What Makes a Stocked Freezer?

My Stocked Freezer

For many years, my fridge freezer was all I had. It was a typical top freezer and it was a struggle for me to know what was in there because I was too short to get into the back of it.
This fridge was a huge improvement for us- I wanted the pull out drawers and I love them still. We bought a small upright deep freezer for the basement just a couple of years ago, and the majority of my uncooked meats, ready-to-eat meals that I've cooked ahead (chili, meat sauce, shepherds pie, etc), extra vegetables, dinner rolls, containers of soup, and bones that I'm keeping for stock live in it. I routinely bring up food from that one as I meal plan each week so that I don't have to run down to the basement to grab the food I need each day.

Right now my freezer isn't as organized as usual because I'm in the middle of using up what we have so we can restock for the fall, but in this small snapshot you can see leftover rice, leftover navy beans, a bag of perogies, bagged vegetables and fruit, whole tomatoes, sliced ham, cooked chicken and meatloaf, a ginger nub, vegetable scraps, a couple of baggies of soup stock, and several freezer packs of various sizes. The kids lunches also live in here- in the top right compartment (where my vegetable scraps are right now) is everything I have made for lunches- meatballs, burgers, cheese strings, and muffins. When I get organized I also like to roll and freeze wraps so they can just grab and go.

I consider my freezers reasonably well stocked. But why? What makes it stocked? Why does it matter?

1. Having a stocked freezer makes the difference between ordering in and picking up take out, or being able to cook a meal from scratch. With the meal starters I've got upstairs in my fridge freezer, I can whip up dinner in a few minutes that will satisfy our bellies and wallets. For example, I can make a rice and bean dish with the ham and frozen tomatoes to eat as is or stuff in peppers for baking. I can make chicken fried rice, ham and bean soup, chicken and rice soup, meatloaf or ham sandwiches, pierogi soup, fried ham and perogies with steamed vegetables.
2. Having a stocked freezer makes grocery shopping quicker, cheaper, and more efficient. If you have food in your freezer that you routinely use and restock, your grocery shopping will reflect your efforts. It will be easier to put a meal together when you stock up on proteins and other items that can be frozen for those weeks you run out of time to shop.
3. Knowing you can cook or prep once and eat twice will put a smile on your face. If you make a batch of chili, why not make two? Double up on that shepherds pie, slice that second meatloaf and freeze the slices for quick meals, marinate your chicken and beef for a super quick stir fry that flavours as it thaws, and freeze your extra grains such as quinoa and rice. 
4. Having a well-stocked freezer creates time, space, and happiness for one of the most stressful tasks for most people- dinner time and meal planning. Having less stress makes meals automatically more enjoyable, no matter what food you end up making. You will save money in your grocery budget by reducing waste (leftovers get used rather than tossed) and help ensure you are feeding yourself (and/or your family) food that supports your health so much more then fast food ever will. 

Here is the best article I've ever read with tips and suggestions on correctly stocking and organizing your freezer. I've done most of these things, myself, and if you want to start getting the most out of your freezer space I recommend you start with this resource.

You can always call for a companion to help you out if you're ready to do a fridge, freezer, or pantry audit. The big jobs are easier with a helping hand, and I'm just a message away.

Did you enjoy this article? Please share!
Have a great day, friends!
Stacy
#kitchenorganization
​#freezer