Here are some tried and true tricks that have saved our household from unwanted stress when it comes to grocery shopping and cooking. Let's face it; we could all use a little help when it comes to time and money!
1) Hit up Costco. Buy yourself bulk packs of whole chickens, pork chops, chicken breasts, dinner sausage etc. OR, if you have the option, find a local farmer who will sell you quarters or halves of a pig and/or cow and whole chickens; this will be the best bang for your buck when it comes to meat. Also buy yourself a bulk pack of both small and large freezer bags or butcher paper. When you get home, spend a half hour- that's all it takes, I swear- portioning out your meat for single-meal access, ie: If you are cooking for two, portion 2-3 chicken breasts into a small freezer bag, squeezing all the air out. When you have portioned all of your chicken, place 4-6 portioned bags into a large freezer bag. This double-bagging process will slow the spoilage rate by a ton. Write the date on it just in case it gets lost in the depths of the freezer. Huck it in the freezer. Then, the night before you plan on cooking it, take it out of the freezer and put it on a plate in the fridge to thaw for the next day's dinner. I promise that not only will this save you time and money, it will save you from having to eat a 10-pack of chicken in 4 days. No one likes chicken that much. Get some variety in your life. 2) Set a weekly or bi-weekly budget for your grocery spending and take it out of your bank account in cash. Have a set list and keep track of how much the items cost as you spend. (A good app for this[which keeps record of your regular purchases and their cost] is called "Shopping List.") If you have extra cash left over, you may choose to keep it tucked away in a savings jar, OR what I like to do is spend the remainder on non-perishable bulk items such as various flours, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, pastas etc. That way, when the budget gets tighter, as it seems to at times, you have the necessities to still make a delicious meal. And you'll have a stock-pile for when the apocalypse happens. I kid. But just in case... 3) Freeze anything that’s in it's 11th hour of life. Strawberries, spinach, herbs, beets, cheese, sandwich meat, etc. Make sure you do a quick Google search prior to throwing it in a freezer bag and into the freezer it goes; some things don't freeze well and most vegetables require blanching before freezing. But for the most part, this will save you big bucks. You can take it out of the freezer whenever you're ready to use it. 4) I suppose this goes without saying since I've recommended freezing everything in your life; buy yourself a deep-freezer, big or small. Not only will you gain a ton of freezing space, but a deep-freezer freezes at a better temperature than a fridge-freezer; your food will tend to become quickly freezer-burnt in a fridge-freezer, so make the investment if you can. If you can't, try keeping track of the spoilage rates so you can use up the snacks accordingly. If you have other tips and tricks you live by that you'd like to share with other readers, please post in the comments below!
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Tried & True!If you've ever wanted to venture into the world of gardening, or are looking for easy how-to's for the kitchen, then enjoy these tips and tricks that I have used over the years. I love to share my experiences with others so that they, too, can feel their own satisfaction in their gardens and kitchens! Archives
June 2017
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