The idea of "Fast Food in a Bag" is very simple:
Choose a family favorite recipe, gather all the ingredients that do not require refrigeration and place them in a bag.
Attach the recipe to the bag. (Click on the picture for a closer look.)
The idea is so simple and yet it takes the work out of deciding what to fix for dinner every night.
We have found that a poly-gift-bag (like the one shown in the picture) is the sturdiest bag for holding the heavy weight of the cans and other ingredients. The handle is a convenient place to attach the recipe and makes it easy to transport. The bag can be used over and over again. You can buy these types of bags online or at a paper store such as Xpedex or Paper Plus.
So if the bag idea works so well...then what's up with the box?
I have found that I can optimize my Pantry space by using same sized boxes (instead of bags) that will stack evenly on my shelf. Inside the lid of the box I tape the recipe. (I use clear shipping tape to completely cover the recipe to keep it clean and neat as I cook.) This insures that the recipe will never get separated from the ingredients. On the outside of the box I tape a list of ingredients - divided into 2 columns. The left column lists the ingredients that are in the box while the right column lists the ingredients that are stored elsewhere in the kitchen such as the freezer or fridge or water! (You can click on the picture for a closer look at the labels.) When I'm making out my grocery list it's easy to look at the ingredients listed on the box ends and see what I need to add to my list.
Of course I had to take my labels one step further and color code them. This works so well for me because I can see that the BLUE labels are Beef dishes and the YELLOW are Chicken. The GREEN are Fish and the PINK are "Other" (which would include Ham, Beans, Pasta, etc.)
Another step that we've taken is to list our seasonings as a group on the label and pre-fill packets to be stored in the box. I bought little zip top bags at the craft store to hold the seasonings. They were VERY inexpensive and if you label them according to the recipe they belong to they can be used over and over again. (They are approx. 2"X3")
When I was filling my seasoning packets, I placed a glass dish on the table beneath where I was working. After I was finished filling the packets I had quite a little combination of seasonings that had spilled over so I poured them into a zip lock baggy and labeled it as Seasoning Surprise. Whenever I'm making a soup I like to just pour some of the Surprise into the pot. It's really turned out yummy and I don't feel guilty about wasting anything!
It's been 1 year since we originally published this blog and we have found that the greatest challenge has been in finding the boxes themselves. Although the boxes that are pictured are still our #1 preference, we have found that a shoe box can work just as well (but doesn't hold up as long) and an even better choice is the plastic shoe box sized containers that can be bought at the dollar stores or Walmart, etc. Because the boxes are see through, we taped the labels to the inside of the box facing out. This seemed to work best.
NOW HERE'S THE SECRET:
If you have $20 -
BUY FOOD,
not shelves or containers!
BUY FOOD!
Stacking stuff on the floor might not be pretty but if you're ever in a situation where you family is truly hungry...who cares how nice things look. The pretty stuff will come along in time. Just keep your eyes open and add as you go.
Good Luck and Have FUN!
We hope that you will find this page useful in organizing your Pantry / Food Storage, Meals, Time and Life!
