• HOME
  • happy living
    • meal planning + prep
    • kitchen basics
    • hospitality
    • foodie finds
    • live happily
  • simple eats
    • appetizer recipe
    • beef recipe
    • chicken recipe
    • dessert recipe
    • drink recipe
    • fish recipe
    • lamb recipe
    • salad recipe
    • soup recipe
    • starch recipe
    • vegetable recipe
    • Pressure Cook recipe
    • Slow Cook recipe
  • NWAFOODIE
  • SHOP
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • CONTACT
Simple Joyful Food

eat happily

kitchen basics

How to prepare your freezer for fall cooking.

August 13, 2018 Leave a Comment
Shop your freezer - main (c)nwafoodie

Right now Instagram and Facebook feeds are bursting at the seams with those adorable back-to-school photos of kiddos growing up and faces radiating great anticipation of the day ahead. Friends, it’s back to routine time. Back to school also means that fall weather is just around the corner and that our favorite comfort foods are coming back into our lives. Soon, very soon, we’ll be firing up those ovens and happily letting its warmth permeate our living rooms without worrying about the electric bill. Just like daylight saving time is a timely reminder for us to replace the batteries in our fire alarms, back to school is a timely reminder for us to take stock of our freezer and prepare for what’s ahead. It’s time to shop our freezer.

Shopping down our freezers simply means that it is time to clean out the old and prepare for the new. Throwing out freezer burned foods is just as frustrating as throwing out wilted and rotten fresh vegetables. Both are completely avoidable. All it takes is a little bit of planning and action.

First, remove all frozen meats and assess dates.

Pull them out. Allllll the meats. Arrange by type of meat such as chicken, ground beef, beef and fish. Are there mystery meats in the bunch? Are there specialty meats that you purchased on impulse because they were marked down or sounded interesting at the time? Are you seeing a trend here? If it looks freezer burned, it probably is. Start fresh by throwing out anything freezer burned beyond repair or has ancient expiration dates. Restack everything with the newest dates in the back. Why? Our freezers are meant to help us in meal preparation, not become one more layer of cluttered overwhelm. The goal is to keep things moving so we can have the freshest experience. So, toss anything out not worth eating and start shopping your freezer over the next few weeks to prepare for the upcoming fall main dishes.

 

Shop your freezer - meat (c)nwafoodie

Next, evaluate the freshness of your frozen produce.

For those who had gardens this year or planned ahead by freezing homemade or locally grown fruits and vegetables, I applaud you! For the rest of us, organic freshly-frozen produce is the next best thing. Just like the meat assessment, it’s time to evaluate the freshness of our frozen fruits and vegetables stash. Pull them out. Allllll the produce. Arrange by fruits and vegetables. Is there an overabundance of a particular variety? Are there mystery bags in the bunch? If it looks freezer burned, it probably is. Restack everything in groups and plan to start cooking with those items that you have an abundance of. Again, our freezers are meant to help us in meal preparation, so let’s banish the clutter. Start shopping your freezer over the next few weeks to prepare for the upcoming fall fruits and vegetable ingredients.

 

Shop your freezer - produce (c)nwafoodie

Finally, it’s time to get real with all the “extra stuff.”

That stuff is just taking up space. No worries though, it happens to the best of us. A tucked-away leftover pizza slice here, an overabundant pot of chili there, or a purchase that we fully intended to “get into.” For example, I have an entire freezer shelf of orange roughy, flounder, sea bass, cod and salmon. However, my husband doesn’t like fish and I actually prefer it fresh. Instead of that valuable freezer real estate going to fish, I should instead dedicate it to something we eat often, such as frozen cauliflower. See where I am going here? The goal is to get it moving, get it out, and start shopping down your freezer. Write down on a post-it note all the frozen foods you want to incorporate into meals over the next few weeks. See how easy this is? We’re already winning at this back-to-routine phase before autumn arrives! Go us!!

 

Shop your freezer - get real (c)nwafoodie

Have you ever been overwhelmed by your freezer? Do you wish you had a freezer stocking strategy? Subscribe to nwafoodie as I give helpful tips in the coming weeks related to stocking and shopping your freezer, pantry and refrigerator. It will be fun, I promise.

Happy cooking.

Eat well, my friends. Eat well.

Lyndi

You might also like...

once a week grocery shopping - main (c)thejoyofeatingwellOnce a week grocery shopping is a gift to yourself. Have you had a date lately? fall menu ideas - main (c)thejoyofeatingwell10 healthy and simple fall menu ideas.

Share

Share
Tweet
Email
Pin
Comment
Previous
Next

Comments Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




hellooooo Foodie!

author image of thejoyofeatingwell blogHi! My name is Lyndi Fultz, and I live in the beautiful Ozark Mountains that span Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri.

I’m a foodie on a journey to EAT HAPPILY and LIVE SIMPLY. Learning and encouraging along the way and writing about it here on Simple Joyful Food.

Read more…

SJF social links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Newsletter signup

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!

search categories

Search by Year

TRENDING POSTS

FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM

simplejoyfulfood

On a journey to EAT HAPPILY and LIVE SIMPLY. Learning and encouraging along the way and writing about it. Local eats @nwafoodie

Lyndi Fultz
Simple isn’t just about food.⁠ ⁠ It’s a mi Simple isn’t just about food.⁠
⁠
It’s a mindset.⁠
⁠
Planning.⁠
Preparing.⁠
Organizing.⁠
Dreaming.⁠
Planting.⁠
Storing.⁠
Design.⁠
⁠
Joyful isn’t just about being happy.⁠
⁠
It’s a mindset.⁠
⁠
Details.⁠
Senses.⁠
Taste.⁠
Good taste.⁠
Uplifting.⁠
Encouraging.⁠
⁠
Food isn’t just about eating.⁠
⁠
It’s about 360-degree touchpoints.⁠
⁠
Laughter.⁠
Joy.⁠
Experimenting.⁠
Sharing.⁠
⁠
What would you add?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Ever wonder why a crackling fire draws you towards Ever wonder why a crackling fire draws you towards it like a moth to a flame? The fire’s warmth is more than just heat; the foods you cook on a flame add more than nourishment.⁠
⁠
One of my favorite memories as a kid growing up in the Research Triangle in North Carolina was the annual church hayride at the country home of our friends, the Barbours. We lived in a suburb of the state capital, close to physically yet far away from life on the outskirts of town filled with Tobacco fields, cotton patches, and red dirt roads. ⁠
⁠
The Barbours had some farm that my little self couldn’t comprehend. In reality, they may have had just land, yet to me; land meant a farm. And besides, they had a big ol’ barn, tractors, and hosted the annual hayride.⁠
⁠
My favorite part of the memory was the firepit, where everyone gathered around, laughed, and enjoyed each other’s company. It didn’t matter if you were a kid or elderly. ⁠
⁠
You may think, “But I don’t have a fireplace or firepit! What can I do?” ⁠
⁠
Improvise.⁠
⁠
Youtube a crackling fireplace video or a firepit on a beach. Dim the lights and turn the crackle up. Invite yourself to a friend’s home with ample backyard and offer to bring ‘smores. Go to a park.⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Food and drinks are necessities of life that susta Food and drinks are necessities of life that sustain us, and small, simple touches can make our meals some of our happiest moments of the day. ⁠
⁠
If you know anything about me, you already know that I think that simple things are the best.⁠
⁠
A favorite pepper grinder.⁠
⁠
The mug that reminds you of your happy place.⁠
⁠
Fresh-picked wildflowers.⁠
⁠
Honeycomb.⁠
⁠
First cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.⁠
⁠
What are some of yours?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Webster’s Dictionary has two excellent definitio Webster’s Dictionary has two excellent definitions for the word nourishment. One is “to provide with food,” and the other is “to provide for,” to provide support.⁠
⁠
I love that.⁠
⁠
Just as food sustains and keeps us alive, feeling supported sustains us mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s how we build bonds, friendships, and hope for the future.⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
“Stop sneaking the spiced candied pecans!” I s “Stop sneaking the spiced candied pecans!” I said this not once, not twice, but almost three times before Dennis beat me to say those words again. “I’m sneaking some more,” he happily declared.⁠
⁠
I’m delighted that he was enjoying them! I assured him that he could have allllll that his little heart desired… he just had to allow me to take a few photos for you!⁠
⁠
You see these spiced candied pecans are simple and easy go-to appetizers that we should always have the ingredients on hand. For those “just in case” moments when… ⁠
⁠
…Oh forget it! Every day is the perfect moment!⁠
⁠
Link in bio for the recipe!⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
here’s a special bonding moment when you raise a here’s a special bonding moment when you raise a glass and give a toast, followed by that happy clink. Here’s why I think giving thanks and appreciating everyday moments are essential.⁠
⁠
Salud!⁠
⁠
To Your Health!⁠
⁠
Cheers!⁠
⁠
Did you know that folks in the UK will use the word “cheers” as “thank you?” From wedding toasts to praising someone for remarkable achievement, raising a glass with a special someone is a special bonding moment.⁠
⁠
I love that part about “cheers” and “thank” can be the same. ⁠
⁠
Have you ever wanted to become more thankful? More grateful? More appreciative of, well, everything that we take for granted?⁠
⁠
Why not give thanks and cheer a little more often?⁠
⁠
#eathappily #livesimply #simplejoyfulfood
Load More... Instagram

contact

lyndi@thejoyofeatingwell.com

inspiration

“Just like becoming an expert in wine–you learn by drinking it, the best you can afford–you learn about great food by finding the best there is, whether simply or luxurious. Then you savor it, analyze it, and discuss it with your companions, and you compare it with other experiences.” – Julia Child

Copyright 2023 thejoyofeatingwell