Welcome to the National 1000 Mile Challenge!!

What better way to get fit than a challenge  I have one year to walk 1,000 miles. I am going to try and only log those steps and miles that I am actually outdoors in nature :)

About This Event
Welcome to the National 1000 Mile Challenge!! Let's start the first day of Spring 2015 with an awesome challenge! Hike, walk, or run 1000 miles from the first day of Spring 2015 (3/20) to the first day of Winter (12/21) 2015. Report your mileage monthly. You can run it solo and do all 1,000 miles yourself (3.62 miles a day average) or do it with a friend to divide up the miles (1.81 miles per day each). Make a team of 3 or 4 and split up the 1000 miles anyway you like. (Each participant must register individually even if participating with a partner or on a team.) We will help keep you motivated and on track all year long until you cross the finish line just in time for Christmas. What an awesome gift for yourself!!

Walking Challenge

WALKING CHALLENGE		STEPS	MILES
DAY 1	1-Jun	8,302	4.15
Day 2	2-Jun	6,170	3.09
Day 3	3-Jun		0.00
DAY 4	4-Jun		0.00
DAY 5	5-Jun		0.00
DAY 6	6-Jun		0.00
DAY 7	7-Jun		0.00
DAY 8	8-Jun		0.00
DAY 9	9-Jun		0.00
DAY 10	10-Jun		0.00
DAY 11	11-Jun		0.00
DAY 12	12-Jun		0.00
DAY 13	13-Jun		0.00
DAY 14	14-Jun		0.00
DAY 15	15-Jun		0.00
DAY 16	16-Jun		0.00
DAY 17	17-Jun		0.00
DAY 18	18-Jun		0.00
DAY 19	19-Jun		0.00
DAY 20	20-Jun		0.00
DAY 21	21-Jun		0.00
DAY 22	22-Jun		0.00
DAY 23	23-Jun		0.00
DAY 24	24-Jun		0.00
DAY 25	25-Jun		0.00
DAY 26	26-Jun		0.00
DAY 27	27-Jun		0.00
DAY 28	28-Jun		0.00
DAY 29	29-Jun		0.00
DAY 30	30-Jun		0.00
TOTAL STEPS		14,472
MILE	2,000	7.24

The 30-Day Walking Challenge

           

What is it about fitness walking that makes it more “successful” than other exercise? Part of it is the simplicity. By putting one foot in front of the other, you can not only walk off weight, but also dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, depression, osteoporosis, diabetes, high cholesterol, and help clear artery-clogging plaque … Are you walking yet? You don’t need trendy classes, expensive gyms and crazy fitness gadgets. What you need is a simple routine that you can build on, week by week, to make you stronger and fitter at a pace that you can manage.
I’ve got the plan for you—no matter what fitness level you are at right now, you can zap calories, up your energy, and start to view fitness walking as a joyful habit! Join me on a 30-day walk challenge to reach 10,000 steps by the end of the month. Day by day during the first week, you’ll start to feel stronger. Over the next couple of weeks, the walks will begin to seem easier. By the end of a month, you’ll not only notice shifts in the way your body feels, but also a difference in your mindset.
Along with the triumph of meeting the challenge, you’ll have established a daily habit of fitness, which is no doubt the most important result. And exercise will become something that you don’t want to go without. It’s life-changing!
If you like to let the music move you, try the first five minutes of my “Just Walk: Walk to the Hits: Party Songs” DVD and just keep adding minutes as you progress!

If you decide to break up your steps into several 10-minute walks throughout the day, my “Just Walk: Mix & Match Walk Blasters” DVDs gives you 10 different mini-walk options.

A 5-mile fitness walk is 10,000 steps. You can do it all at once or break it up throughout the day … how about two 30-minute walks? Or four 15-minute walks? These can easily fit into your schedule. My newest DVD, “Just Walk: Walk Off Fat Fast” lets you choose the 20-, 30- and even 40-minute walk to fit into your day.

Motivation

Motivation

Motivation

Motivation

Zucchini Bread

 

 

 

Total Time: 1 hr 10 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 55 min.
Yield: 20 servings, 1 slice each

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
6 large egg whites
¼ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cups all-purpose flour
1¾ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. sea salt
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
2½ cups grated zucchini
½ cup chopped raw walnuts
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Lightly coat two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans with spray.
3. Combine egg whites, oil, applesauce, sugar, and extract in a large bowl. Set aside.
4. Combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; mix well.
5. Add flour mixture to egg mixture; mix until just blended.
6. Fold in zucchini and walnuts; mix until just blended.
7. Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
8. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown and tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Cool bread in pans for 5 to 10 minutes, remove from pans and transfer to rack; cool completely.
Tip: Leftover slices can be wrapped individually and stored in the freezer for future meals.

 

Motivation

Crockpot Minestrone Soup

Crockpot Minestrone Soup     Above picture and recipe courtesy of skinnytaste.com Minestrone soup is a classic Italian soup and is  very hearty with white beans, tomatoes, zucchini and pasta. It cooks down with the rind of pamesan which infuses the flavor throughout the soup, giving it a richness that is delicious.  Here is what you will need: (A few things not pictured, but noted below, I had to change it up a little)   You will need:                       1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy) (not pictured above)  32 oz container reduced sodium chicken broth or veggie broth 2 tsp olive oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup diced carrots 1/2 cup diced celery (Not pictured above)  2 garlic cloves, minced 1 (28 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (i used (1) (14oz can of diced tomatoes and the rest were fresh cherry tomatoes I cut up)  Parmesan cheese rind (optional) (I keep these in my freezer when i have used up all the cheese)  1 fresh rosemary sprig 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (not pictured)  1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (not pictured) 1/2 tsp kosher salt and fresh black pepper 1 medium 8 oz zucchini, diced 2 cups chopped fresh (or frozen defrosted) spinach, kale, swiss chard whatever you prefer.  (I did not use greens because it can change coumadin levels and his grandmother is on coumadin)  2 cups cooked small pasta such as ditalini or elbows (al dente)- use what you have on hand, try whole wheat pasta as well.  This is also good with ground turkey or make little mini meatballs, chicken would also be good added to this soup to add in some protein.  extra parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)                       Step 1: Turn crockpot on low. Drain and rinse beans and put into a blender or food processor. Add in 1 cup of broth. Blend well. Add mixture to the crockpot, followed by the remining broth. Add in basil, parsley, bay leaves, rosemary, parmasean rind, salt, and pepper.  Next add in your tomatoes. Give it a good stir.   Step 3: Chop up your onion, carrots, celery, and mince your garlic. Add oil to the pan and saute veggies until soft. Around 8-10 minutes. Transfer veggies to the crock pot, mix it all together and put the lid on and cook on low 6-8 hours. Forty minutes before you are ready to serve, add in your zucchini and greens (spinach, kale, or swiss chard) Let it cook for 30 minutes. At this time you can also cook your pasta, so it will be ready to serve with the soup. To serve: add 1 yellow container 3/4 full of pasta (preferably whole wheat) to your bowl. (remember you used a can of white beans in this, so don't fill your yellow up completely. The beans will count towards some of your yellow also. Top with 1 Green container of soup. Get lots of good veggies in your container. Add a little broth if needed. Top with Parmesan cheese. Remove the Parmesan rind from the soup (this tastes amazing, but the added calories of eating it do not fit into the plan) This soup is a great way to add in some green containters. It is filled with good veggies. I also don't tend to count broth in my containers. I figure the amount of broth used, fills in the gaps between the veggies in the container. (i used veggie broth) I may be incorrect in this thinking, so if anyone knows the answer to this please let me know. I would count this as follows:  1 Yellow, 1 Green, 1 Blue, and 1 tsp.

GREEN BEANS ---

A friend of mine gave me a ton of green beans now i have to figure out how to prepare them -- think this one might be a hit

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan - 21 Day Fix Approved

*This recipe is compliments of Kalyn's Kitchen!
I'm excited to make this recipe for our Christmas Dinner this year. I'm sure it will be a hit!
**If you are following the 21 Day Fix, this would use 1 green container (beans & mushrooms), 1 blue container (cheese), and 1 orange container (oil).

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan
(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

Ingredients:
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced in 1/2 inch slices (I used brown crimini mushrooms, but any mushrooms will work)
1 lb. fresh green beans, preferably thin French style beans
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 T finely grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Wash mushrooms and let drain (or spin dry in salad spinner, which is what I did.) While mushrooms are drying, trim ends of beans and cut beans in half so you have bite-sized pieces. (An easy way to trim them is to gather a small handful of beans, stand them up on cutting board, holding loosely so they will fall down and have ends ends aligned, then trim. Repeat with other end.) Cut mushrooms into slices 1/2 inch thick.

Put cut beans and mushrooms into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture. Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans and mushrooms are not crowded. Roast 20-30 minutes, starting to check for doneness after 20 minutes. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, and all liquid on the pan from mushrooms has evaporated. Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper, then sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan. Serve hot.

Motivation

Copycat Chipotle Steak Bowls

Copycat Chipotle Steak Bowls

My daughter is a HUGE Chipotle fan.  She would eat there every day if she could.  So, we’ve been experimenting with some of their recipes at home.  They are pretty easy, and good for you as well.  We substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream to make them even healthier.   You can make your own chipotle taco/burrito bar at home using the following recipes.  We added salsa, greek yogurt, romaine lettuce and queso fresco to ours as well.

Copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa

12 oz. bag frozen corn, thawed
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped finely
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
3/4 C. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients and chill well.

Black Beans #1 (salsa)

1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. cumin
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

Black Beans #2 (warm)

2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
½ C. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. lime juice
Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add beans and spices. Heat until warm.

Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

1 C. uncooked basmati rice
1 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 C. fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium.  Add uncooked rice and sauté until it begins to brown slightly.  Add lime juice. Toss to coat.  Add 2 C. water and reduce heat to low.  Cover.  Cook until rice is done, season with salt and cilantro.

Steak Rub

1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. cumin 
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 pound skirt steak
Combine spices in a small bowl.  Rub steak with the spice combination on both sides before cooking in vegetable oil.

Pumpkin pecan banana bread

Ingredients

• 3 bananas, mashed
• 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup organic unsalted butter, softened (can also substitute coconut oil)
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup honey
• 1 tsp each pure almond extract and vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp each salt, baking soda, baking powder
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp sugar in the raw
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cream butter, eggs, extracts and honey in a large bowl using a mixer
3. Add pumpkin puree and mashed bananas and beat until smooth
4. Combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and 1 tsp cinnamon) in separate bowl and gradually add to wet mixture
5. Fold in pecans
6. Pour batter into (greased) loaf pan
7. In a small bowl or ramekin, combine 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp raw sugar. Then sprinkle this mixture on the top of the bread
8. Bake for 45-55 minutes (or until center comes out clean with a toothpick)
9. Remove from pan and allow to cool before slicing

I would count 1 slice (or muffin) as 1 yellow substitute.

P.S. If making muffins, reduce the bake time to 18-20 minutes

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Third time’s a charm right? 

Yield: 2 Dozen

Serving Size: 1 Muffin

21 Day Fix Portion (per muffin): 1 Yellow

 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup honey
• 1 stick organic, unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 3- 4 bananas
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tbsp plain, nonfat greek yogurt
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (I found this at Walmart. Gold Medal brand)

Directions

1.      Preheat oven to 350

2.      Cream butter, honey, and eggs

3.      Mash bananas and beat into mixture

4.      In a separate bowl, stir baking soda and salt into greek yogurt (as you stir, it might fizz a little and turn into the consistency of mousse)

5.      Add greek yogurt mixture into muffin batter and mix well.

6.      Gradually add in flour. Stir until completely blended.

7.      Line 2 muffin trays with paper cupcake/muffin liners (to make 24 muffins total)

8.      Spoon in batter (about 2/3 full- I use an ice cream scooper for easy and even filling)

9.      Bake for 20-25 minutes

10.  Cool before enjoying

Parmesan Ranch Baked Zucchini Coins

Zucchini is so versatile. It’s like the tofu of veggies.

Save this recipe for when you have baskets and baskets of this stuff from your summer garden.

You Need:
¼ cup parmesan cheese grated
2 cups zucchini washed unpeeled
Light ranch dressing
And then you:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.
Cut zucchini horizontally into 1-inch slices and spread both sides with the ranch dressing.
Lay on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with parm.
Bake 10 minutes or until tops are lightly browned.

 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Serves 12

Light and fluffy, your sweet tooth needs these almost cake-like cookies!

      

 

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. 1/2 c peanut butter
2. 1 egg
3. 1/4 c honey

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk egg in small bowl. Add peanut butter and honey, and mix until fully combined.
3. Using a tablespoon, drop cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. The batter is gooey. Don't worry. Just stay with me here.
4. Bake for 15 minutes on middle oven rack.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Cookies will continue baking and firm as they cool.
6. Eat one cookie and convince yourself not to eat the other 11 the same sitting.
7. Enjoy!

21 Day Fix (per cookie)

1. 2 teaspoons

 

****i was a tad leary about a cookie that doesn't have any sugar and flour, well i have to say that these cookies cured my sweet tooth

I did leave them in a tad too long because they didn't look done to me and i ended up burning the bottom but i still ate them :)

Baked Boneless Buffalo Wings

Baked Boneless Buffalo Wings

• Servings: 2

 

Container count per serving: 1¼ red, ½ yellow, and 1 teaspoon
INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp butter, melted (I use Smart Balance)
• ¾ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• poultry seasoning, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. On a plate, crack the egg and whisk. In another plate, add the flour and season with garlic powder, cayenne, and salt.
3. Season the chicken pieces with poultry seasoning, and then dip the chicken in the egg to coat. Next, dredge the chicken in the flour and place coated chicken pieces on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Spray the chicken with cooking spray to ensure it browns when baking. Bake the chicken pieces for 10-15 minutes and then flip and cook the other side for another 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Stir the melted butter and hot sauce together in a bowl. Dip the baked chicken in the hot sauce mixture until fully coated. Serve and enjoy!

The Best Way to Store Fresh Herbs

Store Fresh Herbs

J. Kenji López-Alt Managing Culinary Director

Take a look at those herbs above. The ones on the left look like they were probably picked fresh just before I photographed them, while the ones at the right had been hanging out in my refrigerator for weeks in a forgotten plastic bag, right? Wrong. All of those stems of cilantro are the exact same age. 51 days in my refrigerator, to be exact. The only difference is in how they were stored.

I've already shown you how you can freeze herbs in thin sheets to use for cooked applications and how to dry them in the microwave for intensely flavored dusts and rubs. But what's the best way to store fresh herbs if you want them to stay fresh? I tested out every method I could think of, isolating every variable—light, air, moisture, and temperature—and pushing my herbs to the limit to figure it out.

Here's what I found.

The Quick Version

Here's the quick run down on how to store your herbs for maximum potential shelf life:

Wash them. Wash your herbs by filling your salad spinner with cold water. Swirl the herbs gently around in the water to loosen any debris. Drain the water, spin the herbs dry, lay them on a layer of paper towels and pat gently with more paper towels to blot away any excess moisture.

Store Hardy Herbs by arranging them lengthwise in a single layer on a slightly damp paper towel, rolling them up like a jelly roll, then transfer the bundle to a plastic zipper lock bag or wrap it in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator.

Store Tender Herbs by snipping off the bases of the stems and removing any discolored or wilted leaves. Transfer them to a large mason jar with an inch of water in the bottom. Seal the jar with the lid (if it fits), or cover the top of the jar with an overturned plastic bag sealed with a rubber band. Store in the refrigerator.

Store Basil by snipping off the bases of the stems and placing the bunch in a vase or a mason jar with an inch or two of water at the bottom, just like a bouquet of flowers. Store at room temperature in a light area but out of direct sunlight.

Herb	Herb Type	Average Lifespan
Parsley	Tender	3 weeks
Cilantro	Tender	3 weeks
Dill	Tender	2 weeks
Mint	Tender	2 weeks
Tarragon	Tender	3 weeks
Chervil	Tender	1 1/2 weeks
Basil	Special	2 weeks
Rosemary	Hardy	3 weeks
Thyme	Hardy	2 weeks
Sage	Hardy	2 weeks
Savory	Hardy	2 weeks
Chives	Hardy	1 week

The Long Version

Now let's get to the nitty gritty of the testing to show why these are the best ways to store herbs.

To Wash or Not to Wash?

First things first: When you get the herbs home from the supermarket, can you store them as-is, or should you give 'em a quick wash first? Many sites recommend against washing as it adds moisture to the herbs. But most supermarkets mist their herbs on the shelves these days, so those herbs are pretty darn wet to begin with.

To test whether washing makes a difference, I split a bunch of parsley and a bunch of cilantro in half, washing one half in a salad spinner filled with cold water and spinning it dry. The other half I left as-is, simply spinning it dry to remove any excess moisture. I stored both in partially closed zipper-lock bags in the refrigerator.

Guess what? The un-washed herbs starting showing signs of decay days before the washed herbs did. Why is this? Surface debris and bacteria on the herbs can cause more rapid decay. Washing the herbs doesn't sterilize them, but it does remove a good number of the baddies (it's also an indication that it's a very good idea to wash your herbs and greens before eating them).

The Enemies of Freshness

To test out the effects of various elements on my herbs, I bought single bunches of herbs (parsley, cilantro, basil, tarragon, chives, mint, and oregano) and divided them into multiple smaller bunches, storing each in a different part of my fridge or countertop, exposed to different levels of light, humidity, and temperature. My testing showed that there are a number of factors that are likely to cause fresh herbs to decay or lose flavor.

• Excessive exposure to light can damage chlorophyll, causing herbs to turn yellow. This is especially true for thin, delicate herbs like parsley, chervil, or cilantro. Stored in a sunny spot, delicate herbs will start to yellow within days.
• Excessive exposure to oxygen can turn tender herbs like basil or mint brown, particularly if the leaves are in any way damaged or bruised. Herbs that were wrapped or covered lasted several times longer than those that were left completely exposed to the air in the fridge.
• Excess moisture promotes decay, turning leaves and stems slimy or moldy. You've probably seen this when you leave your herbs inside the plastic bag from the supermarket and they quickly turn slimy.
• Not enough moisture can cause herbs to dry out, and as moisture leaves the herbs and takes to the air, it brings along some of the herbs' flavor for the ride, reducing their potency.
• The wrong temperature will cause herbs to decay or lose flavor faster than they should. Almost all herbs are best stored in the refrigerator, with the exception of basil and very thin-leafed mint, which can both be damaged by the cold, causing them to brown and bruise faster. In my fridge, storing the herbs at the back of the top shelf caused them to actually freeze in some parts. Ice crystals will cause cell damage turning herbs mushy.

With that information, I had a basic guide for what I wanted: some exposure to air for moisture to escape but not too much, minimal exposure to light, and a temperature that is cold but not too cold.

Storage Methods

I narrowed the field down to five common storage methods that seemed to be the most promising. I also stored herbs by throwing them straight into the fridge in their original bag from the supermarket as a control. I stored each set of herbs until they showed signs of rotting or losing freshness.

Here's what I tried:

1. Straight from the supermarket, in a plastic vegetable bag in the fridge.
2. Stored inside a zipper-lock bag left slightly ajar.
3. Wrapped in a dry paper towel and stored inside a plastic zipper-lock bag.
4. Wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored inside a plastic zipper-lock bag.
5. Stem bases trimmed, stored upright in a glass of water uncovered.
6. Stem bases trimmed, stored upright in a glass of water with an overturned zipper-lock bag covering the tops.

The Results

Straight from the supermarket was by far the worst method. Within a few days the herbs had started to show signs of rotting, and after a couple weeks, they were reduced to a slimy, unidentifiable mess at the bottom of the bag.

Wrapped in a dry paper towel in a zipper-lock bag proved the most effective method for hardy herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage. Surprisingly, it was also the best method for tender chives.

Stored upright like flowers with water was by far the best for tender herbs like cilantro and parsley, and it's important to note that keeping the tops of those herbs tightly covered by placing an overturned zipper-lock bag over them and sealing it against the base of the jar was also an essential step in keeping them fresh.

The only downside of the method? It takes up a lot of vertical space, and more importantly, there's a real risk of accidentally knocking the container of herbs over as you fish around in the fridge. More than once I had to clean up accidental water spills after knocking over herbs when I was reaching behind them.

 

Reditainer Extreme Freeze Deli Food Containers with Lids, 32-Ounce, 24-Pack

$16.88 on Amazon

The solution? I use 1 quart plastic deli containers with lids or mason jars. By putting an inch of water at the bottom, placing the stem ends of your herbs down into the water, then folding the leaves over, you can seal up the jar and store your herbs for weeks (or even months if you're lucky!).

And the best part is no chance for a spill.

Alternative Storage Methods: Drying and Freezing

Sometimes you end up with more herbs than you know what to do with. In these cases, the herbs can be dried or frozen for future use. Dried herbs can be used just like the dried herbs you buy at the supermarket. They are best reserved for applications like spice rubs or long-cooked stews and sauces. Dry herbs in the microwave following our guide to drying herbs.

Frozen herbs can be used in most fresh herb applications where they herbs are even slightly cooked. Frozen herbs are particularly good for stirring last-minute into pasta sauces or pan sauces, or for making herb-heavy sauces like pesto and chimichurri.