If you’re anything like the staff of The Organizing Blog, you grow and/or buy a lot of fresh seasonal produce during the summer and fall. But keeping things fresh can be a challenge! To avoid food waste and eat everything at peak, keep heavy items at the bottom of your shopping bag to avoid bruising delicate produce such as peaches and tomatoes, SF Marin Food Bank suggests. Know where to store items for longevity, whether it’s in the refrigerator, on the counter or in the pantry. And if you can’t use fresh produce before it goes bad, process it for later use and freeze or can it. Plan ahead, and you can eat healthy year-round. #FreshProduce
Tag: healthy foods
Get Summer Produce While You Can
It’s the end of the growing season for many #summer ruits and vegetables, but you still have a few weeks to take advantage of nature’s bounty. Summer vegetables such as tomatoes, corn and peppers are still widely available, and many root vegetables such as carrots, beets and onions are still coming in. Harvest them, pick up some at the local farmers market or buy some from a CSA before it’s too late. Store-bought produce just doesn’t have the same flavor — and when something lacks flavor, Growing Spaces says, it usually comes up short in nutritional content, too. #FreshProduce
Setting the Table for Easter Brunch
If you’re hosting an #Easter or #springtime #brunch, pick “a color palette that represents the season,” says blogger Stacy Ling. Use a garden as inspiration; many flowers are coming up in spring colors of yellow, purple and pastels. Bring the outdoors in with a festive floral centerpiece, and consider breaking out the special dishes. “And yes, you can totally mix vintage pieces with your fine China or other dinnerware,” she says. “Mixing things up adds more interest to the table.” You can always find decorative plates, vases, table linens and more at the #thrift stores supplied by generous #dontions to ClothingDonations.org. #EasterBrunch
Cooking Brunch for a Crowd
If you want to stage a good Easter or springtime #brunch for a crowd, stick to recipes that can be made en masse to feed lots of people. Breakfast casseroles are easy to make in bulk, and they range from savory egg bakes to sweet French toast. Anything eggy is a natural at #Easter time, and while egg prices remain high, deviled eggs are a homey favorite. “Looking to put seasonal produce to good use? Try the show-stopping carrot tart, crowd-pleasing strawberry muffins or wrap asparagus in bacon,” says The Pioneer Woman. “Just don’t forget to pour yourself Easter cocktail.” #EasterBrunch
Look to a Thrift for Quality Tableware
Even the most seasoned chefs don’t always have the specialized cooking equipment a new recipe calls for. Home cooks who are missing an oddly shaped pan or dedicated fruit peeler should browse the shelves at the local #thrift and #secondhand shops supplied by your generous #donations to ClothingDonations.org. Thrifts can be a great source of the dishes, bakeware, tools and small appliances that designed to make #cooking a breeze. They are also a great source of the seasonal decorations, serving dishes and tableware that will make your Easter or springtime brunch a big success. #EasterBrunch