Quick Weekend Food Prep

Here are some tips for quick weekend food prep which will save you time the rest of the week. And help to avoid wasting food.

Do you remember the adage, “Waste not, want not”?  I think my mom used that to mean if you finish your canned peas you will not want that chocolate pudding.

It didn’t really work on my siblings or me, but in any case, to this day I hate waste.  Taking an hour or so on a weekend morning means we have fresh snacks for munching or readily prepped for meals later in the week.

Here’s what I did this weekend.

Veggie Plate

Hub and I are world-famous (in my own mind) for our veggie plates.  At the drop of a hat, we can have a healthy appetizer ready. 

Here’s what I like:

• It’s easy to fox up to bring to friends’ as an appetizer with a light sour cream ranch dip.
• Perfect for noshing while making a big holiday or family meals instead of chips or nuts.
• Easy to grab when the horrible hungries get you in their grip.

Leaving veggies in their plastic bags makes it easy to forget what’s what in the produce bin.  There’s nothing worse than pulling out something you need only to find it has gone bad.

Cleaning, peeling, chopping and storing veggies in a compartmentalized container works best for us.  Usually tomatoes stay out of the fridge, but if they are at risk of getting old, they go in. 

Peppers are so strong, they over power the other vegetables, so they go in their own container until it’s time to serve.

We have a very old Tupperware tray, and their current Serving Center Set is similar to a knock-off we also use.  I would never pay over $50 for a plastic container.  Sorry, Tupperware.

This Amazon option is $20 and has 1,000 five-star ratings.

Since we have two containers in two different sizes, we’re not in the market, but I highly suggest using these.

Berries

Strawberry season isn’t exactly here yet, but Costco consistently has good berries at a decent price.  But.  Of course, you get a lot of them. 

I’m not wasting those puppies.  I immediately clean and cut them, add a tiny bit of raw sugar and put them in our dandy large Rubbermaid storage container.  They last several days and make for a yummy addition to breakfast or dessert with a little whipped cream.

Cucumbers

We struggle with cucs.  We love them, but they do seem to get pitched pretty frequently.  When I prep for our veggie tray, I line the compartment with paper towel so they don’t get soggy.

We had a second cucumber which would have gone bad, so I turned it into pickled cucs and they will last a long time.

Let’s talk about pickled vegetables soon.  Easy and yummy.

Green Onions

Instead of pitching the strong white onion tops, I used them in the pickled cucumbers and then chopped up the greens and put them in the tiny Rubbermaid container.  They will last far longer in there than in a plastic bag and will be ready for a quick topping or garnish.  Tacos, anyone?

Hard Boiled Eggs

Heaven forbid we waste an egg these days!  Anyone with me here?  Good grief.  We have been very judicious in purchasing and using eggs lately, but they are a great source of protein.  Especially for someone like me who struggles getting enough protein.

We’ve found using the Instapot to cook the eggs, and then immersing them in an ice bath not only makes for perfectly done eggs, the shells magically slide right off.

Don’t ask me why.  It’s really magic.

Wrap Up

It’s driving me crazy not to fill you in on what I’ve been reading, but this post is too long.  Ok, next time.  I promise. 

Happy Valentine’s Day if you’re celebrating.  If you’re not, I’m sending you love anyway.

God bless.