Here’s the skinny on asparagus.

Many people believe that real food is more expensive than manufactured, pre-prepared, and packaged foods. There is some truth to this when you go to the grocery store and see asparagus for $4.99 a pound. Every fruit and vegetable has its harvesting season. Asparagus is harvested in the early spring and at its peak, in March and April, you can buy it for $.99 a pound. If you want fresh asparagus in September, it will cost you $4.99 a pound because someone has to pay for the cost of transportation from the other side of the world

Real food is only expensive if you buy it out of season. There is a yearly cycle in your grocery store not only for fruits and vegetables, but also for meat and dairy products. Once you get into the habit of cooking for your family, you will get in tune with that cycle and you can save a lot of money on your grocery bill because you will buy products when they are on sale.

It's March, so asparagus are on sale right now. Buy a few pounds because asparagus are a good source of iron, magnesium, zinc, fiber vitamin A, C, E, K and many other minerals. Cut off the tough stem ends, and then cut the stalks into medium size pieces. For 1½ pounds of asparagus, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with 2 tablespoons of butter and add the cut asparagus along with a ½-¾ teaspoon of salt. Mix well, cover and cook on medium until they are the texture you prefer, firm or soft. Do not add water. If the asparagus start to brown before they are cooked, lower the heat. Eat the asparagus as they are, mix them into an omelet or rice, or put them on top of cooked pasta. Asparagus are also excellent raw in salads or with a dip. The possibilities are endless so feel free to overdose on asparagus now while they are inexpensive and plentiful. Then when they go back to $4.99 a pound, you won’t even give them a second glance.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Egg whites freeze well. Put a container in the freezer and label it with the number of whites inside. Keep adding more whites until you have a dozen; then make an angel food cake.

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