I make all our bread from scratch - regular loaves, rolls, buns, pitas, tortillas, dough, etc.

I really want to try sourdough, but I have no idea where to get it. I have two friends with starters, but they live across the country. Do I just go to a bakery and buy it? It feels like a secret society lol.

Please help with my entrance into the secret sourdough society!

If I'm in a hurry/tired/drained and don't want to put much mental effort into making food, I make rice, steam some veggies, and add a sauce.

We get big, inexpensive bags of frozen veggies with broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. I steam them for a few minutes while the rice cooks. Then I whip up a sauce, usually some kind of Thai-inspired spicy peanut butter sauce.

If there's leftover rice, I let it hang out in the fridge for a couple days, and then use it to make fried rice, which is basically the same as above, but all fried together and possibly with different flavors :)

My current favorite bean situation (a recipe from a friend):

• 2 cans* of beans (usually black)
• 1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1/2 onion, diced (yellow or white)
• Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, to taste

• Drain and rinse beans (if from a can).
• Put them in a medium-sized pot.
• Fill pot with water just until beans are covered.
• Add all ingredients and stir.
• Bring to a boil with the lid on.
• Turn down to low to simmer for 30 minutes.
• Take off lid, stir, and finish cooking until you have your desired consistency (we like it a little mushy).

*I haven't been able to figure this out texture-wise with our dried black beans, even after soaking and cooking for a long time, so I'll have to work on that a bit. But beans in cans work really well!

What are your favorite ways to make beans?

Potatoes are so versatile. Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew, and more yet. We buy a 50lb bag of potatoes from the Costco Business Center and have fun learning new ways to eat them.

It's definitely possible to make potatoes unhealthy, but you can fix them up with your own ingredients and techniques to keep an eye on nutrition.

My current favorite thing to do: Bake 3 or 4 russets, ideally until just before they're baked-potato-mushy. Dice them up in to nickel-sized pieces. Gently toss with a little oil and seasoning. Air-fry them at 400 F until crispy.

Then you can add them to burritos, have them with eggs, or just with some roasted veggies.

What are your favorite cheap ways to eat potatoes?