Ok, one thing I LOVE is my food “kits” that I make up. They are so easy to pull out whenever I want to make something homemade but don’t feel like pulling out everything I need for a recipe. I make dry kits for baked items…like pancake mixes, bread mixes, muffins and more. Sound like a lot of work? Not really…for example, last weekend I was making some blueberry muffins and just pulled out an extra storage container and as I was adding the dry ingredients to my bowl for the muffins I was making that morning, I was doing the same into the storage container. When I’m done, all I need to do is date and label it then stick it in the pantry to pull out later on a day when I want to make something healthy but am short on time.
Another favorite “kit” is the one that comes out of my freezer. Two on the top of my list are a fajita kit and a pizza kit. For the fajita kit I buy the meat that I want (usually skirt steak and chicken both), put into a freezer bag (separate for each meat type), add the marinade and seal. Then I’ll have separate bags for the shredded cheese, sliced peppers & onions and even the tortillas. I put them all into a big (two-gallon) zip type bag, seal, date and label. When I’m ready for some yummy grilled fajitas, all I need to do is pull the kit out the night before to thaw in the fridge and throw the meat on the grill at the end of the day. I’ll purchase sour cream, guacamole or salsa for the sides and we’re good to go in less than a half hour! I even made up one of these kits to bring on our recent camping trip…wow! Talk about some delicious camping food!
Pizza kits are also tops on my list. Sometimes I make my own pizza sauce and have that in a freezer safe container. Again, in separate bags, I’ll add shredded cheese, pepperoni, browned ground sausage, chopped onions, barbecue chicken pizza mix or whatever we want on our pizzas and throw all those bags into a two-gallon bag and put it in the freezer until meal night. You can also make the pizza dough ahead (or buy your own that week on your shopping day) or buy it in bulk like I do from my local wholesale club. This is a total no-brainer at meal time in less than a half hour! Add a garden salad and dinner’s done.
There are lots of kits you can make and store in your pantry or freezer. For some extra inspiration, check out the book “Make-A-Mix“–you’ll no doubt feel like trying at least ONE new thing! It’s like healthy fast food for your family!
What kinds of kits would you like to have in your pantry or freezer for hectic days? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Happy cooking!
