I often talk about quick and easy frugal meals. For most meals that is truly what I cook, however I do occasionally splurge and cook something a little fancier.

I know many people love to go out to eat, my husband and I are not those people. We never have been ones that love eating out. Yes, we do enjoy an occasional meal out, but not often.

I am one of those people that will eat out, and then figure out how I can make it at home for much cheaper and healthier. To me eating out is just not worth it most of the time, but this does not mean that I do not enjoy good food.

I have found that I would much rather splurge on an occasional really nice meal at home, than spend the money eating out. This is something that we enjoy and in the end saves us money. Even if I buy a really expensive cut of meat, I spend less than half of what it would cost to take my whole family out.

One of my splurges is salmon. I love salmon. My husband’s splurge would be a really good, high quality steak.

So, what is your preference? Would you rather spend money eating out? Or do you splurge occasionally and buy something special to cook at home.

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Spending Money On Food is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

I have received quite a few emails and comments over the last few months on the subject of healthy eating. Some have expressed that they wished they could cook like I do. They feel bad because they are not cooking everything from scratch.

Other emails and comments that I have received express the fact that they cannot believe what I am feeding my family. They do not think I am using the right ingredients or making healthy choices. So, I thought today would be a good time to share some of my thoughts on healthy eating.

Is There A Gray Area?

So often in the food and blogging world, I see black and white. Someone will have a view on what is healthy, and they think that is the only way to eat. I don’t look at it this way.

For me, healthy eating is a journey, just like most things in life. I don’t think most people wake up one day and realize that the majority of what they eat or cook is bad. For me, it is more about baby steps. It is a learning process. The more I cook, the more I read and learn, the more I change.

However, it is slow change. I think slow change will last longer and stick with you longer than a drastic switch in diet. Most drastic changes in diet or life , for whatever reason they are made, don’t last long. Slow changes tend to stick.

Healthy Changes Over Time

So, my views on healthy eating change as I change. What I ate five years ago, may not be the same thing I eat today, and what I think is healthy to eat today, may not be what I think is healthy in a few more years.

You may not think what I eat is healthy. In fact, you may not serve your family anything like I would, but I may not agree with all the choices that you make. What fits my family, may not fit yours, and the other way around.

We don’t drink hardly any sugary type drinks, including real 100% juices, sugary drinks, and pop. We just don’t buy them. You won’t find them in my house. We don’t think they are good for our kids, but we do occasionally eat some corn syrup. You may think apple juice is great, but stay far away from any corn syrup. But do you know what, I think that is okay because we are both doing what we think is best for our families with the current knowledge that we each have.

Eating Out vs Eating At Home

For those that are used to eating out all the time, anything you cook at home will probably be healthier. For those of you that are used to buying a lot of boxed food and mixes, making even a few things from scratch will be healthier.

If you are familiar with my site, you know that I am always looking for an at home version of foods we love. My at home versions may not be the healthiest of choices, or the choices that you would make, but they are healthier than what we had been eating.

It’s All Relative

So for those of you that have felt bad because you don’t cook like I do, that is okay. Is your cooking style improving? Are you cooking healthier than you were last year. If so, that is great! Remember it is about small steps towards a healthier life.

And for those of you that think I eat unhealthy, you should have seen what I ate a few years ago. Maybe as I learn and change, I will agree with you, but for now I am taking small steps and learning as I go, because that is what works for me.

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What Does Healthy Mean? is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

This is what I woke up to this morning.

Thankfully I have no where to go today.

Because although ice is very pretty,

it creates quite a mess.

So today I am sitting back and trying to see the beauty in this winter storm.

Is it currently snowing, so it might get worse before it gets better,

but for now I am thankful that we still have our electricity, although I am guessing it may not last for long.

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Ice Storm 2010 is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

Three Kids

with three different tastes

means three different sandwiches

and that means it takes mom three times longer to fix lunch.

Three different answers is why I don’t usually ask my kids what they want for lunch.

And yes that is unhealthy store bought potato bread and potato chips I am feeding my kids for lunch.

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Three Kids and A Lunch is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.

This subject has been on my mind for a while now. We have been hearing so much lately about the economy. It is everywhere in the news. You can’t miss it. There is a lot of doom and gloom talk going on right now. Many, in the media, are comparing it to the Great Depression.

My thoughts though are they really that bad. Haven’t many before us survived much worse? And how bad is it really at this point? Yes, it may get a lot worse, but are we really at the Great Depression stage right now? I don’t think so. I don’t deny that things are not going well right now, but I don’t think we are at the Great Depression stage, at least not yet, that so many in media want us to think we are in. Yes, it may get that bad, but are we there yet?

Let me start off by saying that I grew up during some hard economic times in the late 70’s early 80’s. My dad spent several winters picking mushrooms and chopping firewood to pay bills because he could not find other work. You can read more about how I grew up in this post. So I do understand tough financial times. I feel for those who have lost jobs and are struggling to make it.

My thoughts go more to our society has a whole. My grandparents and probably a lot of yours really suffered during the Great Depression. They struggled for food. They ate what they could grow. My grandparents ate dandelion greens for many meals because that is what they could find. Many people went without food. We have probably all heard stories about having to make due with clothing that is worn out. People turned feed sacks into clothes. They were creative in reworking clothes to make the work again. People went without shoes. Are we there yet?

I think comparing our current suffering to the Great Depression generation dishonors what they went through. They suffered, at the current time we are not. We just think we are. Our current generation doesn’t know how to suffer. We are so spoiled. We think suffering is not being able to go out to eat. We think suffering is not being able to have cable TV or a cell phone. We think suffering is not having a lot of clothes or having to drive a 10 year old car. We think suffering is wearing second hands clothes. We think suffering is not having the latest gadget. But are those things really suffering?

Yes, we do live in different times then our grandparents. We can’t all grow our own food in our backyards. But I think the majority of Americans are a long way from starving. You can look at our obesity problem and know that. Yes, some may have a very tight budget, but most can still afford at least rice and beans and other main things. I also think many wouldn’t be struggling for food if they cut out other things. How many people complain about their grocery budget, but drive nice cars, wear really nice clothes, live in big houses, and eat out at least once a week.

My point is not that no one is suffering. My point is that overall our current generation does not know what the true meaning of suffering and sacrifice is. We want instant gratification. We want a quick fix. There is not one. Part of the reason we are in the situation we are in is because many people have lived beyond what they could. They wanted it all and you can’t have it all.

Life is full of ups and downs. The economy is full of ups and downs. We can’t always have everything we want, but that does not necessarily mean it is the Great Depression.

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We Don’t Know How To Suffer is a post from: Lynn's Kitchen Adventures ©2011 LynnsKitchenAdventures - All rights reserved.