Freezer Day

{This is a re-post of a November 2011 post on my prior blog, Rewards of the Simple Life.  It is still useful and relevant to reread today!}

I have been realizing how necessary it is for me to plan ahead with meals or at least have quick go-to meals on hand for weekday evenings.  Since my classes are often in the afternoons and evenings, I often have to pack dinner for a few days, as well as leave Ben to "fend for himself" for a few evenings while I'm gone.  All that to say, some freezer restocking was much needed!  I was inspired by this post from Money-Saving Mom to plan my own freezer/cooking day to stock up for the next few weeks.

After using MSM's model to plan out what meals I wanted to make, what ingredients I needed to buy (which involved inventorying my pantry) and then making a to-do list for my afternoon.  I decided on 5 different meal options to make, and 2 baking recipes to try.

- Broccoli Cheddar Pockets (from Food Network magazine)
- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake
- Pizza Dough and Sauce
- Broccoli-Cheese Potato Soup (from Simply in Season cookbook - one of my favorites!)
- Sloppy Joe meat

- Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread
- No-Bake Energy Bites

I was ambitiously hoping to also make shredded barbecue chicken and my favorite black bean burgers, but I lost steam by evening and opted for a break instead.

I set out to work, and was amazed at how smoothly everything went with my plan in hand.  I rarely take the time beforehand to think about the order that I should cook in to make sure things get done in a good order, which leaves me frustrated later that something is cold while another thing still has hours left to bake.  My take-away from my freezer day was to continue planning out my cooking/freezer days with this method.  For me, planning = a much higher degree of success!

 After adding 5 new meal options, it seemed like I needed to have some way to keep track of what I have in my freezer so that it actually gets used! Until I can think of a more creative method, I have started a list on the side of our freezer that lists the number of each thing that we have in our freezer for quick reference.  That way, when I use something, I can cross it off and know how much I have left for the next time.

It feels so good to be organized!

Keeping Track of What's In Your Freezer

Keeping your freezer stocked with options is essential for having supplies for an impromptu dinner and for storing premade dough, leftovers, fruit for smoothies, and much more.

Over the summer I stocked our freezer with kale, tomatoes, and other veggies from our garden.  I also used it for saving meats from Ben's family and for storing meals I made ahead for busy nights during the upcoming semester.

Since that time, I've found it helpful to keep track of what we have in our freezer so that I know what I have to work with, and so that I don't overbuy.  I started by using a piece of notebook paper with a list of our freezer's inventory and hung it on our frig.  When we used something up from the freezer, we just grab a sharpie and cross it out.  This method worked but got a little sloppy with the quick scrawling and crossing out here and there.

Instead, I have begun to use this freezer inventory template from Organized Home.  It helps me to keep stock of what's in our freezer more neatly and visibly.  For each number of an item we have, I fill in the boxes with a small dot.  Once we use a serving, I cross out the box.  Once all servings of an item have been used up, I cross it out completely with a thick black marker.  Eventually, I'll start a new list to keep a clean record of what we have.
                                                                                                                            

Before

After

You can download a printable version of this freezer inventory for yourself here.

For more on organization for your kitchen, check out the tools at the 

Organized Home blog.

HOW TO... Store leftover tomato paste.

You've made those recipes that call for only 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and then frustratingly, the rest of the can is left to sit in the frig or likely, end up in the trash.  

An easy solution to storing tomato paste to extend its storage life so it doesn't go to waste?  

Freeze it.

And the easiest way to do this is by using ice cube trays.  Not only does it minimize the mess - it provides you with tablespoon-size portions to grab the next time you need tomato paste for a recipe.  

It's an easy trick:

Freezing Tomato Paste

1. Use a tablespoon measure to scoop the paste 

into each section of an ice cube tray.

 

    

    2.  Pop the tray into the freezer.

    3.  When the cubes are solid, transfer them to a
plastic freezer bag and store in the freezer.  

    4.  When you need a serving of tomato paste for a recipe, you can grab the paste and add to recipes without thawing first. 

    * For a variation, you can mix a tsp or more of pesto into each cube before freezing.  

Enjoy!