An Empty Freezer for Spring

I’m afraid the dinner menu at our house won’t be all that exciting over the next two weeks.  Spring is coming, and with it are all of the fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables. (Wiping off drool.)  But before we can dive into all of the fresh produce, our freezer needs some serious attention.  It’s filled to the brim.  I realize the brim isn’t all that big around here.  Yet full is full, and we’re hardly touching the stuff in there.

How’s your freezer looking?  Is it stuffed with foods that you plan on eating some day?  Are you stashing a little clutter in the freezer?  And really the biggest question of all:  how often are you reaching for the items you put in there?

I think we have so many yummier choices around the kitchen that instead of eating what’s in our freezer, we’re eating other things.  Then we’re buying more things.  We’re never going to tackle the foods in our freezer as long as something tastier is around.

Random leftovers, pumpkin puree from our autumn decor, frozen beans we bought dry and cooked in huge batches…

Are you suffering from freezer clutter, too?  I think most people don’t realize how much frozen food they’re collecting.

(Our freezer is located behind the cabinet door in the lower right of the kitchen.  You can see it between the green dishes and the white heater beside the brown wall in this shot.  The freezer is small.  But it’s stuffed.)

I know that when fresh strawberries and asparagus starts popping up at our grocery stores and farmers markets, that freezer will go untouched more often than not.  There is no better time than now to declutter the freezer.  The food budget will decrease.  We’ll eat what we have.  And we’ll learn about what we’re buying and not eating fast enough while it is fresh.  It’ll be a good sign of what we need to buy less of.

So what do you say?  Care to dig into your freezer along with me?  It won’t be all bad – trust me.  Tonight dinner in Berlin was:  banana bread french toast (from frozen banana bread), yogurt, and fruit smoothies with rice milk (from frozen mixed fruit we cut up).

Spring, we’ll be ready for you!  Our freezer will be, too.

How about you?  Care to join me?  (Maybe don’t tell the family… guaranteed groans.  Trust me.)  Just for fun – what do you think the scariest thing is in your freezer right now?  Or what has it been?  Is it creepy and crawly?  Growing fur?  Do you dare dive in there and get it out?

Needing a little kitchen management help?  These tips on creating a simpler, happier home and decluttering under the sink could be just the ticket.