As I was progressing throughout the fast, I was cutting back go grocery shopping. I needed to find ways to using or preserve my fresh fruits and vegetables. I found great methods that were easy and cheap. I also wanted to find new recipes for my food.

I did some research online and found a few websites wherein I could list the food items to make and meal. The sites would give me a recipe or a few. I mean I would have it making meals from some of my mismatched food items. It weirded me out at first but then the recipes seemed really tasty. The websites I liked the best include: Myfridgefood.com, Pinterest.com, allrecipes.com and recipes.com

I found a few methods to maintain or preserve my fruits and vegetables. I froze grapes and ate them frozen. A nice cool treat to have in the summer heat. I also froze ripe bananas to make into ice cream. A “diamond” Pinterest recipe I found. I chopped onions and peppers, placed them into freezer bags then froze them. They are best if used in baked dishes because they are soggy if thawed. This is a lesson learned.

I would wash my berries in apple cider vinegar. I bought apples because they last a very long time compared to other fruits. I made apple sage chicken sausages for a breakfast protein. I then made a dessert with brown sugar, apples and sweet potatoes. These are not typical food combinations for me but I truly enjoyed them.

I learned to infuse my water with fruit. I started adding berries, oranges and lemons. I then tried cucumber which I have never done before. I had to be a bit adventurous right? Besides it was either try this or the cucumbers were going to spoil.

I wasn’t as successful with my herbs. I found ways to maintain them like chop them up and place them in ice trays with olive oil. That didn’t seem too appetizing to me for some of the recipes I use my herbs.

I found great options for cauliflower. I now make my own cauliflower rice. It makes a great fried rice meal. I even have a mashed cauliflower with zucchini and cheese dish I enjoy. The cauliflower poppers are next on my list of foods to make at home.

Let’s talk about my experience with zucchini. I didn’t find a way to remain fresh longer so I tried making zucchini bread. I have tried several recipes and I have yet to bake a loaf I enjoyed. So I found a stuffed zucchini recipe. These come out very well and I truly enjoy eating them.

I consider this a WIN today. I learned how to make my fresh fruits and veggies last longer. For many of the items that I didn’t find a preservation hack, I found recipes to utilize them. So I pat myself on the back because I had a problem and looked for solutions.