Life Changes and how to adjust cooking habits...

[Linda0818]

I rarely freeze leftovers. They always go into the fridge and we try and eat them up for lunches or another dinner. More often than not, I end up eating them by taking them to work for lunch, since my son isn't much of a leftover person. After my husband passed away, I too had to adjust to cooking for one less person and I've found that difficult. For instance, when I'm making mashed potatoes, I try to remember that I don't need as many in the pan as I used to. But then I hear my mother's voice saying "One more for good measure" and toss another one in. That extra potato or two leaves me with more than we needed, so a day or two later I'll make potato soup out of the rest.

I agree that old cooking habits are hard to break.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Im my house, the freezer is where leftovers go to die. Once leftovers get into my freezer, they stay there until I clean out the freezer, and toss the leftovers. Don't ask me why, because I don't know.

CD

I use my little freezer at the top of the refrigerator as a temporary parking lot for leftovers.

Because space is limited most things rotate back out within a month.

I also keep a 2# cottage cheese container in the freezer as a soup bucket for small amounts of compatible vegetables, gravy, tomato sauce, etc…

Even though freezer space is limited I’ve never had an issue with finding room for a double coupon special on a half gallon of premium ice cream.

 

[Andy M.]

Im my house, the freezer is where leftovers go to die. Once leftovers get into my freezer, they stay there until I clean out the freezer, and toss the leftovers. Don't ask me why, because I don't know.

CD

I know. We suffer from the same. It's the "out of sight, out of mind" problem. Get in the habit, next time you're planning dinner to go to the freezer and remind yourself of all the goodies in there.

 

[taxlady]

I use my little freezer at the top of the refrigerator as a temporary parking lot for leftovers.

Because space is limited most things rotate back out within a month.

I also keep a 2# cottage cheese container in the freezer as a soup bucket for small amounts of compatible vegetables, gravy, tomato sauce, etc…

Even though freezer space is limited I’ve never had an issue with finding room for a double coupon special on a half gallon of premium ice cream.

Ooh, I like that idea of using a larger container for soup bits and bobs. I just don't have space for that yet. It is getting some better in there. Once the little freezer on top of the fridge, or probably any freezer, to be realistic, gets overly full, it's hard to find stuff. That's how I end up with three opened packages of frozen peas or frozen, diced carrots, etc.

I have a bunch of meat in the fridge. But, most of it is in one pound or 500g packages. I have been know to fry up the entire 500g of ground beef or pork with onions and use some right away and put the rest back in the freezer. I freeze the "crumbles" spread out on a sheet pan and put that into a container in the freezer. That way, I can take out as much or as little as I want later. But, right now, there isn't really enough empty space to do that. I would really have a hard time find a space for that sheet pan.

 

[KatyCooks]

My freezer space is pretty limited, but I hate wasting food, so freezer bags are my "go to" as you can sort of squish things into odd spaces!

I am usually cooking for two, but often make recipes for 4 knowing I will either eat the same thing for two days running, or can freeze what's left. If what's left isn't really enough for two more servings - which often happens, I will still freeze it, and then I have instant toppings available for baked potatoes! (Just about anything in a sauce can be heated up and piled on top of a big baked potato.)

The other thing I regularly do with frozen leftovers - is put them into a dish (once defrosted obviously) and then pile a load of mashed potato on top and bake. You can add more veggies on the side and make it feed two, three or even four.

I also do a version of Dragn's ploy of dishing up a variety of single servings! Works a treat to sort different tastes, and use up all those small portions clogging up the freezer!

 

[taxlady]

My freezer space is pretty limited, but I hate wasting food, so freezer bags are my "go to" as you can sort of squish things into odd spaces!

I am usually cooking for two, but often make recipes for 4 knowing I will either eat the same thing for two days running, or can freeze what's left. If what's left isn't really enough for two more servings - which often happens, I will still freeze it, and then I have instant toppings available for baked potatoes! (Just about anything in a sauce can be heated up and piled on top of a big baked potato.)

The other thing I regularly do with frozen leftovers - is put them into a dish (once defrosted obviously) and then pile a load of mashed potato on top and bake. You can add more veggies on the side and make it feed two, three or even four.

I also do a version of Dragn's ploy of dishing up a variety of single servings! Works a treat to sort different tastes, and use up all those small portions clogging up the freezer!

I really like your tricks of using stuff as a topping for baked potatoes and for reheating them with mashed potatoes on top. I'm going to steal those ideas. I may even expand on them. Thank you.

 

[dragnlaw]

taxy, just make sure you give them back at the end of the meal. You know, stealing is not nice, but it's OK to borrow.

 

[taxlady]

taxy, just make sure you give them back at the end of the meal. You know, stealing is not nice, but it's OK to borrow.

Do you really want the ideas back? Are you afraid you are going to lose them?

 

[caseydog]

Do you really want the ideas back? Are you afraid you are going to lose them?

Would returning a recipe after using it pose a food safety danger?

CD

 

[GotGarlic]

Ooh, I like that idea of using a larger container for soup bits and bobs. I just don't have space for that yet. It is getting some better in there. Once the little freezer on top of the fridge, or probably any freezer, to be realistic, gets overly full, it's hard to find stuff. That's how I end up with three opened packages of frozen peas or frozen, diced carrots, etc.

Do you have a method for organizing the stuff in your freezer? I have three freezers - I know! Two fridges with freezers and an upright. I need extra fridge space for meds that need to be refrigerated, and I got the freezer when we were doing a lot more gardening. Anyway, I try to keep them organized with plastic bins for meat & seafood, bread products, store-bought veggies, homemade stuff, etc. That helps prevent having more than one opened bag of frozen veggies, for example.

 

[jennyema]

We use our freezers pretty well. Now.

Our garage fridge/freezer spit the bit a year or two right before we had to host 20 family members for 3 days of Christmas meals.

Which I was supposed to make………

Panic but great purchase of new fridge.

Christmas was great but the best part was getting my wife to throw out all the ancient crap in the old freezer and vowing only to freeze things we will actually use.

 

[caseydog]

Do you have a method for organizing the stuff in your freezer? I have three freezers - I know! Two fridges with freezers and an upright. I need extra fridge space for meds that need to be refrigerated, and I got the freezer when we were doing a lot more gardening. Anyway, I try to keep them organized with plastic bins for meat & seafood, bread products, store-bought veggies, homemade stuff, etc. That helps prevent having more than one opened bag of frozen veggies, for example.

I think I posted this somewhere else, but this is what I do. I have a couple of big Post-It notes on my freezer that lists the contents of my last cleanup/reorganization, and I cross things off and make additions as needed. I still have to dig for things at times, but at least I know they are in there before I start digging.

Yes, this is an old photo. I make a new list from time-to-time.

CD

 

[taxlady]

Do you have a method for organizing the stuff in your freezer? I have three freezers - I know! Two fridges with freezers and an upright. I need extra fridge space for meds that need to be refrigerated, and I got the freezer when we were doing a lot more gardening. Anyway, I try to keep them organized with plastic bins for meat & seafood, bread products, store-bought veggies, homemade stuff, etc. That helps prevent having more than one opened bag of frozen veggies, for example.

We used to. We had two fridges. The one that died had a vertical freezer. The one that survived has the freezer on top. We also have a chest freezer in the basement. Well, when the fridge with the easiest to rummage in freezer died, all the food in that freezer had to go somewhere. That's why the freezers are so stuffed. Also, I hadn't been putting in the effort to work my way through that food. Now I have too much food for two people in those freezers, But, I appear to be making some headway in both the fridge freezer and the fridge. It's slow though. Once there is more space, it will be possible to organize. The chest freezer in the basement was organized by Stirling and he did a good job. But a bunch of stuff ended up on top of the stuff organized in bins.

 

[larry_stewart]

I usually plan dinner menus a week at a time . I make a list of everything we will have for the week. In addition to the daily menus that I plan on cooking , I have a list ( underneath my list) of all the things that are " Ready to go" (Leftovers) in the freezer. They never get bumped off that part of the list until they are eaten, so I always have a pretty good idea of what is in the freezer. If we dont eat them the week, they remain in the list for the following week/ weeks until eaten. A lot of times when we have soup, we need something to accompany it, as a bowl of soup wont fill me up, so we will use something that was a main course the previous week, in a smaller portion as a side to goo with the soup ( or whatever).