Make It Something To Grab

Life gets busy, ya know?

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, or work outside the home, or are newly married, or are about to take your mid-terms, life just gets busy.

And a lot of times the first thing to be neglected is food (and sleep).

At least for me anyway.

I get so tired of scurrying around the kitchen fixing 5 plates of happiness for the taste buds (you like that?) that by the time I sit down I don't want to fix myself anything to eat.

It's a terrible excuse, I know, but most of the time I just want to heat something up or go grab a handful of something out of the pantry, and we all know that those kinds of foods most likely are NOT in the 100-calarie department.

And then you'll find yourself in front of the mirror in the dressing room trying on new bathing suits and...
ahem, hypothetically speaking...anyway,

You get the picture.

But then I came across this blog!

It has been a great catalyst for being more proactive in conducing a healthy environment in my kitchen.

So, I thought I'd share my research with you.

Picture a nice springtime Saturday cold, rainy Saturday with the sounds of children playing happily in the background fighting over Mickey Mouse sunglasses and Elmo slippers, while I merrily therapudically chop produce...

I did a little research (because everything on google search is totally accurate) on the best ways to store prepared produce and decided to slice and dice what I had on hand.

HOMEMADE RINSE

1 part vinegar to 10 parts water

ORANGES

slice and store in airtight container

BLUEBERRIES

rinse and pat dry

i used the same container and placed a paper towel on the bottom to absorb excess water

EGGS

I've mentioned this before, I hard boil a dozen at a time to have them on hand

STRAWBERRIES

trim the tops off

rinse and pat dry

just like the blueberries, place back in original container with paper towel on the bottom

ONIONS

slice and dice a bag of onions

I froze the diced ones for future cooking

I stored the sliced ones in an airtight container

CARROTS

scrub the outer layer (I don't peel them)

rinse and pat dry

cut to snack size

cover with water and store in an airtight container

CELERY

rinse and pat dry

cut to snack size

wrap in a paper towel and place in saran wrap or produce bag

CUCUMBERS

peel

slice

wrap in saran wrap and place in airtight container

GRAPES

rinse

take off the stem

store in an airtight container

RESULTS

I've been very impressed.

Everything still tastes and feels fresh!

(Actually, I can't speak for the blueberries. They were consumed in less than 24 hr.)

I have opted for healthy eating and snacking since it is just as easy as grabbing a handful of goldfish or chips.

Meal preparation time has been cut significantly.

And THAT, my friends, makes this whole experiment worth it.

Moral of the story:

By making "it" something to grab, you can make "it" something to grab.

Chew on that for a while;)