Who doesn't LOVE a fully loaded baked potato, fully loaded fries, fully loaded nachos or FULLY loaded pretty much anything??! If you said moi... just find the cyber door now because I'm not sure we can ever FULLY connect or be pals lol! Just teasing, but kinda serious though :) To moi, life is better fully loaded!! Think about it....Do you want a baked potato or a FULLY LOADED potato with all the fixins' ?? I know where my heart and stomach belong, not that a plain ol baked potato isn't lovely on it's own, simply classic, but I'll take mine with sour cream, butter, bacon and green onions 99% of the time given that option! Sooo on to the point of this post already
GREEN ONIONS. Glorious, good, homegrown and crispy lil green onions that add a bit of WOW factor freshness to almost any savory food. Some folks like to garnish with parsley, but for me the dish becomes a fully loaded masterpiece with a sprinkle of green onions on top. Just keeping it real here folks, not that parsley or any other lovely greenish garnishing element is really bad in my book. They all hold a wonderful little spot in my ticker, but my one true love... my go to guy is definitely the green onion. He's fully loaded with flavor, easy to grow, handsome on a plate, versatile, adds a nice pop of freshness, and can even be preserved in a freezer! That's right the green onion is fully loaded with awesomeness!
So in previous posts, I mentioned I am a reformed plant murder, black thumb turned dedicated garden- loving, green thumb. Meaning, (translation please lol :) I use to kill the hardiest of plants, but I have really started to do okay at this gardening stuff in more recent years and I LOVES IT BERRY MUCH!!! I also enjoy experimenting, trying new things, saving moola $, and being crafty or anti-conventional!I'm all about ol school with a dash of modern or how can I make a classic feel new type of shtuff?Awhile back, I discovered how easy it was to grow green onions and it didn't cost an extra dime! (Thanks Pinterest) Well...to be exact it cost about ten dimes or 99cents to buy three bundles of green onions from the local produce section at the grocery store, but I was buying them anyways, consuming the green ends, and just throwing the roots or white parts in the trash. Really, there was no losing to be had in the experiment other than not trying it. Safe investment huh, I know right!?
When, I discovered that these could actually be salvaged and used to grow fresh green onions right in my very own kitchen, I thought well, that'd be freaking AWESOME! One of the best days of my goofy little life looking back now lol! It changed my world really. The green onion actually brought out the green thumb in me and turned me into a plant lover instead of a loather. LIKE I CAN TOTALLY GROW AND KEEP SOMETHING ALIVE (other than myself and my pets) epic life moment, bells rang type of stuff, the impossible became possible and my little life was forever transformed. My love of gardening, plants, and nature truly blossomed with those little green onions growing in my kitchen <3 I promise, it doesn't get any easier than growing your own green onions from the root bulbs you'd probably just throw away anyhow! AND even if it doesn't work out the first time it's not a loss or costly gardening investment! Win/Win.
Simply cut off the green part of the green onion until you hit the thick, mostly white root stalk and bulb and place it in a tall glass with enough water to just BARELY cover the roots/bulbs. Too much water will cause them to rot which is way icky and smells like onion vomit :( so less is def more in this case!!! 1/4 cup water would prob be just about right, if it looks dry add more water later, but you don't want the bulbs floating! You just want the roots covered!! Then place the cup in a fairly sunny location, I keep mine right next to my kitchen sink window sill usually, and pretty much let nature do her thang lol. Its that easy, no need for dirt even, but if you feel more comfortable using dirt.... do so. Just poke your finger in the soil deep enough to fit the bulb you are trying to cover (about half an index finger deep, like them fancy measurements lol), you want the tops or slender stalks still visible above the soil. Then just give them a nice drink of water. BAM, you'll be growing green onions in no time! Be sure to give them a drink of water when the soil is dry and make sure the get some steady sun. That's really it, it's that easy! I was planting mine in dirt for months until I neglected them for a few days, and WHALA they were growing just fine in the cup I used to revive/soak the roots!!! So, I just let them go and let them grow right there in the cup :) I have a small petting zoo or so it seems lol, which means the less plants the cats can knock over with dirt in them the better for my sanity/house cleanliness. Urgh cats lol. N.E. WAYS.... However, I'm the main consumer of the green onions or really anything green in my house, so before I knew it, I actually had MORE GREEN ONIONS THAN I KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH!
It was a little awesome, well just knowing that they were growing (since I could barely keep cacti alive back in my day lol) and to boot growing like wildfires, but I'm also not one for waste. Truly, it makes me sad, especially with all those in the world hungry or those who need things they just don't have! Besides not being good for my heart...it's bad for the wallet! Waste truly is like throwing cash in the trash and being a penny pinching/thrifty gal, I'm most def not down with all that trash and wastefulness :) GOOD NEWS IS.....YOU CAN FREEZE GREEN ONIONS! <3 That is correct, they can simply and easily be frozen to prevent all that unnecessary waste and needless cash in the trash! Here's how:
If you notice your green onions starting to fade or looking on the verge of badness and you really can't consume them or they don't go with your meal plans, IT'S ALL GOOD, just freeze them lil beauts! Simply clean and dice them as you normally would, like you were going to consume them right now. Then place them on a clean paper towel and allow them to air dry for about an hr or two. I put mine under my oven exhaust fan on a paper towel covered baking sheet on low, just to speed the process along, but patience isn't my strongest suite lol! Make sure the diced green onions have room i.e not piled on top of each other, give them some space, and insure they are in a nice single layer, this will speed up the drying process.
Once they are completely dry, than take that same baking sheet you dry them on and spray with a little Non-Stick Cooking Spray, (get rid of the paper towel) and place them in the freezer to flash freeze, uncovered for about 2hrs or until they are all firm to the touch ie not still springy and fully frozen. Remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a clean sandwich bag or storage container of choice and put them back in the freezer. It is that wonderfully easy folks! SHAZAM, no more wasted green onions AND you can have those glorious green beauties growing fresh in your very own kitchen in no time, no matter how limited the space! If I can do it..so can you (trust me, I was bad lol) Fully loaded and frugal folks :) The frozen green onions might not have the same crispness of the fresh green onion (can't win um' all right lol) but they can still make a wonderful garnish or pop of flavor to a soup or tater and won't be going to waste! Now, go get your GREEN ON (and feel free to send me a loaded baked potato if your feeling extra generous hehehe)!
No comments:
Post a Comment