A while back (well before the funemployment BS) I splurged and got a set of multiple sizes of Souper Cubes, and it has made cooking for one so much more enjoyable and fun. At least, the reheating/leftovers side of cooking.
I love cooking and trying new and interesting recipes, but I don't always have the time or spell slots to cook every night, and it's hard to find recipes for one. So I end up cooking large batches a couple times a week - but it's hard to finish it off without getting sick of eating the same thing before it goes bad.
Yes, I could absolutely just freeze things in ziploc bags or regular containers. But having measuring lines on the side of the trays makes portions so much easier, and the way they tetris together in giant freezer gallon ziploc bags is absurdly satisfying. (I do not keep them in the trays in the freezer like the ads show, they are entirely too expensive for me to own that many and also it's a poor use of space.) Also, it makes it way easier to mix and match components; if I cook a big batch of rice and freeze portions of that, I can use it for Indian food, burrito bowls, or just as a side dish to go with something else.
I dunno, maybe it seems silly, but it helps me so I count it as part of the ADHD tax. It's not dumb if it works!
I'm not trying to turn my blog into a central place for ads or anything, and I'm definitely not sponsored by this brand, but I like to share things I like and find convenient- that's what this is.
I learned of this item from a Youtuber and from this video here:
He creates a lot of delicious recipes and makes the process of using these "legos" or cubes seem really simple. He also mentions that this is a new trend going around right now for meal prep and planning. And I mean, he's not wrong (about the trend).
You can easily search for "Meal Prep Legos" or "Souper Cubes" or "Lego Lunches/Dinners" on Youtube or Google or wherever and find a plethora of videos/recipes.
After watching his video, I was already sold because if you've read any of my previous blog posts, you'll know I dehydrate and freeze a lot of my food to preserve it. To me, this is a game changer.
As someone who is strapped for time often, I get days where I'm completely free, and then many days at a time where I'm not.
I buy ingredients with every intention to use them and with recipes in mind, but I don't always get the free time to use them in time. This way, I can spend those free days meal prepping and using those ingredients before they have to be frozen/dehydrated otherwise they'd spoil.
They'll be used to make meals I can re-heat later for myself and the other person in my house when I'm too strapped for time and need the meals most, instead of spending anywhere from 5-10$ on a freezer meal, or 10-50$ on takeout.
[Meaning the cost of the cubes will eventually pay for themselves over time. Because I'm ngl, they aren't cheap. They're high quality.]
These also allow me to control what goes into my meal, instead of buying a freezer meal with unknown preservatives, GMOs, hecka sugars, mass amounts of sodium, and who knows what else.
[These are also great if you're aiming for portion control because they're measured for you.]
You can buy them on Amazon, or on their Official Website;
💠 Souper Cubes 1 Cup Silicone Freezer Molds with Lids
💠 Souper Cubes 2 Cup Silicone Freezer Molds with Lids
💠 Souper Cubes Kitchen Labeling Tape, 2 Rolls
or
💠 https://www.soupercubes.com/
If you want them in different sizes, they exist. You simply have to search for them. I believe they come in half cup and 2-tbsp also.
They have a ~Build your own Bundle~ save 15% off deal on their website and Free Shipping over 95$. They also have a Lifetime Warranty but I don't know how extensive it is. I ordered mine off Amazon because I wanted the limited edition sprinkle colors and Amazon didn't come with any information about the warranty 🤷🏻♀️ though comments say it's still there.
[The website seems to be out of stock with many colors. Probably due to all of the hype with their product right now. Supply & Demand, economics, yada yada.]
These are what I got ⤵️
2 Sets of the 1-cup, making a total of 4. 1 Set of the 2-cup, for a total of 2. And I got 1 order of the tape so I could label them, but that arrived the next day so there's no picture of it.
The 2-cup ones seem to be great for soups and pastas, like penne noodles.
Here's pictures of me filling them ⤵️
You can visually see what I did with these.
Originally I was going to make a whole 1-cup lego/cube full of rice, and 1-cup lego/cube of chicken, but I'm a small petite woman, there's no way I could eat that much in one sitting 🫠🙃😅. So, I ended up filling the lego/cube halfway with rice, and with chicken for the other half.
These are very versatile 👍🏻
The other ones I filled completely with veggies, because I love my veggies.
This is when they got their lid and went into the freezer until the next day.
If you have a vacuum sealer, this part is easy. I guess the alternative would be containers or ziplock bags, perhaps? It's just, air could get into those if you're storing these long-term (over a week) so vacuum sealer would be my suggestion if you're looking into this.
Mine is unfortunately no longer on the market but it's this one if you'd like to compare it to one you're shopping around for.
The instructions for these legos/cubes said to take them out of the freezer and let them sit out for 3-4 minutes before popping them out of their lego/cubes. It allows them to slide out easier by defrosting a bit, I guess ⤵️
I just placed one of each, in each bag, and got 8 meals out of everything I made 😄. So easy.
My oven roasted cauliflower did start to fall apart on me, but I think they had been sitting out for around 20~minutes at this point, so it was entirely a user-error thing.
[I came back to these later when I received the blue tape and added the name of the "dish" with the date they were made on, so that they'd have some identity.]
Washing them is easy too! They are dishwasher safe or you can hand-wash them if it makes you feel better.
There seems to be some unmentioned method of using these that helps ensure the food gets reheated properly in the microwave. I don't know if it's unintentionally left out of the instructions or if it's a learning curve type thing, but I recommend letting most blocks "defrost" for at least 5-10 minutes, and then trying to break them down prior if possible.
[When I say "most", I mean the more condensed or liquid-state ones. Maybe even all of them 🤷🏻♀️]
Some microwaves have a "defrost" setting also, so if you're impatient, that's always an option. Many people using these blocks seem to pack these for lunches, so I don't think this is much of an issue. But for home meals this is just something to be mindful of.
There's also the option of layering things more thinly (which is what I do), but for things like soups, it's a bit inevitable to skip the defrosting step I think.
[I'd actually recommend defrost 5-10 minutes for soups, microwave for a 1-4 minutes, stir, microwave for 1-2 minutes more, rinse & repeat until done. But that's just me. I've had professionally sold frozen meals with directions like this. Start off with low times until you know what works.]
I'm already thinking of recipes (that fit my taste preferences) that'd work perfect in these.
Things like this:
Soy Garlic Chicken Pot Rice is an easy one-pot meal that's perfect for a whole family, featuring tender chicken and fluffy rice.
Korean Beef Pot Rice (sotbap) is a hearty one-pot dish featuring fluffy rice, savory ground beef, and aromatic Korean seasonings.
One-pot recipes would be 👌🏻💓
[Aaron and Claire have a new Cookbook that has a multitude of amazing recipes. Totally worth buying imo. I pre-ordered it back in July because I loved his first cookbook 🫶🏻]
And also:
This easy cabbage stir fry with garlic, soy sauce, and Chinese rice wine is cooked in a wok until perfectly tender yet crunchy for a superb
So simple but wonderful 🥰
Sorry for the long post but I'm looking forward to using these so much, my brain is spinning with all the options! 💞
If something like this sounds up your ally and helps your busy schedule, check it out! I don't suggest the knockoff brands though, from what I've heard they aren't worth the hassle but 🤷🏻♀️ you do you.
Oh yeah, there's this website too! https://freezermeals101.com/
Last Friday night found me riding my indoor trainer because--you know--drunken polar vortex. In order to ease the monotony, I started channel surfing my satellite TV before heading to Netflix, but stumbled upon an episode of Shark Tank, that show in which entrepreneurs pitch their baby--I mean product--to a panel of five sharks who might just invest.
Obviously, the show is at least somewhat scripted, and the whole thing is done for entertainment value. But they really do make the deals, wheeling and dealing fat stacks of cash for an equity position.
The episode I saw--and it is available online at ABC.com--showcased a young couple from Calfornia who, using necessity as the mother of their invention, created Souper Cubes. The couple, Jake Sendowski and Michelle Strausman, brought on a third partner who is fluent in Mandarin, which proved helpful in negotiating contract manufacturing of these durable freezer devices.
Think large ice tray made to store your leftover homemade soups and similar delectables.
The husband and wife wowed the sharks, but in the end wound up turning down one of them because he wanted a hefty royalty on each unit sold (up to $1 million) that would effectively give him a 100% ROI. Regardless, though, Souper Cubes wound up with a massive amount of free publicity, which they wisely touted on their website.
The company sells nearly 80% of its products through Amazon, with smaller percentages coming from Williams-Sonoma and their own e-commerce site. They have added several new online vendors as well in recent months.
Given the eat-at-home movement during COVID, it is little wonder they are selling these as fast as they can have them manufactured. Offered in several handy sizes depending on family and portion size, they function just like a typical ice cube tray. Twist, remove, put in bowl to thaw.
This is the kind of success story I love to share with my students, who often enter my classes thinking that all of the good things have already been invented. No. Not by a long shot. The best is yet to come.
And as for a Friday evening spent spinning on my indoor trainer, all I can say is that hour went by pretty fast as I watched the various entrepreneurs tell their stories. Had I been on the shark panel, I would have duking it out with the others. Take my money, please. This is a great idea.
