Minced or Diced Garlic- ready to go! a Kitchen hack

Minced or Diced Garlic- ready to go! a Kitchen hack

Keeping around fresh garlic is a must in my house- I am never without those wonderful cloves!

Sometimes however it is really nice to have garlic already diced and minced ahead of time- saves time on weary or hurried days!
Rather than buy from the store a premade jar of minced garlic, usually preserved with something I do not want or coated with a bad oil like canola- I decided to do it myself. A healthy convenience kitchen hack. A shortcut!

It is frugal if you consider several bunches of garlic are usually less than a dollar at the market. Even less during Farmer's market!
Amazing way to prep- if you grow your own! 

It is as simple as cleaning and dicing or mincing garlic cloves and filling a clean jar- like a small canning jelly jar-  with the dices and filling it with Olive oil-  enough to cover the garlic! Easy! Store in the fridge for a week a or the freezer for months!Use at your convenience. Refill when you need to! Ready to use, and the best part is you know exactly what is inside! Real Food, made by you. Convenient & DIY.

**** Note: It is important to remember when storing this oil garlic mixture to keep it cold, never leave it set out at room temperature for any length of time or you risk botulism. Always keep cold. I have made this many many times and never come across a single problem, but I always keep it stored cold in the refrigerator only taking out a spoonful as needed. A reader has suggested freezing is best, and I am led to agree! Keep it cold!


You may also enjoy the Frugal tips found here:

Frugal Days And Sustainable Ways #72

Cardinal Red! Taco Brunch -For the sports fans out there!

For the sports fans out there!

 An original  addition for the Cardinal Team lovers out there!  A fun way to sport the red and white on game day. 

Cardinal Red! Taco brunch 

White corn tortillas

6-8 egg whites – separate the whites from yolks into bowl & whip

1/2 cup chopped white onion

½ cup red bell pepper or red chili – (or both, depending on what heat you prefer) chopped  into small dices

1 clove garlic minced

1 tbsp. Olive oil

1 large fresh tomato diced

3/4 cup crumbled Queso Fresco, or jack cheese, shredded.

Red Salsa

In fry pan, over med heat warm a white corn tortilla per person. Set aside in plate.

Add olive oil to pan and lightly fry the bell pepper, garlic, and onion  until tender, then add the egg whites, cooking scrambled style until done.

Place med. amount on warmed tortilla and top with crumbled or shredded cheese, layering red tomatoes, and white cheese, topped with red salsa! Cardinal colors to support your team!  Makes about 6-8 tacos.

Never fear the Squash!

Spaghetti Squash! Yum!

I was not raised with Spaghetti squash! It was just not a staple in my house as a kid. Had to grow up before I found this fantastic vegetable! But now that I have discovered it,  it is a little slice of heaven to eat!

Don’t be afraid to try it! It is simply one of the easiest and most tasty squashes to fix!   Great for variety, and awesome side dish!
You can bake it or boil it. Either one, you do whole! So super super easy!

To bake spaghetti squash, wash it, Place on to baking sheet, and bake in oven at 350 F for about an hour. To tell if it is done, you want a knife to pierce the side easily! 

To boil spaghetti squash, wash it, and place in large pan of water, bring to boil, cover, and cook for about a half an hour. Again-  when done, you want it to be able to pierce the side completely with a knife.

 When you are done cooking it: cut in half length wise. With a spoon (I do this over trash can) scrape out the seeds and center mush. Just takes a few swipes.
Take a fork and scrape out the strands. Top with either pesto sauce, or a melted butter & garlic blend.  Ahhh so good! So easy!

Butter Garlic Blend:   1/2cup real butter, 1 clove garlic chopped finely, a pinch of Parsley or basil to taste.    In small sauce pan heat butter on low and add garlic, simmer gently for about 2 minutes to infuse flavor and soften garlic. Add basil if desired. Pour over vegetable- top with sprinkle of parmesan and parsley. 

Simple Pesto Sauce:  in food processor combine 1 1/2cup fresh basil leaves, and 1 clove garlic fine chopped.  Chop until basil leaves become fine. Add ¼ cup olive oil, 1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp. flax seeds. Chop until comes together as a thick paste.