It’s fast and it’s fresh and on Wednesdays Whole Foods gives us a break- the salad and hot food bars are reduced from $7.99 down to $5.99. This is wonderful if you want to make up your own combination.

If you are anywhere near Ocean Park and 29th pop into IlForno Caffe and get dinner to go for $6. And I’m talking a entree size order of pasta, an entree size salad, or a pizza. Plus they all come with bread.  Now this is take out only, cash only and available from 5:30 to 6:30. Dinner for two for $12 and you didn’t have to turn on the stove.  Did I mention parking is free in the lot. And did I add that the food is fresh and fabulous.  Take a night off, dial 310.450.1241, and they will have your order waiting when you cruise by.

With multiple  locations Zankou Chicken is a life saver. Whose at home? One meat eater, one dieter, one vegan?  Order a steak kebob, roasted chicken wrap, falafel, and tabbouleh and everyone is covered.

In the mood for noodle soup, sushi, or dumplings. Try the Japanese Mitsuwa Marketplace, 3760 Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066 , where they have a food court with all kinds of prepared meals.  Your kids are home from school and are now vegetarians - go to  Samosa House and Bharat Bazaar at 11510 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066.  They cook only veggie meals ($7.99) and side dishes.

Portos Bakery in Burbank and Glendale has all kinds of Cuban sandwiches and appetizers for a light dinner. And as a bonus, you can pick up one of their yummy desserts. They are open till seven and only take cash (correction) take credit and debit cards.

What if you need an entire meal for a big dinner?  Markets now have everything to make you look like the best home cook ever.  Gelsons has a meal for every occasion. How does 2 1/2 pounds Beef Brisket with Julienne Vegetables & Gravy, Chicken Broth & Matzo Balls, Chopped Beef Liver with Egg, Potato Kugel, Tzimmes, Gefilte Fish with straight Horseradish, Charoses, Macaroon Cookies sound for Passover?  How about Corned Beef, Boiled Cabbage, Boiled Carrots, Boiled Potatoes, Salad with Cilantro Dressing, Dinner Roll, Butter & Chocolate Mint for St. Patrick’s Day? These average about $10 to $15 per person for a multi course meal including dessert. And you get to keep the leftovers.

Let me know your favorites and I will add them to the list.

Some people go for the game, the Frugal Diva goes for the once a year opportunity to eat like a tailgater. Fresh & Easy has some great specials for everything from burgers to mini watermelons for dessert!

· fresh&easy Mixed Grill Pack (4.68 lbs), fresh&easy 12 Quarter Pounder Beef Patties (3 lbs) or fresh&easy Chili, Citrus & Cilantro Chicken (4.25 lbs) for $7.99 each!

Try this great recipe for chipolte chedder burgers from the Broke Ass Gourmet.

· fresh&easy Vegetable & Dip or Fruit & Dip Platter, $9.99

· fresh&easy Mini Watermelon, $1.99

· fresh&easy Beef Franks, Cooked Sausages or Cocktail Smokies, 2 for $6, when you buy multiples of 2

· fresh&easy Guacamole, $3.99

· fresh&easy Hummus (10 oz) or Refrigerated Salsa 12 (16 oz), 2 for $5, when you buy multiples of 2

Disclaimer: Fresh and Easy has sent The Frugal Diva samples, coupons, and gift cards plus her stepson works there as a buyer.

January is National Soup Month!

How many times do we look in the refrigerator and think “What in the world am I going to make for dinner?”  This is where the concept of soup becomes a time and energy saver. It’s nutritious, money saving and calorie conscious.  A box of stock, some vegetables, pasta or left over grains such as rice, and protein that can come from garbanzo beans, cut up chicken or frozen turkey meatballs. We are in business.

At some point get boxes of stock when they go on special. They come in many flavors including beef , chicken, and vegetarian. Always have fresh celery and carrots in the refrigerator. Stock pasta in different shapes and varieties – check out the new high protein pastas and rice pastas.  Left over cooked meat in any form goes in the freezer for times like this and for vegetarians keep some tofu and canned beans handy.

Grab the vegetables adding any that look ready to leave this world (not spoiled just a little past their prime) and start chopping into small pieces. Add some potatoes if you like.  If you live alone use this as a time to relax and focus on the delicious meal ahead. If you live with family or friends, this is the time to get them involved.

This is a judgement call not a strict recipe. So decide how much stock is appropriate, pour in about an inch or two and use it to steam the chopped vegetables and to defrost any cooked items from the freezer.

Now comes the fun part, raid your pantry and decide if you want to add a can of diced tomatoes, chopped garlic, black beans, or some fire roasted chilies.  If you need ideas, try The 99 Cent Chef for a delicious French Onion soup or some turkey and black bean chili recipe.   He shops cheap but the meals taste expensive.

This is your creation.  Make it a soup or use less stock and make it a stew or chili.  Put out some Parmesan or Cheddar cheese to sprinkle on top. Have some bread handy.  Stay cozy for the chilly nights ahead.

Don’t you love the farmer’s markets? All that fresh produce with infinite possibilities for meals, great food stalls, and local products.  My only problem was figuring out where and when.  This site solved all my problems. LocalHarvest.org has all the markets nationwide so you can keep up with any changes, find out what’s fresh that day, and plan your weekly produce shopping.

If you are in LA, try this site for the local markets which are listed on one page and you can sort by location, day, or time. In Culver City on a Tuesday afternoon, pick up some clementines. In Studio City on a Sunday morning, pick up some sweet potatoes.  In midtown on Wednesday afternoon try the Farmers’ Market at Barnsdall Art Park for Meyer lemons. Plus when you click on the market, it takes you to a page with the specific location, events, and specialities.

In addition to the freshest in-season produce, many also offer flowers, cheeses, baked goods, local artisans’ products, free-range chicken, and even seafood. Each market is unique and produce varies.  The Santa Monica market at Arizona and 3rd on Saturday morning is mostly organic. Look for the certified organic sign to be sure.

Divas, enjoy fresh air shopping, meet local farmers, and stay healthy with more produce in your diet.  Send this article to your Frugal Dude so he can pick up some great veggies for throwing on the grill.

We all made resolutions for the New Year and now Restaurant Week tempts us to try new places at a lower price. If you do have dining out in your budget for this year, this is a great opportunity to venture into old favorites and recently opened restaurants at substantial discounts.

In Los Angeles, it’s dineLA for two weeks. The first is January 22 to 27 and the second is January 29 to February 3. Been meaning to sample Akasha’s interesting cuisine? A three course dinner including an appetizer, entree, and dessert will be $34.

New York City brings out the bargains from January 16 to February 10 (Monday through Fridays only).  Lunches are $24.07 and dinners $35.00 at some of the poshest places including Boulud Sud, Ca Va Brasserie by Todd English, and Ruth’s Cris Steak House.

Open Table lists all the cities that participate in dining discounts during the year. Check to see if there are any in your neighborhood or where you’ll be traveling.

If you are going carb free this year, stop reading right now. The Frugal Diva is celebrating National Spaghetti Day today! Before we had an official name for comfort food, there was spaghetti (not pasta). Long strands to twirl on your fork, a variety of sauces, and low cost ingredients, made for a dish that satisfied in every way without breaking the budget.

Let’s check out at some new and old variations.

Vegetarians take a look at light and easy  SPAGHETTI WITH BROCCOLI BALLS.

Another healthy option is whole wheat spaghetti with salmon courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

Easy to make with pantry ingredients red pepper, garlic and olive oil at the 99 Cent Chef.

For the real deal bolognese recipe go to Emeril.

Let me know your favorites.

It’s time for the those big family dinners and you might want to ask yourself, “Do I want to spend two or three days shopping, chopping, and cooking?” That is after finishing a day of work, picking up gifts, and attending numerous holiday functions.  The Frugal Diva says think about getting one of those everything included dinners.

Here are some great ideas from Fresh & Easy.

Turkey Dinner for 8 is $50 and includes 6 pounds of turkey breast and 3 fresh side dishes.

Ham Dinner for 8 is $45 and includes 7 pounds of baked ham and 4 fresh side dishes.

Beef Rib Roast Dinner for 8 is $65 and includes 4 pounds of turkey breast and 3 fresh side dishes.

The sides look scrumptious with everything from roasted vegetables to potato gratin to butternut squash risotto.

Pick up a few salad bags, some wine, and a  $6.99 pumpkin cheesecake pie from their fresh bakery. You are set.

When you do the math everyone wins! The Frugal Diva loves to cook however sometimes you just have sit back relax and enjoy your own party.

Disclaimer: Fresh and Easy has sent The Frugal Diva samples, coupons, and gift cards plus her stepson works there as a buyer.

Frugal Divas know that  grocery shopping is so much more than picking up a few things at the store.  We have strategies that help maximize each trip and get the most out of every dollar.  With Fresh & Easy there is the added benefit of using email coupons with the new Friends Program.  On the  F & E program you can convert points to cash anytime after you accumulate 500. I quickly took the time to log in to my Friends account and loaded $15 to use with my $10 off $50 coupon plus I chose items for double points that would be on my shopping list.

I think we can all see where this is going. The Frugal Diva is looking at buying around $50 worth of groceries for $25. The Frugal Dude and I were showing some friends from out of town around Pasadena so as part of the tour we stopped at the 603 S. Lake Street store in Pasadena last Friday afternoon.  The friendliest gentleman was giving out samples at the store entrance. Now who doesn’t like little snack sample of granola scones before embarking on a great saving adventure.

As I tossed things in the basket, I made a mental total so that the coupon would have the most impact on my bottom line. Now my mental total was a little fuzzy when I got to check out. The manager  took the  time to help me and deducted an item that brought the total to $52.56.  Aside from the savings, the staff was super nice and made shopping a pleasure. After my coupon and cash total from my card, the balance was $27.56!

By the way since you are probably feeling sorry for my friends, we also went to the Norton Simon Museum (if you want to save the ticket price, it is free from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM the first Friday of every month) and Old Town Pasadena for dinner.

The Friends Card loyalty program makes you an insider with cash rewards, bonus point coupons, and new product information.  Best of all this fresh new program is easy. Right now get 250 points just for joining!

Disclaimer: Fresh and Easy has sent The Frugal Diva occasional samples, coupons, and gift cards plus her stepson works there as a buyer.

Kroger is a wide reaching grocery chain with different names locally. However the loyalty programs are pretty much the same.  Here in LA, the Frugal Diva shops  staples at Ralphs and tries to wring the most benefits out her loyalty card.

Gift Cards – Buy them here while you shop here and you get loyalty points. Time saver and bonus rebate all in one place.

Wines – Get them by the half dozen and save an extra 10%.

Weekly Specials – Once you have your rewards, use them on items that are already discounted for the maximum savings.

Coupons – Coupons that come with your rewards bonus can be used on lower prices to get even greater savings.

Let me know your favorite ways to work these cards!

Starting on Nov. 1 and each day leading up to 11-11-11, Sprouts is posting a new coupon deal for a single item which will be valid through the Sunday it is posted. Many of the items will be great baking or cooking staples for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. There will be a bonus for all fans hanging around on their Facebook page on 11-11-11. http://www.facebook.com/SproutsFarmersMarket.

Don’t miss out on the last day of their Vitamin Extravaganza! (That’s 25% off all vitamins, supplements and body care items, for those of you who didn’t know.) This is a good time to stock up on your favorite products and get some early holiday shopping done, at a once a year deal. Tip: Spend $100 pre-tax in this department and get an additional 10% off. Be sure to shop on Wednesdays. The weekly specials overlap on that day and you will have twice as many opportunities to save.

If a health food store and big box store had a child it would be called Sprouts.  This is a full service market that combines a fabulous produce department (about 40% of the store) with a natural food store’s selection of everything else at great prices.  What does that mean to the average shopper?  If your shopping list includes fresh produce,  organic cereal, whole wheat baguettes, eco friendly cleaning products, grass fed beef, and a teaspoon of rosemary this is the place for you.  And with their low shelving, you can find everything you need quickly plus there are no mainstream brands to impede your search. This is for families who want more fresh and additive free food in their diet at the best prices.

While their organic produce section is still pretty small, organic products can be found everywhere else in the store.  Organic eggs, yogurt, and milk in the dairy case. Bottled organic juices, organic honey, and even organic breads under the Sprouts label on the shelves. They carry all the brands you would expect to see in any of the other health food chains however most of the prices are better and with weekly specials you can stock up when prices are really fantastic.  Especially on their own Sprouts brand of vitamins.

About that teaspoon of rosemary, I mentioned. This is something new for me, spices in bulk.  How many recipes do we pass up that have an unusual herb or use a bottle that has been there since we moved in? This is an opportunity to try out something new without wasting money.

Bulk buying is also possible for nuts, chips, and candies (better to buy a little then gorge on a lot).

Wednesday might be hump day to some people, for The Frugal Diva Wednesday is shop at Sprouts day.