likely to urge you to go out to eat.

Here are some tips for making the world's greatest grilled cheese sandwich from Laura Werlin, the author of "Great Grilled Cheese":

• GRATE, DON'T SLICE: Grated cheese melts faster so the bread tends not to burn.
• SOFT IS BEST: Always used softened butter - it will spread easily on the bread and make the bread brown evenly.
• SALTED BUTTER IS BEST: Salted butter adds more flavor to the outside of the bread.
• NONSTICK IS BEST: Always use a nonstick skillet - sandwiches won't stick to the pan.
• COVER IT: Best to cover the sandwich when cooking on the first side, in order to melt the cheese sufficiently.
  

I think I have gained at least 10 pounds just writing this post. Ah, the sacrifices we make for frugal living...