This is the inside of my freezer.
Well, to be more accurate it is one of my freezers, I have another fridge/freezer combo in the basement as well as a full size deep freezer.
This one upstairs is where things get thrown in and lost.
It is narrow and deep. . . I just forget what is in there.
So my goal for the next few weeks is to use up some of the items in this freezer in my meal plans. The first thing I had to do was take a quick inventory.
Chicken Nuggets-2 partial bags
Preformed Hamburgers-6, a couple are a bit freezer burned
Frozen Whiting fillets
Collards
Blackberries
Sunflower Seeds
Flour tortillas (large & small)
Lasagna (homemade)
Venison Meatloaf (homemade)
Green pepper strips (from LAST year’s garden)
Broccoli
Cranberry/orange relish
White beans, precooked (approx 2 cups)
Chicken Broth (homemade)
Dried Tomatoes
Rhubarb
Bocca Burgers
Frozen Pepper & Onion mix
Pepperoni
Bacon
Just to make things interesting, let’s add into the mix the fact that I have a 4 day (possibly 5 day) trip this week. . . and as you all know Yankee Bill doesn’t do from scratch type cooking while I’m gone. So I figured the best thing to do would be to plan a full 2 weeks worth of menu.
Monday: Salisbury Steak, Rice & Chard
I’ll cook the hamburgers in a covered dish in the oven with some gravy made from a packet. That way if they are a little freezer burned around the edges the gravy will sort of soak in and make it more juicy. At the last minute if I feel like it I may add in some of the sour cream in the fridge and make it more of a Stroganoff effect. The rice is from my stash & the chard from the garden.
Tuesday: Spaghetti & Meatballs with Broccoli
I still have meatballs left from my meatball making binge last week. Time to use the last few up! And I’ll throw in the frozen peppers & onions, as well as some of the dried tomatoes. Add the frozen broccoli on the side. Should be yummy!
Wednesday: Fish Chowder & Homemade Bread
Potatoes, onions, fish & milk will make a lovely soup. I will round it off with the homemade bread and maybe a salad.
Thursday: Chicken Nuggets, Rice & Canned Veggies
Ok, I know it isn’t a very creative menu, but it will get the job done. Quick & easy for the first night Yankee Bill is home alone with the kiddos.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Purchased (from Aldi’s) frozen meals
Monday: Lasagna & Salad
Use up that frozen lasagna I made a few months ago!
Tuesday: Bacon, Collards & White Bean Soup with Biscuits
Should be quick and easy, and gets rid of 3 things all at once!
Wednesday: Venison Meatloaf, Instant Mashed Potatoes and Chard
Pretty self explanatory.
Thursday: Chicken Nugget/Pepperoni Pasta Bake & Salad
I’ll layer pasta, sauce, pepperoni, chicken nuggets & green peppers.
Friday: Homemade Pizza/Calzones
Whichever the kids & I feel like. . . Yankee Bill just goes along with it.
Saturday: Leftovers
Let’s face it, there is going to be some food left in that fridge by this point. It’s always better to just plan on them and eat them up!
Sunday: Homemade Macaroni ‘n Cheese and Beets
We have a couple of blocks of really nice cheddar in the fridge which should make a fantastic Mac ‘n Cheese. The beets will come from the garden.
I’ve been shopping in my pantry and freezer a lot lately, thanks to some budget overruns! I usually do the grocery shopping on Mondays but last week, I didn’t have to go grocery shopping until Thursday!
I used to have the same problem with my freezer, until I found these small, 5”x7” white boards that had magnetic backs, at Wal-Mart. I have one for each shelf of the freezer, when anything goes in I write it on the white board, when something comes out I take it off. Not only do I not forget things are there, but I also save electricity by not standing there with the door open staring to see what I have.
You mentioned that you would use some hamburger patties that are a little freezer burned. How do you know when something is too freezer burned to eat? I tend to error on the “better throw it out” side, but then feel terrible for wasting something. I try not to let things get lost in the freezer, but we all know that happens to everyone. I know the “experts” say to keep meat in the freezer no longer than about 90 days or so — I’m not sure who made up that rule and whether it’s really valid or not.
Glad to know my freezer is not the only one that looks like that LOL
Do you have a recipe for the bacon-collard-white bean soup, or are you making it up?
Sarah,
I’m basing it on a white bean & collard soup recipe I saw, but I’m pretty much making it up as I go along 🙂