From Grainlady in 2016 "I teach cooking/nutrition classes at the Food Bank (and other venues), and one tip I give people of limited means, and the elderly on fixed incomes, is to purchase the largest bag of frozen mixed vegetables they can afford. Leave a portion mixed (for adding to soup, shepherd's pie, casseroles...) and then separate the rest so they will now have separate containers of corn, green beans, peas, broccoli, etc., depending on what combination they purchased. This will give them the biggest variety and is a huge money saver. The biggest problem with frozen vegetables, whether they are commercially prepared or from your garden, there are no enzymes left due to processing. We still need foods in our diet that provide enzymes (http://www.getting-started-with-healthy-eating.com/enzymes-in-food.html). Another favorite frozen vegetable I keep in the freezer are petit whole green beans (Aldi); and I like to keep some frozen chopped onion or onion/pepper combination on hand (a quick pizza topping). I typically use more fresh chives in cooking than I do onions, so freezing onion keep them readily available. When fresh from the garden aren't available, I prefer freeze-dried to frozen, since they are as close to fresh-picked as a commercial product can get, plus they maintain their enzymes through processing. For the "fresh only" crowd. Unless you grow and harvest it yourself, there's no such thing as "fresh" produce in the store. This is why I grow sprouts, micro-greens, and grow and juice wheatgrass, along with growing fresh herbs in a sunny south window. Even in the middle of winter I have REAL fresh vegetables. There is also a favorite vegetable we typically eat raw that is actually more nutritious once cooked - CARROTS. Skip the "baby" carrots, bagged carrots, and get some with the greens still attached since they are fresher, and the greens are also edible. "Cooked whole carrots served with olive oil have up to eight times more beta-carotene than raw baby carrots." Cooking carrots make some of the nutrients more bioavailable, and choose sautéed or steamed methods to help retain more of the food value. If you cook carrots whole, and THEN slice/chop them after being cooked, you'll get more nutrients than if you cut them before you cook them. They are best eaten with some type of oil or fat since beta-carotene is a fat-soluble nutrient that needs to be coated in fat for greatest absorption. The highest concentration of nutrients is just below the skin, so scrub carrots, rather than peel them. If you can find purple carrots, you'll hit the nutrition jack-pot! Sweet potatoes - Steaming, roasting, or baking can double their antioxidant value, but boiling reduces it. The skin is more nutritious than the flesh, so scrub, rather than peel, sweet potatoes. -Grainlady" https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/4028525/supermarket-frozen-vegetables#n=41 6 Likes Save July 17, 2016 at 6 ETA: Several posts were deleted after posting, so are no longer there. They seemed to be the ones poking the most fun at the comment.

Oh yeah, my favorite dessert, I love this stuff, I'm just waiting for pears to be ready here. I don't always make individual servings, I put it into one big pan.  Individual Maple Pear Cobblers Courtesy of: Rebecca Rather, Chef, Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe 6 servings 3 pounds pears, peeled, cored, quartered 2/3 cup + 9 tablespoons pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 9 tablespoons whipping cream melted butter sugar to taste nutmeg to taste For the filling, combine the pears, 2/3 cup syrup, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in a bowl and mix well. Divide evenly among 6 custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place a pat of butter on top of each one. Bake at 425 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until heated through. For the topping, place the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in a food processor. Add 6 tablespoons butter and pulse until fine crumbs form. Add the cream, 9 tablespoons syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla and process until combined. Drop by spoonfuls onto the hot filling. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar and nutmeg. Bake for 14 minutes or until firm to the touch and golden brown. I also can this, my favorite preserves, thanks to Readinglady: Old Fashioned Pear Preserves from Carol (Readinglady) Yu can also make Pear Preserves if you want chunks of pear suspended in syrup. By weight use equal amounts of pears and sugar. You also need the juice and seeds of one lemon. I wouldn't go over about 4 pounds of fruit because it takes too long to cook larger amounts. This takes several days, but it's mainly waiting and the results are wonderful. Here's what you do: Day 1: Peel, core and cut firm-ripe pears into chunks or slices. Leave pieces large enough to retain character in preserves. Place pears in acidified water (Fruit Fresh or Ascorbic Acid). Rinse and drain pears. Place in large bowl and add sugar equal in weight to pears. Add juice of lemon and place pips (seeds) in small bag. It's messy but I also add any of the pulp that was reamed out. Add to bowl. Stir gently to distribute syrup and refrigerate overnight. Throughout evening stir occasionally to distribute sugar. (I usually don't do this more than once.) Day 2: Place macerated pears and sugar syrup with lemon seeds in bag in large pan. Bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes, skimming foam. Reduce temperature and continue to cook (about 20 minutes) until pears are translucent and candied. Turn off heat and leave pears and syrup overnight. (This can be room temperature.) Cover pan with a cloth, not a lid (to prevent condensation). Day 3: Using a slotted spoon lift pears from syrup and place in a strainer. Collect any additional syrup in a bowl beneath the strainer. (I drained syrup left in pan into a bowl and washed the pan because the syrup was crystallized along the rim then I put the syrup back.) Bring syrup to a boil and cook to gel point stirring frequently. (Depending on how thick you want the syrup, this can be anywhere from 218-222°.) You can also use the frozen plate test. The advantage is you get to thicken the syrup just the way you like without cooking the delicate pears to the point of disintegration. Return the pears to syrup and boil 1 minute to reheat them. Pull off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. (This allows fruit to equalize with the syrup so it doesn't float to the top of the jar.) Place preserves in sterilized jars and BWB 5 minutes or clean, hot jars and BWB 10 minutes. Yum, I LOVE pears.... Annie

That sounds good. I have renewed my interest in Brussels sprouts of late. I hated them growing up, because my mother overcooked them, and they were bitter and smushy. Once I was on my own, I discovered (I can't remember how) that they were quite tasty if cooked until just tender, without turning olive green. I always had them with mayo for a dip, though, the way we'd eaten them when I was a kid. I got the idea once to halve them and put them cold on a salad, and that was added to my Brussels sprouts repertoire. Then a bit ago, I came across a recipe that involved stir frying them instead of steaming or boiling, and that has set me going again...I even cooked some on the BBQ the other night, and I've added them to the broccoli/cabbage/cauliflower category in terms of what dishes to use them in. I found a recipe the other day that involved thin-slicing them to quick saute like shredded cabbage...haven't tried that yet. However, it did give me the idea to thin slice them like that to add to a light-style peppery cold slaw (cabbage, Brussels sprouts, carrots, green onions & a black pepper, tarragon vinegar vinaigrette with EVO, sugar & salt).

TEQUILA-GLAZED CHICKEN WITH JALAPENO 1 1/2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, coarsely ground in spice mill or mortar with pestle 1 3/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper 1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) cut-up (best of fryer) chicken 1/3 cup orange juice or pineapple juice 1/4 cup gold or silver tequila 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar 2 tablespoons honey 1 to 2 red jalapeño chiles with seeds, finely chopped 1 shallot, minced Nonstick vegetable oil spray Mix coriander, salt, and red pepper. Sprinkle mixture all over chicken. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on baking sheet; cover and chill at least 6 hours or overnight. Combine orange juice, tequila, brown sugar, honey, 1 jalapeño, and shallot in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Add 1 more jalapeño if more heat is desired. Cool glaze. Transfer 3 tablespoons glaze to small bowl and set aside for serving. Spray grill with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Arrange chicken, skin side up, on grill. Grill 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Brush chicken with glaze in saucepan. Turn chicken over; brush with glaze. Grill until juices run clear when pierced with fork or until instant-read thermometer inserted into chicken registers 170°F, turning and brushing occasionally with glaze, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer to platter. Spoon reserved glaze over. Bon Appétit, August 2007 Molly Stevens ====================================== Zesty Braised Chicken with Lemon and Capers 8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin (6 ounces each) Salt and freshly ground pepper All-purpose flour, for dusting 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 large peeled garlic cloves 1 1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade Four 1-inch strips of lemon zest 4 thyme sprigs 1 tablespoon capers, drained 1 bay leaf Preheat the oven to 350°. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, lemon zest, thyme, capers and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and braise for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender. Return the skillet to the stove and boil until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme, bay leaf and lemon zest, if desired, before serving.