The Matrix - Re-Evolution!!

clairewop

Upstairs all done

DH has washed all the floors downstairs, just waiting for him to bring the hoover down, then I can hoover the rug.

Think I deserve a nice glass of wine

SunFlower

Oh wise and wonderful ladies of the Matrix - help!

In our house we have one of those huge, deep chest freezers. A while back I went out and made an inventory of what is in it (lots! in many categories e.g. meat, HM meals frozen, soup etc.). It has needed an overhaul for ages, as we knew we had lots in there, but were never quite sure what, in what quantity - and most important of all - where to find it.

I've just been out and done a re-inventory as we have been quite good at using up food from it once we knew what was there. Now I have re-answered the first two questions, I need to find a workable storage solution to keep all the different categories of food separate. I'm not sure how is best to go about it: bags or boxes? Or something else? I remember us having some box thingies in the last freezer we had, but when they got full the food just seemed to rest on top of them and get into some huge mess so we still didn't know what was where.

After the last sort, I put the food into huge carrier bags, but unless they are super-full they tend to fall in on themselves, which isn't the most useful. I don't want a big mess to evolve as new things are put in as happened in the old freezer, and I think boxes with lids will just end up having more stuff chucked on the closed lids.

Any ideas, ladies?

fantasia322

MrsMoo2U wrote: »

For anybody who doesnt believe in the laws of attraction yet. Let me just say that last week I started to think about a new way that I could deal with an issue that I have at the moment. Only thinking about it and wondering if it would work. In the last 3 days I have had 4 people approaching me to ask if I had thought about X and if so they have the solution.!!!

Hmmm - off to the library to get the Secret out.

I will send it to you if you PM me.

Igamogam

SunFlower wrote: »

Oh wise and wonderful ladies of the Matrix - help!

In our house we have one of those huge, deep chest freezers. A while back I went out and made an inventory of what is in it (lots! in many categories e.g. meat, HM meals frozen, soup etc.). It has needed an overhaul for ages, as we knew we had lots in there, but were never quite sure what, in what quantity - and most important of all - where to find it.

I've just been out and done a re-inventory as we have been quite good at using up food from it once we knew what was there. Now I have re-answered the first two questions, I need to find a workable storage solution to keep all the different categories of food separate. I'm not sure how is best to go about it: bags or boxes? Or something else? I remember us having some box thingies in the last freezer we had, but when they got full the food just seemed to rest on top of them and get into some huge mess so we still didn't know what was where.

After the last sort, I put the food into huge carrier bags, but unless they are super-full they tend to fall in on themselves, which isn't the most useful. I don't want a big mess to evolve as new things are put in as happened in the old freezer, and I think boxes with lids will just end up having more stuff chucked on the closed lids.

Any ideas, ladies?

I have a couple of freezers and each has a notebook which is divided into sections - i.e. about half dozen pages for each drawer IYSWIM. I note down what is put in which drawer with date and portion - eg fishcakes serves six. chilli serves 4 etc etc. I use freezer bags -various kinds depending on what I am putting in and freeze stuff like bolganese, stewed plums ,chicken stew, anything sloppy really in a bag but placed inside a rigid box. Once frozen it comes out of the box, boxed shaped and is easily stackable. I write on bag with big black letter in permanent pen - so there is no excuses for defrosting wrong thing. Delicate stuff that gets 'broken' when rummaging about I tend to put in rigid boxes. I guess this all works in an up right freezer but maybe it can be adapted if you have baskets in your chest freezer - anyway just a thought

Having thought a little more - if you havent got any baskets in there then maybe different coloured plastic storage boxes - with or without lids- then you could note down red box- homemade soup, blue box bread etc etc

SunFlower

Igamogam wrote: »

I have a couple of freezers and each has a notebook which is divided into sections - i.e. about half dozen pages for each drawer IYSWIM. I note down what is put in which drawer with date and portion - eg fishcakes serves six. chilli serves 4 etc etc. I use freezer bags -various kinds depending on what I am putting in and freeze stuff like bolganese, stewed plums ,chicken stew, anything sloppy really in a bag but placed inside a rigid box. Once frozen it comes out of the box, boxed shaped and is easily stackable. I write on bag with big black letter in permanent pen - so there is no excuses for defrosting wrong thing. Delicate stuff that gets 'broken' when rummaging about I tend to put in rigid boxes. I guess this all works in an up right freezer but maybe it can be adapted if you have baskets in your chest freezer - anyway just a thought

Having thought a little more - if you havent got any baskets in there then maybe different coloured plastic storage boxes - with or without lids- then you could note down red box- homemade soup, blue box bread etc etc

Good idea, but I don't normally run the freezer service in this hosue and can't start doing things like buying different coloured boxes etc. else it will cause a bust up. It's a really big, deep chest freezer that only has 1 partition (in which I have already stored certain things). The rest is just blank space. I'm just not sure what types of boxes to get. Has anyone seen anything that looks like it will do the job? Are there any particularly deep boxes around for that kind of thing? I've not seen any.

Memory_Girl

Hovel_lady wrote: »

Hello everyone

Just wanted to say that I am reading if not posting at the moment.

Memory Girl - I have started my "homework". Just hope there aren't any exams at the end :rotfl:

None at all - but hopefully a perfect home instead

MG XX

Memory_Girl

For the freezer problem - same issue as I used to have rummaging through my store cupboard I think.

I used to pop in there everyday to get stuff and after a while I couldn't see where anything was.

Now I take my menu list for the week and check what is is in the kitchen. I can then go shopping in my store cupboard to get anything I need for the week and place it in the kitchen cupboards, updating my inventory there and then.

I do the same with my chest freezer - decanting exactly what am going to need that week into the drawers under my fridge freezer so that I am not continually rummaging through the chest freezer.

I have coloured plastic bags - soup making stuff, chicken, fish, meat, cooked meals, cheese, dairy, baked goods, veggies. The bags work because I am not continually in and out of there IYSWIM.

MG

SunFlower

I've divided it all into sturdy (not jute, not plastic, not sure what they are made of) bags for now.

It's not perfect, but it's good enough until I figure out what to do with it.

It's certainly good enough for us to start plowing through it, at any rate.

SunFlower

Right ladies, more food advice, please:

1) I'm cooking a beef roast for dinner tomorrow, but there will be loads left after as there is only 2 of us. I have a roll of puff pastry in the freezer. Can I use the beef for a puff pastry pie filling? If so, how small should I cut it (I was thinking meat & potato pie). Also, can I make it the night before when the meat has cooled and leave in the fridge til the night after? (Stop asking stupid questions, SunFlower - of course you can.).

2) I have just defrosted some wraps. And ideas of good fillings for them?

Thanks for the help!

The_Dragon

why not do a cottage pie base in a casserole using the diced cooked beef (a la Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall) and top it with puff pastry