THE SMART WAY TO FREEZE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
So They Actually Taste Good
If you’re like us, you get pretty excited when fresh fruit and vegetables go on sale. It means you can buy the good stuff and really stock up! Then you can freeze those extra berries for your smoothies and that broccoli for your stir-fry. This is a great money-saving strategy, but if you’ve done it before, you know freezing fruits and vegetables isn’t as easy as it seems. If you don’t do it right, you can end up with clumps of flavorless, stuck-together produce destined for the trash! It doesn’t have to be that way. Next time you’re freezing fruit or vegetables post-sale, use these two hacks to get flavorful, easy-to-cook results every time.
1. Break out the cookie sheet. Berries for smoothies and apple slices for pie tend to stick together when you freeze them, which turns them into one giant lump you have to hack apart to steal a serving. To avoid this, break out a cookie sheet after you’ve washed and sliced your fruit. Spread the pieces or berries out on the sheet and pop the whole thing in the freezer for a few hours or even overnight. When the fruit is frozen, pour it into a glass jar or freezer bag. Thanks to the initial freeze, nothing will stick together. You can pour a serving into your oatmeal or scoop it with a measuring cup hassle-free. For more kitchen hacks like this, follow @zerowastechef on Instagram.
2. Blanch, blanch, baby! Vegetables lose their crisp texture, bright color, and tasty flavor over time, even in the freezer — but you can hit the pause button on that process by blanching your veggies before you freeze them! Blanching is really simple: All you have to do is boil the vegetables for a short time, dunk them in an ice bath, and drain the water before freezing. (The University of Minnesota Extension has a great blanching guide listing times for each vegetable. Just search “University of Minnesota Blanching” online to find it.) You can combine these two hacks for fruits and veggies to ensure they’re tasty and easy to cook with every time.
THIS ISN’T CHILD’S PLAY
RECEIVING A DWI WITH A MINOR IN THE CAR
Police and Texas officials take driving under the influence (DWI) charges very seriously — especially if you have a minor in the car. In a legal sense, minors are individuals who are 17 years old or younger, but when dealing with DWIs with minors in the vehicle, a “child passenger” is a passenger who is younger than 15 years old. Receiving a DWI charge while having a child in your car carries serious consequences. What are the penalties? Typically, a DWI usually isn’t considered a felony. However, when you’re drinking and driving with a child in the car, it carries its own charge — an automatic state jail felony. You could also face up to a 180-day suspension of your driving privileges, up to $10,000 in fines, and a $1,000–$2,000 surcharge fee to retain your driver’s license. The penalties continue to get worse if you’re a repeat offender. A second DWI charge will always have steeper consequences, but you could face child endangerment penalties with a child in the car. If Child Protective Services
decides you were endangering your child, they can remove them from your custody.
Can a DWI be dismissed? A DWI charge can be dismissed in a few circumstances:
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The officer didn’t have reasonable suspicion to stop you. The officer’s body camera video doesn’t match the narrative presented in court. Your blood alcohol content (BAC) test was mishandled. During your arrest, the officer violated your rights.
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To get a DWI case dismissed, you need a great lawyer. Most dismissals are only achievable with an attorney who is smart and aggressive. If you or a loved one is facing a DWI charge of any kind, allow Medlin Law Firm to assist you. We are experienced attorneys who know what to look for and how to strengthen your case and defend your freedom.
www.MedlinFirm.com | Pg. 2
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