8 Surprising Foods You Can Freeze!

I found this awesome article on AllYou.com :

8 Surprising Foods You Can Freeze

Save money utilizing your freezer, and learn how to keep foods at their best.

Cheese

You can freeze many hard or semi-hard cheeses, such as Cheddar, mozzarella, muenster, provolone, Swiss and Parmesan. They may become crumbly after you thaw them, so plan to use them in cooking rather than to slice or place on sandwiches. Wrap cheese tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and use within a day or two of thawing.

Milk

Unless you know you’ll use a whole container shortly after thawing, it’s best to freeze milk in smaller portions. One-cup or pint-size portions are convenient. Freeze milk in freezer-safe containers or in well-sealed freezer bags – but be sure to include some extra space, as milk expands when it freezes. Use the frozen milk within 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator, and shake it well before using it. Milk sometimes becomes grainy after it’s been frozen and defrosted – if the texture is too unpleasant to use for drinking or on cereal, use the milk for cooking or baking.

Citrus

The best way to freeze citrus is to freeze the juice in ice-cube trays until solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. Freeze it in 1- to 2-Tbsp. portions―it should keep indefinitely. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge (or use lemon cubes in iced tea). You can also freeze the zest: Zest the fruit onto a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap tightly and place in a freezer bag.

Eggs

Whisk together whites and yolks until just combined. Measure into an ice-cube tray, using 3 Tbsp. of the mixture per segment (3 Tbsp. is equivalent to 1 large egg). Freeze until solid, then transfer cubes to a freezer bag for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.

Tomato paste

Spoon tomato paste into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer cubes to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to measure how much you’re putting in each compartment (1 Tbsp. is a convenient amount) and label it on the freezer bag.

Ginger

Peel and slice ginger into 1-inch pieces, wrap in plastic and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.

Nuts

Place nuts in an airtight container, or wrap them tightly in plastic and place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator – or, if using them for baking, toss them into a recipe frozen (though you may need to add a few minutes to your baking time)

Fresh herbs

For whole sprigs, wash, pat dry with paper towels, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 6 months. Alternatively, chop herbs and place in an ice cube tray. Pour a tablespoon or two of water on top of the herbs and freeze. Transfer cubes to freezer bags; freeze for up to 6 months. To use, simply toss a cube into a skillet when the recipe calls for herbs and let the water cook off.

I found this cool article on Calorie Count:

Twenty Tips for Stir Frying

By Mary_RD on Feb 12, 2010 12:00 PM in Recipes

By Rhonda Parkinson, About.com's Guide to Chinese Food.

Stir fry IS the original fast food.  Many families rely on stir fry almost every night.  The vegetables are chopped ahead of time or bought already chopped - as is the meat, tofu or frozen shrimp.  The special sauce is in the fridge.  The meat marinates while rice cooker does its thing, and before there’s time to set the table, dinner is ready. And this not just any dinner. Stir fries are a HEALTHY dinner with lots of crispy vegetables, very little fat, and the correct balance of carbohydrates and protein.  

Stir-frying is a traditional Asian style of cooking.  Many Americans have not seen it done and so they don’t have the knack.  But the technique can be learned and made better with practice.  Watch this video from About.com, invest in a wok, read these 20 tips for stir frying, and cook a stir fry this weekend.

Twenty Tips for Stir Frying

1. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need ahead of time.
2. Make sure all the food is cut according to directions before you start. Never try to prepare food while stir-frying.
3. For even cooking, cut all the ingredients the same size.
4. If not following a recipe, cut all the ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
5. Pre-heat the wok on medium-high to high heat for at least a minute before adding oil. (You may want to skip this step if you have a nonstick pan - it can damage the coating.)
6. Add the oil (up to 2 to 3 tablespoons depending on the dish; peanut, canola or other vegetable oils are good) drizzling it so that it coats both the sides and the bottom of the wok. The oil heats faster this way.
7. Before adding other ingredients, season the oil by cooking a few pieces of garlic and ginger. (Note: you may want to reduce the heat at this point to keep them from burning).
8. If the recipe calls for meat and vegetables, cook the meat first and then set it aside. Add the meat back when the vegetables are almost cooked. This ensures that the meat is not overcooked, and that the meat and vegetables retain their individual flavors.
9. Meat is normally stir-fried on high heat to seal in the juices (individual recipes can differ).
10. Never add more than a cup of meat at a time to the wok. Lay the meat out flat to cook.
11. Remove the meat from the wok when it changes color - for example the redness in the beef is gone. At this point the meat is approximately 80 percent cooked.
12. Stir-fry vegetables according to density, with the densest vegetables being stir-fried first and for the longest time. Denser vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and eggplant require more cooking time than green leafy vegetables such as bok choy.
13. If you're uncertain about the order in which to stir-fry vegetables, the simplest solution is to stir-fry them separately, one at a time.
14. If possible, wash the vegetables ahead of time to ensure that they have drained and are not too wet.
15. Alternately, if the vegetables are too dry, try adding a few drops of water while stir-frying.
16. When stir-frying meat, wait a few seconds before tossing so that it has a chance to brown; when stir-frying vegetables, begin moving them immediately.
17. When adding sauce to vegetables and/or meat, form a "well" in the middle by pushing the ingredients up the sides of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle and stir to thicken before combining with the other ingredients.
18. Once the dish is completed, taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
19. Serve the stir-fried dish immediately.
20. Finally, a few words about cooking temperatures. Some recipes give instructions on whether to cook a dish at high, medium-high, or medium heat, but others don't. In Chinese Home Cooking, Helen Chen suggests starting to cook at medium-high heat and then adjusting the temperature up or down as needed on your model of stove. Another option is to have a second burner set on medium heat that you can quickly move the wok to if you feel the food is cooking too fast. 

Here are three stir fry recipes - all with Grade A - added to the recipe browser by Calorie Count members:

• Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry
• Chicken Stir-Fry
• Asparagus and Tofu Stir Fry

The body of this article was first posted on About.com's Guide Site to Chinese Food where you can find her huge collection of stir fry recipes.  Enjoy!

www.craftymomof3.com
www.craftykitchens.com

Back to School: Thinking Outside the lunch box....

I found some great back to school lunch ideas and tips at allrecipes.com , thought I'd share!

School Lunches: Thinking Outside the Lunch Box

By:   Allrecipes Staff
If your kids think a homemade school lunch is boredom in a box, it's time to start treating it like a daily picnic.

Brown Bag Money-Savers

Leave single-serving snacks on the grocery shelf. It's cheaper to divide bulk buys into lunch-size containers.

Cook extra servings for dinner and wrap them up for tomorrow's lunches.You get to Rework leftovers into tasty dishes: pasta, veggies, and meat become pasta salad.the idea. Meat and veggies get rolled into tortilla wraps. Rice and veggies and an egg become fried rice.

Roast and slice turkey breasts and small hams instead of buying expensive deli meats.
Make your own cheese and cracker snackers instead of buying them pre-packaged.

The truth behind bagged "baby" carrots? They're regular carrots cut down to size. Save big by doing it yourself.

Homemade cookies and muffins are cheaper than store-bought, and you can control the serving size to avoid waste or overeating.

Here's the challenge: you want to provide nourishing lunches and the kids would rather play than eat. Or worse, they trade your lovingly-packed meal for a sugary cupcake. What's a parent to do?

Get the Kids Involved

• Let the kids play with their food: dipping fruit, vegetables, crackers, or bread in sauces; assembling bite-size cheese and cracker sandwiches; or making tiny fruit kabobs on toothpicks.

• Keep fruits and vegetables small and easy to eat: grapes, cherries, small plums, blueberries, melon cubes, baby carrots, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips and lightly steamed or blanched broccoli florets.

• Get them involved with planning and making lunches because they're more likely to eat it if they helped pack it. After all, you won't be there to lay down the "three more bites before you can leave the table" law.

Variety is the Spice of Lunch

• Include enough range to keep your kids from getting bored, but don't be surprised if they settle on a few favorites and request them week after week. Kids like to have a few familiar, comforting things nearby when they are away from home.

• Give them some choices from each food group, and allow them to mix and match for a nutritionally balanced lunch.

• Beyond sliced bread, try crackers, pita bread, naan, corn bread, English muffins, tortillas, baked tortilla chips, mini bagels, or lettuce wraps.

• For protein, there's good ol' peanut butter, but the kids might also enjoy hummus, bean dip, sliced cheese, yogurt, cold cuts, tuna salad, pasta salad, egg salad, or a thermos full of chili.

• When serving tuna, egg, chicken, or pasta salad, mix in shredded carrots, apples, zucchini, bell peppers, raisins, nuts--anything to add nutrition and fiber without adding lots of empty calories.

Lunch Tips

• About food safety: lightweight, freezable cold packs or frozen juice boxes enable you to send the kids to school with perishables such as pasta salad, egg salad, meat sandwiches, yogurt, tuna, etc.

• Get your kids into the habit of washing their hands before eating. Include antibacterial hand wipes if that's what it takes.

• Make lunches the night before to ease the morning rush out the door.

• Reusable lunchboxes are earth-friendly and save the expense of brown bags, but be sure to wash them out frequently.

• You've heard this one before, but a little note from you tucked into a lunch once in a while is a comfort. Keep notes small enough so kids don't have to haul out a long, loving letter from home in front of the rest of the lunchroom.

• When you pack nutritious lunches you know your kids will love, you might even feel okay about slipping a cookie or a brownie into the bag!

Great Recipes form Allrecipes:


Awesome Turkey Sandwich

SUBMITTED BY: FORTUNATEPASS 

• 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted (optional)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise(light)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
• 3 slices smoked turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons guacamole
• 1/2 cup mixed salad greens
• 1/4 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced
• 3 ounces Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, sliced
• 2 slices tomato

Spread mayonnaise on one slice of toast, then spread mustard on the other. Arrange the sliced turkey on one side. Spread guacamole over the turkey. Pile on the salad greens, bean sprouts, avocado and cheese. Finish with tomato slices, then place the remaining slice of toast on top.

Another for pickle lovers like my kids:
Pickle Rolls 
SUBMITTED BY: Michelle Bovenkamp

• 1 (32 ounce) jar dill pickles
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 pound sliced ham
• 10 (6 inch) flour tortillas

 Spread cream cheese on one side of a tortilla. Place a slice or two of ham over this. Spread another layer of cream cheese over the ham. Roll a pickle up in the tortilla and slice the roll into finger food-sized pieces. Refrigerate the rolls if you aren't serving them immediately.

 *Alternately in my family sometimes we will replace bologna(usually the light all beef kind) instead of ham.*

For "Going Green" lunch container ideas please visit my Tupperware HomePage


www.craftymomof3.com
my.tupperware.com/craftymomof3