tips to get organized

Get organized from freezer to table - watch video

• Freeze individual pieces of chicken, steak or pork in plastic bags - they thaw more quickly and you can pull out one or several depending on your needs.
• Scissors make short work of chopping green onions, sundried tomatoes or herbs.
• When you have a little extra time to cook - consider making twice as much and freeze - to serve when you're too busy to cook for example... Check out our Make Ahead Meals.
• Cook extra pasta or rice to freeze for another use - thaw quickly under hot water.
• Cook ground beef in quantity & freeze, and use for different meals - spaghetti, tacos, and casseroles.
• Set water on the stove as soon as you walk in the door - most meals require boiling water...then it's ready to go once you decide what's on the menu.
• Get all of your appliances working for you to cut cooking time - microwave veggies while you're pan-frying the meat.
• Playing fast-paced music helps to expedite clean up - and makes it more fun too.
• Always buy meat towards the end of a shopping trip. Take it home & refrigerate fast.
• Whenever you're cutting up veggies for dinner, cut up extra celery and carrot sticks. Store them in the fridge in a container of water and pop them in lunches at the last minute.
• Keep your freezer stocked with fresh meat and poultry by shopping for it once a week and freezing it. Quick freezing and slow thawing in the fridge will give you safe, delicious meals.
• One pot meals mean less clean up. If a recipe calls for transferring a skillet to the oven, cover the plastic handle with tin-foil to "oven proof" the pan.
• Write out a weekly menu and shop for groceries once.
• Set the dinner table after breakfast.
• To make cutting strips of beef for stir-frying easier, partially freeze to firm flesh slightly.
• Buying meats in large quantity is less expsenive, than in smaller portions. Pre-cut or pre-portion meat into convenient amounts in freezer bags and freeze for quick, perfectly portioned weeknight meals.
• Empty the dishwasher before cooking dinner - so the dirty dishes can go right in after the meal.
• Clear your kitchen counters of any clutter before you start working so you don't run out of prep space.
• Think ahead and transfer your meat from the freezer to the fridge the night before so you're not dealing with a block of frozen meat at the last minute on a rushed weeknight.
• Have leftover tomato paste? Spoon 1 or 2 tablespoons into small plastic freeze bags, then freeze. Add frozen portions of tomato paste to stews or sauces to thicken or add flavour.
• Freeze meat and marinade in a resealable plastic bag. Then while it thaws in the fridge it can self-marinate.
• Remember to label and date all containers of leftovers or meats before freezing or refrigerating. You'll be more likely to use it if you can quickly identify what it is!