Upsides to the Down Economy/ Shop in your Own Kitchen

Trying to save money or just too lazy to go to the grocery store? Shop in your own kitchen. Check out the contents of your freezer, fridge and pantry and see what forgotten items you come up with. When I recently did this I was rewarded with two lobster tails (wrapped in aluminum foil) and a flank steak from Cotsco. Paired with a baked potato, it made a delicious surf and turf Saturday night meal my hubby and I. Find a petrified ham hock in the freezer? Delicious (and inexpensive) split pea soup is a comforting solution. Once you identify your holdings, go through your recipes to come up with ways to pair things or, if you need inspiration, Google items (Chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, couscous) for recipe ideas. Pasta is one staple that is always in our pantry so here's an easy recipe using items you may already have on hand.

Greek Spaghetti

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 pound spaghetti or linguine
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts
12 Greek or Italian style black olives
1 teaspoon oregano
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup grated Romano or Parmesan chees
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Cook pasta according to package. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic, saute 1 to 2 minutes. Drain artichokes, reserving liquid; cut artichoke hearts in half.
Add reserved artichoke liquid, olives, oregano and lemon juice to onion-garlic mixture. Mix well. Heat 2 to 3 minutes. Add reserved artichoke hearts. Heat through. Combine pasta, artichoke mixture, Romano and feta cheese. Serve and enjoy.