Busy families looking to stretch their food dollars are discovering they can save time and money by starting or joining a cooking club. Three or four families team up, pool resources and spend part of one day cooking a week’s worth of meals together. It’s a fun way to put nutritious food on the table without spending a fortune.

Cake:
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon instant coffee
1/3 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Topping:
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Ingredients:
Cooking spray
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 5 ounces each)
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese (any variety, including Gorgonzola)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 apple (preferably Mackintosh, Gala or Fuji), peeled, cored and diced
3 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (4 teaspoons) dried minced onion

1 rack baby back ribs

2 tablespoons Cajun Shake

3 tablespoons Original Louisiana Hot Sauce

1 cup Cajun Injector BBQ Mesquite Marinade

As is true of many Chinese dishes, the most difficult part of the recipe is in the sauce, and making it can be daunting for the home cook. But now, dishes such as Kung Pao Chicken are easy to make at home when using a purchased bottled sauce, such as Annie Chun’s Kung Pao sauce. Traditional Kung Pao sauce is made with naturally brewed soy sauce, roasted sesame oil, ginger, garlic and chili.