Make 'em Ahead of Time

I am finding out that the more prep I do, the more fun it is to cook and the less time I actually spend in the kitchen. I've learned a lot by watching and listening to other cooks, and I've been able to take the tips and adjust them to how I do things. 

I think I'll write a "Make 'em Ahead of Time" post once a month so it will give me an opportunity to share all the tips and advice I come across.

Just remember that the most boring tasks can be gotten through with a little bit of entertainment. Put something on to listen to or watch to help you get through those tedious jobs (like washing dishes :(/)

Something I just recently started doing is chopping onions and bell peppers, placing them in freezer zip locks and putting them in the freezer. While I have the cutting board out I just chop an extra onion or pepper than what I need and put them in freezer zip lock bag. I like to double bag the onions since the smell can permeate the freezer. We love adding peppers and onions to our eggs in the morning, and it so much easier to pull out a handful of pre-chopped vegies on the mornings I'm running late. 

I have actually been freezing my leftovers since I know that most of them go to waste in the refrigerator before I get to use them. I put them in freezer zip lock bags or containers and label them so it's not a mystery the next time I'm looking for something fast to stick in the oven. This really works like freezer dinners.

And onto freezer dinners. It doesn't take that much extra time to double a batch of meatloaf, shepherd's pie, soup, lasagna, spaghetti, etc. while I'm cooking. It's actually saving me time and electricity in the long run. 
If you're like me, you probably don't have that much freezer space for several of these extra meals. That is what discouraged me a few months ago from adding to much to my tiny freezer. However, I've been using gallon freezer bags instead of aluminum pans and I can get so much more into my freezer space. I'm not one to save and re-use plastic bags, so I just split the bag open to take the frozen chunk of food out (sorry, to any who feel I'm not green enough; I have abhorred that chore of washing plastic zip locks since I was a little girl.).

One more tip for the day: start learning when the grocery stores put certain products on sale and learn to stock up. This last week my grocery stores were running major sales on all tomato products. I was able to buy 15oz. canned tomatoes for $0.29 each and 24 ounces of ketchup for $0.79 each.

 Find out what fruit and vegetables are in season in your area and buy enough of the in-season produce to either freeze or can. Remember, Louisiana, strawberry season is starting!!!!!

So, now it's your chance to grab back some wasted time and energy. Add something to your freezer or canned goods this week. You'll definitely feel a little more free next week.