It's Time to Clean Out the Freezer - Rotate and Restock

It is time to clean out the freezers and start eating through the foods stored months ago. It will probably take about a week or so to eat through the meals and leftovers. It should be an interesting food adventure because I freeze leftovers, and I make extra food just for the freezer. It's just so convenient to thaw out a ready to eat home cooked meal.  

We use the top of the freezer to complete various tasks, and it is
used as part of our packing and shipping station almost daily.

So far this week we have had Chicken and Barley soup, Sausage Jambalaya with Rice, and Hawiian Chicken. I have Adzuki beans thawing in the refrigerator. I'm not sure what I will make out of them. Maybe I will make some Red Beans and Rice or Taco Soup.  

When we purchase meat by the case, I rotate the older meats to the top and reorganize the contents of the freezer while I am at it, so I shouldn't find too many surprises. If we have a large grocery haul and it won't all fit in the freezers, I pull out leftovers to make room for the new freezer items. I'm pretty good about using up what we have on hand. I rarely have to toss anything out unless something falls to the bottom or get overlooked. I don't like to waste anything.

In a worst-case scenario, the chickens will get a treat. An example of this is some rice that I made following a recipe that called for way too much soy sauce. I was unable to fix the saltiness after several attempts, so I thought that I would just add it a bit at a time to my Gather up the Fragments Refrigerator Soup. You can find the instructions here. Refrigerator Soup. I decided that I wouldn't take a chance and ruin anymore food on this rice, so I am thawing it out to give to the chickens and to our resident raven named "Blackie".

We don't need to buy much to restock the freezers for the winter months. We purchased poultry the last time that we were in the city and before that we bought beef. Both times we were able to buy before the prices increased. I'm hoping to add a variety of meats next time like fish, lamb and beef sausages. We will see what is available and at what cost. 

Update: Blackie and five of his friends loved the rice! 

Stay safe,

Mrs. Smith

Refrigerator Soup - Save Money - Save Food - No Waste

Soup is a primarily liquid food. Generally served hot. Made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid (broth) than stews.^[1] Wikipedia...

Many years ago, my mom was in a time of transition after the death of my dad, so she stayed with us for about six weeks while waiting to move into a new rental.  It was getting cold outside, so I started making "Refrigerator Soup" and my mom loved it. It is my favorite way to use up leftovers in the Fall and Winter months. 

First snow of the season happened today.

This technique of cooking leftovers is nothing new, in fact, it was probably created out of necessity and used frequently during wartime and depressions to help with the effects of shortages. Soup kitchens also used this technique to feed more people. It makes complete sense not waste food even in times of plenty. Save money. Save Food. No waste. 

Homemade vegetable broth.

I make stock out of scraps that I keep in a bag in the freezer.

 

Every week I gather up the fragments from leftovers or items that need to be used up before they go bad and I create a meal or meals like burritos or veggie fried rice. In the Fall, I start making "Refrigerator Soup". I take any meats, pastas, grains or vegetables that I have leftover and I make a pot of soup. I usually have homemade stock to use as a base, if not, store bought can be used instead. If I don't have enough leftovers to make a pot of soup I just add potatoes or rice to the pot. 

I am not limited to using leftovers only. I use whatever I want to add flavors to the pot if it needs it. Be careful with seasonings like salt. Most leftovers already have plenty of seasonings. It's easy to make soups like chili or taco soup with leftover ground meats. Just add the other ingredients to the pot and cook. 

I made a soup out of leftover smoked chicken and veggies. I threw everything into a pot, added water, seasonings, celery, onions and carrots. I cooked it in the Sun Oven until the meat fell off the bones.

Sad celery. 

Homestyle Pasta

Seasonings

Pasta

I cooked the pasta in the broth on the stovetop until the pasta was done.

I made a lovely chicken noodle soup. I could have easily made a chicken pot pie with potatoes and a little dough instead of noodles. Options are only limited to my own imagination.

I Cooked the broth in the Sun Oven and saved hours of propane use.

My dad... 

My dad and Abby, our dog.

My mom and dad.

Cooking together...

Blessings,

Mrs. Smith

Grilled Chicken Mushroom Alfredo Pizza ... Gather Up The Fragments...

At the end of every week I gather up the fragments. Fragments are foods that need to be turned into meals or frozen before they go bad. Fragments can be leftovers or ingredients. 

Gathering up the fragments every week saves me time. It is more convenient for me to heat up or makeover leftovers than it is to cook a meal from scratch. I enjoy having some free time on the weekends. It is also easier to have already prepared fruits and vegies on hand. Gathering up the fragments also helps control waste which saves money.

This weeks fragments

Apples

Cabbage

Sweet peppers

Boiled red potatoes

Bread slices

Hard boiled eggs

Spaghetti

Grilled chicken breast

Grilled chicken mushroom alfredo sauce

Soup Scraps

 I sliced the apples and soaked them in a bowl of water in the fridge until I'm ready to use them. I plan on making Grandma Ruby's Apple Bread.

  I chopped up the sweet peppers. They are ready to use or freeze. I also 
saved the seeds for future use.

I turned the bread scraps into bread crumbs that I store in the freezer.

I made Number One a spaghetti sandwich out of the bread slices and the leftover spaghetti. He loves these sandwiches. 

I cleaned the cabbage and now it is ready to use. I will make coleslaw out of it for the holiday. I added the soup scraps to the soup scrap bag. I save the soup scraps in the freezer until I have enough to make a rich veggie stock. The unusable fruit and veggie scraps are fed to the chickens.

I turned the boiled red potatoes into creamed potatoes and served them with beef sausage and salad.

A quick and easy meal.

I chopped up the boiled eggs and added it to the dogs' chow. 

Last but not least is the grilled chicken with mushroom alfredo sauce.

I made up a quick and easy pizza dough.

I sliced the grilled chicken breast and added the chopped sweet peppers.

I made two grilled chicken mushroom alfredo pizzas and served it with a walnut cranberry salad.