Food Storage With Egg Holder Trays Reviewed

Convenient Food Storage Especially For Eggs

Need a place for your Easter Eggs?

With Easter rapidly approaching it might be time to think of food storage ideas that will accommodate those colored eggs you will have around after the "hunt" takes place. Eggs are not the easiest to store with their rolling tendencies. Know what I mean? 

One of the things that I like to do with those eggs that the kids find is to make deviled eggs with several of them. That requires a special kind of storage, too. I have a solution for those storage needs whether it is at Easter time or any time that you have hard boiled eggs or deviled eggs to store in the refrigerator. These little storage units are also useful for other types of foods but I particularly love them for storing my eggs.

Let's see what you think:

Egg and Food Storage

There are actually two layers for storing your eggs in! One layer sits comfortably on top of the other and then sit nicely on your refrigerator shelf. So, it acts as a space saver, too. That is really convenient when it is family dinner time and there is a lot of food to be stored.

What I love is that I have options. If I want to store hard boiled eggs to use later for egg salad or a different recipe these storage units work. I can also make my deviled eggs and store them until they are ready to be served. Either way the eggs are safely on the shelf and not taking up a whole lot of room in the fridge.

I've used this little two layered unit for transporting cupcakes too. It just comes in real handy when I have some taller foods that I don't want to get squished during transport. The other nice thing is that when I am not using these little containers in the refrigerator, they do not take up much room on my cabinet shelves.

I love my food storage containers with the egg trays and use them often. They make a great gift for a bridal shower or a house warming gift, too. How about you? Do you think you would use food storage with egg trays much?

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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My Experience Using Freshware Food-to-Go Packs to Freeze Soup: A Review

Freshware Helped me Freeze Individual Mug-Size Soup Servings

After a recent bout with the flu, I realized I had not really prepared very well. Everyone knows how important chicken soup is in helping respiratory illnesses, but few people are up to making it from scratch after they get sick. I wasn't, either, and canned soup just isn't as good. If only I'd been able to pull individual servings out of my freezer that were just the right size for my soup mugs! But I couldn't, since there weren't any there. Since then I've stashed many soup servings in my freezer. Here's how.

Fortunately I did have some frozen French onion soup I'd bought at Costco to get me though a couple of days of flu. Each portion was just right to heat in a soup mug. I decided to look for something that would help me freeze my own individual size portions, so I searched Amazon. I was actually looking for molds, but all I could come up with were muffin tins, and they weren't the size I wanted. I finally found these Freshware Food-To-Go Packs.

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Freshware Food Storage Containers [36 Set] 16 oz Plastic Deli Containers with Lids, Slime, Soup, Meal Prep Containers | BPA Free | Stackable | Leakproof | Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer SafeCheck Price

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I finally decided on the 16-ounce size. As you can see above, I wanted a portion just right for my soup mugs. My mug holds 12 ounces comfortably with a bit of room at the top. If I pour 12 ounces of soup into the Freshwear container, there is room left for expansion at the top.

My Soup Story

When my Freshware Food-To-Go packs arrived from Amazon. I was anxious to try them out. I chose them because they are BPA Free, and I didn't want to put anything hot  into a plastic container that contained BPA. I also liked that they could go from my freezer into my microwave so that I could partially thaw the soup before pouring it into my mug. It can stand temperatures from -40°F to +250°F. I liked that I could pour it straight from my crockpot into the containers without waiting for the soup to  cool.

This is my most recent batch of soup as it simmered in my crockpot. This time I made vegetable soup with just a bit of ground beef for added flavor. Here's how I made the soup you see here: I Made Soup Again Today.

I really like my crockpot. It's an older version of this one, and its shape makes it easier to cook many kinds of meat and poultry that are harder to cook in my round crockpots. I can also program it for specific cook times and temperatures, knowing it will switch to warm if the cook time finishes. I can't do that with my older crockpots.

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Crock-Pot 6-Quart Countdown Programmable Oval Slow Cooker with Dipper, Stainless Steel, SCCPVC605-SCheck Price

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Freezing Hot Foods in Freshware

I found the Freshware very easy to work with. It stacks neatly in the cupboard for easy storage. When I need to freeze soup or anything else in a mug-size portion, the containers are easy to fill and stack.

I usually make a crockpot full of soup or another dish. I put about six servings in a casserole dish to store in the refrigerator to cover about three meals for two during that first week after cooking. I freeze what's left in the Freshware containers. Here's how that looked when I froze some beans I had cooked.

Here the containers have been filled and I've put the lids on them. The foods were still hot when I filled the containers.

Below I show them stacked.

Notice how snugly the lids fit and how neatly they stack for storage in the freezer. Because the containers are clear, you can see exactly what's in them.

Thawing My Soup after Freezing in Freshware Containers

I had planned my container size for filling mugs that comfortably held 12-ounce portions of food, mostly liquid. You can see the beans I froze above, before they went into the freezer. Below you see the soup after it came out of the freezer. On top you see the soup still frozen after I removed the lid, which kept its shape well. You can also see that the soup had plenty of headroom for the liquid to expand.

The middle photo shows the soup thawing in the microwave. I thawed it without the lid. When it was almost thawed, I transferred it into the mug, since I prefer handling a mug when the soup is hot. Had I wanted to take this to work as a hot lunch, I could have packed it frozen and heated it in the container at lunchtime and also eaten from the container.

Note: This week I cooked a large batch of lentils. I filled three Freshware containers to freeze and one to put in the fridge. I wanted to be able to easily add cooked lentils to soups and salad during rest of the week. When my husband was removing something else from the fridge, my lentil container fell out and fell on the floor from three feet up. The thin bottom of the container broke, but did not shatter. The top stayed on. I was able to safely remove the contents to a new container without adding any cracked plastic with the lentils. It was a very easy process.

Lunch is Ready

The soup is pretty hearty, with lots of protein and vegetables, so it doesn't need a lot to go with it. I toasted a slice of sourdough bread and peeled a tangerine because I love tangerines with anything savory. I can eat the toast on the side or dip it in the soup.

What do you like with your soup?

Get Freshware Containers to Make Your Life Easier

As you can see, Freshware Food-To-Go Packs make preparing and freezing meals in single portions very easy. Cook a large batch of your favorite lunch, freeze what you want to store for later, and thaw at home or take frozen to work to heat there. The containers are able to be washed in a dishwasher. I didn't try this because my dishwasher isn't working anymore and I'm waiting to replace it. But the containers are easy enough to wash by hand. Why not pick up some Freshware containers today while you're thinking about it?

Freshware 36-Pack 16 oz Plastic Food Storage Containers with Airtight Lids - Restaurant Deli Cups, Foodsavers, Baby, Bento Lunch Box, 21 Day Fix, Portion Control, and Meal Prep ContainersFreshware Meal Prep Containers [15 Pack] 3 Compartment with Lids, Food Containers, Lunch Box | BPA Free | Stackable | Bento Box, Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer Safe, Portion Control, 21 day fix (32 oz)Freshware 24-Pack 32 oz Plastic Food Storage Containers with Airtight Lids - Restaurant Deli Cups, Foodsavers, Baby, Bento Lunch Box, 21 Day Fix, Portion Control, and Meal Prep Containers

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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing Plastic Bag Sealing Clips

 Click to Buy a Set of 38 Plastic Sealing Bag Clips
One of the cheaper, yet indispensable items in my kitchen are my plastic bag clips. We use these without even thinking about it and yet I don't think I've ever seen them reviewed - until now that is!

Have you ever tried them? They usually come in packs, often consisting of different size clips and they are an absolute godsend in my kitchen let me tell you.

I thought everyone used them until one of the young accountants I work with came out holding a small one and asked 'do you know what this is?' Even after telling him what it was used for he looked at me as though I was from another planet - so maybe NOT everyone has them!

Why Do You Need Plastic Bag Sealing Clips?  

To keep your food fresh of course!  Seriously I use these bag clips for lots of different things.  People who know me (or have read some of my posts on kitchen organization) would know that I do like to use containers to store things in, but sometimes that's not always possible.

Photo by Lou of Lou's Designs

Let me give you two examples - if you look at the photo you'll see I have a bag of spiral pasta and a bag of brown rice with sealing clips on them.

I usually have dried spaghetti and dried penne at home and I keep them in containers, but I wanted to try a recipe using spiral pasta.  Now I could have found a container and used my favorite pink labelling machine to label it spiral pasta, but I didn't know if I'd be buying another packet so I just used a bag clip.

With the brown rice I had a container with basmati rice in it and one with long grain white rice.  I have just brought a new container to use for the brown rice, but for the last month (the previous brown rice I had came in a resealable bag) I've used a bag clip as you can see.

How to Keep Chips Fresh After Opening The Bag?

You simply grab some bag clips!  I love my bag clips when it comes to corn chips as when making nachos using corn chips I usually have some left in the bag.  Now we used to just snack on them until they were finished, but by saving them (we usually have nachos on the weekend instead of takeout) I find that I'm saving myself one bag of corn chips a month on my grocery bill!

We haven't been having nachos as much lately and I realized that I'd had a bag of corn chips in the pantry (sealed with a clip) for three weeks and you know what - they were still fresh!  Need I say more.

Now chocolate is my downfall, but my husband's weakness is potato chips and it's often cheaper to purchase large bags than smaller ones, but I really don't want him to eat a large bag - I also don't want to waste any.  Since we've found that our bag sealing clips work so well with corn chips we've tested them on potato chips and they keep them fresh too - win/win!

Can You Use Plastic Food Clips in the Freezer?

Photo by Lou16

Absolutely!  I don't know how you store your packets of frozen peas or frozen sweetcorn once you've opened them, but I use food clips.  I figured if they were plastic they would be fine and I was right!

Are There Other Uses for Plastic Bag Sealing Clips?

Probably, but these are the ones I use them for and I think that is plenty.  Let me know if you have other uses for them in the comments.

For an inexpensive 'gadget' this is one kitchen tool that everyone should have in their kitchens.  I know some people say well I use ziplock bags and I admit I use them too, but seriously if you can use the bag it came in why waste more plastic bags for storage?

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Best Bento Box for Adults

Featured bento box available on Amazon

I'd like to review bento boxes to try and find the best bento box for adults, but first do you know what a bento box is?

Bento boxes are used in Japanese culture and are basically a single portion meal that people take for their lunch - these can be brought as a takeaway, but are traditionally made at home.

A few years ago when my child was in primary school bento boxes were hailed as the best thing for children's lunches.  This wasn't the basic bento box though, but rather the Kyaraben (character bento), which was basically a way of making your child's lunch box look like a work of art!

The idea behind the bento box is to ensure that you have a well balanced lunch that looks appealing, tastes good and is nutritious - why aren't we all preparing bento boxes?

I've used a few tupperware style containers with different sections in them to take to work in the past, but some of them aren't leakproof and others are just too big so let's have a look at some of the choices on the market today.

Bento Lunch Boxes for Adults

These two options both appear to have conquered one of the biggest problems when looking for bento boxes - they are leakproof!

The first option is actually a set of two bento boxes which means that if you're single you can have a spare which is very handy if like me you routinely leave your container at work!  If you're half of a couple then you can have a lunch box each - simple!   Oh no!   I've discovered that this option doesn't appear to be available on Amazon anymore.   I will leave the review in case you can source this brand at another location, but I have linked to a selection of Bento Boxes.

 PlusPoint Leakproof Bento Lunch Box Set -2 in 1
Not only are these lunch boxes leakproof as a whole, but apparently they are also leakproof between containers according to verified purchasers on Amazon.

This is a pet peeve of mine as I absolutely hate getting divided containers and packing your lunch nicely only to get to your destination and finding that everything has mixed together between compartments!

These boxes are also freezer friendly which I love as I do like to cook in bulk so I would love to have a few of these so that I can take something different every day of the week!

The next option has 4 compartments to it instead of 3, but is also the all important leakproof!

 YUMBOX TAPAS Larger Size (Antibes Blue) 4 compartment Leakproof Bento lunch box
This container is designed for lunches that are eaten cold or at room temperature I should note as the container is not designed to be microwaved. This isn't a problem with some people, but is definitely something to think about when choosing your lunch box.


Yum Box certainly seems to attract return customers which means they must be doing something right so as a bento box for an adult this one has to be a contender.

The Stainless Steel Bento Box

When I think of a stainless steel bento box it makes me think of the classic aluminium style bento box that was popular in Japan in Taisho period (1912-1926).

These are definitely not them though!

 This portable, insulated & leakproof stainless steel bento box is available in this gorgeous green as well as blue and pink and in my mind is simply gorgeous. The colors are very retro chic and I'd love any of them to take to work with me! This stainless steel insulated vacuum bento box is more my husbands style that my 'retro' favorite! It is much more conservative in looks. It also comes with a cool bag which helps to keep the heat in while also providing straps to help carry it. This Seed & Sprout Stacker Stainless Steel Bento Container markets itself as a plastic free, zero waste, eco-friendly, BPA-free, portion control lunchbox and I do love the look of it. Unfortunately this isn't leakproof which means that it's not for me!

Best Bento Lunch Box

So which of these boxes do you think is the best bento box for an adult?  It's hard to say as all adults are different in what they like to eat so obviously different boxes would be better for different people. I'd love you to tell me below which you think is the best bento box and I'll let people draw their own conclusions from what I've told them here.

Do you use a bento box? https://t.co/wtWFRT1lO5 - don't have boring lunches anymore! #ad #BentoBox #lunch pic.twitter.com/CpdsxOkqh5

— lou16 (@lou16) July 15, 2017

Personally I absolutely love the look of the green (I also love the blue and pink options not pictured by the way), stainless steel bento box, but it's not the one that would suit me the best.

For me the best bento box would be the one that comes in a two pack and I think I need to buy a few of them because being able to fill the largest compartment and then freeze it is perfect for me.  I can pull it out of the freezer the night before and then in the morning add some salad and fruit or yogurt to the box and I'm good to go!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Prepare Your Family For Survival: A Book Review

Recently I've been reading about and giving a lot of thought to emergency preparedness. Survival. Planning in case of a natural disaster or man-made emergency.

As a wife and mom, the person in the household who plans daily meals and re-stocks the pantry once or twice a week, how would I feed and otherwise care for my family if I couldn't get out to buy food?

What if the power went out and the blackout lasted for several days or even weeks. How would we cook? Would we have enough water to drink? To use in cooking? To wash with or flush the toilet?

I've asked myself, "Is our family prepared for an emergency situation?"

Is yours?

Meet Author Linda Loosli

As I sought out answers, I came across a helpful book called Prepare Your Family for Survival, written by Linda Loosli, founder of Food Storage Moms. Linda has been schooling herself (and others) for decades and she knows the topic of emergency preparation inside and out.

Linda first became interested in preparedness when she was a teenager and thrust into a situation that included a serious snowstorm, an empty pantry, and several mouths to feed. Due to extenuating circumstances, she and a cousin were put in a position of having to find food for the family. Quite a task at age 16. And, really, at any age!

Linda vowed to herself after the snowstorm disaster that when she grew up and had a family, she would see to it that they were always prepared to face an emergency, that she would always have enough food and other supplies stored, just in case. After she was married, she put her thoughts into action. She began with a garden, advanced to canning food, then eventually began reaching out to neighbors and church friends, teaching classes to help other women learn how to prepare their families, too.

Prepare Your Family For Survival
Click the book cover for a peek inside.

This is Not a Doomsday Book

Often when people think of preparing for survival, the term "doomsday" finds its way into the conversation. Linda doesn't use fear to motivate. Having lived through emergencies, she knows very well what we all should know: power outages and other unexpected scenarios can and do occur with little or no warning, anytime, anywhere. And it's up to each family to prepare. While her practical methods and advice speak mainly to women, the steps to becoming prepared to survive apply to the entire family.

What You'll Learn From The Book

Most of Prepare Your Family For Survival addresses how to prepare to brave an emergency at home, though there also is a very helpful section on "bugging out," deciding when it's best to leave your home and what to take when you do. Linda has done the math for her readers, providing lists, charts, and check-off sheets based on family size. She even includes sections on the special needs that young children and pets present.

I like that the author makes it clear that water is first and foremost when it comes to what individuals need to survive. She also writes about storing food and how to choose which food to store, emergency cooking situations, what to do when the power is out, family first aid and medical preparedness, personal hygiene, and laundry. Her advice is concise and helpful even to the point of recommending particular products that work. And since Linda has tested literally just about every survival product ever invented, she definitely knows what works and what doesn't.

Who Needs This Book

The book addresses the basics of preparedness and survival, but even those with prior experience in the field may learn a thing or two. If you're a beginner and need to finally get started storing survival essentials, this is a perfect book for you.

To me, the introduction of the book is worth its price for the peace of mind that it offers. Understanding that it's important to treat preparedness as part of a lifestyle takes the "scary and overwhelming" out of the topic. And, let's face it, many of us only think about how prepared we really are when the tornado sirens start or the first forecast of just where the next hurricane might make landfall appears on the nightly news.

Despite my well-known affinity for ebooks and my beloved Kindle, I bought this book in the paperback version. There are lots of charts and lists inside and I've been flipping back and forth through the chapters since I got my copy. In this case paper is convenient and besides, charging your tablet might not be a big priority when the power's been out for days.

Make your choice (paper or ebook) at this link. Then please come back and leave a comment to let me and other readers know what you learned from the book that you didn't already know, and how the book helped motivate you to Prepare Your Family For Survival.

~Susan Deppner
Read more of my reviews.

You might also like: When the Grid Goes Down: A Book Review

Posted by Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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