Why I Am Hot, Cheap & Easy

As a longtime food lover and food writer, I am passionate about eating well. I don’t just consume food; I also love to cook. Nothing makes me happier than planning, shopping for, preparing and sitting down to delicious meals. But in my past footloose and fancy-free life, I had plenty of time to muck around in the kitchen. Now that I am a fulltime college instructor and the single mother of an active toddler, I barely have time to get my make-up on in the morning, much less plan elaborate meals for 14! This blog is about keeping my food life luscious, sexy and vibrant (Hot), while making everything more economical (Cheap) and dead simple (Easy). Find me, follow me, inform me; there’s gotta be a way to make this work!

26 Responses to “Why I Am Hot, Cheap & Easy”

Migdalia Alvira June 16, 2018 at 11:23 pm #

Hola Natalia de Cuba. Como estas? Jugamos soccer en Ocean Park. (PR) Conoces a Mele Cesteros?

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy September 10, 2024 at 12:29 pm #
  
  Hola Migdalia!!!! Sí la conozco! Hace tiempo que no pongo al día este blog….lamento no haberte contestado antes….
  
  Reply
Tom Rivera November 9, 2017 at 11:53 am #

Hola Prima! Nice Blog, Saludos x0….

Reply
Tim Moore September 17, 2017 at 8:13 am #

Hey there!

The other day I came across an article you wrote where you linked to thespruce.com’s piece on garlic scapes and what to do with them here: https://hotcheapeasy.com/2013/07/31/at-least-weve-got-some-beautiful-garlic/

I wanted to say…

#1: Awesome job. You clearly take pride in your work. And #2: We wrote a very indepth article on garlic scapes and what to do with them as well and I think it would compliment your article nicely.

Here it is: https://www.backyardboss.net/what-to-do-with-garlic-scapes/

If you could add our link to your page, I’d be so grateful that I’ll share your site to all of our fans. Facebook, Twitter and G+. We have quite a few fans so we can send some decent traffic!

What do you think?

Tim

Reply
The Belmont Rooster November 6, 2013 at 8:00 pm #

Great blog! Thanks for visiting mine as well!

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy November 7, 2013 at 3:07 pm #
  
  Thank you! Look forward to more visits!
  
  Reply
Adam June 8, 2013 at 11:38 am #

Just found your blog and already loving it. Looking forward to reading more.

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy June 8, 2013 at 11:41 am #
  
  Thank you very much, Adam. Welcome!
  
  Reply
Alison January 18, 2013 at 2:54 pm #

I love your blog so much that I had to nominate you for the “Sisterhood of the World Bloggers” Award. I couldn’t not! Your blog is just so wonderful!!

Here is a link to the rules and badge, if you want to take part.

Sister (And Brother!)hood of the World Bloggers Award

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy January 19, 2013 at 10:02 am #
  
  Thanks so much! I …I will work on it as soon as possible! It’s a crazy period here..
  
  Reply
  - Alison January 19, 2013 at 10:24 am #
    
    You are welcome. I hope things lighten up for you soon!
daisyandthefox January 9, 2013 at 6:01 am #

I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award – congratulations! 🙂

Celebrating the New Year with Blog Awards

Happy New Year!

Daisy and the Fox

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy January 9, 2013 at 10:47 am #
  
  Thanks so much! I hope to be responding to these awhis week. I so appreciate your thinking of me! Will follow up soon!
  
  Reply
  - daisyandthefox January 9, 2013 at 7:27 pm #
    
    no worries!! 🙂 You most certainly deserve it! 😀
mmmarzipan December 30, 2012 at 6:58 pm #

Hi! Just stopping by to say I really enjoyed following you in 2012 and have nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award. If you’re interested in accepting, pop by http://missmarzipan.com/2012/12/31/100th-post-today-with-belated-yet-grateful-responses-to-18-award-nominations/ for more details. If not, no worries 🙂 I gave you a nice shout-out in any case… and I wish you a very happy 2013! 🙂

Reply
Becoming Madame December 22, 2012 at 9:13 am #

Last week I sent you a comment nominating you for the Beautiful Blogger Award and the Reader Appreciation Award. A few of the comments went to the spam boxes of other nominees, so I hope you received yours! In any case, I love what you’re doing and am looking very forward to more in 2013! All my best for the holidays! http://becomingmadame.wordpress.com/appreciation/

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy December 22, 2012 at 12:14 pm #
  
  Oh! No I haven’t received anything. Thanks so much for the honor!
  
  Reply
daisyandthefox December 5, 2012 at 7:50 am #

I really enjoy your blog and have nominated it for the Liebster award! 🙂

Liebster Award

congratulations – you deserve it!

Daisy and the Fox

Reply
mmmarzipan November 21, 2012 at 7:06 pm #

Hi Natalia! Just stopping by to let you know that I have nominated you for a Wonderful Team Member Readership Award. See http://missmarzipan.com/2012/11/22/3-award-nominations-200-follows-today-aka-very-grateful-and-surprised/ if you’d like to accept. If not, no worries- you have a nice shout-out on my blog in any case 🙂 All the best x

Reply
vinicooksveg November 1, 2012 at 11:43 pm #

Hi there, I loved the idea behind this blog. Great tips and useful posts!

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy November 4, 2012 at 1:21 pm #
  
  Thanks for the good words!
  
  Reply
thewindykitchen October 11, 2012 at 1:02 pm #

I really enjoy reading your posts and I have nominated you for the Liebster award http://thewindykitchen.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/the-liebster-blog-award/

Reply
- Natalia at Hot, Cheap & Easy October 11, 2012 at 2:34 pm #
  
  Thanks so much! I will quickly visit your blog and accept!
  
  Reply
Bluejellybeans January 19, 2012 at 6:06 am #

Hello Natalia, would you like to answer these questions? http://bluejellybeans.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/very-special-times/.
Greetings!

Reply
patti schaefer January 18, 2011 at 3:00 am #

Hey, nice blog, chica! I will look forward to some good recipes – check out my little tumblr project and please leave behind any insights that strike you in the ESL classroom!
Hope all’s well. Leandro looks like a precious one. One of these days let’s do try to get together if you’re ever in the city!
xoxo
Your Stony Friend

Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Thanksgiving Sides and Sweets: A Recipe Round-Up « Hot, Cheap & Easy - November 17, 2012
[…] Why I Am Hot, Cheap & Easy […]

¡Comida Hispana! Recipes to unleash your inner Latino

Mango Mojitos With Ancho Chili Salt

It was another summer Friday in the neighborhood and that called for another festive cocktail. Riding high on the success of last session’s passionfruit mojitos, I decided to make mango mojitos. The drink itself followed much the same construction, but the mango was decidedly sweeter than the passionfruit, so I decided that it needed a […]
Passionfruit Mojitos by the Pitcher or Glass

Summer evenings in the neighborhood can be wonderful. Occasionally on a Friday some of us neighbors bring out folding chairs and sit together in one front yard for a bit of happy hour while the kids go mental on someone else’s lawn. It’s pretty much BYO, but we do mix up a pitcher of experimental […]
KID IN THE KITCHEN: Tembleque (Tropical Coconut Pudding)

We spent the better part of last summer in Puerto Rico, and among the tasty things that my little guy fell in love with was tembleque, a jiggly (temblar means to tremble) dessert that falls somewhere between pudding and flan. I promised him we’d make it back in New York, and this weekend, for a […]
Sangría Tropical (and rainforest paradise pictures)

When the heat gets tropical, so should the drinks. On a recent trip to the mountains of Puerto Rico, I was inspired by a wonderfully cooling and exotic sangría I had up around and about El Yumque (Caribbean National Forest, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. Forest Service system) at Noelia’s, recommended to us […]
Salmorejo de jueyes (Land Crab Stew)

There are a number of land crab species skittering about Caribbean coastlines. Some are edible and the one we eat most here in Puerto Rico (although I am told they mostly are imported from Venezuela these days) is Cardisoma guanhumi which we call juey and — if you are English-speaking — you might call the […]