Shopping from the freezer
One of my favourite websites is Unclutterer. Whenever I need some incentive to organize, declutter, or clean, I head over there to procrastinate get some ideas. Today’s browsing yielded some good thoughts on using frozen foods, and a good tip I thought I’d share:
One of the ways you can use a freezer to help with meal planning is by vacuum sealing foods you buy in bulk. If you don’t own a product like a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer, using freezer-safe zip-top bags and squeezing out as much air as possible can work as well. To get the air out of a zip-top bag, close the bag except for an inch at one of the corners. Submerge the exterior of the bag in water almost to the top of the bag. Let the pressure of the water release air from around your food, and then quickly close the last inch at the top of the bag. Be careful not to let any of the water into the bag and onto your food.
Simple…and eliminates the need for one whole gadget. (I’m moving in a couple months, so decluttering is my current obsession!)
I also particularly like their suggestion for shopping from the freezer before hitting the grocery store — such a simple idea really.
When BLTs grow up
Bak'n, kale, and tomato bagel
It’s official, I no longer miss bacon, because I’ve found something better.
My friend D shared her amazing fake ‘bacon’ recipe with me last week. Omg, sooooo good. I’ve been trying to take some pics, but always end up eating the entire batch before the camera gets involved, so today I made a double batch so enough would be left over for pics.
Here you see the ultimate creation — one lightly toasted Montreal bagel, several rashers of ‘bacon’, some Sheese, cherry tomatoes, and crispy kale (lightly pan fried with the bacon). This is what BLTs dream of becoming when they grow up.
Damn, now I’m hungry again.
Caffeination
It’s early April, we’ve had crocuses up for weeks, and yet today brought us snow. *horror* Mother nature is playing a late April Fools joke on us.
The fluffy flakes have me thinking wistfully of hot drinks. Hot chocolate. Mulled cider. Tea. But really, my not-so-secret vice is coffee. I love good coffee, and I’ll take it over pretty much anything else. Mmmmm, java.
Over the years I’ve tried pretty much every way of making and (I think) drinking coffee. The best cup I ever tasted was made using ‘vaccuum‘ technology — very good, but far too complicated for everyday brewing. At home I use a French press — it seems to best balance my needs for flavour and quick/easy preparation. If I can’t make a pot of coffee when I’m half asleep, what’s the point?
I drink the stuff black. Originally I started doing this to try and cut back on the amount I was drinking. That backfired — I just learned to love it that way. But I also started tweaking what went in the press. My favourite addition is ground cinnamon. A healthy couple shakes added to the grounds makes a fabulous combination — somehow richer, definitely more fragrant.
Today this staple got a new tweak in the form of — ready for it? — dried cranberries. Not a lot, maybe a tablespoon or so, but just enough to add a slightly fruity note to the coffee. Yum! It’s probably not for everyone, but I love the combination. So while it snows outside, I’ll just cozy up here with a warm cup held in my hands and think happy thoughts.
