My Definition of “Foodie”
I consider myself a “foodie” and recently re-awakened my love for cooking. I have always created my own recipes because I’m a rebel without a measuring cup – that is my definition of a foodie. Like Rachael Ray, I just want to do it myself with a dash of this and a pinch of that. When I didn’t have the time to cook, it always seemed like more work than I could give it. I let those thoughts go a few months ago, and completely embraced cooking as often as the budget would allow.
An absolute “must have” item for a lot of the versions of my recipes is fresh peppers. Red, yellow, and orange are my favorite. 
I don’t particularly care for green peppers because their taste overpowers the other flavors in my dishes. So I substitute it for either jalapenos or pablano peppers. If you use these types of peppers in your recipes, take care when you work with them. Be sure to get all the hot seeds out or your meal will be too spicy. Also, don’t touch your skin while you are gutting the seeds because eventually your fingers will end up on your lips or in your eyes … such pain! 
Jalapeno and Pablano Peppers
I love the jalapenos and pablanos as a substitute because the green skins are mild in flavor.
I know what you are thinking! For those of us living in the Midwest, what do we do in the winter when the gardens are frozen and pepper prices are out of range? I have a solution! When your favorite peppers go on sale, jump on it. Buy as many as you can afford, because I am about to give you a fantastic foodie tip. 
Clean them, cut them, and freeze them!
I start by rinsing them in my colander, then cut them in half and take out the seeds. Next I cut them into pieces that are about one inch long and pat them dry with a paper towel. After that, I put them in freezer bags, push all the air out of the bag, and flatten them so they stay on my freezer shelf.
While you are making these bags, keep one in the refrigerator for the recipes you plan to make that week. Here is another tip on keeping them fresh in the crisper drawer. Place a folded paper towel in the zipper bag with the peppers to soak up the excess moisture and it will keep them crispy!
Year round, in my freezer or my crisper drawer, you will find a bag of peppers.
Best regards,
Thanks for the article and especially the tip about putting kitchen paper in the bag to soak up the moisture -this had never occured to me!I guess it would help to keep stuff like lettuce fresh as well.