Tuesday Megalinks

Hey everybody – my RSS feed mysteriously dropped about 400 people this weekend. Usually when the RSS does this, it’s a glitch and it rebounds the next day. This time, it’s persisted, which is unusual. Is anyone having problems viewing the posts? If so, I’ll get on it a.s.a.p.

Bankrate.com: 8 ways to make your coupons count
You see coupon strategies everywhere these days, but Bankrate puts it best with this to-the-point list. If you know someone just getting started with the system, send it along.

Being Frugal: Menu Planning and the Pantry Principle
“The Pantry Principle” might sound like a Janet Jackson song, but really, it’s a recession-ready strategy for getting the most out of dried and canned goods. Read it while listening to Control for extra fun.

Boston Globe: Party with a plan
It’s about a week since the Times’ ridiculous $240 dinner party article, and lots of other papers have had time to respond. This one, from the Globe, is one of the best: it’s a wicked good tip compilation for actual (non-rich) people

Culinate: Healthy Holidays
Seems that Americans gain a pound every holiday season. (Um … or five.) Here, Marissa Lippert suggests a few ways to prevent the Christmas Creep.

Culinate: How to host a potluck party (You still need a menu)
It’s true! You do need a menu! Otherwise, it’s three plates of brownies, a bowl of Brussels sprouts, and nothing else.

Gourmet: Favorite Cookies 1941-2008
Cheap? Kind of.
Healthy? Not particularly.
2001’s best cookie recipe, Cranberry Turtle Bars? Oh, hell yes.

Jezebel: Yuppie Foodies Hoodwinked By "Health Halo"
Processed food companies are slapping labels like “healthy!” and “zero trans fat” on their packaging to attract buyers. Buyers, in turn, assume the products are nutritionally sound, and buy/eat more of them. Then, the buyers gain crazy weight. Vicious Cycletown, population: all of us.

The Kitchn: Recipe Roundup – Vegan Appetizers
Vegans (and others)! Take note! TK’s pushing 24 different recipes for non-meat/dairy hors d’oeuvres, and they all look positively scrumptious. I may even serve these to my decidedly carnivore-ish Pa.

Metromix: Dining 2008 - Trends
Remember 2008? Man, I do. That year was AWESOME. All that casual French and African dining … woof. It’s right up there with 2003, when I had a blueberry bagel for the first time. (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Money Saving Mom: Guest Post: Building an "Emergency Fund" of Food
Guest post mania! Hannah and Abby pass on more pantry tips, creating a nice companion piece to the aforementioned Being Frugal article.

Money Saving Mom: Smart Shopping Tips from Ellie Kay Parts 1 & 2
Despite who I originally mistook her for, Ellie Kay is NOT Mary Kay. She doesn’t own a pink Cadillac and won’t try to sell you animal-tested cosmetics. Nope. Rather, she’s a home economics expert (home ec-spert?) with eight kids. Here, MSM proprietress Crystal comments on some of Ellie’s most well-known strategies.

Neatorama: 10 Weird Gourmet Foods
If corn fungus, snail caviar, and poop coffee aren’t enough, you can top your next meal off with a delicious helping of maggot cheese. It does a body good! (Thanks to Serious Eats for the link.)

The Oregonian: Chocolate and vanilla
Need to decide which extract and/or baking chocolate will do your holiday cookies right? GO HERE NOW. This thing is freakin’ exhaustive. It’s like the Das Boot of taste tests, only with fewer U-boats. (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Philadelphia Inquirer: The no-splurge holiday spread
More on inexpensive entertaining, straight from the heart of Pennsylvania. (Er … I mean, Philly.) Seven pages of recipes follow the initial tip sheet. (Thanks to Eater for the link.)

Serious Eats: Foodies Pitch Nominees to Barack Obama for Secretary of Agriculture
88 prominent foodies, including Alice Waters and Michael Pollan, wrote Obama a note about their picks for the next White House SoA. Among the named: Gus Schumacher, Sarah Vogel, Neil Hamilton, and four other very nice people I’ve never heard of.

Serious Eats: Mark Bittman - The Minimalist's Multiple Missions
What exactly does Mark Bittman do, besides publish massive cookbooks and hang out with Mario Batali? In short, he tries to get Americans to cook for themselves, using stuff found in most supermarkets. In long … well, check the article. Interesting profile of a direct, opinionated dude.

Slashfood: What is the Best Cheap Beer?
According to The Boyfriend, it’s MGD, now and always. But a gaggle of commenters have their say, as well.

Time Magazine: Top 10 Food Trends of 2008
From recession dining to calorie counts to good ol’ salmonella, these were the biggest stories in cooking this year. Conspicuously absent: maggot cheese.

Wise Bread: Surviving the Holiday Season - Entertaining (and Being Entertained) on a Budget
Aaaaaaaaaand … article #3 about frugal family and friend food fun. What is this “overkill” you speak of? (Nonetheless, it’s a solid piece.)

Wise Bread: Is hunting/fishing a good way to feed your family?
Blogger Nora Dunn poses a great, simple question: is hunting economical? Most of us don’t have the cash to purchase the guns and gear, but for those who do, well … is it cheaper than buying meat from a supermarket? Interesting issue, wonderful discussion in the comment thread.

(Photos courtesy of Let Me Put You On Something, Gourmet, Amazon, and CVS.co.)