What’s the Best Way to Freeze Meat?

Credit: Aluma Images/Getty

Freezing meat is all about convenience: you have to plan ahead and freeze it in a way that makes it easy to use. Here are 10 do’s and don’ts when it comes to freezing meat:

Do:

1. Label your packaging with the contents and the freeze date.
2. Freeze in portions you will cook with (e.g. ground meat in 1-pound packages and 4 chicken breasts to each zip-top bag).
3. Chill your freezer to 0°F.
4. Purge regularly to keep foods from being lost.
5. Use your freezer to prolong the life of foods, not a place to ignore them.

Don’t:

1. Don’t freeze your food in big blocks that are slow to defrost.
2. Don’t freeze unsealed packages. The meat will dry out too much, which will ruin the texture.
3. Don’t freeze old meat; package and freeze meat soon after purchasing.
4. Don’t forget to use what you frozen. There’s no point in saving what you won’t eat.
5. Don’t freeze oversize cuts of meat. Keep frozen meats to manageable sizes to encourage use.

Keep Reading: 

• 8 Foods You Should Have for a Well-Stocked Freezer
• Our Best Freezable Recipes
• Freezer-Friendly Meals

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How the Cooking Light Diet Helps This “Lazy” Cook Prep for Mealtime Success

I started the Cooking Light Diet because I am lazy.

Although I love nothing more than the sweet, sweet smell of soup simmering on the stove, I don’t always have the energy to make it at the end of a long Monday. And while I aspire to Martha Stewart levels of food prep, I’ve yet to master that particular life skill. As a recent college grad, adjusting to adulthood means learning to feed myself without the help of the school cafeteria. Where is the salad bar when I need it?

Pictured: Something most people don’t have access to at work or on-the-go.

I work at a cookbook company. I pride myself on my mad knife skills and countertop herb garden. Still, I found myself struggling get lunch packed and dinner prepared without grabbing something fast and easy (read: unhealthy) instead. Here’s where the Cooking Light Diet comes in: It embraces my fervent desire to spend as little time as possible in the kitchen during the week and still manages to deliver on taste and nutrition. And since most of the recipes yield several servings, dinner does double duty as lunch.

After about a month on the Diet, the most important thing I’ve learned is that I am terrible at planning ahead. The second most important thing I’ve learned is that this character flaw is correctable. The Diet does all the planning for me, down to a customizable shopping list. Weekend grocery store trips are significantly less stressful when armed with a list, and knowing what I’m eating each day allows me to prepare for the week. I now spend an hour or two on Sunday afternoons cooking and prepping for the week ahead. I think Martha would be proud.

More Cooking Light Diet Success Stories:

• If You Hate Your Diet, You’re Doing It All Wrong
• Massachusetts Woman Chooses Cooking Light Diet, Loses 50 Pounds
• New York Woman Thankful for Variety in Cooking Light Diet, Sheds 27 Pounds

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12 Easy Ways to Decorate with Pumpkins

This article originally appeared on SouthernLiving.com.

Go beyond the jack-o’-lantern this year with creative ways to use pumpkins in your fall decor.

Make a centerpiece (pictured above).
Take a round or oval container, and fill it with potting soil. Plant a mix of succulents (such as echeverias) toward the center of the bowl, leaving plenty of room around the edges. Nestle small orange and white pumpkins into the soil. Add seasonal vegetables like kale, radishes, and eggplants. Use bundles of fresh herbs (such as rosemary and sage) to fill in any gaps.

Use them as votives.
Use a craft knife to trace circles a little larger than the bottom of a tea light into the orange mini pumpkins. Cut and carve out the circles to allow a candle to fit inside comfortably. Insert tea lights. Float pumpkin votives as well as whole pumpkins in water, or scatter around to create a fall glow.

Head on over to SouthernLiving.com to get 10 more ideas.

Pumpkins Galore:

• Free Printable Pumpkin Carving Patterns
• Pumpkin Ideas for Your Front Door
• No-Carve Pumpkin Decorating Ideas

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We Tried It: Barbara’s Pumpkin Puffins

Calling all pumpkin lovers! Take my advice: drive to the grocery store and buy Barbara’s Pumpkin Puffins NOW. Made with real pumpkin, these beautiful orange pillows deliver light and delightful earthy flavors that will please the taste buds of those with and without dietary restrictions. Sure, it’s bold in color, but don’t let that deter you. Grab a handful from the box and eat it without milk, or pour into a bowl and indulge—either way, you’re in for a treat. This fall favorite is only available for a limited time, so stock up while you still can!

More Food Finds:

• We Tasted It: Organicgirl’s Sweet Pea Shoots and Dressing
• We Tasted It: Lord Nut Levington Zesty Chili Lime Peanuts
• We Tasted It: Uncle Andy’s Jerky

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Five on Friday: Halloween Recipes with Our Bloggers’ Connection

Join us each month as we round up our favorite seasonal posts from the Cooking Light Bloggers’ Connection.

This month’s theme is Halloween, and these spooky, healthy recipes will help spice up the holiday.

Chipotle Coconut Pepper Jacks: Forget carving a pumpkin—create a Jack-o’-Lantern out of peppers instead. Tofu, quinoa, coconut, and sweet potato unite in spabettie‘s recipe, making for a dish that will please both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. What better way to encourage your kids to eat their veggies?

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats: This homemade snack is so ridiculously tasty—your little monsters will love it! Nutmeg and cinnamon are combined with pumpkin purée in The Way To His Heart‘s recipe for an irresistible after-school snack or party appetizer.

Pumpkin Chocolate Spiderweb Muffins: Loaded with whole grains and low in sodium and sugar, Recipe Renovator‘s gluten-free muffins serve as a delicious and nutritious breakfast for all. Drizzle dark chocolate overtop for a spooky finishing touch.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies: Taking on Magazines gave our Bittersweet Chocolate Cookies a healthy twist by substituting whole-wheat flour for all-purpose flour. Use decorating this dessert as an excuse to bond with the family. Trust us, your trick-or-treaters will go crazy decorating these skeletons.

Whole Roasted Pumpkin Stuffed with Lamb and Bulgur: Fill your kitchen with the scents of fall as lamb, cinnamon, cumin, onion, and garlic roast inside a sugar pumpkin. The pickiest of eaters will indulge in It’s Not Easy Eating Green‘s dinner, packed with heart-healthy grains.

Keep Reading:

• Meet the Members of the Cooking Light Bloggers’ Connection
• 6 Healthy and Savory Pumpkin Recipes
• Our Best Pumpkin Recipes

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College Football Week 9: Cocktail Parties and Halloween Drinks

Hello, sports fans! Revel in the college football action while you can, because the season is drawing closer to its zenith. Who will lead their team to a championship? Is Leonard Fournette a lock to win the Heisman? Will Al Golden ever coach D-I again after his fall-from-grace in Miami? These answers are coming sooner rather than later.

All that glitters is not Golden. My face would look like this too if I just got shellacked 58-0 at home in front of like, maybe 12 people. Photo: Al Diaz/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images

I would imagine it’s rarely this civil an affair, but it’s a fun illustration regardless, no? Photo: Bradenton Herald/MCT via Getty Images

Marquee Matchup: Georgia vs. #11 Florida, 10/31, 3:30PM ET on CBS
We’re moving up the East Coast of Florida from Miami to Jacksonville for this week’s highlighted tilt. It’s the World’s Largest Cocktail Party, where the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs meet on neutral ground to alter the SEC East landscape. And where a lot of fans apparently drink cocktails. The Dawgs are struggling to salvage their season after losing all-star RB Nick Chubb to an injury, while Florida are sitting pretty as a top-15 team. After a tough loss to LSU last weekend, I think the Gators rebound and get the W here. The real winner, though? Cocktail lovers. My Prediction: Florida 28, Georgia 20

 

Black Cauldron
Full disclosure: I was going with Cuban Pork Shoulder with Beans and Rice until I remembered Saturday was Halloween. Then I thought, Hey dummy! Why not a cocktail that celebrates both the World’s Largest Cocktail Party and Halloween? I give you Black Cauldron, natch. The beauty of this devious cocktail? The ice cream component lets you pad the stomach for further cocktail consumption, and the caffeine component keeps you in the game. Am I allowed to type that? In moderation I meant! Always in moderation. Whip up these cauldrons, avoid the toil and trouble, and enjoy a great weekend slate of college football. Happy Halloween everyone! Cheers.

Black Cauldron. Photo: Johnny Autry

2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup brewed espresso
24 ounces oatmeal stout beer

Place 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream in each of 4 tall glasses. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon vodka, 1 tablespoon brewed espresso, and 6 ounces oatmeal stout beer. Serve immediately.

 

More Halloween Sips:

• Murder in Manhattan
• Spiced Cider
• Candy Apple Punch

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Healthy Halloween Appetizers: Banana Ghosts

This season is filled with endless ways to indulge in candies and chocolates. And while it is tempting, it’s not ideal for people concerned with keeping up a clean or balanced diet. Believe it or not, having a healthy Halloween doesn’t have to be filled with boo-ring, bland treats. This year, serve up fruit and vegetable apps that are just as festive and fun.

Casper the Friendly Ghost has nothing on this sweet treat. Kids love nothing more than eating with their hands. Put these ghoulishly good snacks out for grabs and your hungry little trick-or-treaters will smile brighter than ever.

The best part? Our Banana Ghosts come together in just three simple steps:
– Peel every banana and cut each in half crosswise.
– Place two small chocolate chips at the top of the banana for eyes and add a Hershey’s kiss underneath for a mouth.
– Place on a platter and serve.

We know. It’s scary how easy these come together.

More Healthy Halloween Treats:

• Peel ‘N’ Pop Pumpkins
• Murder in Manhattan: The Perfect Halloween Cocktail
• Skeleton Crudité Platter

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Tips for a Brighter Breakfast

Credit: Whole Foods Market

We’ve all heard it before – breakfast is such an important meal of the day – especially for kids. Studies have shown that children who regularly eat breakfast are more likely to meet their recommended dietary intake for vitamins and minerals, and a good breakfast can promote mental alertness and consistent energy intake. So when you have a short window of time before the school bell rings and a picky eater on your hands, a foolproof breakfast strategy is key!

I always aim to prepare a quick and easy breakfast that is full of fiber, whole grains, protein and as little sugar as possible. Many typical breakfasts fall short on protein, so consider adding eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt or nut butters to your routine to give your kids the wakeup they need. I try to set aside ten minutes every morning so that a protein-rich breakfast is feasible – but if cold cereal is the only way to make it to school on time, avoid any sugary varieties.. I recommend 365 Everyday Value^® Organic Morning O’s, which are free of any artificial preservatives, flavors colors and sweeteners.

Credit: Whole Foods Market

For other speedy breakfast suggestions, try a few of these fun options that can be enjoyed on the run:

• Smoothie with a dollop of nut/seed butter
• Hard-boiled eggs + whole grain crackers and fresh fruit
• Whole grain toast with cream cheese, tomato and turkey bacon

Whole Kids Foundation is committed to improving children’s nutrition. By inspiring healthy breakfast habits we can set our kids up for a healthy day! If your child starts off with a bright balance of vitamins and nutrients, they are more likely to eat wholesome foods for lunch, dinner and any snacks in between.

Credit: Whole Foods Market

For more breakfast inspiration, see some of my favorites below:

• A Better Breakfast Pita Pocket – A super tasty way to get vegetables into the morning meal!
• Sunrise Breakfast Smoothie – This delicious smoothie packs fruit, vegetables, yogurt and whole grains into one shippable package.
• Breakfast Banana Splits – Perfect for your little ones to assemble themselves.

For more ideas on how to get your kid to eat healthier, visit our website. You’ll find tons of resources and recipes to inspire and sustain better eating habits.

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Credit: Whole Foods Market

Nona Evans, Whole Kids Foundation President & Executive Director
Nona has a longstanding passion for improving the experience of children’s education. She has married passion with the importance of nutrition and access to healthy food choices through Whole Kids Foundation, a philanthropic endeavor of Whole Foods Market. Driven by a belief that the best way to ensure a bright future is to inspire it in young people, Nona has spent the last chapter of her career focusing on innovative partnerships that improve education and support healthier foodservice programs in schools.

Keep Reading:

• Super Soups Your Kids Will Love
• How to Get Your Kids Exploring New Veggies
• A Guide to Smarter Snacks for Kids

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Help! I Waited Until the Last Minute to Plan My Halloween Party Menu

Halloween is right around the corner, and you know what that means—party time! You’ve spent so much time making costume choices and the scary movie line-up that you totally forgot you’re in charge of the party? Not to worry! We’ve got you covered! From spiked cider to kid-friendly treats, we’ve got something on our last-minute menu that’s sure to delight each and every person.

Spiced Cider: Kick off the party with a warm welcome.

Fresh Apple Salsa: Dip tortilla chips into this sweet yet tart salsa or have it all on its own.

Prosciutto-Stuffed Dates: Six ingredients is all you need for this show-stopping appetizer.

Caramel Popcorn: Munch on buttery goodness during the bewitching hour.

White Bean and Pumpkin Hummus with Pita Chips: Because typical hummus just wouldn’t do for the ultimate Halloween bash, we added pumpkin to the mix.

Halloween Crispy Treats: Put those cookie cutters to use and make a treat that’s loved by all ages.

Black Cauldron: An ice cream float just for the big kids. Hint: it’s spiked!

More Party Ideas:

• Scary-Good Halloween Recipes
• Healthy Halloween
• Spooky and Sweet Halloween Snacks

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Good Food: Xilli Salsa Macha

Credit: Wenting Gu

by Kate Malin

In Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs still spoken in Central Mexico today, the word xilli means chili. In naming his collection of authentic Mexican sauces Xilli, founder and chef Nacxitl Gaxiola honors the salsas, moles, escabeches, and adobos that have been staples in Mexican kitchens for centuries. Crafting these staples with an eye towards authenticity in his Brooklyn kitchen, Nacxi offers traditional flavors made with fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients. In bringing the delicious authentic flavors of Mexico to Brooklyn and beyond, Naxci strives to represent the cultural heritage of Mexico and to honor its rich culinary history.

In Nahuatl, the term macho translates to “one who is worthy of imitation,” or “enlightened one” and Xilli Salsa Macha certainly lives up to this name. Fried chipotle chili adds depth and heat while ground toasted peanuts lend a nutty complexity to this smoky oil-based salsa, which can serve as a complement to nearly any meal. Naxci recommends eating with meat or tacos, on eggs for breakfast, or as the base for a spicy stew or soup. With the strength of centuries of tradition behind it, the benefits of modern technology to enhance it, and the expert eyes of a passionate and conscientious chef watching over every step of production, this stellar salsa truly is made for machos.

Credit: Todd Schmiedlin

Xilli Salsa Macha is available at xillinyc.com and in stores across the New York. Xilli is a proud member of the Good Food Merchants Guild, national association uniting American craft food businesses to connect, convene and promote Good Food businesses of all sizes.

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From her grassroots work at the Good Food Awards to her continued education at NYU’s Food Studies Master’s Program, Kate Malin brings an unparalleled passion for great food and good people.

More Good Food Finds:

• Calivirgin Buddha’s Hand Citron Olive Oil
• Brooklyn Delhi Tomato Achaar
• Royal Rose Lavender Lemon Simple Syrup

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