Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Something tells me 28 is going to be a great year 🙂
I was spoiled last night with a delicious meal cooked by mom, who has been an angel all week keeping all of us fed! Chicken picatta with green beans and asparagus – yum.
It felt like Christmas, more than a birthday, with all the goodies I got from the best husband/dad ever! A running book, running gear, yoga shirt, a waffle maker and a pizza cutter. It may sound random, but it reminded me of all the goals I am excited to get back to tackling. And, trust me, I’m much more of a running shirt and waffle iron girl than a jewelry girl!
Now, for the obligatory brag photo 😉 Hopefully these will begin to taper off, but I’m still in awe of every little face she makes!
And now, for some real info!
With the plethora of fresh summer vegetables starting to dwindle, it makes me anxious to take advantage of the farmers markets and store food for fall meals! It’s smart to take advantage of the cheap prices and freshness as I start thinking ahead to the colder months.
When I received a big bag of beautiful okra from a friend, I thought about how perfect it would be in a seafood gumbo in the fall. So since I was already stocked full of produce for the week, I decided to freeze it for safe keeping.
Properly freezing veggies takes a little more than just throwing them in a ziplock. Most veggies need to be blanched in order to destroy certain bacteria and enzymes that will make it go bad, while preserving the flavor, color and texture of the food.
Take my okra for example…
Start by rinsing thoroughly to clean off the dirt and grime.
Then, chop off the stems, being careful not to cut into the pod. This keeps the sliminess inside.
Prepare for blanching with 1 pot of boiling water and a big bowl of ice water.
Once it’s reached a full boil, throw in the okra for 3-4 minutes.
Check out this chart to find out how long to blanch your vegetable of choice.
Then quickly remove with a slotted spoon and place directly into the ice bath.
Once the okra has completely cooled, drain on paper towels.
Now that your vegetable is prepped, into the ziplock!
Squeeze out as much air as possible and mark the date on the bag before tossing it into the freezer.
This fresh okra is going to be amazing come fall… I’m already dreaming of gumbo!
What meal are you looking forward to enjoying when cooler weather arrives?
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen says
And now I want to make gumbo! I’ve never prepped my own veggies to freeze but I really should b/c come the middle of winter with the slim local fresh pickings in the grocery store, they would definitely come in handy.
She’s adorable 🙂 It’s so weird to think that a few days ago she was still in your stomach! haha
Brittany says
oh my gosh, I know, when she came out, I was thinking ‘no wonder I couldn’t roll over in bed! She’s HUGE!… even though she was a peanut at 7 lbs 1 oz 🙂
PS- i want gumbo toooooo
Mandy Robinson says
How funny. My husband and me trade random but meaningful gifts for special occasions as well. I certainly am not into jewelry and flowers. The best gift he ever gave me was a bag of tootsie rolls hidden in my lap top bag (found them when I got to class – I almost cried)!
Happy Birthday (sorry I am a day late).
P.S. Love the photo of the little one (can’t wait to see more).
Brittany says
aw, the surprise, no-occassion gifts are the best kind! Hooray for sweet husbands 🙂
Kristin @ eat healthy. be happy. live well says
Thanks for the tutorial! I might have to stock up next week and freeze some veggies.
That picture of Hailey is just too cute 🙂
Lindsay @ Schnoodle Soup says
Don’t ever apologize for showing that face. I want to see more, more, more. She is the cutest.
Karen says
I agree – keep the bambino photos coming!
Melissa says
Happy Belated Birthday!!! She is adorable. Show as many photos of her as you’d like. And gumbo sounds fantabulous!!
Holly says
Very informative!
How long do the veggies keep in the freezer? Does it vary on what type or do they all keep the same duration?
Tiff says
You deserve to brag. Soooo adorable! 🙂 You know what else is cool – you’re married to a dad now, not just a dude. Cool, right?
Jen says
glad that you had a great birthday! i love practical gifts like that too!
keep posting those brag pictures because she is beautiful and it makes my heart happy to see her cute face!
Hanna says
I LOVE the picture! She made me laugh out loud at work. People think I’m a crazy pregnant lady though, so it’s OK. 🙂 Thanks for the info on how to properly blanch veggies! I’ve always wondered how to do it. I’m looking forward to yummy chili by the fire!!
Holly @ The Runny Egg says
Cooler weather — I am always looking forward to meals like stews and chilis with cornbread. Seems like we eat those types of foods 2-3x per week in the winter!
Hailey is an absolute doll!
Alyssa @ Life of bLyss says
no. way. keep those hailey brag photos coming! I want more. now.
Sam says
Happy belated birthday and aww look at that face 🙂 I’ve never tried okra before but i am very curious about it!
Lauren says
I never knew the blanching trick! What a great tip. I wish I had okra frozen for seafood gumbo 🙁 And no need to ever stop posting baby pictures 🙂
Suzanne says
I love those pucker faces 🙂 Happy belted birthday!!
Shannon says
That face!! It’s priceless. Truly beautiful 🙂 I cannot wait for the weather here in sunny FL to get chilly enough for CHILI!!
Corrie @ Blurb Column says
Hi Brittany! I’m new to your blog but wanted to say 1- Congratulations! 2- Happy Birthday! and 3 – I have been freezing stuff like a crazy woman lately!
berries (3 kinds) peaches, apples, corn, green beans, peppers, tomatoes, pesto, tomatillo sauce..and more! Here’s hoping for no power outages.
I am looking forward to hearty meals like bean soups, chili and casseroles! Oh, and of course, roasted root veggies! My favorite fall food.
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
I am looking forward to more pumpkin goodies and butternut squash.
Baby D (so hard not to call her that) is so darn cute! I bet you’re in heaven right now! What am awesome bday for you. : )
Alaina says
Hailey is so beautiful and I am quite certain you hear that enough but enjoy it each and everytime! Love her eyes and I have a nephew who is 4 months old and thinks Hailey is pretty too. His name is Brandon 🙂
Also, thank you so much for the how-to on freezing veggies. I’m in college so everything gets frozen eventually!
Kath says
She is the most precious newborn!!! Please don’t taper!
blackhuff says
I love that photo of your little girl. So sweet.
How great of your mom, feeding you all this week. That meal look delicious.
I too am more of a running girl than a jewelry one 🙂
Heather says
I hate that I am just now reading this I’m a day off now since I have been so busy, but this is a great idea. I was thinking that since you freeze stuff regularly you may want to get a foodsaver. I have one and I love it. The last time I made lasagna I made more then I needed and then foodsaved it and when I took it out of the freezer 2 months later and thawed it, then warmed it up it tasted as good as the day I made it.
Hailey is precious and I love all the pics.