But today I found this cute chart and I did not want to pass on the opportunity to reshare it with you.

I used it today for example when making chocolate peach cake. I needed an extra 2 eggs so I used yogurt instead. I liked the result and i thought the cake tasted fabulous still.

The pictures explain it but I will translate it.

Option one are bananas.

Option two, or row two is Potato Starch or Corn Starch, AMIDO DI MAIS OR FECOLA DI PATATE.

Option three is milk and last but not least, the fourth row calls for milk (LATTE), and ACETO DI MELE means Apple cider vinegar.

Cucchiaio means Spoon. The larger ones for soup, not the smaller ones for dessert.

Chart thanks to https://www.fattoincasadabenedetta.it/come-sostituire-le-uova-nei-dolci/

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2020 has been a hard year historically because of the Covid pandemic. Luckily, all trials dp pass. While I cannot share with you how to prepare physically for moments of need in our homes, I wanted to share my deepest hope that all of us can also prepare emotionally and spiritually for this time.

I hope that the world will isolate more and we will all be at home, that many of you may be able to retract at home and use this time to ponder about life. Focus on something you have always wished you could do if you the time to, and I hope that you can know that things will get better and will not live through this with lots of stress, but with patience.

It is a set back for many of us to go through this. Many bank accounts will shrink rather than increase, but I hope that we can focus on one thing, and that is to remember to nourish our souls. To speak peace to ourselves and be still like the birds on trees.

Other the years, I have always prepared our home with at least a few months worth of food.

I have always had also a few items for what I call armageddon days. If those ever happened. It’s usually dehydrated food that can last up to 30 years that way I know I have food stored for emergencies, but I buy it once and not worry about it again until absolutely in need. For me this has often been a tender subject since I know in history there has been this type of need. My dad would often tell me that after World War II in Italy, that is where I am from, there was a period where food wasn’t as readily available. Women would have to stand in line and receive only certain rations at a time. They also would only receive a few items such as flour for example. This was a temporary situation. But in case that did ever happen, I think we could all agree that it would be nice to know that we have some extras stored at home. I don’t live my life in fear. I don’t think about it on a day to day basis, but better safe than sorry and that is why I like to learn from history, and while I believe in my capabilities I also sleep better at night knowing I am prepared. I don’t ever live my life thinking that I will need it, but it’s nice to have.

Now for the case with COVID-19, I have been closely watching what is happening in Italy. So far everything that has happened there has slowly also happened here. Just 2 weeks ago the country declared a second state of emergency and while at first all non essential businesses were shut down, not even all the other businesses were closed as well. Many banks are closed together with hardware stores etc. Recently a new order has been issued as well were many people cannot go farther than 200 yards from their home. Now I know that here in the United States that may not be possible. In Italy there are many local shops were one can buy food from a stone throw away from home. Here the rules may be different a little bit, but it’s nice to prepare in advance. The biggest reason for all of this is not to create fear, but to impede the virus from spreading and to avoid the number of cases from increasing. So how do we prepare for this?

Remember that by having these items at home you will not only be prepared, but also will be home so that if it keeps on spreading you won’t risk catching it, and so that you can do your civic duty and stay safely at home.

Last but not least, exercise caution when bringing items at home. Remember that when bringing groceries and other items home you are bringing items that have been touched by many people, they slide on the check out stand where many put their items, they are touched by others at check out as well. Grocery bags are touched by many people as well. Ideally you definitely will want to remove your shoes when arriving home, and also to leave the bags outside your home. Make sure you don’t place everything on your counter top where you will be eating later on and touching things with your hands.

Here are some of the items to prepare for in advance if you are storing food and household items for long term.

1. Have medications that are essential to your family ready at home. From the baby tylenol, to allergy medicine, to anything your family may need on a regular basis.
2. Baby items. Diapers and wipes if you have a baby at home. Medications for the baby, products, the things you know you need on a day to day basis.
3. Gloves, mask, hygiene kids. Anything that you think you will need to stay safe and protected and to stay clean. Antibacterial sprays especially.
4. Food. Now here it comes the big one. Your list may vary depending on whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or have a medical condition. But here is the low down on some foods that will last a long time, and that you probably already use on a regular basis at home. If not, stick with me and I will be teaching many cooking tutorials as we go.

Up next I am sharing my best food to store long term and also the best food to store for survival. If you are vegan and eat lots of fruits and veggies, consider freezing a lot of those foods so that you don’t have to leave the house as much. Check out my other post on freezing and chopping foods for ideas on how to do it and which items you might be able to freeze.

1. Baking essentials.
2. Flour. If you can buy a bag of regular all purpose flour and one of whole wheat flour. I mix them both when cooking. It’s the best way to get the extra fiber and not have to alter recipes. If you use other types of flour, one of each can be a great thing to have around. I personally like to use corn flour for corn bread, and polenta grits. Raw organic sugar if you cook with sugar. I buy stevia and monkfruit as an alternative. If you use arepas flour from venezuela, now is your time to keep some in hand.
3. Baking powder, baking soda, cacao powder, vanillla extracts, and all the baking needs for your recipes if needed to grab just one more of each. As long as you plan on using it and you don’t have enough of these already.
4. Pasta and carbs. Yes, an italian is writing this so I will tell you to stock up on carbs. We love our pastas, and rice, and organic mac and cheese for kiddies. Asian noodles, too are great to have. I also buy the over the counter pesto and a few sauces for when we need a quick 15 minutes lunch for everyone to have something to go with plain pasta and give it some nice flavor.
5. Butter! I freeze it too so it lasts a while. whenever i need my next cube i let it defrost in the fridge or the counter. IT won’t spoil either way.
6. Beans. Dryed or canned these are great to have and very nutritious.
7. Canned fruits and vegetables. Great for quick meals and also store for a very long time. I buy the reduced sodium cans, and I read the back label to make sure they don’t have any sugar added. Canned tomato sauce is one where some brands like to sneak in some added sugar. I particularly like canned corn, peaches, and pears. Pickled beets for salads aren’t bad either. Olives, artichokes, and peas can be great options as well. Pineapple for an upside down pineapple cake or pizza can be a great addition to your pantry list for example.
8. Condiments. Try and see how often you usually go through these on a normal basis, chances are you won’t need as many. But who knows, maybe you do. And if you will be eating at home more, you may use them a bit more. I am talking Mayo, Salad Dressings, Olive oil, frying oil, jam and jellies, jell-o and puddings if you do use those. Salt and pepper, too.
9. Breakfast cereals. I am talking oatmeal, oats, your favorite boxed cereal, cream of wheat and grits if you like those. I use my oats and cream of wheat, also known as semolina flour, for many recipes as well for dinner so I like to have 2-3 boxes of these at home. They usually do last up to 1 year, meaning it takes me that long to go through 1-2 boxes.
10. Protein bars, protein powder, and supplements. Not just protein ones, but vitamins as well, and any type of dietary supplement you many need. I like to buy the vegan nutritional yeast for example. Great for vegan recipes, but also adds great nutritional value to any dish. Goes great when cooking vegetables, or doing many dishes that are sautéed.
11. Meats and frozen veggies. These ones will obviously be stored in your freezer. I divide my meat into 1 meal portions and store them in Ziploc bags with the name and date on it. I freeze chicken, ground beef, sausages, bacon, ham, pork, pork chops, roasts, breakfast sausage, salmon, fish sticks, tritip… you name it. There are so many types of frozen meat and sea shell foods that already come frozen at the store. Some of these come canned as well. I personally have tried chicken and tuna only. I only buy tuna ultimately. Most canned foods just don’t taste good to me and I don’t eat them.
12. Don’t forget your dairy. Some yogurts last a few months, plain greek yogurt is an excellent substitute for sour cream as well. Cheese lasts a very long time. I do like to shred mozzarella or buy it pre-shredded and then freeze the bag. I then grab some as needed (it defrosts and melts in the cooking process) or place the whole bag in the refrigerator to defrost once I need it and use it as I go. The original expiration date won’t count anymore, so make sure it stays good. It should still last for at least 4 weeks once defrosted. I like to have some feta and parmesan cheese on hand as well.
13. Fresh fruits and veggies. This one is a tough one, but some types of lettuce will remain good in your fridge up to 3 weeks. Plums, mangoes, apples, oranges, cantaloupe, all of these types of fruit plus some more can last quite a while in your refrigerator. Even up to a month. Potatoes in a dark cool place will remain fresh. So do apples and oranges. Time frame will vary depending on your local whether conditions. Many fruits and veggies are great bought frozen. They retain their nutritional value a lot better regardless. But some fruits are just better fresh. Pears and avocados can last a few weeks as well. If some fruits aren’t ripe, I place them in a bowl in the kitchen when I am about ready to use them and some will ripen within a day once out of the refrigerator.
14. Treats. Last but not least, at few will come in handy. Not so many that you will be tempted, but if you know you get cravings, stock up a few of your favorite chips, candies, ice cream, bars, you name it. Hide them where you can’t see them and only eat them occasionally.

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If I know a recipe calls for chopping veggies when it comes to prep dinner I always cringe knowing that I will most likely end up with a counter full of peels, roots, dirt, and some more. I still do it, and I know a great meal is so good when made 100% from scratch. But made from scratch can take a long time and requires often using a large amount of utensils, gadgets, and dishes even when a meal is simple. So I like to do my chopping in bulk only periodically.

I actually took cooking lessons while I lived in the Canary Islands as a teenager. the food industry there requires a lot of workers since there are many resorts, and just to work as a waiter you were required to have done a specialized course first. I took a year course to learn the basics of cooking, and there I learned how to properly chop food. If I am doing it for fun, I love to chop veggies. But being that right now we are a big family, I am often cooking last minute meals, and for me is frustrating when I don’t do things well or when I am chopping just large quantities of veggies in a rush. So I like to take my time and I have found a way to do it when I am not under the gun.

I have learned that I can’t always get rid of everything I don’t like, but I can find strategies to soften the blow.

For me a good way to easy up on dinner has been to:

1. Invest in a good set of food chopping materials.

2. Every once in a while I spend some time a little bit of extra time to chop all my vegetables right after I buy them fresh from the store and then freeze them.

Now, what foods freeze well? I spent a lot of time testing different foods and I am going to lest below some foods that don’t come at the freezer section at the store, but that can easily be frozen at home.

To make this process easy, I like to use smaller chopping boards in plastic because they fit better in the dishwasher. I have linked my favorite ones below.

A couple of years ago I also invested in the best knives set yet. I am so happy with how long they have lasted and how well they work. They are linked at the bottom of this post.

I like to prepare foods to freeze just the way you would buy frozen broccoli. These are the items that I have loved freezing and that do really well for up to 3 months or even a little longer.

First of all I cut them, wash them and remove all stems and peels where neeeded. For the first three for example, I chop them real small just how I like to use them when frying them in the pan before I make a Ragu sauce or a stir fry. These are my favorite super healthy foods to freeze. 

1. Onions
2. Carrots
3. Celery
4. Herbs. For these ones I chop them and place them in ice cube trays with olive oil that way they don’t brown.
5. Juice from fresh lemons does great in ice cube trays. Try and add some chopped mint leaves too. You will end up with lemon-mint ice cubes and they are the best!
6. Ginger Cut into about 1/4 inch cubes or grated.
7. Beets peeled and cubed
8. Garlic Cloves whole
9. Cabbage Chopped into 1 inch strips about
10. Zucchini (they will lose water once defrosted. I use them for Risotto and Zucchini Bread mostly)
11. Cauliflower
12. Fresh spinach and kale
13. Broccoli
14. Bell Peppers

Some items do great frozen after being cooked instead. So here are some good foods to freeze:

Precooked rice (just like the ones bought from the store, can be steams for a few minutes in the microwave and it’s ready to use)

1. Creamy soups (not my favorite but some are worth doing. Curry holds really well for example.
2. Fresh Bread (even from the store)
3. Store bought croissants

For breads place them in the oven to defrost at about 350 for 8-15 minutes. They will taste like freshly baked out of the oven.

YOGURT: Yes, this one may seem kind of weird. But when in time of need is nice to store the smaller cups. We do it with plain Greek yogurt. Since I like to use instead of sour cream for meals, when we have taco night I can just defrost on of the cups and use it. I would place it in the fridge ahead of time and let it naturally defrost. Mix well before use. We like to do it at our home because we don’t eat a lot of dairy. If I buy fresh sour cream it always spoils. By having a small frozen cup of Greek yogurt I defrost it when we do taco night or chicken tortilla soup and there we have sour cream substitute that’s healthier for you.

There are a few items that if I can find at the store already chopped and peeled I will go for it that way. For example Trader Joe’s sells frozen herbs of all sorts and garlic cloves ready to use in their vegetable refrigerated section.

I either use them right away or freeze them and use them as needed.

I like to freeze my veggies in big gallon bags or smaller ones. I have done it both ways where I would either freeze my veggies in portions or just in a big bag and I would break off the portion I need depending on what meal I am making and how many people I am cooking for.

Here are a few more items that can also be very handy especially for the winter months. Think of pies with the first three, or smoothies for most of these fruits.

1. Peaches (sliced and peeled)
2. Cherries (washed and pitted)
3. Apples (These ones need to be soaked in lemon juice before freezing to not brown)
4. Papaya, and most fresh fruit that you can already found frozen at the store if you find it on sale and feel up for doing some serious cutting and chopping. These can all be used for smoothies as well.
5. Avocado (I have not tried this one myself yet, but recently I found it being sold at the store chopped and frozen. So I think this might a good option to freeze)
6. Bananas, peeled and broken in half or smaller round pieces. Great for banana bread and smoothies.

I do like to buy the frozen version of many fruits if available rather than doing it myself. The reason being is that frozen store foods actually preserve more nutritional value than the fresh bought fruits and vegetables. They are picked fresh and frozen right away while most of our vegetables are picked while not fully ripe and travel a long distance before coming to our stores.

Some of my favorite stored bought frozen options of foods are:

1. Strawberries
2. Berries
3. Mango
4. Sweet corn
5. Peas
6. Green beans
7. Peaches

All of these are especially great for smoothies and then pies. We go through many bags. If you have your own garden instead or can buy them fresh from a farmer, a great option is to still freeze them yourself. Cut the stems out, remove pits from peaches for example.

• Great cutting boards. I have had mine for 5 years and they are still standing strong. They are labelled based on the food category to avoid cross contamination

• One of my favorite wooden boards. I searched for one for a long time. This one doesn’t break the budget and is really well made

Other things are a great option to freeze, but require some leg work on your part at first.

I have also done POTATOES in the past, but they have to be preboiled in order to not go brown in the fridge. So I boil them, peel them, cube them, and then freeze them. They hold very well for Shepherd’s Pie or Mashed Potatoes. Or even baked in the oven if frozen when they are still slightly undercooked.

I like to freeze my veggies in Freezer Ziploc Bags. If I know I am going to forget when I froze them, I will write down the date and what the item is.

This is also one of my favorite ways to save time on dinner. Now, when I am making a stir fry, all I have to do is grab some of my frozen onions, frozen cabbage, add them to my meal, and dinner is ready in 15 minutes instead of 30. If I have frozen rice I can just microwave it for a few minutes and it’s even better. Rice has the ability to taste extremely moist and fresh even after being frozen and reheated.

Another reason why I love to freeze veggies is because washing, curing, and chopping is not only the most labor intensive part, but also the messiest part. That way I make all the mess once and on a week night I only have to worry about getting my stove dirty and not my whole countertops, chopping boards, etc. etc.

If you are wondering how big or small for veggies, I like to think of what meal I am going to use them for. If for example I plan on making a pot pie with my carrots I will chop them bigger in size, If I plan on making a ragù with them, then I will chop them a lot smaller. If you have bought a big bag of carrots perhaps you could freeze some bigger and some smaller. When in doubt I would go with the smaller size. If you have kids they tend to prefer it when they can’t disguise vegetables in their meal. And they cook a lot faster that way.

I hope you will all have some safe cutting sessions.

Happy quick meal prepping everyone!

Photography by Jenna Elizabeth Photography

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