Well, we survived our first family trip. Two adults, a 3-year-old and a baby all boarded a plane with 8 bags, a car seat and a stroller. On the way home my husband leaned over and said, “see hunnie, I told you there was nothing to worry about”. I gave him a look that could kill, now granted it all did go rather well our kids were great little travelers. When I ask my 3-year-old if he was ok with his bags he said, “yes mom, I have super muscles” he carried his own things the whole way even lifted his bag over the landing to get on the plane. I was rather impressed. Baby took a nap most the way. It all went surprisingly well but nothing was done just by chance. I worked for 4 days to get us ready for our 5-day trip and every inch of our allotted space was used wisely. Continue Reading “How expecting the worst can bring out the best”
How to store Lettuce and Greens
How to Store Lettuces and Greens
It is finally starting to warm up in Minnesota. I am eager to get my garden started. I love to grow simple spring lettuces. They are easy to plant, grow quickly and don’t need a lot of space. They work well in garden beds, planters and small container gardens. Salad greens are a cool weather crop. They tend to bolt and turn butter in the hot summer heat so plant early spring and fall for abundant harvests. Local harvests are seasonal but you can look for high quality lettuces year round. Here is a simple guide on how to store your greens for best results no matter when you get them.
When Shopping:
Full heads of lettuce are the best option for keeping costs down and flavor high. For extra convenience, you might try the salad mixes that come in bags or plastic “clamshell” boxes.
Ideally you want lettuce picked as recently as possible. Look for clean, crisp, bright leaves, fresh looking cut ends. Lettuce leaves that are darker in color contain more vitamins and minerals like romaine that is rich in vitamins A and K. Iceberg lettuce is one of the least nutritious. Head lettuces should be symmetrically shaped. Some spotting or holes are common, especially in crops raised without sprays.
Watch out for limp, withered leaves that have brown or yellow edges, or dark or slimy spots. You don’t want anything that looks rusty, dried-out, or wilted. Once greens have passed their prime, there is no way to restore them to crisp freshness. Avoid overly large heads of romaine, which may have tough, fibrous leaves.
Iceberg lettuce should be compact and firm, yet springy. Very hard heads may be over mature and bitter. The stem end of a head of iceberg lettuce may look brown. This discoloration is the natural result of harvesting and does not indicate damage.
Wash for best results:
Always wash your lettuce before you eat it. Even if it is pre packaged and says pre washed. Packaged lettuce is often rinsed in a chlorine wash and handled by many people before being sealed. It is best to wash as home as well.
You don’t need to wash all of it at once. Place leaves in a clean colander and rinse under cool water. Don’t dump your lettuce in the sink. Sinks hold bacteria, and they’re a ripe breeding ground for cross-contamination. Dry the leaves thoroughly between towels; you can also use a salad spinner to assist with the drying process.
Storage and Location:
For salad greens to thrive after they’ve been picked, they need slightly humid conditions to prevent the leaves from drying out but should not be wet. Extra water droplets can result in browning and rotting so they must also be kept dry. I have found there are two good ways to do this using a container or a towel.
In a Container
Wash and dry greens then store greens in a large plastic or glass container. Line the bottom of the container with a paper or clean dishtowel and drape another towel over the top inside the lid. If your greens came in a clamshell, just snip the lid off and place a paper towel under the lid. Be sure to fill your container loosely, packing it tightly will bruise the leaves, making them more susceptible to rotting.
In a Towel
Wash and dry the greens then wrap the leaves in several layers of paper towels or a clean kitchen towel, seal in a plastic bag, You could also roll the leaves in a larger towel up and keep the roll in the fridge.
Always store washed greens in the lowest crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to 1 week. Lettuce stored this way stays crisp and wilt-free, since it is kept hydrated by the slightly moist towels, but basically dry by the towels soaking up excess moisture.
Keep an eye on it:
Iceberg, romaine and kale will store for about a week but other more gentle leaves like butter lettuces and spring greens should be used as soon as possible. Lettuce that comes in a box or bag can keep for a week as well, but make sure you reseal tightly with a paper towel in-between uses.
Spinach and kale are especially good choices for packaged greens because they can be eaten raw and cooked. You can use them in a salad when they’re very fresh and then cook them when they’re starting to turn.
Remember avoid slimy lettuces, slime is a form of rot and rotting produce harbors bacteria. If it’s slimy it’s past it’s prim and should be tossed out.
Extra Care:
Again for the best quality lettuces try to buy locally and seasonally. If not buying whole heads look for plastic clamshell containers. These containers offer green more protection in transit and are less likely to be bruised than the bagged varieties.
If you buy bagged lettuce or salads, choose the bag that is the flattest. When the greens are packaged, all of the air is sucked out of the bag. Then as they age, they give off gas, making the bag puffier. Choose the flattest bag and your salad will be fresher–and last longer in the fridge without going bad.
Do you have a favorite way for produce storage? Do you have questions about how to best store a particular ingredient? Let me know, I am happy to help.
For more ways to save money you may also enjoy Grocery Shopping on a Budget How to save money without cutting out the foods you love.
Want more like this? Check out theses related articles.
The “Dirty Dozen” Buy these orgainc
We had a great time at Mingle with the Eat Well for Less Class recently. Participants liked learning new skills to make dinner easier, adding more variety to their meals while not wasting time or ingredients.
During the class I was making the comparison between conventional and organic produce and while buying 100% of your items organic is not always possible there are definitely some fruits and vegetables that are dirtier and more contaminated than others. Several attendees at the class where unaware that not all produce is created equal so I thought I would help and post links to Environment Working Group research site. The EWG is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. This groups mission is to empower people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. They provide breakthrough research and education that drives consumer choice and civic action.
Each year the EWG test a variety of different produce and compile the data to create the Shopper’s Guide To Pesticides in Produce and two guideline lists including the “Dirty Dozen” a list of 12 of the most commonly and highly contaminated fruits and vegetables, items you should buy organic and “The Clean 15” a list of the most commonly clean produce that is most likely fine to buy conventional. You can read more and get links to download your free shopping guides here.
In general whenever possible it is always best to buy organic produce not only to reduce your intake of unnecessary chemicals but to support ethical and sustainable farming practices. Money talks and using you dollars to support organic farming methods also support environmentally friendly practices that help create sustainable agriculture keeping our land, water and wildlife protected for years to come. By taking care of yourself you are also helping to take care of the earth for generations to come.
FDA acknowledges that most pesticides are safe to consume, and the EPA argues the levels of pesticides found in fresh produce are safe to eat. They also warn that others have been linked to various health issues and neurological problems. So, who’s right? What do we do? By all means don’t stop eating produce or the items found on the Dirty Dozen List. You may just want to be more conscious about the everyday food choices you are making. The EWG recommends that you purchase the organic versions of the items found on the Dirty Dozen List and of course always thoroughly wash all produce before consuming it. In the end the choice is yours and with most things in life each choice we make has it’s own potential risks and rewards.
To learn more visit The Environmental Working Group Site
D.I.Y. Laundry Soap
Recently I have had quite a few people ask me what I use for my sons clothes. If you are looking for less expensive but still quilty products to keep clothes clean this is it. I have used this D.I.Y. Laundry Detergent for years saving loads of money literally each time I do a load of laundry. With young kids at home we do a lot of laundry.
I did stop using it for a while when we found out my son had eczema to see if this was making the situation worse. We tried several different brands during this all significantly more expensive and the cleaning results were about the same. We came back to this when we learned the eczema was triggered by wheat and eggs not soap. Do note if you have skin sensitivities to try this out sparingly and watch to see if there are reactions. If so stop using the products.
I like this formula because it is a dry base making it easy to sore and measure out. If I have tough stains I just use a little extra of the powder on the spot and let it sit overnight. Then wash as usual.
I keep a teaspoon measure tied to the jar for easy use and measuring.
D.I.Y Laundry Detergent
2 bars Fels Naptha Soap or Zote
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda
*1 canister fabric scents like (Downy Unstopables, or essential oils) Optional, if you like scented clothes
Finely Chop or grate the Fels Naptha Soap. I find it easiest and fastest to cut it into chunks and mix it in the food processor. Add Borax, washing soda and scents as desired mixing to combine. Store in your chosen container. Use 1-2 teaspoons per load.
Makes about 6 cups of detergent
*note if you have sensitive skin you may opt to leave out the extra fabric scents
Not only does it clean well it costs significantly less than traditional laundry soap. Here is how it adds up:
Fels Naptha $1.00 per bar
Borax $4.25 per box
Washing Soda $4.00 per box
Downy Unstopables (optional) $6.50 per jar
This makes about 6 cups and you have enough, Borax and Washing Soda for two batches. One batch of D.I.Y. Laundry Soap will cost you about $12.62 without the Unstopables it is about $6.12 making enough for 144, 2 teaspoon loads that is just 0.4 cents per load! If only using one teaspoon or doing smaller loads you can get as much as 288 loads from one batch of D.I.Y Laundry soap!
To compare, a Tide 64 load bottle is $11.99 that is .18 cents per load.
Gain 32 load bottle is $6.85 that is .21 cents per load.
Seventh generation 33 load bottle is $8.00 that is .24 cents per load.
Arm and Hammer 107 load bottle is $7.99 that is .07 cents per load.
Now I know it is all just cents per load but costs do add up and this little gem will keep your clothes clean, and money in your pocket. Happy Washing!
This works in High Efficiency washers too.
Perfect Easy Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs are wonderful for so many applications. Using them for decoration, eating out of hand, simple snacks, deviled eggs, egg salad or one of the many other ways to enjoy hard boiled eggs. The only problem is consistently cooking them and ease of peeling them. I don’t know about you but a few stubborn eggs and I am ready to give up and never make them again.
After years or trying various “proven methods” old eggs, warm eggs, shocking in cold water and all the other wives tales that go along with making hard boiled eggs. I have finally found a method that works like a charm almost flawlessly for perfectly cooked yolks and easy to peel eggs. Most methods tend to work if the conditions are just right but so often the variables are too vast, unknown and hard to actually control.
For the past 2 years I have been using this method exclusively and almost every time no matter the age or temperature of the egg they cook and peel perfectly, occasionally I will have one or two with a few blemishes but nothing like the pock marked mangled messes I had in years past.
Here is the no-fail method for perfect easy peel hard boiled eggs.
It’s simple and uses STEAM.
Place 1-2 inches of water in a saucepan and cover with a tight fitting lid. Load eggs into a steamer basket in one layer. Preferably they have a little room to move around and are not packed too full so they will cook evenly. (I use cold eggs right from the refrigerator).
When the water comes to a boil, place the loaded steamer basket into the pot sitting above the water. Cover with the lid and set your timer for 11-13 minutes. (I like the yolks slightly soft so 11 is perfect for me, you may want to cook up to 13 minutes). When the timer goes off, remove them from the steamer basket into a large bowl of ice water to shock them and stop the cooking process. Allow the to cool for at least 10 minutes.
I find is it easiest to peel them while they are still warm but you can refrigerate them in the shell and peel them later. Hard boiled eggs with keep safely for 1 week refrigerated but I have kept mine longer and never had bad results. Remember when in doubt toss it out.
Check out Cook’s Illustrated for in depth look at the the science behind how it works.
Do you have an easy way to cook, peel or color eggs? Share your thoughts here.