From the Hartford Courant

Goodbye, espresso machines and panini makers. Hello, pressure cookers, slow cookers and canning jars. In this new era of thrift, excess is out, cheap eats are in, and meal prep has gone retro. Consider:

FoodChannel.com’s trend forecast for 2009 predicts a return to home cooking, along with increased interest in learning about food, cooking and recipes.

AOL’s Money and Finance site, WalletPop.com, also predicts the return of home cooking and “cheap foods” to help stretch the budget.

The Food Marketing Institute’s U.S Grocery Shopper Trends 2008 report reveals that 71 percent of consumers polled say they are cooking more and eating out less. Close to 60 percent say they are eating more leftovers.

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Photo courtesy of Crock-Pot.com.