MY LATEST IDEAS FOR YOU

an antique bowl with freshly made romano bean salad

Romano Bean Salad with Tomatoes, Castelvetrano Olives & Wine-Soaked Raisins

The secret to perfection is time. Give this salad an hour — ideally two or four — and the broad Romano beans absorb the white balsamic vinaigrette, turning each pod into something deeply savory, lightly tangy, and impossible to stop eating. And, this salad would be perfect for a picnic or potluck BBQ.

Cynthia

8 minutes ago2 min read

Easy and Delicious Dinner Ideas Using Only Pantry Staples

Having a well-stocked pantry and freezer is the first step to getting a fuss-free dinner on the table and saving money. Cooking at home is always going to stretch dollars further than eating out or ordering in ... especially if you're using inexpensive bulk-bin staples like beans and grains. When making dinner from pantry staples, focus on versatile ingredients like canned beans, pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, spices, dried herbs, onions, garlic, and a variety of canned vegeta

Cynthia

1 hour ago4 min read

a history of the tomato with best storage practices, uses and recipes to make the most of summers' bounty

Tomato 101: Your Complete Guide to Choosing, Storing, and Using Summer's Star Ingredient

Whether you're working with a backyard haul, a farmers market score, or a grocery store flat, here's everything you need to make the most of tomato season.

Cynthia

4 days ago4 min read

Welcome!

I've been on this current path for about 15 years now — long enough to have made mistakes, changed my mind a few times, and figured out what actually works.

I started Simply By Cynthia as a place to share what I was learning about plant-based cooking and running a home well. Those things are still here. But the questions I was asking in the kitchen — about where things come from, what they cost, and what they leave behind — eventually followed me into every corner of my life.

Today my home runs on rooftop solar with Tesla Powerwall backup. I've been driving electric for more than a decade. I eat a whole-food, plant-based diet. And I spend a lot of time thinking about how the choices we make at the most practical, everyday level connect to much bigger things. My home has become something of a working model — for what's possible, what's affordable, and what genuinely makes life more comfortable and satisfying.

I'm not an expert in any official sense. I'm someone who has been paying close attention for a long time, asking questions, doing the math, and living with the results. What I share here is what I've actually learned — the practical stuff first, and the bigger picture when you're ready for it.

If you're curious about any of it — the food, the energy, the philosophy, or just how to make your home work better and cost less — you're in the right place.

Cynthia

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