1.Use a sugar substitute in place of sugar. In this day and age, there are many sugar substitutes available at grocery stores. However, make sure you read the label to see which ones can be used for baking.
2.Use a different sweetener altogether in place of sugar. Fruit juices, honey and agave nectar can all sweeten baked goods while being better for those with diabetes.
3.Use half the sugar suggested in the recipe, especially if there are other sweet ingredients in the recipe, such as vanilla or honey.
4.For recipes that use white flour, use half white flour and half whole-wheat flour.
5.Use unsweetened apple sauce instead of oil.
6.Substitute low-fat ricotta cheese or low-fat cream cheese for whipping cream in recipes.
7.Look for recipes or recipes books that are made specifically for diabetics. In the case of recipe books, they can offer both sugar-free recipes and advice on diabetic cooking.

If you had tacos and you have some leftover meat, you could use it to make empanada’s or stuffed pasta. If you have left over roast, chicken, pork chops or steak, you could cook up some rice and veggies and have a stirfry. You might have to be a little creative when it comes to using left overs. You never know what you could come up with.

It could also be as simple as using the same veggies or salad from the night before. Another great way to use leftovers is to have a leftover night. Just reheat what ever you have left from dinner and everyone can choose what they want. Leftovers for lunch is also a very yummy economical way to go about having lunch.

Leftovers, the new dinner!

Frozen vegetables are the most economical way of purchasing vegetables. There are tastes for everyone, as most veggies complement any meal. Try buying in bulk as much as possible. Often you can save a lot of money on these frequently necessary ingredients.

Pasta is another great way of eating simply and isn’t expensive. Try making improvised spaghetti dishes that utilize your frozen vegetables. Use spinach, garbanzo beans, broccoli, zucchini, corn, or mushrooms the possibilities are infinite. Mix your veggies into a tomato sauce for a flavorful meal. Add spices to taste.

It is good to have a variety of spices on hand, as they can help to enhance simple meals. Oregano, garlic powder, olive oil, parsley, tarragon, basil, chili powder, and cumin. Buy the dried flakes as they are cheapest, and while fresh herbs are delicious, they aren’t necessary for a beautiful dinner. Salt and pepper are necessary to have in your arsenal, as well as butter, milk, cheese, and flour.

Buying the store brand items is a great idea. The extra cents spent on name brand foods adds up in the long run.

• City Lights (San Francisco, California): City Lights was founded in 1953 by Beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The building used to be a religious revival center, but under Ferlinghetti’s hand became known as a meeting place of off-beat literary icons. Today, the seller also functions as a publisher, with Ferlinghetti still playing a leading role.
• Powell’s Books (Portland, Oregon): Powell’s is an independent chain with its headquarters rumored to be the largest independent bookstore in the world. The original Portland location was founded in 1971. You can find “new, used, and rare books” at the store and its online site, where you can also enter contests and read reviews.
• Tattered Cover Book Store (Denver, Colorado): Open 7 days a week, the Tattered Cover is Denver’s literary center, with a size rivaling Powell’s. Signings and readings are scheduled regularly. The bookstore offers a generous service for people unable to attend these events, in which the store will get a book signed and/or personalized and then hold or mail it to the customer.
• Prairie Lights (Iowa City, Iowa): This historical 4-story building features three-and-a-half stories of books (80,000 to 100,000 at any given time) as well as a half-story coffee shop. You can order online, but it’s worth checking out the physical location, which is designed as a human face. Obama visited this shop back in March.
• Strand Book Store (New York City, New York): One of the oldest independent bookstores, Strand opened back in 1927 and has operated continuously since then. Besides covering 55,000 square feet, the shop employs over 200 workers. In the ’70s, this group included punk rockers Patti Smith and Tom Verlaine.