last summer i went a little crazy. i’m not sure if i was preparing for the end of the world or the great rapture, but i canned, preserved, and froze food until i was left with battle scars & a full pantry. i also stocked up on meats & grains in bulk. like i said, i’m not sure what i was thinking, but at the end of the winter, we were still left with a freezer full of food. i don’t even want to mention the 20 lb. of organic chicken breast in my mother-in-law’s freezer… anyway.
once my weekly rant of “we need more storage! we have too much crap!” resided one afternoon last week, i decided to actually follow my own life mantra & began sorting through our belongings with simplicity in mind. once i got to the kitchen, i was forced to face my overwhelming freezer. i tossed unrecognizable foods in plastic bags & freezer-burned bread. i used a damp cloth to pry gooey substances from the bottom & scrubbed the rest. i made a list of what was left & organized until late into the evening. i was left with this:
the contents of my freezer:
animal protein-
4 packages of deer hamburger
2 lamb livers
1 package of ground lamb
1 package of deer sausage
1 package of frozen deer meatballs
1 package of lamb ribs
1 ham hock
1 package of beef stock bones
1 chopped sirloin
20 lb. chicken breast
1 frozen bag of acorn squash & sausage stuffing
meal ready-
freezer bag full of frozen ice cube sized basil
freezer bag full of frozen ice cube sized pesto
freezer bag of swiss chard
frozen tomato soup (serving size 2)
2 bags of hot peppers (for salsa making)
freezer bag of skinned tomatoes
box of morningstar veggie burgers
fruit-
2 gallons of strawberries
3 ripe bananas
freezer bag of black cherries
dole brand bag full of mango, pineapple and strawberries
2 jars of peach conserve
1 gallon of blueberries
small tub of homemade cookie dough
with plenty of food still packed in my small freezer & a tight budget in mind, i plan to use at least half of this food during the month of may. each thursday i will check-in with my progress & possibly include a recipe or two. at the end of the month, i will report the leftover food in our freezer & photos for proof!
i never really thought i would write about my freezer, but sometimes i have to unearth those not-so-glamorous parts of my life. also, you guys keep me accountable & i hold zero willpower without accountability. in case you are totally uninterested by my freezer challenge, avoid this blog every thursday during the month of may! for the rest of you, i hope you feel just a little more inspired to make your list & join the freezer challenge!
week 1 progress:
+ blt sandwiches (goodbye, bacon!)
+ tomato soup
a slow start, but i plan to kick it in gear this upcoming week! who’s with me?!
love,
natalie