HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I’m not going to show you any pictures here and in a minute you’ll understand why. Well, it is out of pure embarrassment, and my personal self-revelations, even to you all, darling ones, do not extend this far.
If you came over to visit, I would be so incredibly happy to see you! I would show you around my house and show you the things I love, and we could have a cup of tea or a glass of wine and it would be so lovely! You are all invited.
But I will never, under any circumstances, ever, show you the inside of my freezer. Freezers.
We have a couple of freezers, long story, and I was very happy about that during the pandemic. Still am. But I am absolutely completely incapable of throwing food away. I have to freeze it. Oh, well that’s not exactly right, if we have leftover broccoli I will just eat it, same with green beans, that kind of thing
But let’s say I make delicious sautéed flattened chicken breasts that I served with Parmesan cheese and rice and vegetables. And let’s say there are two of those left over. First they get tightly wrapped in saran, then I put them in the refrigerator because they would be great for lunch! Then we don’t have them for lunch. Then I have to do something with them. Into the freezer they go!
If we have leftover grilled lemon pepper salmon, yummy, that gets a day in the refrigerator until I decide that I’m not going to make salmon salad, and then into the freezer it goes! I could make lemon pasta, right? And that would be delicious on it. Someday.
But gradually, my freezer is filling up with little bits and bobs of things like that. Greek chicken, the leftover meat from turkey tacos, (wouldn’t that be good for nachos someday?) the leftover flank steak that would be great for stirfry. Someday.
But you see, I never use them. I always make new chicken or new tacos.
And also, my freezers are kind of like hideous Jenga. None of those things are symmetrical, so they sort of have to be stacked and layered. Very very tippy. And I have had several narrow escapes from frozen blocks of cheese landing on my toes.
Yes, I bought plastic dividers for the freezer; figuring cheese goes in, one chicken goes in, one bread-like things go in another one. That was so great. Very efficient. But I still can’t see everything.
Generally things are labeled, but not always, but if I have leftover beef bourguignon or pasta primavera, I’ll write that on the container. But sometimes I think oh, I’ll recognize that when I look at it. Which I… Sometimes do.
From time to time I’ll make a vow to just throw everything away. Or just close my eyes, put my hand in the freezer, and make for dinner whatever I pick.
However. I don’t do any of those things.
Reds and readers, do you have a freezer situation? Or a solution? Are you playing freezer Jenga?
Our freezers are a combination of newly-bought, items waiting to be cooked, and leftover this and that. No solution and I don't see it changing any time soon . . . I play search and find when I want something specific; fortunately, I am reasonably good at taking something out of the freezer and turning it into a relatively delightful meal . . . .
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I established an habit of using up what’s in my freezer BEFORE I go shopping. I keep on finding food from the back of the freezer. I’m almost out of my favorite cashew milk ice cream and I was reminded that I need to buy more.
ReplyDeleteIt’s easier to buy frozen fruit and vegetables, put them in the freezer rather than buy produce and have them spoil quickly in the fridge . Only produce I would buy now are those that I know will be used frequently and there’s no chance of them sitting and spoiling.
If it’s okay to say something. There are many great combinations from what you already have in your freezer.
Hank, if it’s okay to say this, you have many great possibilities of combinations from your freezer.
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