Saturday, September 15, 2012

Freezer Friday...

Okra-does it ever stop?

No!  Thank goodness, because I just learned how to cook it correctly this week.  My mother-in-law came down and taught me and I feel like I have learned something very important.  Here in Alabama okra is abundant and grows very well.  And it  bears for a long long time. 

So I have been cutting and freezing okra this week.  I cut it and then freeze it on a cookie sheet and then package it.

I wanted to take this summer and really begin to learn about food prep and food storage-especially my freezer and ways to make it work for our family.  I am still learning by reading other's blogs, but also just by thinking through what I have and how to make the most of it. 

For example-my goal is that no food goes to waste around here.  I am tired of cleaning out the fridge and having to throw food away.  That is just wasting Mark's hard-earned money and my work.  I have so far to go in this, but this week I really noticed a difference in my thinking.

I had one piece of small steak that was left over from Labor Day.  I had okra, leftover green beans, and just enough peas to not be able to do a whole side dish with.  So, I cut the steak into very very small pieces and divided it into three gallon-size freezer bags.  I then divided the peas, green beans, and okra into the bags to make veggie soup mix.  I wrote on the bag to add tomatoes, corn, and pasta and there you have three meals for my family made out of leftovers. 

Another example, I had some leftover rice.  Not really enough to use for another meal, but too much to add to the chicken scrap bucket.  So, today I am making a chicken-rice soup in the crockpot with two left-over chicken breasts and carrots and celery.  I have used carrots and celery this summer more than I ever have because I found you can get them at ALDI for 69 cents a bunch.

At ALDI yesterday they had chicken fried rice packets for 99 cents a piece.  I bought three and am going to add some leftover pork I had instead of the chicken.  I could not buy the rice, the carrots, and the english peas for 99 cents so I just bought the packets.

So, I want to encourage you to just think.  I have wasted so much food before.  It makes me cringe.  If anyone else was wasting that much money at work they would get fired.  I don't think there is any danger of getting fired around here, but I want to do better.

What creative things do you do in the kitchen to not waste food or all your hard work?

Today I am linking up at Laura's.



Laura Williams' Musings



5 comments:

  1. Hi MaMaHen! That is such good advice! I too, am trying not to waste food since there are only three of us, and most of the recipes I use make at least six servings. That means we have a lot of leftovers and will continue to eat it all week. Or like you have suggested, put it in the freezer. I like the idea of not wasting food and turning it into something else! Thanks for sharing! Blessings from Bama!

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  2. I need to plan better so we don't waste food around here. Planning - that's key.

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  3. Great thinking, girl! I like your strategies! My ideas are not too creative. If there are any leftovers, we just put it on somebody's lunch plate the next day, lol. Seems like your ideas somehow make it all go even further! Thanks for sharing!

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  4. I love posts like this about furthering what you have. In other words using it up (old Motto of the Depression Era - Use it up, Wear it out, or Do Without).

    Thank you for linking up at the Carnival of Home Preserving!

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  5. awesome goals!! what do you do with the okra? i am trying to grow it... if you answer, answer on my blog because i'm not organized enough to check back and find out. i am really really curios :-) wish i had half the garden as you!! you are very virtuous :-)

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