I Love To Freeze

No, I am not saying I love the below freezing temperatures we have had in Northern Utah for the past month. I am saying that I love to freeze any foods I can get my hands on. For example, I freeze brownish bananas for smoothies - they make the best smoothies. I also freeze leftover tomato paste in tablespoon portions for future recipes - because most recipes only call for a tablespoon or two which leaves the rest of can to throw out. 

I use the following technique to freeze bananas, onions, bell peppers, fresh fruit, and more. How to quick freeze produce: First wash and drain produce before spreading in a single layer on parchment lined baking sheet. Once it is frozen solid, store in an airtight container for up to 6 months. 

Picture from Martha Stewart

I am a green smoothie addict and buy my organic spinach in bulk at Costco. Some weeks I have leftover spinach and hate the thought of throwing it out before it turns bad. You can put it in a blender with a little water, blend, and pour it into ice cube trays. Once frozen store in a freezer bag. Add a couple of cubes to your green smoothie and you're good to go.

Picture from All That Is Sweet In Life

I love using wine in cooking, especially when making anything Italian. It gives the dish such a great flavor. If you ever have left over wine... okay, that was silly... when you are at the store then pick up an extra bottle of wine just for cooking. Freeze wine in an ice cube tray and then store in an airtight container once frozen. Add it to your favorite sauces or dishes for extra flavor.

Picture from The Art Of Doing Stuff

I always freeze fresh herbs. I grow herbs every year and freeze as many as I can or I buy them in bulk and freeze them. Find out how I freeze fresh herbs, here. On Pinterest I found a great tip on freezing fresh herbs in olive oil. I love this because I use a lot of olive oil and fresh herbs when I cook and these can be dropped into a lot of different dishes.

Picture from theKitchn

These tips and more can be found on my Kitchen Tips and Tutorials board on Pinterest.

Product Review: Yonanas "Ice Cream" Maker

 I love banana "ice cream"- it's one of my favorite go-to treats. You make a delicious frozen treat out of frozen bananas and you can add other fruit like strawberries or berries or you can add peanut butter for a WAY yummy treat. Click here for my Peanut Butter Banana "Ice Cream" recipe. So delish!

I was really excited when I received a Yonanas Banana Ice Cream Maker for Christmas. I thought this would be such a fun and easy way to make my delicious frozen concoction. It did a really good job making the bananas into what looked just like ice cream. After you put in the first frozen banana, you then put in your mix-in's, and then another banana. When finished you have to mix it all together really well. I like it a little more creamy and add a splash of vanilla almond milk.

Personally I thought it was a little easier to make it in my small blender and it always came out perfect. But since I have the Yonanas maker I will use it even though it takes more time and it is a little harder to clean than my blender.

Top Five: Favorite Toddler Pins

Happy New Year! One of my goals for 2013 is to create, make, and bake more of the pins I have collected on Pinterest. Some of things I plan on doing this year are from My Little One pin board. It's a board of pins just for my toddler.

Here are my top five favorite pins on My Little One pin board: 

DIY Sidewalk Paint

This easy-to-make paint made with food coloring, corn starch, and water makes a super fun and easy summer activity. You can find the recipe at All Things Simple.

A Handmade Hideaway

This little playhouse is so cute. Now I just have to convince my husband to build it. You can find the instructions on how to build it and a price list of all the materials on The Handmade Home. 

DIY Fishing Game

On Design Dazzle you can find free printable fish and instructions on how to create this fun game for little ones. I think my 2 1/2-year old will love this. 

Toddler Lunch

This is such a cute way to serve lunch since most toddlers, including mine, are so picky. You give them an ice cube tray full of fruits, veggies, crackers, and even cookies. It's a great way to give them variety while experimenting with new foods. You can find out what foods are pictured below at Pink Pistachio.

Kids Artwork Book

I couldn't find where the original post of this picture came from, but I love the idea. You scan your kids artwork and create keepsake books. You can add pictures of your kids creating the artwork or their school picture to track their grade/age. 

You can find and follow My Little One pin board, here. Or follow all of my Pinterest boards, here.