Your timing was perfect for this questionnaire, just when I completed making a large batch of minestrone soup.

In my household, I am known as the resourceful and creative cook. On a weekly basis, I usually scan sale items for each grocery store that I frequent. Often times, I create our family meals using the meats and produce that are on sale. It may sound boring but I do prepare tasty meals that are mostly healthy but sometimes not. Winter is a great season where one can make soups and stews that can stretch on during the week. I may skip a day or two in between and serve the soup with sandwiches or serve it before the main course. I do remind my family that soup just gets better and better from one day to the next. I usually don't get to freeze what I make because, between my husband and my boys, I'm lucky if there is any left after day two. I do however, drive out of my way every two weeks or so, to a wholesale club and stock-up on the staples such as milk, bread, laundry detergent, paper goods etc. etc. I am not a coupon clipping person (used to be when I had more time) so I look for the best deals and shop accordingly.

We don't quite have a strategy for dining out. Before the holidays, we were actually in a rut of eating out too much. Who doesn't like to eat out? It dawned on us, that going out as a family became less "special" for us. In other words, we felt as though we stopped appreciating dining out, so collectively we decided to take a break and keep the extra money in our pockets. As my husband says, "We don't necessarily go out to eat to get better food, we go out to eat differently plus it gives mom a break." Well, suffice to say, I love to cook so it's a win, win situation.

I do have many recipes (those I clip and save, especially from Wednesday's food section) and too many to list. As of this writing, the minestrone soup is already gone! No surprise however, they worked up an appetite shoveling and playing on this "no school" snow day! Time to make another pot! Tomorrow is another day!

Kathleen Bessette

Cumberland