Safely Storing Food

Whether you are only buying food as you need it or are saving it for emergencies the way that you store food is important. Not only does it waste a lot of money if you don't store things properly, but it can sometimes be dangerous. We want our food to last as long as it can, while keep as much nutritional value as possible. I'm going to touch base on some basic food storage tips.

Grains-
Unprocessed grains (meaning not ground up) can last 8 years and many a lot longer than that. To last that long they need to be stored properly. Before they are ground, rolled, etc it is recommended that they be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place. After they have been processed or their sealed container has been opened they all have varying times until they have lost their nutritional value. They should still be kept in airtight containers in a cool and dry place. Here are a few examples.
   -Rolled Oats: Unopened- 8 years,  Opened- Use within 1 year
   -Wheat: Unopened - 12 years or more,  Opened- 3 years (Once ground use within a few days)
   -Cornmeal: Unopened - 5 years, Opened- Use within 1 year
   -Rice: Unopened - 30 years, Opened- As long as you keep it dry and in a cool place probably just as long
 
Legumes-
Beans, peas and lentils are the best source of protein that you can get from vegetables. They are also a good source of fiber. When you find yourself in a place where you don't have meat or can't eat it pairing these with a healthy grain creates a complete protein and an excellent substitute for meat.

Legumes will usually keep indefinitely when stored in a cool, dry place.

Here is an information sheet I received while taking a class. Feel free to print your own copy. I love having a list of guidelines for how long I can store things safely. Now the hardest thing is keeping track of when you opened something. It really isn't that hard. I like to keep a permanent marker in my kitchen so I can write the date it is opened right on the container. Works great for me!

Another tough decision that I'm sure EVERYONE has is 'How long can I keep this in my fridge?', 'Is this still good to eat?', and other questions similar to that. Here is another page with great guidelines to follow.

Here are a couple of extra 'rules of thumb' I have learned over the years.

Eggs- The date on eggs is a 'sell by date' you can often use them for a week or so after. The best way to know if an egg is still good is to do the Float Test. Gently place the egg completely submersed in water. If it floats, stands on it's end, etc it is bad. As the egg ages the membrane inside is deteriorating. This lets air in which makes it buoyant. If the air can make it in, so can bacteria.

Baked Potatoes- This is an interesting thing I learned and have tried to pass on. When you have extra baked potatoes left take them out of the foil to cool off and store them in an airtight container. If they are just put in the fridge in the foil the heat will stay in. Potatoes are a great place to grow bacteria. Also make sure you use them within a couple of days.

"When in doubt, throw it out." But also do your part to save your money and store your food safely!

Eating Healthy for Less

This is an article that I read on KSL.com the other day. I thought it had a lot of good points and reminders. Enjoy!

Living in a fast-paced society, it can be difficult to eat fresh, healthy foods. “Pre-packaged” and “drive-thru” seem to be the key words of the day. But not only are foods made from scratch or homegrown healthier, they're often less expensive. Here are a few tips for eating fresh and for less.

1. Stay on the “outside” of the grocery store box

Grocery stores are arranged in an interesting fashion: By walking around the perimeter of the store, shoppers will encounter foods in their freshest state. This includes not only items in the produce section, but artisan breads still piping hot and deli items sliced up fresh, not to mention meat before it’s been wrapped in those plastic and Styrofoam cages.

Surprisingly, prices tend to be lower on these items as well. A half-pound of cheddar sliced up at the deli will often run a dollar a pound less than the pre-packaged kind. Even bringing home the bacon, literally, can be a better deal if the butcher slices it up for customers.

Related:

Community Supported Agriculture gaining ground in Utah 
More people in Utah are turning to local farms to get fresh produce every week through a program called Community Supported Agriculture.

Because fresh items are so perishable, they’re constantly being discounted and placed in “must sell” bins. For someone planning on eating it tonight, they can save on it today.

2. Think local

Farmers markets are wonderful places to come across all kinds of fresh produce and homemade goods. Shoppers can find freshly-picked produce, and often, they'll have a bounty of homemade jams, breads and even salsas to choose from.

Not only will shoppers be supporting local farmers, but prices will usually be more reasonable because they don’t involve transportation and other third-party fees.

To find farmers market locations along the Wasatch Front, visit Wasatch Front Farmers Markets.

3. Eat seasonally

Making a salad with strawberries in January? Plan on paying close to $5 for those berries, if you find them.

Knowing what kinds of produce are in season may help you better plan your menu and navigate the grocery store. Prices for produce are lower for those items farmers and grocery stores have a bounty of. It's also a more sustainable way of eating.

Epicurious has a helpful map of of each state's growing season.

4. Learn to share

Americans throw away up to a quarter of all of the food they purchase, leading to a staggering amount of wasted money and depleted resources.

There’s a classic joke that around harvest time, look out for that pile of zucchini anonymously left on your front porch. In reality, there are probably plenty of people willing to take any freebies that come out of a neighbor’s garden. It’s often just a matter of getting the right produce to the right person. It might be prudent to make a neighborhood list at the beginning of the season, not just to get first dibs on some fresh tomatoes, but also to reconsider what could be planted in your own garden.

On the website Shareable.net, expert bloggers give some ideas for sharing a vegetable garden.NeighborhoodFruit .com is designed to help fruit tree owners share their bounty with others instead of allowing their crops to go to waste. Many such organizations exist, but if one isn’t available in your particular area, consider starting it yourself.

5. Use it or lose it

The biggest obstacle to eating fresh is using up items before they go bad. According to Jonathan Bloom, author of “American Wasteland,” Americans throw away up to a quarter of all of the food they purchase, leading to a staggering amount of wasted money and depleted resources.

There are many strategies to prevent this, the first of which is to carefully plan out meals so that fresh food isn’t purchased before it can be reasonably used. Also, be cautious about the amount of food purchased to begin with. Buying items that are on sale or in bulk won’t pay off if they’re not eaten.

Freezing or storing items properly are the next step to preventing waste. The National Center for Home Food Preservation lists some important information on how to preserve food safely. Many items, especially produce, simply need to be removed from the plastic bags or containers they come in. Meats, cheeses, even breads, can also be frozen and easily thawed for later use.

Freeze Dried Foods

I have been given the opportunity to write recipes/articles for a local company that sells freeze dried foods and other food storage options. I'm really excited about this new adventure! I will be including most if not all of these recipes here also. Once they have their site up and running I would highly recommend that you go and check it out. Freeze dried foods are becoming more and more popular as an option for food storage.

Anyway, enjoy the posts and feel free to try some new food storage options out. As always, I gladly welcome any suggestions or questions that you might have! We are all learning together.

Crock-Pot Cooking Safety

When cooking with a crock-pot there are some rules you need to follow.

1. Leave the lid on!!! Sometimes you’ll find people like to lift the lid to peek at what is cooking or to get a good whiff of it. Every time you open the lid you need to add an additional 15 minutes of cooking time. When the lid is opened on a crock-pot you lose too much of your heat.

2. When you are going to cook on LOW heat you need to turn the crock-pot on HIGH for the first while so that it can quickly get up to the correct temperature. I’m not sure on the exact time, but I would say at least 15 minutes. Then you can turn it back to LOW as planned. Otherwise your food temperature won’t get in the safe zone quick enough.

I’m sure I will add more rules as I remember them.

Meat Safety

A meat thermometer is a very important tool to have around. It can keep you from getting sick and also save your meat from having to be overcooked. Here are your temperature rules!

145 Degrees -  Beef, lamb & veal steaks and roasts, medium rare (medium – 160 degrees)

160 Degrees – Ground beef, ground pork, ground veal, and ground lamb. Pork chops, ribs & roasts, egg dishes

165 Degrees – Ground turkey & chicken. Stuffing and casseroles. Leftovers

170 Degrees – Chicken and turkey breasts

180 Degrees – Chicken and turkey whole bird, legs, thighs and wings

The Food Nanny

I was given the opportunity recently to go to a special meeting. The Food Nanny, Liz Edmunds, was going to spend the evening with us talking about her book and her inspired menu plan. It was a wonderful meeting. It's got me very excited about dinner time and the possibilities that are just waiting for me to take a hold of them.
Liz has worked out some great ideas. I've had the pleasure of reviewing many different meal plan ideas (lots of them through the Pampered Chef and other books out there) and I have to say that her's has got me the most excited. She has picked a category/theme for each day of the week. For me this makes things so much easier to narrow down what we are going to have. Here they are:

Monday - Comfort Food
The first day of the week is usually the hardest day of the week. It is the farthest from the weekend and can sometimes seem pretty bleak. Foods on this day should include favorites that don't appear on the other days of the week. Things like casseroles, Mac 'n Cheese, Soups, Meat Loaf etc. This is also the only day that has a planned dessert.

Tuesday - Italian

Wednesday - Fish/Meatless (Also includes Breakfast for Dinner)
Nutritionist have told us that it is important to have fresh fish 2 times a week. This can get pretty expensive and isn't very feasible for those of us that are still living on a pretty small budget. Liz suggested that we aim for a fish meal once a month. We have also been told that it is important to have at least one meatless dinner a week. Putting 'Breakfast for Dinner' allows us to spend a little less money (breakfast is made pretty cheap) plus it's really good.

Thursday - Mexican

Friday - Pizza Night
Liz stressed the importance of having a pizza night every week. It is usually a family favorite and is a fun food to bond around. She gave us a very easy dough recipe that was mixed up and ready to go in 5 minutes (it is successful even when you don't let it rest/rise). This is the No Fail Pizza dough recipe I have shared.

Saturday - Grill Night
This can be fun during the summer. It can also be a meal that your hubby is in charge of. Once it is too cold or wet you can still grill things inside on your stove or inside grill. If you'd like to put your fish meal here that is a good idea too.

Sunday - Family Traditions
I really liked this night. This is the night that they saved for the Mom and Dad's favorite meals from their childhood. Turkey/Chicken dinners with potatoes and gravy, Roasts, etc. Traditional meals that you can pass on to your children.

Now there are some rules that you are supposed to follow.
First off, everyone is required to come to dinner hungry. She said that grazing during the day is a bad idea. If you need a small snack in the afternoon that is okay, just make sure you don't spoil your appetite. Obviously this also means no big lunches if you are planning on dinner. She suggested that if your friends invite you out to just get a salad, or soup, just something small, or to split a plate with someone.
Second, you should not have red meat two nights in a row. Our bodies need time to digest and utilize different types of food. She said it is okay every now and again, but really we need a variety.
Third, we need to aim for cooking 5 meals a week. She told us that the most recent polls have said that people are eating out an average of 5 nights a week. Not only is that expensive, but you can't focus on your family when you are out. Her plan aims for 7 days a week, but she reminded us that it is important to have breaks now and then. Whether it is left-overs, ordering something to eat at home, or going out to eat, it doesn't matter. Just aim to cook 5 meals a week.
You need to have dinner at a specific time. Keep to a schedule. Even if you are only cooking for yourself it's a good habit to keep. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. With Hubby having classes at night I sometimes want to wait to eat with him, but I can also see the importance of helping my kids learn about eating at the right times. I'm still weighing my options here.
So the way that she sets things up is she plans her menu out two weeks at a time. You can get a calender that you devote specifically to your dinner plan. Figure out your own themes. You don't have to stick to hers. If you prefer Chinese more often then go for that or whatever floats your boat. Then figure out what you are going to make. Once you have each night picked out you can make your grocery list. Go through each meal and think of what you'll need or what you might already have. Take the things that you need and right them down on your shopping list. She suggest having your shopping list divided into categories so you don't have to go back and forth in the store trying to get everything. So have sections for meat, produce, dairy, canned veggies, baking goods, etc. This also helps you get out of the store without extra things. Stick to just what is on your list.
Some people like to kind of do this backwards from this. They prefer to see what is on sale, and then decide what they want to make. Either way works. No matter what you will be saving money because you have a plan to use everything you are buying and it won't be going bad in your fridge or on your shelf.
So yeah, that's what I learned/was reminded of. She has a good book out there "The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner" or something like that. It explains a lot of what's here and more. It also has a ton of recipes for dinners that fit into the categories that she set. Her husband is a pilot so she's traveled all over and has a good variety of things to try out.
Anyway, that's my interpretation of what I heard. Take it, or leave it.

Portion Control

In our world we've somehow gotten the idea that to be healthy we need to cut certain food items out of our diet completely. This can often lead to binge eating down the road. The healthier way to go about eating smarter would be to have portion control. When we eat a meal our dinner plate should be cut into areas to help us get the appropriate servings. Half of our plate should be vegetables. We need a variety of these each day. The more color the better! :) Oh, and ABSOLUTELY!!!! stay away from iceburg lettuce. It holds no nutritional value at all! One fourth of your plate should be your meat/protein. Another good rule of thumb is to have a peice of meat the size of your palm. The last fourth of your plate goes to your carbs. Then you can have a bowl with your fruit! :) There you go! Lesson number one! :)