Do you know how much food you throw away each year? Ever wonder how much that's costing you? A new website, Love Food Hate Waste, has a ton of great information about how we can save money by wasting less. There are tips for making fresh produce last longer, recipes for using up the little bits of various foods you might have left over, and you can even add your own tips and join the community of folks to discuss and ask questions.

Photo by svacher used under Creative Commons license

No, you’re not dreaming! This Sunday, February 28, visit the Canton “Mini” Farmers Market anytime between 10:00AM and 2:00PM inside the Cady-Boyer Barn at Preservation Park (500 N. Ridge Rd. just north of Cherry Hill Rd.). Buy local foods and select Michigan-made products, including apples, cider, honey, eggs, cheese, grass-fed meats, jerky, smoked fish and meats, jams, baked goods, pasta and BBQ sauces, salsa — even dog treats! Also, mark your calendar for the other two “Mini” Market dates: Sundays, March 28 and April 25. For more details, visit cantonfun.org.

Mixed drinks have undergone a massive revival. High end restaurant menus often have artisanal cocktails listed with specific and detailed ingredients. Old drinks have been refashioned and new beverages created by cutting edge bartenders, often called mixologists. Why not try creating these luscious libations in your own home?

The essential cocktail by Dale DeGroff

Mix shake stir : cocktails for the home bar : recipes from Danny Meyer's acclaimed New York City restaurants by Danny Meyer

As a Catholic kid growing up in Detroit, Paczki Day was always a very big deal at my school. The entire day was dedicated to fun, games and food, especially the yummy — and extremely fattening — Paczki which were provided for the students. Traditionally celebrated in the United States on Shrove Tuesday (i.e. the day before Ash Wednesday), to Americans of Polish descent - or any anyone who grew up in Metro Detroit — Paczki Day means eating paczki — those scrumptious jelly-filled, deep-fried donuts.

This week, from February 14-20, happens to be National Pancake Week! I don't know about you, but pancakes are one of my all-time favorites. If you're a pancake lover too, celebrate this week by reading some pancake books, trying out some pancake recipes, and of course, eating pancakes. Maybe one night this week you can have pancakes for dinner - that's always a fun thing to do! Enjoy those flapjacks this week, everyone!

Here are some great sites for frugal advice - all available in your feed reader:

• Lifehacker - for example, their article The Best Times to Buy Anything, All Year Round
• MintLife Blog - such as Ready, Set, Action! What TV Characters Teach Us About Money
• The Grocery Cart Challenge - Can your family's grocery bill be $60 a week?
• Money Ning - Has a frugality category for budget-centric advice
• Get Rich Slowly - Another personal finance blog, frequently with cost-cutting advice

Also, some books here in CPL's collection:

The complete Tightwad gazette : promoting thrift as a viable alternative lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn, a.k.a. The Frugal Zealot

Suddenly Frugal : How to Happier & Healthier for Less by Leah Ingram

Chef on a shoestring : more than 120 delicious, easy-on-the-budget recipes from America's best chefs by Andrew Freidman

If you’re a chocolate lover, February 9 is no ordinary day — it’s the day that Hershey’s Chocolate Company was founded in 1894. Hershey’s was started by Milton S. Hershey, the son of a Mennonite family who had little formal education but went on to become one of the richest men in America. By 1905, Hershey had built a state-of-the art factory to mass-produce chocolate bars, wafers and other delicious delectables. By 1907, his company had cracked the code and created what would become their best-selling product: the Hershey’s kiss. Coincidentally (or not!), Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so celebrate by getting your sweetie some Hershey’s kisses and checking out a book about this American original.
(© 2010 BookLetters LLC)

When the snow is falling on a weekend morning, I just want to watch it through the window while relaxing with another cup of coffee, and another, and another. The next step in this scenario is some delicious food to soak up the caffeine. What could be better than a home-cooked breakfast or luxurious brunch?

Gale Gand's brunch! by Gale Gand

Vegan brunch : homestyle recipes worth waking up for-- from asparagus omelets to pumpkin pancakes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Bread for breakfast by Beth Hensperger ; photography byLeigh Beisch

Mollie Katzen's Sunlight cafe by Mollie Katzen ; with illustrations by Mollie Katzen

Chocolate is so delicious... you can use it to make so many tasty things, like cookies, candy, and cake. But do you ever wonder where chocolate comes from? Read The Story of Chocolate to find out how chocolate begins its journey from cocoa bean to candy bar. Filled with lots of fun facts, this book is also easy enough to read on your own. Be warned - this book along with its yummy pictures might make you hungry! You just might get inspired to whip up a batch of brownies or chocolate chip cookies!

Once again, I am eagerly anticipating a cookbook. Jaden Hair's The steamy kitchen cookbook : 101 Asian recipes simple enough for tonight's dinner promises quick recipes accompanied by colorful illustrations. Perfect for armchair cookery, even if I never make it to the kitchen. While I'm old-fashioned enough to want the book, I can enjoy popping on to her blog in the meantime.

Is your New Year's resolution, as it is for so many of us, to drop a few pounds in 2010? Or perhaps you just want to eat a healthier diet? Take a look at some of our newer, healthier cookbooks and start your year off right.

• Emeril 20-40-60
• Moosewood Restaurant cooking for health
• Tosca Reno's eat clean cookbook

Yes, it is officially winter and what's better on a cold day than a hot meal ready in the crock pot when you get home? CPL has loads of crock pot cookbooks, but they are under the odd subject heading of Electric cookery, Slow. Don't let this slow you down; check a few out and start cookin'.

Starting your holiday baking? You'll find some excellent books under Christmas cookery. But so many are already checked out! Try Joy of Cooking. It has one of the two recipes I am asked for every year — Angel Slices. The other recipe is for Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti, which you can find on epicurious. An extra bonus: both recipes are incredibly easy.

Three excellent books that have easy to follow diet plans, list healthy foods that keep your weight low and; metabolism high and give thin-spiration ideas or expert advice to help you keep the weight off during the holidays and through-out the year.

• The complete idiot's guide to Glycemic Index Weight loss
• The Low GI diet Revolution
• The Holford Low GL Diet

foursquare is a web app that lets you keep track of where you go, get restaurant ideas and reviews, keep tabs on your friends, and compete to be 'mayor' of local attractions. It does a lot, yet is very simple to use and available on GPS-enabled smartphones.

CNN recently did a writeup about how foursquare may be the Twitter of 2010; ubiquitous, social, and possibly overblown. However, where many people who visit twitter don't see the point, foursquare has concrete uses on top of being fun. For instance, here's a picture of me taunting my friend who was the 'mayor' of Tony's Coney & Grill at the time:

Now he'll have to go to Tony's to get mayorship back! Want to get started? Try to become mayor of Canton Public Library

Beat Ebenezer Scrooge (your budget) and The Grinch (the economy) at their own game! Have a fun, festive and fancy Christmas Holiday without spending a lot of cabootle! Plan now and make your holiday season spectacular and stress-free. Everything you need is here to help stimulate your creativity; we have books ranging from 300 Ways to make the best Christmas ever to Christmas comfort and joy : 501 crafts, decorating and food ideas to make your holiday unforgettable. Be the envy of your friends and family and spend pennies for presents by checking out websites like http://simplemom.net/ and http://www.allfreecrafts.com/ for the frugal conscious!

It's amazing how thousands of easy food swaps can save you 10, 20, 30 pounds — or more. Author David Zinczenko explains which foods to avoid and which to substitute in Eat This, Not That! 2010: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution! This is the completely expanded and updated for 2010. Recipes are included.

Today I got two books I have been eagerly anticipating. It was like Christmas in November! The first is a world-wide compendium called The dumpling : a seasonal guide by Wai Hon Chu and Connie Lovatt. The second is My bread : the revolutionary no-work, no-knead method by Jim Lahey. You may know Lahey from Mark Bittman's writing. I've tried bread made with his incredibly easy method and it is delicious. I can hardly wait to try out the recipes.

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is start thinking about recipes I'll use for upcoming holiday celebrations. Cooking can be even more fun when you're able to include helpers, and the Children's Department has a whole range of cookbooks that work well with kids. I've enjoyed The Kids' Holiday Baking Book, but there are many other cookbooks that can help you create memorable, yummy holidays creations for whatever holidays you celebrate!

Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen by Georgeanne Brennan has lots of wonderful homemade dessert recipes that are perfect for gift giving this holiday season. You'll find ideas for cookies, candies, breads and preserves. The recipes are uncomplicated and easy to follow. Perfect for even the amateur in the kitchen.