GrubBuzz

Ok, so we are all busy, but sacrificing homemade food is no alternative. If you are smart about it, you can have easy, fast, healthy and delicious meals every day of the week. What I like to do is pick a day of the week to do all my shopping and prepping. Before I go, I do menu planning, sometimes having items such as a roast that can serve as two meals. Also be flexible to accommodate sales at the store. On this day, do your shopping for the week. Now this doesn’t mean you have to do all your shopping only on this day. I like to have additions throughout the week such as the farmers market veggies, or the butchers freshest cut of meats.

Once you have all your groceries for the week, you can start prepping. First, wash all your veggies and process your herbs. You can even cut them now and keep them in plastic bags so they are ready to use. If a recipe calls for meat already cooked, this is a great day to do it.

For example, arm roast was on sale at the grocery store today, so I bought a 3 pound roast. I have a small family and will need to use this several times. Today, I plan to cook the roast in my dutch oven, so that I end up with shredded roast. I can use this in several meals. Tonight I will eat it with my stuffed poblano peppers on rice. I can use it as taco, burrito, or enchilada fillings. I can also throw it in to soups for a quick and satisfying meal, and almost all the hard work is done.

Remember, everyone is busy! Use a few hours of your weekend to make your weekday less stressful. It doesn’t have to be stressful, turn on the music and open a bottle of wine, cook with your spouse or roommate, and make it a social event.  And remember………….BE CREATIVE!

Well, now is a time that gardens everywhere are thriving with an abundance of delicious fresh produce.  If you are like me, you have tomatoes, squash, zucchinis, herbs, peppers and many other veggies coming out of your ears.  This morning, I harvested all my ripe tomatoes.  I brought them in the kitchen, thinking “what will I do with my tomatoes this time?”.  Since I have very many different varieties, sometimes I like to do different things with them.  Roma tomatoes I love, but they are not very enjoyable to eat raw, but are delicious cooked.  I decided to make a very traditional tomato sauce with all my romas.  Don’t be overwhelmed!  A task like this is easy.  All you have to do to make a great sauce is seed them over a bowl, (you can also peel them if you wish), then chop them.  Add them to browning onions, garlic, and veggies (i.e.  carrots, celery, peppers or whatever you like).  I use an abundance of chopped herbs, such as basil, thyme, sage and lots of fresh parsley.  Just let them simmer for 20 minutes or so.

This can be a very satisfying start to a great italian meal.  Your friends and family will also be impressed that the sauce is made from tomatoes out of your garden!   And it wasn’t even a difficult or time consuming task.

So remember, do not be overwhelmed with all those delicious veggies in your garden.  There is a recipe for every veggie, and most can be stored away in your freezer for a quick meal later.

Today, I got thinking about farmer’s markets. As summer is approaching an end, I know I will greatly miss all the great fresh, local and organic goods. One thing I like to do is extend it into fall and winter by freezing some of the goods. Peppers, corn and other veggies are a nice thing to have on hand in your freezer. Simply chop them up and put them in baggies in your freezer. Another great idea is making chipotle for freezing. Simply throw your jalepenos on the grill and let them char. Then allow them to cool and peel off their skins and throw them in a baggie.

There are other ways to extend your freshness of products year round. When in the grocery store, remember to buy things in season. This means do not buy strawberries in the winter. Instead go for those nice in season citrus fruits, and adjust your eating to the seasons.

And remember, the best way to go to the farmer’s market is with your own bags, small bills, and some creative thinking.  The farmers will greatly appreciate it.

Today, it seems easy to pre order whatever food item you will need for a party or potluck. Even standard grocery stores are stocking convenient containers filled with goodies to take to your event. But remember, these are mediocre at best. This message is to remind you how easy it can be to make your own dish. It is also nice to hear all the compliments about it. This is what is so great about food; it becomes a very easy conversation piece. Food is essential to life, and therefore something to aspire to make great.

Now, assuming my brother doesn’t read this today, we are throwing him a surprise 30th birthday party. Thinking back on our childhood, I decided to think of something he has always loved, and turn it into a cake. He has always had an obsession with mint, so what goes better with mint than chocolate? I remember when I was a kid, I always dreamed of ice cream cakes for my birthday, especially on those hot summer days. They are so simple to make. I am making him a basic chocolate cake, two layers, with mint chip ice cream in the center. To top it off, I am making a white chocolate ganache with mint extract, and a basic chocolate ganache to decorate. How yummy does that sound? So remember, although it takes a little time, it is worth the homeade taste and all the love you will recieve. Check out The Food Network’s Website for basic cake recipes, and get creative with them.