Anybody who shops for groceries these days can see that prices have gone up at an alarming rate on just about everything. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index, the price of food increased nearly 5 percent in 2007, its largest increase in almost 20 years.

Given the current concerns and economic climate, it’s worth considering how you spend your food budget. Personally, the downturn in the economy has helped me to reconnect with the simplicity principles I have practiced since the early 1990s—when our family was young and we needed to stretch our money as far as possible. Clipping coupons, scouting sales, creating meals from what is in season and on sale, and shopping from a grocery list are ways I save. Yes, it requires some time to plan, but it makes sense—and cents!

This month, I am sharing two quick and simple recipes from my files. The Asian Noodles with Edamame recipe was printed in a Vegetarian Times magazine a couple of years ago. Serve it as a main course or as a side dish, and if you don’t have or can’t find udon noodles, substitute any pasta—spaghetti or fettuccine, for example—in its place.

One word about the Striped Cookie Salad: Yum! If you like, add drained pineapple as well or in place of the mandarin oranges. Grab an extra package of the cookies and use one to make s’mores. Simply place a roasted marshmallow between two cookies.