LEMON JUICE: Fiesta Salad

Featured Item

LEMON JUICE

Why I store this time:

• Lemon juice is in a lot of recipes I make and while fresh squeezed juice is mighty tasty, it can become a pain to always have to buy a lemon. I keep a bottle of this in the fridge so I can always have lemon juice on hand when I need it.
• The commercially prepared stuff does not need to be refrigerated and can last up to 18 months unopened. Once opened it needs to be refrigerated and used within 9 months. However, I've used my open bottle a lot longer than that and it still tasted great. Just make sure it doesn't smell bad or have a funny color.
• One large bottle lasts me a whole year. I love when I only have to buy something once a year!

Homemade Item: BLACK BEANS

Black beans are used in so many tasty recipes. Preparing your own can save you a lot of money in the long run and gives you the satisfaction of knowing you cooked them yourself.

To start, buy yourself a bag of dry black beans. Take it from my experience that it is worth it to spend a little more and not get the cheap brand (like I have pictured below...). The last time I made them, I used a more expensive brand. This time I opted for cheap, which is not unusual for me and often works just as well. That is not the case here, the more expensive beans were WAY better quality. Spend the extra dollar or so, I promise it will be worth it. 

I cooked 2 lbs of beans. This gave me plenty to store and use later and didn't overfill my biggest pot, although it did come close. 

To start off, put your beans in a big pot. Add 6-8 cups of water per pound. Because I used 2 lbs, I added 14 cups of water. 

Take it from my experience, you will want to use a black or metal spoon to stir your beans. Don't use a wooden one or it will permanently be died a nice shade of purple. 

Bring your pot full of beans to a rapid boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit in the water for 1 hour. 

After letting the beans soak for an hour, drain all the water from your black beans.

Then, put them back in your pot, fill it back up with water, and turn the heat back on.

Cover your pot, allowing it to breathe a little, and simmer for 2 hours. 

Drain again.

At this point, your beans are ready to eat or freeze. I divided mine into servings based on cans, because that is generally what recipes call for. 1 can = 1 1/2 cups cooked beans. 

I was able to get 7 "cans" worth out of the 2 lbs I cooked. 

I then put them all in a big, dated, freezer bag and put them in my freezer for later use. 

According to Still Tasty, black beans prepared at home are good for 5-7 days in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer. 

To use, you can let them thaw in the fridge overnight. Or, if you are like me and don't take them out of the freezer until just before you need them, put them in a strainer and run water over them to thaw them quickly. 

RICE: Fried Rice

FEATURED ITEM:

RICE

WHY STORE THIS ITEM:

• Rice is a basic food staple and a versatile part of any food storage.
• When sealed in an airtight container dry rice can be stored up to 30 years! Once opened rice still lasts for an impressive 1-2 years when kept in a dry container.
• Rice is a fantastic part of many fun and creative dishes like risotto, pilaf, and fried rice. Rice can also be cooked plain as a base or side to accompany many other dishes such as curry, stir-fry, or with fish or chicken.

DINNER RECIPE:

Fried Rice
 

Homemade Item: CIABATTA BREAD

My husband asked for Panini sandwiches for dinner this week. He rarely requests meals so when he does I try to honor those. We usually have these on ciabatta bread so I decided to try making ciabatta bread myself. I found this re
cipe online; it looked simple enough so I jumped right in.

CANNED SPAGHETTI: Chilighetti

FEATURED ITEM:

Campbell’s Spaghetti

WHY STORE THIS ITEM:

- The can says it is storable unopened for 2 years! That is so long.

- There is a full serving of veggies in every can. Hurray for Veggies.

- The unique flavor is good by itself but can add a surprising depth of flavor when added to a favorite recipe.

- This stuff is cheap, cheap, cheap making it easy to stock up on.

Homemade Item: CHIPOLTE RANCH DRESSING

Do you ever have a tiny bit of food left over from a recipe and are not sure what to do with it? You don’t want to through it out, but there is not quite enough to save? Well, try making some fun sauces with it.

I had a little adobo sauce left after a recipe and decided to make chipotle ranch sauce.

McCORMIC MARINADES: Chipotle Lime Meat Marinade

FEATURED ITEM:

McCORMIK MARINADES

WHY STORE THIS ITEM:

• These little packets are bursting with great flavor and because there are so many different flavors you are sure to find one that meets all the needs of your family.
• The package says it has an expiration date of 18 months and if you get them really fresh they last up to 2 years.
• These marinades require just a little bit of oil, water, and sometimes vinegar to mix up but you could always use it as a dry rub if you didn’t have those.
• Any type of meat will work with most flavors because they are very versatile.