Buying and Using Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Hi my friends, good morning! It's Thursday, which is good because:

1. The office and 30 rock are on...oh, and Kath and Kim, that's show's OK too (especially the episode where they're obsessed with Winona)
2. Friday is tomorrow
3. If you're in college, you don't have class, and you can go out and get drunk tonight
4. The garbage gets taken out
5. Um, that's it

I wanted to talk to you all about the benefits of using frozen fruit and vegetables. During the winter months here in the Northeast, there is really no way to get a variety of fresh, local, organic vegetables. Sure, there are some things that are at Whole Foods that are from the area, but there isn't much. What's a Bostonian to do? We have 2 options:

1. Pay out the you know what for vegetables and fruits that have been shipped who knows how far (very bad for the environment, and not that good for us, either because the nutrition degrades as they sit and sit)
2. Buy frozen fruits and vegetables (which are a steal no matter what month it is, really...)
   
   I'm going with number 2 and here's why:
   
3. Frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen at the peak of ripeness and then sent to the store. This means that you are getting optimal nutrition and flavor from what you're purchasing.
4. Buying frozen makes it much, much more affordable to buy organic. I get 12 oz. bags of frozen organic wild blueberries for $2.69 at Trader Joe's. Buying that many fresh organic during the winter would easily cost 3 times as much.
   
5. Frozen fruits and veggies don't go bad as quickly as fresh, meaning you can keep them on hand longer and stock up on them when they go on sale. They will get freezer burn, though, so try to use them within a month or two of purchase.
6. Frozen vegetables are great for a quick meal in a pinch.

Here's some ideas for using frozen veggies:

• You can throw a medley in a pan and have a delicious stir fry (I'll share my recipe with you) in no time at all. Throw atop some whole wheat spaghetti or soba, and you have quick, easy, and CHEAP organic noodle bowls. Trader Joe's also carries Thai rice sticks for $1.99. SO GOOD.
• You can also just throw a whole bag in a steamer and have an instant side dish to make sandwiches into a dinner.
• I'll buy a corn, pea, carrot medley and use it in pot pie filling. I just saute onions, garlic, oil, and spices, then add flour and milk to create a white sauce. Dump in the frozen veggies, and voila! Veggie pot pie filling.
• You can also toss bags of frozen vegetables into soups and stews
• They are great for making baby food. I toss a12 oz bag of organic365 WF sweet peas ($1.99) in my steamer and have more than a week of peas for Dylan after tossing them in the food processor. You'd pay over a dollar for one small jar of organic pea baby food.

Ideas for using frozen fruit:

• You can easily make peach, blueberry, or strawberry pies using bags of frozen fruit (so much cheaper than fresh!)
• Toss them in the blender or magic bullet or vitamix (these things sound awesome...I want a vitamix!) with some soymilk and water for a delicious smoothie.
• Toss frozen blueberries in pancake mix and muffins.
• Snack on frozen cherries, berries, or mango chunks. This is great for those on a diet, because they're frozen and take a while to eat, and you can have a huge cup for under 90 calories.
• Cook with sugar and make toppings for pancakes, cakes, and ice cream.

When using frozen fruits and vegetables, the possibilities are endless. I hope I've motivated you to use your imagination and see what you can come up with. It'll save you a ton of money, and hopefully get you eating more organic fruits and veggies!

What's your favorite thing to do with frozen fruits and veggies?