Today was a BIG day, my FREEZER arrived!!

**SHOPGIRL** · 11-19-2005, 09:44 PM

Well, after a years wait, today was the big day.  My freezer arrived.  It's huge!  It's the first brand new appliance I've ever owned.  Since I've never had a brand new car, I can only imagine what it must feel like.  It's a Kenmore, White exterior, white interior, glass shevles, one big wire basket that pulls out, the door has a bunch of compartments.  It's an upright, frost free freezer, and is huge!  It's 20.6 cubic feet.  My dh is afraid that I'm going to stuff it full.  Well, I'm certainly going to try!  It's just the two of us so I doubt it will be stuffed.  It's so nice to have freezer space.  So, I've been thinking of all the things I can freeze.  Besides the obvious, what do you freeze?

**Missy** · 11-19-2005, 09:54 PM

Bread if i make alot or find a good deal on it, my flour, bread crumbs, if i had enough left over supplies to make a extra (small) lasagne or something, if i made too much sauce, i'll sometimes freeze it flat in ziplocks, same with broth...

**dwallyfam** · 11-19-2005, 11:23 PM

Everything I can. Bread, Pies, cookies, fruits, veges. No you can buy your meat in bulk, (I buy a side of beef and a whole pig) get it packaged they way you want it and it is much cheaper. Per pound I paid 1.64 for everything includes Tbones and brisket on the beef and 1.84 for the pork. It is a lot of money up front, but it saves in the end.

**mom2matty** · 11-19-2005, 11:46 PM

How exciting for you!!! I freeze everything!! Enjoy your new freezer!!

**SewCrafty** · 11-20-2005, 10:10 AM

I too freeze whatever I have room for. There is only the 2 of us so I just have the freezer on the fridge and a small chest type one. But both mine are bulging at the seams.

I got to make room for a turkey!

Maybe I'll borrow mom's freezer until I make room........

**SewCrafty** · 11-20-2005, 10:10 AM

Sorry forgot to say enjoy your new freezer!

**Darlene** · 11-20-2005, 10:57 AM

Congratulations! Beyond the obvious...
~I like buying marked down peppers, chopping and freezing them so all I need to do is grab them & put in whatever I am cooking.

~Some people like to put their flour, cornmeal, rice etc. in overnight to kill any little moths or other things that may be lurking & waiting to hatch and ruin alot of other foods.

**favesis37** · 11-20-2005, 04:00 PM

congrats! i often wonder how i ever got along with out mine!
i freeze, onion, peppers, banana's, bread, anything i can find .lol
fruit,

**Mom23boys** · 11-20-2005, 04:09 PM

I freeze anything and everything!

If you have any leftovers, freeze them into "tv dinner" meals. Makes a quick lunch!

Enjoy that new freezer!

**canadian gardener** · 11-20-2005, 06:32 PM

way to go Shannon! Congratulations.

I freeze discount bread from the bread outlet, sale bread.

Sale meats. I just picked up a deal yesterday, a big 10lb chub of reg ground meat at 99 cents a lb, so I whacked it into 8 portions and stuffed them flat into ziplock baggies and froze them.

There was an entire pork loin on sale so I bought two and cut them up. The wasty ends are for pork stews or stir fries while the middle got done up in lovely thick chops and a couple of small pork roasts. (we are empty nesters now, just us two) I packed the chops into ziplocks at 4 per pack. (dh loves leftovers for his lunches)

When chickens hit 99 cents a lb, I cut a bunch up.

I often hit the sales on family size trays of cuts, so I split them up and freeze them. Often I just snap the tray into 2 parts and wrap well with grocery bags. (if you use it soon, it won't be badly freezer burnt)

I also precook ground meat into "crumbles" --see my OAMC threads at the Homestead Gardens for the how to).

Little chopped bits of onions, celery or peppers make for great additions to soups etc, if you are cleaning up the fridge before payday and the veggies are getting on a bit but you don't want to waste them.

I like to buy mushrooms on sale, and freeze them whole or chopped.

Tray freezing works for little choppy bits of veg or mushrooms. You chop then lay on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, and freeze solid. When solid (I deal with it the next day) just pour into a bigger zip lock bag and you have your very own conveniance frozen food ready to pour into soups, stews etc.

Yams go on special round about now, sometimes as low as 33 Cents a lb. I will get 10 to 15 lbs and cook all at once (bake in the oven, cool, skin, mash, bag and freeze) for easy veggie sides that are cheap with loads of vit A+C.

Cookie dough logs (see my thread somewhere in OAMC) works for most cookie dough, and means you freeze the cookie dough and bake when needed in the quantities needed and the cookies don't crumble and break or get stale in the freezer.

Pie dough circles work, so do hm cakes.

Blueberries, cranberries, strawberries in season are cheap, and freeze beautifully. Don't wash, just freeze. Rinse under hot running water in a seive before using for washing. Tray freeze then pour into big freezer bags.

Deals on orange juice concentrate, frozen veggies fit in nicely. I just picked up a 99 cent sale on frozen chopped spinach, so I bought 10 pkgs.

My prices will sound high, I'm Canadian, and it's a different dollar and price structure up here but you'll find that freezer makes for wonderful savings.

DIY dinners such as lasagne, or various pastas, and OAMC meals can all be frozen in 2 person quantities.

Batch cook, make 4 to 6 meals when making one night's dinner. It won't take much more time, then freeze the extras for other nights.

Before long you will have a stash, and a lot of variety.

Use OAMC recipes for freezer friendly meals.

Use your freezer to cook on days off, and when you see good bargains in various meats, veggies, and fruits as well as breads and baked goods.

Save time, energy and money.

Energy? yours, as well as the electric bill because cooking in the oven once, and having 6 meals out of one oven session is very energy efficient. Microwave reheating of flat ziplock packs of dinners is a LOT less energy.

**canadian gardener** · 11-20-2005, 06:38 PM

[ame="http://www.homesteadgarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=756"]OAMC, the easy way, no burnout, just good home cooking in the freezer - Homestead Garden Forums[/ame]

[ame="http://www.homesteadgarden.com/forums/showthread.php?t=760"]Grocery shopping for the simplified OAMC system, and how to do an easy pantry - Homestead Garden Forums[/ame]

are my OAMC threads over in Homestead Gardens if you want some fast easy techniques and recipes.

**SHOPGIRL** · 11-20-2005, 09:15 PM

Margery,

Thanks for all the tips. I read all of them and I'll be sure to check out the links you gave me. I'm glad that you mentioned the yams. Two stores have them on sale this week for $.39 lb and $.44 lb. The previous week I paid $.79 lb. So, I purchased a lot. I didn't even think about freezing them. That's a great idea. I also didn't think of freezing onions. I have some that are about to go bad. That's a good idea to freeze them and then their ready to use. I have a bunch of squash from my sister, so I think I'll grill it on the grill, then I'll scoop it out of the skin to freeze.

Since I work full-time, having meals ready is what I'm really looking forward to.

Thanks for taking the time to give me so many ideas.

**forestdale** · 11-20-2005, 09:45 PM

Great news about the freezer, Shannon. It's a fabulous thing for any frugal homekeeper to have. As usual Magery covered just about everything, so I'll just wish you good luck and happy freezing.

**bamamomto4** · 11-20-2005, 09:56 PM

Congrats Shannon!!

I freeze everything as well. I have Jayme's first bday cake on the plate she ate from,with the plastic spoon in my freezer LOL!!
Steve ask why in the world lol....

Anyways..you will love the upright. I have a upright and chest freezer,and the freezer on my fridge..ALL full!!! You'll have all kinds of foods in there before you know it!!!

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 11-26-2005, 02:58 AM

You have achieved a new step in frugality! Freezers are wonderufl tools for saving money.

I, too, freeze anything I can. My freezer is always stuffed to the gills. I have a 1/4 beef coming next week and am going to have to rearrange the entire thing to make room for all of it.

You can freeze milk too. Did you know that?

What is really nice is that you can make (or buy as loss leaders) trays of lasanga, enchiladas, pizza, etc. to have on hand for those nights when you are too tired to cook and too broke to go out. Even a pan of lasagna at 10.00 is cheaper than even Burger King out! (not to mention, better for you).

I buy bread a dozen loaves at a time and often times STILL have to buy bread between our monthly grocery trips . I also have bagels, hot dog buns and English muffins in the freezer for quick meals and snacks.