At one point, thirty-some years ago, I was pretty green. And not in the eco-friendly, save-the-planet way, but: Unripe-green, not ready for prime time. I experimented in the kitchen, sometimes failing... The lowest point came when I tried Betty Crocker's Sweet n' Sour Pork. Being the penny-pinching young bride that I was (and, thirty years ago, yes, pennies actually counted), I tried substituting bologna for the pork. It was bologna that was on sale (probably past it's prime), and, needless to say, my husband was not impressed.

I've come a long way from that! Some of the cooking methods I've come up with over the years really do save time, and some of the tools of the trade have proved invaluable. I mention some of those in the "Useful Tools" section.

A good "Econo Chef" will want to save more than just money. After all, time is money too. I've found ways to save time in the kitchen, coming up with efficient techniques to get the job done.

And of course, health needs to be of concern. I want most of what I cook during the week to be health-promoting. Without health, we are pretty poor...

You've probably heard the expression,  "That doesn't amount to a hill of beans", indicating that something is just too cheap to be valuable. Well, ironically, that hill of beans can become the base of a great meal. And it's a good thing it doesn't cost much--that's what we want!

I've listed a few tips and menu ideas on various pages here; you can also check out my recipes at pccuisine.com. Thanks for stopping by!