However, when you become obsessed with your freezer the way I am, a tracking system can be so helpful! Since I do have the storage room (I have a 7.2 cubic feet deep chest freezer and a side by side freezer next to my fridge), I must keep up with the contents.
See what my freezers look like below:
As I reveal in my cookbook, I organize many of my freezer contents by types of food. I store them in baskets, containers and storage bags. I will place all my meats together. All my dairy products are close in proximity. The breads are placed near each other. Prepared meals are within the same region too.
This makes it much easier to find things in what could become a "black hole" inside your freezer. See example photos of how I organize below:
I promise you - I'm not this organized in all aspects of my life! I'm really not. Just ask my husband about our "junk" drawer. The top of my dresser is covered in clothes I haven't put away yet. My pantry of dry goods isn't this systematic either. However, for some reason, I am very detailed when it comes to my freezer, my meal planning and my prep work for foods.
Here is the inventory of what can currently be found within my freezer (posted below). I keep this typed sheet taped to my freezer. I also keep an electronic version stored on my computer so I can update it every month.
Check out my insane obsession and the kinds of food we eat (below)!
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What’s In My Freezer?
(Date: November 27, 2010)
Meats:
• Chicken, bags of whole chicken (3)
• Chicken nuggets – 2 bags
• Ground Turkey - 8 pounds
• Diced ham – 1
• Bacon bit bags - 4
• Sausage – 6 packages
• Hotdog packs – 3
• Steaks - 2
Veggies and Fruits:
• Pureed spinach – 4 bags
• Pureed Carrots – 1 bag
• Pureed Broccoli – 2 bags
• Pureed Avocado – 6 bags
• Strawberries (2 cups)
• Blueberries (7 cups)
• Onions – 3
• Green onions – 3
• Celery – 3
• Bell peppers – 3 (1 each of red, orange and yellow)
• Sweet potato fries – 1 pack
• Sweet potato patties – 1 pack
• Hash brown – 1 bag
Dairy:
• Cool whip – 2
• Bags of shredded cheese – 6
• Sliced cheese – 2 (pepper jack and American)
• String cheese – 1 bag
Breakfast/Breads:
• Pancakes - 12
• Pizza crusts - 3
• Muffins: PB Banana - 3
• Muffins: Gingerbread - 7
• Pita bread – 2
• Wheat bread – 1 loaf
• English muffins package – 1
• Thin buns – 1 pkg
Prepared Meals:
• Enchiladas - 3
• Soup: Crawfish & Crab Bisque – 8
• Soup: Gumbo – 8
• Soup: Sweet potato – 6
• Sausage and pumpkin pasta – 4
• Chili – 12
• Pizzas – 2, Sloppy Joe and BBQ Chicken flavors
• Chicken broccoli lasagna - 6
• Pizza pasta casserole – 4
• Jambalaya stew – 1
• Sloppy Joes – 1
Prepared Desserts/Snacks:
• Blueberry Pound Cake - 10
• Granola Bars - 7
• Brownies – 4
• Chocolate Mint Cookies – 2 dozen
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Once I see all the things stored away in my freezer, I know that I can take a week off from cooking. Or I know I'm prepared to feed an entire army troop, if they ever come to my house! Hahaha.
Seriously though, it's nice to have at least this one part of my life organized. That way I can focus on having more fun with my family. Plus I don't stress over prep work in the kitchen.
How do you organize your freezer contents? Do you meal plan or keep track of what your family eats?
My freezer isn't so full. I'm not much of a 'store food in the freezer' person. I buy meat the day (or a few days) before I cook it and leftovers are consumed within the week or tossed out.
ReplyDeleteYou could eat out of your freezer for a year! I think I'm a little OCD about my meal planning too. But I too have clothes atop the dresser.
ReplyDeleteTell me more about the pureed avocado. I've seen on other blogs you can freeze guacamole, but didn't read all the details and now I'd like to know (go figure!)
Stephanie - I realize that most people do NOT stock up like I do. However, because I do stock up, I do save more money and catch more details for my family.
ReplyDeleteCandi - I use my pureed avocado for making guacamole. I never freeze guacamole itself -- just the avocados for making it later on. As you know, avocados can be expensive. Therefore, when there is a good deal on them - such as two for $1.00, then I stock up. I mash them and freeze them. Then I defrost them at a later time and add my other items to make the dip - tomatoes, seasonsings, etc. I hope this answers your question. If not, write to me at learn.laugh.cook@gmail.com