Remember the produce coupon I wrote about a while back? I finally got to use it and wanted to show you what I purchased for $15.08 ($5 off $20 coupons). In case you can't tell what the products are, from top left clockwise: 3 lbs. lentils, raspberries (x2), strawberries, kale, asparagus, Japanese eggplant, cucumbers (Nora's favorite right now), tomatoes, beets, ginger, bean sprouts. That's a lot of food. For sure we can't eat it all this week. And we certainly can't eat it and all the produce left from last week! I used the tips from the coupon post to make the trip easy on my budget.

Here's how I'm making this food last us a while:

• I bagged the small head of lettuce we had left to use. No way we'll get to a salad this week.
• I blanched (in the microwave) half a head of broccoli, and froze it.
• The beets will last until next week.
• The lentils may last us through the winter. They were a great price, so I didn't mind buying ahead.
• The kale can be blanched and frozen, but I'll try to make it last fresh for a salad. Might even bag it, too.
• The ginger is in the freezer.
• Sprouts have an interesting life. They can be blanched and frozen or can be kept in a shallow dish of water in the fridge. But I plan to use them this week.

That leaves only asparagus, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant (which we ate last night) and fruit--including a drawer of mangoes still in the fridge--to get through this week (and okra, avocado, and squash from last week). That seems easy enough. Plus, it takes a load off my food budget the rest of the month!

Now to be honest, I just couldn't go to that great store and pass up too much. So, for an additional $7.10 for a total bill of $22.18, I also purchased the collards and tofu below. I immediately came home and cooked the collards for freezing. They freeze very well. The tofu will hopefully last a month in this big-eaters household.

Have you scored any big deals on great produce lately? How did you preserve it?