I’ve been doing it all wrong. I’ve been doing it wrong for a long time too. I remember watching Rachel Ray’s, 30-Minute meals on the Food Network back in the day and she did the same thing. She said the best way to store herbs is in a large zip lock bag with a paper towel inside to absorb the moisture. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

I’ve watched countless food shows over the years and have seen herbs displayed in vases and jars, within easy reach for the chefs/cooks to pluck what they need. I don’t know why I haven’t made the connection previously, but a couple of weekends ago, I decided to change my method in storing herbs. I was getting tired of throwing away brown, rotten parsley and cilantro, especially cilantro! I despise wasting food!

Guess what? I placed a bunch of cilantro and parsley, each in their own mason jars with water, over a week ago, and they’re still beautiful. I admit I was skeptical. The cilantro would start turning black by now in the storage bag. Not only does the jar storage system keep them fresh, but it’s aesthetically pleasing to see mini herb bouquets when I open the refrigerator. Also, because they are visible and easily accessible, I’m likely to use more fresh herbs.

Our grocery supply is getting lower since it’s towards the end of the month. Remember, I purchase the bulk of my groceries at the beginning of the month. I get paid once a month on the first, so this makes it easy to pay large household bills and expenses like food right away. As the month goes on, I tend to need to stop at the grocery store only to buy fresh produce and herbs, which is expected since some have a short shelf life.

To help make groceries stretch, I purchase large quantities of frozen vegetables, including peppers and seasoning blends. The peppers above are frozen tricolor peppers I bought from Trader Joes. I buy about two bags per month. I’m thinking of buying three bags in November. They are very convenient, especially for cooking in the middle of the week.

Hash cake filling. LPC

For those who follow my site, you know by now I incorporate vegan cuisine into my weekly meal rotation. Frozen peas came in handy for this hash cake recipe that includes: cooked quinoa, chia seeds, green onions, parsley, garbanzo beans, peas, and spices.

Oven ready hash cakes. LPC

I love the hash cakes as a snack while I’m at work. I take about two per day and warm them up in the toaster oven. My taste buds love salty, crunchy, and savory foods, so these hash cakes hit the spot and I don’t have to worry about calories.

Jerk chicken, grits, & collard greens with cabbage. LPC

Something in me conjured up the combination above and it was absolutely satisfying and delicious. I learned a few years ago my grocery store carried frozen collard greens. I sauteed fresh cabbage and onions with frozen collard greens and peppers plus spices. The result was a delicious side dish. The grits were by far the star of the show.

Gumbo File. LPC

Another cold front came in this week, which prompted me to make a hearty and scrumptious pot of chicken and sausage gumbo yesterday. I was so proud of my roux. I really took my time with it and got it to a rich, dark chocolate color. It gave my gumbo so much flavor. I also used three bags of frozen vegetables in this recipe: a bag of frozen okra and tomatoes, .5 bag of frozen okra, and .3 bag of frozen corn. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers.

Delicious chicken & sausage gumbo. LPC

There’s no telling what ideas I’ll come up with for next week.

What are you cooking?