Time for an Organized Freezer

How many times have you gone to the grocery store simply because you didn't want to take the time to thaw out the meat in your freezer?  How many times have you bought something because you have forgotten you already had it in your freezer?  I believe we are all guilty of this from time to time and this is why I've decided that it is time to organize my freezer.

 Step one is to open the freezer and remove EVERYTHING from it.  Have your cooler ready to store your food just in case it takes a little bit longer to really clean out the freezer - be sure not to let your food spoil.  After you empty out the whole freezer you should be left with an empty box, ice in various places, and old juice stains you might be afraid to establish what it once was. *smiles* Whatever is left just clean it out, use a sponge, soap, vinegar, a crowbar if you have to just clean it out.

When you are prepared to put everything back in do so in a way that is more organized. Separate the vegetables, meat, etc.  Take the time to note down exactly what you have in your freezer so that it will be easier for you to plan what meals to prepare and what to buy (and not to buy) at the grocery store. If you have a large enough freezer you can even go to the dollar store and pick up some nice plastic bins and label them.  As you can see my freezer is not very large so it's important for me to be selective on what I keep, don't keep in there, and to only buy what we need and want to eat.

Now that there is room in my freezer again I can go grocery shopping with confidence that I have a list of exactly what I need to purchase for meals my husband and I are to eat during the week.  It's important not to over stuff the freezer so that there is proper air flow and ideal temperature in there to help preserve the frozen foods. 

Side note:  Pull out your meats and frozen veggies the night before and place them at the bottom of your fridge (not in the vegetable drawer) so that it can thaw out evenly for when you are ready to cook it the next day.  The bottom shelf of your refrigerator is the coldest part of the fridge and this is actually where we are supposed to store out milk so it doesn't spoil as quickly. 

Enjoyed this entry? Please comment and let me know! I am also open to other blog entry ideas so please feel free to let me know what you'd like me to write about next.