Potatoes, Tomatoes and Fruit! Oh my!!
Last night on a milk run to our local grocery store we ran across a couple of unavoidable deals. I mean we just couldn't pass up a 15lb bag of red potatoes for $1.98, tomatoes at .79lb and unbelievable kiwi .99 for a 2 lb container that had about 10 kiwi and also a whole pineapple for .99!!! 
I already have potatoes in the pantry so I started brain storming and googling to find out how to freeze potatoes. I discovered that all you have to do is peel, cut into the desired shapes and blanch them for a few minutes. You run them under tap water and then I dried them on cooling racks and we are throwing them into freezer bags. Now I have french fries, stewing cubes for soup, casseroles etc... and I'm grading some whole smaller ones for hash browns. I'm seriously considering buying another bag but I've got to rearrange the freezer to see what that situation is. Here's a couple of styles drying after being blanched while cooling. Those racks are at least 15x10 the hash browns are in a gallon size bag. I karate chopped the hash browns into 6 sections and laid the bag flat in the freezer so even if they stick I'll be able to break sections off to set in a skillet or thaw for a casserole. What you don't see is a whole batch of cubed potatoes that I cooked and used to made potato salad to go along with supper tonight. Three adults and two children ate on it and there is plenty left over to have later this week. 






I took the fresh pineapple, some kiwi, oranges, a grapefruit, green and red grapes, 2 bananas, coconut and walnuts! The kids are eating it up and everything is fresh but the coconut. There was enough to fill a tupperware salad bowl and another 6x6 container about half way. I cut the whole pineapple but put half back for chicken/pineapple kabobs on the grill tomorrow.



I feel very accomplished to have taken advantage of great deals and put the groceries to such good use! We will eat on these bargains for weeks to come. Preparing the potatoes the way I did will allow me to rush a meal together. I read up on blanching the potatoes and found out that it decreases the cook time when you use them whether you deep fry, bake or casserole them. All the bargains mentioned were purchased at Super Lo Foods.