What’s in My Freezer? The Staples I Swear By...
Plus, a few quick ways to de-stress in tough times.
Hi everyone,
Happy Friday! It’s a long holiday weekend, we’re celebrating a family birthday, and snow is in the forecast here in NJ - all good things. While the current news climate in the country remains heavy, there are some simple ways to re-center and bring some comfort into your day:
-Try a 10 minute meditation (I love Insight Timer, and recommend Tara Brach and Andrea Wachter’s guided meditations for beginners).
-Brew a hot cup of tea or coffee and read a book in a comfy spot for 20 minutes (leave your phone in another room).
-If you can get outside, take a 15 minute walk, preferably near nature. If it’s cold, that’s what hats and gloves are for!
-Put on some favorite music and color (how cute is this book?).
-Make a pot of soup (here are two to try: Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana and Lentil, Potato and Kale Soup) to keep hungry bellies warm and satisfied.
For me, cooking remains a preferred productive distraction that I’m leaning on a lot these days. I’m typically at the grocery store a few times a week, but I always keep a stocked freezer for days when I’m whipping up something last minute, or when it’s just too cold to venture out to buy ingredients. Having tried-and-true freezer staples is essential for taking some of the stress out of cooking; frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, extremely convenient (everything is already washed and prepped for you!) and often more affordable. And while I generally try and stay away from processed foods, I do keep a few healthier products on hand for nights when I just need to simplify and/or speed up the dinner making process. These are the essentials that I always keep on hand in my freezer for making nutritious, satisfying meals:
Frozen Wild Blueberries
Dark berries are one of the best sources of antioxidants out there, and wild blueberries are particularly good for you. We always keep a bag of frozen wild blueberries on hand for smoothies, blueberry pancakes, or for topping oatmeal, yogurt or chia pudding. We usually buy Wyman’s brand or Costco frozen blueberries.
Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic Broccoli Florets
Yes, you can buy frozen broccoli at practically any supermarket, but Trader Joe’s Frozen Organic Broccoli Florets remain supreme. Other brands are mostly stems and stingy on the florets, and usually has that distinctive “frozen vegetable” taste to it. TJ’s, however, has big, full florets that taste nearly as good as fresh broccoli. I love having this on hand for a quick veggie side, or for adding to pasta, rice and stir fries.
Frozen Organic Spinach and Kale
I am not brand loyal here, and I always keep a bag of frozen spinach and/or frozen kale on hand. As with frozen broccoli, I use it for a quick veggie side, or adding to pasta, noodles, rice, tacos, stir fries, soups, stews, curries, basically anything. Frozen leafy greens are a great bang for your buck, too!
Bread and Tortillas
I mentioned in my holiday gift guide that I’ve recently started to order bread from Wildgrain, a monthly subscription service hat delivers artisan breads (and other goodies) directly to your door, with a new customizable plant-based box option; everything goes from freezer to table in less than 25 minutes, so you can essentially have warm sourdough bread on demand. I keep a loaf of their sourdough and slow-fermented olive oil ciabatta on hand for slicing for toast, or having alongside a pot of soup. I also keep packages of tortillas (both corn and flour) in the freezer at all times for last-minute taco dinners.