Taking advantage of summer harvest

I have so much buzzing around my head that I want to share with you, but haven't had much time to do so. Therefore, I decided to just pick one topic and go with it. And the winning topic is: saving money by taking advantage of the seasonal produce.

Even if you are like me and didn't get your act together to get a garden planted, you can still get in on the summer goods. (I WILL do it next year- I promise. Please don't ask how many years I made and broke that promise, but next year will be different.)

Depending on where you live you should be able to find farmer markets or road side stands where the produce is fresher and cheaper than the grocery store. Or you may be blessed enough to have a neighbor with too much who is looking to give the stuff away. Buy in bulk if possible and then freeze or can your purchase.

When shopping don't be afraid to haggle especially if you plan on buying a huge amount. I know a man who goes to local road side corn stands and asks them how much they would charge him for their entire stock. He fills his pick-up truck up and blanches and freezes it all.

A few summers ago I discovered a farm where they had U-Pick tomatoes and it was only $5 to fill a 5 gallon bucket. I also bought some peppers and corn and I made enough of my "famous" salsa to last a year.

Peas, beans, broccoli and cauliflower and corn freeze well, just blanch them first. If you want to bake with zucchini grate it before freezing, but if you want to steam or saute then slice it first. I have hear that tomatoes can be frozen, but I have not tried. Instead I have canned them using the hot process method (not a pressure canner.) This seems a little scary, but it is really very easy.

Also, once you get your canning equipment, all except for the lids can be reused, and these are fairly inexpensive. The bans only need to be replaced if they rust. (The equipment you will need is: a large pot, jars with lids and bans, tongs for lifting the jars. A funnel is helpful, but depending on what you are canning may not be necessary.)

Why Grilling is Great

There are many reasons why it grilling is a great way to cook. First off it's healthy because it adds little fat or oils to your foods. Also many vegetables grill-up wonderfully so  kids who normally turn their nose up to veggies might actually try some. Grilled fruit can make a delicious yet healthy dessert. Steaks, burgers and hot dogs seem to be typical grilling staples but lighter meats like lean pork, fish,chicken and turkey breast grill up great as well.

During the summer heat it keeps the house from getting heated by your oven or stove, which in turn saves money on the energy that is needed to run the A/C or a fan.

Grilling is usually quick and easy and if you make foil packets you can put them together earlier in the day and just toss them on the grill when it's time to cook. Also tools like a a grill basket or a grill pan (a pan that has holes in it that is made for using on the grill) can help you break out of the box of "normal" grill fare by allowing you to stir fry or cook small pieces of meat and vegetables.

Kids love to cook and prepping food for the grill is a fantastic way to get them involved. Also many grilled meals can easily be personalized for all tastes. When making shish-ka-bobs or foil packets have a variety of ingredients available and let everyone assemble their own using their favorites.

Also,the only time many husbands cook is when it's on the grill. I discovered this quite by accident the summer my second child was born. My oldest was only 18 months when her sister was born at the end of June. As most moms know there are some days when you just don't want to or just don't have the energy or mental capacity cook,especially with a brand new baby and toddler to care for. It didn't take me long to learn whenever I took the food out to the grill my husband was there taking it out of my arms. So I started saving the grilled meals for those days described above. It also didn't take long for my husband to figure out what I was doing but he appreciated that I had him cook the way he enjoyed when I wanted a hand with dinner.