loving my freezer

one of my new year

goal, resolutions, ambition, hope, dream

or whatever else you call it

was to waste less

I decided that by using my freezer more

I could waste less

PERSONAL EXAMPLE

since we've been married mr. r has made fun of our ice cube container

each cube is filled with 1 Tbspoon of tomato paste

I was so fed up with buying 1 can of paste and only using 1Tlbspoon

my mom told me to freeze it and everytime I use a cube I think how I saved a dollar

I've saved 12 dollars so far buy just freezing my can of tomato paste.

I have to admit I've never been a freezer lover

I always put my nose up to freezer food

meaning left over meals that were frozen

this goal was going to challenge me for sure

so why did I pick it?

well I read a fantastic article on the ins and out of the freezer

I had no idea how many things your could freeze

milk, cheese and herbs were a surprise

so i've been trying it out

here's some tips that i've tried and loved

when my milk is about to go sour

I pour it into ice cube trays and let it freeze

then transfer to a ziploc

frozen milk is perfect for our smoothies, or cream based soups,

or my favorite homemade ice cream

you should only keep it for 3 months frozen

i love not having to guzzle the milk or pour it down the drain

this method works great with any liquids i.e. broth, juices

fruits and veggies

we pretty much eat fresh fruit and veggies

i avoid buying canned and frozen goods when I can

so whenever there's a sweet sale on produce I like to stock up.

i learned the best way to freeze produce

cut it up into the size that you will mostly like use it

lay it out flat on a cookie sheet

once frozen transfer to a ziploc

this keep the produce from sticking together

most fruits and veggies don't need to be thawed before use

just throw it into the skillet for your stir fry.

my freezer totally saved me this past week

we had new beginnings and made 350,

yes three hundred and fifty fresh baked cookies!

thanks to my wonderful counselors and our freezers

we made the dough ahead of time

and everyone enjoyed warm from the oven cookies

general guidelines

anytime you freeze a meal

freeze it in 1-2 serving sizes. 

the smaller size helps to maintain flavor

try to lay things flat as often as possible for organization

always mark your bags with a permanant marker: include the date

plan ahead (i know it's hard but it's worth it)

and take it out 24 hours to thaw in the fridge before use

and remember if you are going to put forth all the energy to freeze

use it

i love nothing more than pulling something out of the freezer

and know that had i not frozen it it would have been wasted. 

and one day we'll have freezers that look like this...

don't forget the ben and jerry's