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| Meet the Blogger | More Posts by Susannah Simone Your "Buy-Some-Make-Some" Ideas Could Make you a Winner
I truly enjoy cooking and I get a decent meal on the table pretty quickly most nights of the week, but I'm not too proud to take shortcuts when my time is especially valuable. And, while going the buy-some/make-some route usually-not always!-costs a bit more than completely homemade, it is still a money saver compared to dining out.
So, there are plenty of times when I pick up a rotisserie chicken or pre-cut veggies from the salad bar to help me save time in the kitchen by omitting a few steps in a recipe. What about you? Tell us your tip for using an item from our Prepared Foods department to cut your cooking time and get a meal on the table PDQ. You might win a $100 Whole Foods Market® gift card just in time to help make your holiday meals a little easier, whether you order a complete prepared feast or buy-some/make-some-perhaps starting with a cooked turkey. We'll draw a winner at random from all the tips we receive by the deadline of November 3rd.
Remember, if you haven't already, sign up for The Whole Deal e-newsletter. You'll hear from us a few times each month about in-store specials and money-saving tips…and future contests, too.
Hope you enjoyed "value contest month" on our blog during October. Tune in to our Facebook and Twitter feeds for more weekly contests throughout the holidays.
I truly enjoy cooking and I get a decent meal on the table pretty quickly most nights of the week, but I'm not too proud to take shortcuts when my time is especially valuable. And, while going the buy-some/make-some route usually-not always!-costs a bit more than completely homemade, it is still a money saver compared to dining out.
So, there are plenty of times when I pick up a rotisserie chicken or pre-cut veggies from the salad bar to help me save time in the kitchen by omitting a few steps in a recipe. What about you? Tell us your tip for using an item from our Prepared Foods department to cut your cooking time and get a meal on the table PDQ. You might win a $100 Whole Foods Market® gift card just in time to help make your holiday meals a little easier, whether you order a complete prepared feast or buy-some/make-some-perhaps starting with a cooked turkey. We'll draw a winner at random from all the tips we receive by the deadline of November 3rd.
Remember, if you haven't already, sign up for The Whole Deal e-newsletter. You'll hear from us a few times each month about in-store specials and money-saving tips…and future contests, too.
Hope you enjoyed "value contest month" on our blog during October. Tune in to our Facebook and Twitter feeds for more weekly contests throughout the holidays.
178 Comments
Comments
I like to prep in advance, especially at Thanksgiving. I'll chop all my veggies the day before and store them in the fridge in quart containers. Even the potatoes will be chopped and covered in cold water and the whole thing goes into the fridge so the morning of, I'm ready to go!
10/28/2009 9:43:53 AM CDT
I buy a bunch of hamburger at once and then split it up into 1 pound chunks, put them in individual baggies, and then put them in the deep freeze for later. It is great because I just have to grab one bag for most recipes and it takes less time to thaw. Another way to cut time is to cook the meat before freezing it.
10/28/2009 9:44:30 AM CDT
I usually hit the prepared sides/pasta salads for short cuts. They are super tasty, and go well with any meat so easy to have people over for an impromptu dinner :)
10/28/2009 9:44:40 AM CDT
I always put extra chicken parts (legs, thighs, wings ) with minimal seasoning (Kosher salt, pepper, rosemary) in the oven when I'm roasting something. Now I have a head start and when there are left over vegetables from another meal, I can just have a heat and eat dinner.
10/28/2009 9:45:02 AM CDT
I have a great chicken enchallada recipe. To save time, I started using the Whole Food's rotisserie chicken which I shred by hand. I mix it with sour cream and shredded cheese, then I roll them up in whole wheat tortillas, and cover the entire thing with premade fresh salsa and more shredded cheese. My husband loves it and I don't have to spend the day cooking chicken and dicing up onions, herbs and tomatoes!
10/28/2009 9:45:09 AM CDT
I love buying your grilled chicken breasts in the winter. I slice them down the middle and stuff with toasted pecans, dried cranberries and goat cheese, then warm in the oven for 10 minutes.
10/28/2009 9:45:10 AM CDT
I go to the Whole Foods, stir fry and shi ka bobs section, to buy pre-cut up squash, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc.. I am also a big fan of the "pre made" packs, which can have anything from veggie mix, to fajitas etc.. I also love the salad bar, hot food bar, and precut cheese you have to offer. I can almost always find what I am looking for already prepped at whole foods. Top that with a trash bowl, and getting everything out before I start, and I can cut my prep time in thirds.
10/28/2009 9:45:32 AM CDT
I always utilize the fresh and prepared foods at Whole Foods so I don't have to sacrifice on taste! When I want to cook a quick meal I will buy items like pie crust and cream of chicken soup for a pot pie or fresh lasagna noodles and gourmet pasta sauce.
10/28/2009 12:51:47 PM CDT
I buy veggies from you salad bar, some fake chicken and noodle from your noodle bar and do a stir fry. This way I don't have tons of produce left with all the different veggies used in stir fry. Keep up the great job!
10/28/2009 12:54:27 PM CDT
I love saving time in the kitchen by preparing things in advance like my side dishes, freezing them, and bringing them out right before we need to eat them. It is also nice if you make dough like cookies ahead of time and freeze them so any time you want a nice fresh homemade cookie, you just pull it out and bake. :> Hope that helps others.
10/28/2009 2:51:38 PM CDT
We often buy 7-10 hazelnut cutlets when they are on sale. We store most of them in the freezer -- they thaw out perfectly. They are so good on a bun, in chili or goulash, or as a pizza topping. They are a great source of protein and yummy to boot.
10/29/2009 9:49:55 AM CDT
I'm single, and cook in small portions. So, I pick up fresh chicken soup, mushroom soup, cheese sauce, Italian pasta sauce, chicken or beef bullion, or white or Pesto sauce, and pour it into ice cube trays, then when frozen I crack them into ziploc bags. For a quick meal, all I have to do is microwave a potato, or boil up some pasta or rice, and while that happens, I just pop out a few of the cubes, and either microwave them or stir them into the very hot carbs in the same pot, and dinner is served! Nothing ever goes to waste in the frig. And so many combinations I keep inventing! My freezer always has an assortment of little frozen cubes! The ice cube trays go into a dishpan of water in the sink, with a little bleach, and after they soak overnight, the trays come clean easily with a whisk of a scrub brush, same with the pot for the rice or the pasta, which literally melts away. So easy! And so much cheaper than TV dinners! (Since you make small portions you won't overeat, the carbs satisfy your hunger, and you can always make a salad to go with it. That's how I'm 5'5" and 125 lbs.) Enjoy!
10/29/2009 6:31:00 PM CDT
I buy already prepared side dishes sometimes if I have a complicated main dish item. It helps to save me time to focus on other things. I'll even buy a prepared salad put together from items in the salad bar because there are so many great, healthy choices.
10/28/2009 2:09:26 PM CDT
Shopping at a store that is one stop shopping. I live two hours from a Whole Foods Market, but I do have a local store that is not too shabby. They have beer, too.(an oddity in PA)I did visit the store in North Wales, PA and did not want to leave. The staff was more than friendly and the selection superb! Please come to Wilkes-Barre or Scranton and please carry alcohol! Ok, I also, simply, keep my kitchen neat and clean, organized. It really helps to clean as you go, when cooking. By the time my dish is done, my kitchen is back in order and ready to go another round.
10/28/2009 2:11:42 PM CDT
I love cuban sandwiches so much, but to make them a little healthier, I use Whole Foods' In House Turkey, along with ham and swiss. So delicious! I grab a ciabatta bread from the bakery department, add a pickle and some mustard, grill it up and it's soooooooooo good!
10/28/2009 2:47:38 PM CDT
I make grilled cheese with seeduction bread from the bakery & pair it with your one of your vegetarian delicious soups
10/28/2009 2:52:40 PM CDT
I like to strip the meat off of a ROTISSERIE CHICKEN, cut it into smaller pieces and freeze it. I can pull out the amount I need and quickly make a meal because I only have to re-heat it. Tacos, salads, sandwiches, stir-fry (using WF's frozen brown rice and also a veggie mixture), add to soups, or over rice or pasta topped with a prepared sauce....
10/28/2009 3:04:04 PM CDT
Never throw out your celery leaves and hearts! That's where all the flavor is.
The inner ribs are more tender and a bit less fibrous. They have a nice balance of sweet and bitter. A bonus in using the leaves is that you can use them in place of an herb. That way, you don't really have to buy a huge bunch of, say, parsley just for one recipe.
Save these parts to use as the aromatics for your stocks, soups, stews, sauces, and marinades. They are great to use in chopped and pickled salads as well as chicken and tuna salads. You know what they say: waste not, want not.
10/28/2009 3:17:40 PM CDT
I think no one can complain when there's a great big seeduction loaf on the table, and right there are plenty of healthy whole grains and seeds for the family!
10/28/2009 3:19:46 PM CDT
My biggest shortcut is rotisserie chicken. I use it anytime I am in a time crunch. I make chicken tortilla soup with it, quesadillas,enchilladas, chicken salad (a la Sonoma style), and sometimes just serve it sliced with a side of potatoes, a vegetable and a salad. At the end I save the carcass and freeze it to make stock at a later time. Our WF sells smoked rotisserie chicken in addition to the classic, BBQ and other flavors. I use the smoked in my pumpkin soup. It is a creamy pumpkin soup, but I put a bit of shredded smoked chicken in the center of the bowl before I serve it and add a drizzle of honey and goat cheese. Delicious!
10/28/2009 3:20:06 PM CDT
I usually buy enough meat or fish to last the week and add my own sides everyday to keep the menu fresh There's only two of us so the food goes far!
10/28/2009 3:23:26 PM CDT
I am a terrible cook, busy teacher and a vegetarian. Whole Foods prepackaged items let even a selective, time-crunched danger in the kitchen like me pull off a yummy meal.
Pre-cut fruits and veggies make for lovely salads, and the wide selection of sides at the deli counter are delicious and nutricious. Add a delectable Whole Foods soup to one of their ready to go fresh breads and you have a meal that warms body and soul - without animal products, hours in the kitchen or setting off the fire alarm!
10/28/2009 3:41:44 PM CDT
Sometimes instead of making pizza dough from scratch, we pick up the pre-made pizza dough in the prepared foods section. Then the sky is the limit to fresh veggies and cheese to add to make a complete meal.
10/28/2009 3:46:31 PM CDT
There are these chicken breasts that are stuffed with Spinach and some white stuff (I make it sound appetizing, I know... ;)...) that is just delicious - it allows me to make the sides and other items, while only having to bake (but not otherwise prepare) and later enjoy a flavorful main entree. And I also always, always stop in the bread department for some Challah, which they're always happy to slice (though it isn't there everyday...).
10/28/2009 4:25:51 PM CDT
A short-cut, easy and satisfying meal is achieved with Pacific Organic Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with a dollup or two of sour cream and sliced black olives floating on the soup as pictured on the box. YUM!! I complement the soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.
I baked the Honey Walnut Pumpkin Bread today (10/28) and it is absolutely delicious. I plan to serve it, spread with a little coconut oil by NOW.
Bon Appetit and Happy Snow Day!!
10/28/2009 4:37:46 PM CDT