We are trying to eat out of the freezer at the moment, partly because it's too full but mostly to save money.
It's so easy to just buy something for tea at the shops instead of rooting around in a cold chest freezer.
I now know what I have in the depths.....lots of fruit, bread & kippers!
Picture of freezer in the utility room.
Pretty poor photo today...I was going to put it in extras but it's a diary photo so will do.
Three good things:
1. The lid on the freezer shuts properly!
2. A new seat for my old chair......the lady who renovated it has made a proper padded seat with Harris Tweed to match the chair.
3. Proper puddings tonight with Country Pudding custard.
@newbank@seanoneill I had got to the stage when I couldn't hardly close the lid, that's why it was iced up! We are eating all sorts of different things tonight!
@happypat my plan was to use up my fruit by making ice cream in my new ice cream maker but that then needs to go back in the freezer..... we do at least have beef stew for tea after I found that hiding in there!
Beat you to it -- mine was absolutely frosted to the hilt and I defrosted it just over a week ago . I was very pleased to find no food to throw away except one piece of white fish that looked a bit frost bitten and suspect !
@beryl I just through out some carrot & turnip frozen veg so not bad....it all seems to have gone back in smaller space thank goodness! Great feeling to get it done though Beryl!
That's a fun job! not! I hate our deep freeze. I call it our 'black hole" Things go in and disappear. It's really so wasteful. We now have an upright freezer. It's much better at seeing what's inside.
If I could have picked a subject to make you all feel guilty I couldn't have picked better! It seems like a job we all leave to the very end! Thank you both!
That's an awful sight! Being short this was always a nightmare job and decided that an upright freezer was the answer but it's still a chore to defrost! Are your proper puddings from the freezer? Proper sounds home made!
@jennywren well it was a cake that looked a bit battered so I heated it up in the Aga & put custard over it! I had an upright one myself once but when it broke for some reason I went back to a chest freezer....some stupid idea about not being able to get enough in!
@fueast hoarding in a deep freeze that is a very common fault I would think but yes you are right it is a sort of hoarding....the gut reaction of women to provide food come hail or high water perhas!
@happypat Yes it is common - you should see my Aunts. Something went wrong with me. I hate supermarket shopping and never have a full fridge or freezer. I wish!
@fueast to be honest there isn't much actuall bought stuff in there...lots of blackberries, rhubarb, gosseberries etc & breads of various types....can't say there are lots of actuall proper meals in there unfortunitely !
Good feeling doing this and yes it's too easy to just buy something whe plenty at home. Love the idea of your Harris Tweed chair seat. My uncles in Lewis used to make Harris tweed....Lewis and Harris are actually one island....but the colours they used were more traditional ones. Now they do all sorts. I loved the sound of the looms clacking away as you went round the village visiting family and friends, when I was little.
I've been doing a 'use what's in the freezer' campaign here too, Pat. It's part of my 2015 resolution to simplify and minimalize. I'm finding some wonderful things in mine...some not so wonderful things as well that have been tossed. :)
@sarah19 I will take a photo Salie so you can se it! The material was really expensive but so worth it though Cathy says it's itchy! Never been that far up in Scotland though my brother knows those islands well.
What a job, especially in winter. We don't tend to go for big chest freezers here. Just her fridge/freezer. I suppose because we can get fresh more or less everything all year round.
@cejaanderson I think everyone has thought to empty theirs Jane......hard when it's cold but surprisingly I found it easier than doing itin the summer.....not so much contrasts!
@onewing well to be honest Babs no one needs a massive freezer these days, shops are so handy & people drive nut old habits! I would just love one of those massive American fridge freezers with ice & two compartments forvfrozen & fridge but no space . I would do away with the freezer then.......on second thoughts I could just put one where the freezer is!!
Now you are making me feel guilty so I will have to do mine! I always think it's going to the ages but actually it doesn't and it's a great feeling when you've done it and can find things!
@thistle the great thing about doing it at this time of the year Joyce is that you can take your time. All my stuff was all over the place, on the floor, in the washing basket but as its cold in there it never melted. Plenty of time to defrost & warm your hands in between with s cup of tea!
We used to have a chest freezer but, apart from the danger of falling in (!), I also got fed up of rooting around in its depths to find things. Now we have an upright one with shelves, not so roomy, but I use it all the time, mostly for storing meat and fish.
We have now got six freezers Pat. Three of them are full of pork. I must have about 25lbs of gooseberries and 30lbs of plums in one plus all sorts of stuff that has been lurking for ages. Must get organised, but like you find it easier to use fresh stuff.
@jantan wow you sound like our lot out in NZ they have home kill so pretty much self sufficient in meat! Good to have your own meat, you know excatly where it's come from. Six is a lot Jan.......you could feed the whole village ...how comforting!
@quietpurplehaze I got an upright one at one point but the drawers froze up & I couldn't fit anything In so when it broke I bought another chest one. I must say it was all tidy & I reckoned I knew where everything was but just had to go to the bottom to get the remains of a brown loaf for sandwiches.......at least I knew I had one without going & buying!
A chest freezer is far more efficient than an upright but you have to delve in and root around all the time which is not only a nusiance but cold. One forgets what one has put in and not labelled of course. We sold ours when we moved and have a small one with drawers.
@maggiemae you are right of course......I have just had to go to the bottom again & now everything is messed up . This is only a small one thank goodness I would hate one of those massive chest freezers you nearly fall into. A very nice Amercan fridge freezer would be good!
Funny how we all have this job to do but put it off until th lid won't shut!!
If I could have picked a subject to make you all feel guilty I couldn't have picked better! It seems like a job we all leave to the very end! Thank you both!