Illustration By Cyndi Coon

​ True Food at the Biltmore and Scottsdale Quarter is a local favorite for fresh and healthy food. One of the treats on the menu is a drink called The Natural. It is a fresh ginger and agave syrup soda. So this Thrifty Cook wondered if this could this be made at home. It is really simple and absolutely delicious. It is also a great stomach settler. More >>

Illustration By Cyndi Coon

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Summer in Phoenix means salad. A favorite among the locals is the Arcadia Farms Strawberry Chicken Salad. But if you are feeling too hot to head out to eat why not make it at home yourself?

Learn how to make Arcadia Farms Strawberry Chicken Salad after the jump.

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Illustration By Cyndi Coon

​The Cornish Pasty Co. is a big hit with Chow Bella. And why not? This is comfort food at its finest, all wrapped up in a package you could hold if that meat/veggie-filled pastry wasn't so darn gigantic. Don't feel like leaving the house? Make your own. More >>

Illustration By Cyndi Coon

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The convenience of a drive-thru is good and options for eating healthy are good but saving money in this economy is really good. So when Starbucks came out with instant oatmeal with toppings in cup we wondered, how much more would we pay for that convenience over preparing instant oatmeal with toppings at home.

Learn how you can save $15.59 after the jump.

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Illustration By Cyndi Coon

​One thing you learn, living in Phoenix, is that all salsa is not created equal. We are particularly partial to the salsa bar La Condesa. Want to save a buck? Try to make their Pecan Salsa at home. More >>

Illustration By Cyndi Coon

​Pita Jungle is a fast-growing chain here in the Valley, but many of us remember the days when it was just the original, take-out only, hole in the wall in Tempe. The Mediterranean-style menu remains pretty much the same and is pretty consistent. A favorite is the lentils and rice in Pita Jungle's version of the Fattoush Salad.

So what if you could make this recipe at home and have enough for left-overs for days? Beats take-out and is much cheaper when you consider the number of meals.

Grab the knock-off recipe for Pita Jungle's Fattoush Salad after the jump.

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Tags:

Lentils, pita jungle, Rice, Thrifty Cook

Illustration By Cyndi Coon

​ Okay, so soda bread came long after Saint Patrick. Bicarbonate of soda arrived on the scene in the mid 1840's as a leavening agent and was used in Ireland to work with the wheat grown there. Whatever, who needs the details of St. Patrick anyway. This bread is to soak up all the beer in your belly on the biggest beer drinking day of the year. Spend your money on the brew and get thrifty on the bread by baking a loaf yourself. More >>

Illustration By Cyndi Coon

​With Caramelpalooza only days away, all of us here at Chow Bella are feeling caramel crazy with excitement. So the question came up can you have a thrifty, tasty, quick caramel treat? Indeed -- and in a simple sip-it-down liquid form.

Learn how to make a creamy caramel tea after the jump.

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Illustration By Cyndi Coon

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The King Cake is a Mardi Gras tradition that involves a bread type cake, a small plastic baby, and a party. Legend says the King Cake has a small plastic baby hidden inside and the person who gets the slice with baby in it has to host the next party. This recipe offers  thriftiness because it makes two loaves, enough to freeze and save for later. It is a labor of love but well worth the all day process and since most of the ingredients are in your pantry, it's a lot cheaper to make a King Cake for Mardi Gras then to rush out and buy one.

Learn how to make a Mardi Gras King Cake after the jump.

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Illustration By Cyndi Coon

​Lasagna can seem like an ingredients-heavy meal with a lot of steps and full of fat from the noodles and cheese, but there are ways around all of the road blocks. Make it simple by using "no-boil" lasagna noodles, skip the meat and add in grated vegetables for a sneaky healthier -- and affordable -- option.

Learn how to make this quick recipe after the jump.

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