My creative juices seems to flow  whenever I’m in my Sanctuary. I am not the average Diva, chick, housewife, mother or friend. I am second to none. I am exceptional. One in a million. I really am.

I’m very passionate about everything that I do.  If I’m unable to give you my all, then the task at hand will be incomplete, or not completed to its full potential. My son,  D’Angelo once told me, that even when I’m taking out the garbage, it has to be pretty and clean. Do I take that as a compliment? Absolutely!  Just because it’s a garbage can, doesn’t mean it should be undeserving of some good “ole” bleach or vinegar or the sanitizer of my choice.

Now going to the supermarket is another story.  I love and enjoy grocery shopping. I love wholesale clubs. I refer to them as my “Toys R Us.”  There is an abundance of food “in bulk” and you also get to taste test certain food products as you shop throughout the isles. Generally on weekends, they promote certain food items.  They bust them out of the packages and prepare them right there on the spot.  You know what I love also love about shopping on the weekend? The taste test is free!  I’m usually fluster by the time I get to the checkout. But not anymore. In addition to eating healthier and taste tasting all the d’luscious food items; by the time I get to the check out, I am completely energized and is capable of running all my other errands without effort.  You can do this too. You will find that there is  absolutely no need to stop at that fast food place,  to taste or waste your money on those plastic burgers.

Now once I leave my “Toys R Us”  and return to my Sanctuary aka My Kitchen, my world becomes extremely hectic.  Yes the hard work begins: Prepping ain’t easy!   Stocking my pantry and refrigerator requires much more work and attention to detail than cooking an actual meal.  COOKING IS EASY!

First I  wash all my produce: fruits, vegetables and herbs.  I then place the fruits in the fruit bowl and vegetables in their respective containers and refrigerate what needs to be refrigerated.  Some of the items I do NOT refrigerate are  potatoes, tomatoes,  onions or garlic.

I also prep my green onions/scallions which are usually inexpensive. Two to three bunches are usually sold for $1.00. However they deteriorate quickly. So what do I do? I wash and chop them, place them in a freezer bag and freeze.  It extends its longevity and keeps it fresh, for future usage.

I also recycle containers. Now, because I buy in bulk,  my containers are larger than normal.  The container that once housed my organic salad greens, now becomes a home for my bell peppers. The strawberry container now becomes a container for my parsley or mint.  I buy mint and parsley by the bunch, which is generally tied together.

I do have drawers in the refrigerator for fruits and vegetables, but I buy so much that I need additional storage space.  It also simplifies my life, because I am able to view at a glance, all the items that I need through these transparent containers,  as opposed to sifting through a ton of plastic bags.  It’s just more accessible.

I generally keep my tomatoes outside of the refrigerator because the it changes the texture of the tomatoes. However I kept these little grape tomatoes in because I wanted them chilled. They were so sweet  and I ate them as snacks. I know…Who the heck has the munchies for tomatoes? I have to admit…I do!