Emptying out my freezer

LameWolf

Well done, Jody you seem to be well on top of the problem.

Re the ready-meal that needs 30 mins in the oven - if that was me, I'd factor that in at a time when I was putting the oven on for something else - baking cakes, or crumble for dessert, or one of my HM nut loaves (I bake and slice, then freeze the slices;)), something like that.

The other thing I was going to say, I keep an Excel spreadsheet with the contents of the freezer, divided up to show what is in each drawer, and how many/how much; when I put something in, or use something, I adjust the spreadsheet accordingly. F'r instance, I know for a fact that we have 24 veggie Mediterranean sausages, 15 Qu0rn fillets, 20 veggie hotdogs, 1 bag of soya mince, three packs of bacon-style slices, and one and a half bags of Qu0rn chicken-style pieces in the 2nd drawer at this moment in time.:D I have another similar spreadsheet with the tins and packets listed.:o

calleyw

wish I was as organised as that Lame Wolf.

Sadly I put something extra in my chest freezer this afternoon:o I have redeemed myself by pulling out a fish and chip ready meal that cost me 40p from nov last year and bunged it in the oven just now :rotfl:

yours

Calley

Emm-in-a-pickle

I am truly impressed that those with crammed-full freezers can actually access and list the stuff in them. When I try that, or have a rummage, the stuff never fits back as it was again.
I have 2 chest freezers (1 small, 1 medium sized) plus an under-worktop freezer with drawers. They are all crammed full, mostly of irregular shaped packs of food, meat, leftovers, etc. I too am a YS addict.
No bought ready meals in them, because there`s seldom room to put them in between the other irregular-shaped frozen stuff! Bags of leftovers are often unlabelled (I`m carp!) so sometimes end up being curried....mostly successfully, by accident rather than design!
Not much in the way of frozen veg, except peas, don`t use it as we use lots of fresh veg in season. We don`t like frozen chips, either.
I sometimes buy frozen mashed potato or roasties, giant yorkshires, and battered onion rings, but usually if I intend to use them the same day as there`s no space!
I also buy fresh rice noodles and freeze them, as I can usually squish them in somewhere, with a bit of freezer tetris.

I`ve identified the problem AND the solution (eat out of freezer & avoid shopping) a while ago, but just lack the self-discipline to do something about it. I start off ok, then deviate!!!
This thread has given me a good kick to try again. Thanks all.

Honey_Bear

I'm a huge fan of fish pies for assorted bits and bobs of fillets that fester in the freezer. I usually put a bit of something smoked in, quite a bit of something white in and then a bit of salmon. If we've got some frozen whoopsied prawns that look as though they're getting a bit dried out I chuck them in, whip up a white (or parsley if I've got any) sauce. I often bung in a load of peas as well so I don't have to cook any veg separately and Delia adds hard boiled eggs to her recipe for fish pie.

I make proper home-made mash potato to go on top. (When some gets left over from sausage and mash I stir a bit of milk powder in so it freezes really well.) Even people who say they don't like fish seem to love fish pies.

I have absolutely no idea what you can do with pig's liver, especially if you don't like liver - I hate it. But, a bit of chicken liver with mince makes the gravy really deep and rich and you can't taste the livery bit.