This is what I refer to as a "Waste Not Want Not Recipe." You see, it was my husband's birthday this past week, and he requested vegan vanilla cupcakes with chocolate fudge frosting - a treat I had made for him in the form of a cake two years ago.

Unfortunately, I made two major mistakes. First, rather than using my tried and true recipes for the vegan white cake and chocolate fudge frosting (both recipes in Go Dairy Free), I decided to trial someone else's recipe for white vegan cupcakes that I had never tried before. (Note to self: stick to tried and true recipe for special occasions!). Second, I forgot where we lived. Having not baked a cake since moving back to the mountains ... at 6000+ feet, I completely forgot about the differences in baking. Baked goods rise here really well, in fact too well at times ... and vegan cupcake recipes often rely a bit too heavily on leaveners. And, well, you know the old saying, what goes up, must come down ... See One Frugal Foodie for the full post and recipes for Traditional Vegan Cake Balls and Nutty Vegan Cake Balls.

Ah, it had seemed like forever since I baked a fresh loaf of bread. My husband had some toast cravings, so I eagerly walked to the store for the necessary supplies. That is when I spotted the spelt flour. I have always loved the taste of whole grains, but something about the light sweetness of spelt always wins me over.

Though we both loved my Hearty German-Style Spelt Bread, I was craving something a bit lighter in taste for this week’s breakfast bread. I opted to adapt the very simple recipe from Arrowhead Mills Spelt Flour, but since I had just purchased a 1 lb bag of good organic cinnnamon ($4 – no joke!), I also decided to spike the loaf with a touch of spice.

The recipe came out nicely. I topped my husband's toast with his favorite, nut butter and jelly, and mine with a homemade honey spread – hmmm, maybe I should share that recipe too? See One Frugal Foodie for the Simply Cinnamon Spelt Bread Recipe.

Think you need butter and milk to make flavorful mashed potatoes? Not if you have a container of hummus around! For the past few months I have actually been a bit obsessed with hummus, not only enjoying it as a dip, but also in recipes. It is definitely one of those wonderful convenience ingredients that can immediately make a dish pop with little to no fuss.

Though I must admit, I was not clever enough to dream up this easy match from Chef Colombe Jacobsen. She has been busy developing recipes for Sabra Hummus, and this low-fat, vegan, gluten-free, food allergy-friendly, all natural idea for Hummus Mashed Potatoes is just one of her many creations. Sabra offers a huge line of hummus flavors, from the Classic version to the enticing Caramelized Onion. Yeah, I think Colombe has a lot to work with here, so we can probably expect the recipes to keep on coming.

You can see her recipe collection on the Sabra Hummus website, and the recipe for Hummus Mashed Potatoes ... well, that is right here ...

For most of my life, I could give or take chocolate. I was simply a vanilla person with little to no cravings for the cacao bean in any form. But when I got my first taste of a truly fudgy brownie, I was hooked and there was no turning back. These days I am still what I would call a chocolate "purist" in the loose sense of the word. Straight chocolate, fudge, and fudgy brownies are the only chocolate I graciously and eagerly accept .... but this acceptance has turned into a daily ritual. Yet, even after years of experimentation, my original Coconut Fudge Brownie recipe is still the favorite in this household. Of course, I welcome variations on this recipe, and was especially smitten by the one created at Altered Plates, which optionally uses one of my other loves, carob ...

“These brownies [recipe below] are inspired by the recipe for Coconut Fudge Brownies from the book by Alisa Marie Fleming, Go Dairy Free. The brownies are indeed fudgy and coconutty. I boosted the coconut factor a bit when I used some coconut flour in combination with whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour. Per usual, I substituted agave nectar for sugar and carob for chocolate. Overall, a mighty tasty brownie that can easily become a favorite of any coconut fan.”

I always think of the holidays as the most hectic time of year, and the summer as the least productive, yet lately, it seems as though February has swallowed me whole. With little time for new cooking adventures, I have turned to old favorites like this one. This Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry is a no fail in my house; easy to prepare, versatile, and flavorful.

The recipe is of course dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free ... but you can even make it gluten-free with some good old wheat-free tamari. But be warned, since this recipe utilizes both oyster sauce (gluten-free version do exist!) and soy sauce I prefer to use low sodium soy sauce to keep the saltiness down.

We often make this stir-fry sans rice, so the recipe as written makes a modest amount of sauce that is slightly thick. If you like the flavor and want more for your rice to soak up, feel free to double the sauce, or simply thin it with another tablespoon or two of chicken broth. My husband also suggested adding cashews. I keep forgetting to do this, but it would probably be excellent, so give it a whirl if you wish! See the full recipe here on One Frugal Foodie.

Such a surprise winter, with snow piling up higher than ever in so many parts of the country. I couldn't think of a better recipe for these conditions than an old favorite, Rich and Creamy Potato Miso Soup. I shared it with you one year ago here on Frugal Foodie Friday, but felt it was certainly worth a revisit. It has since won a "No Croutons Required" blogger award, and has received kudos from several households nationwide. Not to mention, it is still one of my cold weather favorites.

This soup is very quick and easy to prepare, yet the resultant meal is full of flavor and has a wonderfully smooth, chowder-like consistency. Plus, though it is at its heart a dairy-free delight, it can be customized to fit a soy-free, gluten-free, and/or vegan diet. See the notes with the recipe for customization. Enjoy the recipe on One Frugal Foodie.