Freeze Mister

Face it - not only are food prices sky high, but even more dollars are washed down the drain in uneaten food. Things that you meant to cook but never got around to before they went bad - something you cooked but the kids didn't end up eating very much of. You know the dance.


Here are some interesting approaches to saving more food (and more money)!

FREEZING YOUR CASSAROLE

Freezing an extra casserole doesn't have to mean that all your dishes are in the deep freeze. To freeze a casserole without its dish, line the casserole dish with plastic wrap, folding wrap over the edges, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add the combined ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze.

When frozen, lift the food from the dish using the edges of the plastic wrap. Wrap in freezer paper or place in a resealable plastic freezer food storage bag. Return to the freezer.

When you're ready to cook the food, remove it from the freezer and discard the plastic wrap. Place it in its original dish, cover and thaw in the refrigerator. Bake according to the recipe directions.

COOKED PASTA

Cook a pound -- bow-ties and rotelle are best for this purpose - -until barely al dente (so that when you reheat, the pasta will not be mushy) and then freeze (unsauced) in freezer-ready container for adding to a hot sauce or microwaving later.

PASTA SAUCE

Make a batch on Sunday afternoon and store in containers (be sure to leave a little space at the top for expansion). Cream sauces do not freeze well.

VERY RIPE BANANASFor an instant protein-rich smoothie store ripe bananas in the freezer, peeled, in freezer bags and blend them with skim milk and soy protein powder.

PIZZA DOUGHIt thaws quickly at room temperature. Also, when you make pizza, cook an extra pie or two, let cool without cutting, wrap and freeze for later. Just pop the pizza in a 400F oven until hot, then cut and serve.

BACCONRaw bacon, wrapped side-by-side in pairs in parchment or waxed paper and then enclosed in foil is great for keeping portions on hand.

POTATOESLook for organic shoestring, shredded or crinkle cut fries or hash browns without additives. You can cook them quickly in the oven or in a skillet and top with browned ground beef and cheese or serve them with eggs.

SOUPS & STEWSSimmered and braised dishes freeze well. Many recipes provide a large enough yield that you can freeze at least a quart to serve later. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

How to Freeze
You can freeze myriad foods: cake, cheese, bacon, berries, and other fruit. Sauces, broth, and pureed baby food can be stored in ice-cube trays and frozen. Here are some tips on how to ensure your foods don't end up tasting of freezer burn.

1. Slice breads before you freeze for easier removal.

2. Freeze in small portions, so you can just defrost a serving fast and easily.

3. Wrap well. Use containers and plastic wraps that were designed specifically for the freezer. Make sure there is no air in bags and wraps. If you are storing sauce or soup, keep room at the top of the container for expansion of the liquid.

4. Be sure to label the package with the name of the item and date of preparation and storage.

5. Place newer things in the back of the freezer and use the older items in front.

How to Thaw
Overnight thawing in the fridge is best, but if time is of the essence, you can immerse foods in cold water -- bag or container and its contents -- and keep changing the water until it reaches room temperature. Transfer soups, sauces, or stews to a saucepan and heat slowly, covered, until the mixture comes to a boil; be sure to stir often. For other individual portions, defrost uncovered in the microwave and cook and serve as soon as possible.

Little Toys Little Hands

About the time my youngest had started crawling and pushing every possible thing into his mouth is the time that my oldest was at an age where legos ruled. We tried the unending battle of keeping them isolated to one room and the door closed but that made me feel like he was in isolation. 

Do you have a similar problem? Small toys around small hands? Or - are you just plain tired of stepping on plastic pieces of pain? Try this:

1) Bathtub playtime - close the drain and let your dry child play in the dry tub with his tiny toys. No pieces can roll away and cleanup is pretty easy. 

2) Inflatable pool - we got a small inflatable sided yard pool and put it in our playroom. This was set up specifically for lego work or when we were creating with beads.

You still have to be an always-diligent watchdog, but these simple cures help keep small pieces under control :)

Box Tops

Just about every school in America collects the Box Tops for education squares you find on the sides of popular food items. Contrary to it's name, Box Tops are rarely on the actual top of the box and instead are in hard to reach places (you're testing my patience JuicyJuice).

The great thing about these little bugs is that they are free. They are on items that you are already buying and do add up to earn your school money so don't let those go to waste. But clipping them can be a pain. Here are a few tips that make it do-able for me.

I'm hoping you recycle, but if your area doesn't support it, mentally insert (trashcan) where I've said (recycle bin).

1) Put your kids in charge of finding them. Each load of groceries has one or two, let your kids go on a scavenger hunt to find them. If they are easily removed (like from the top of cereal boxes) go ahead and do it then, otherwise have them circle them in black marker to remind you and then put the item away until it is empty.


2) Place a pair of scissors and a ziplock bag next to your recycle bin. This can be taped onto it, on a nearby shelf or pinned up on the wall behind it. As you go through boxes and cans to be tossed away, go ahead and clip and stash them.

3) Make it fun! Talk with your class teacher or school about having a contest between the classes to see who can bring in the most box tops. The class with the most wins a pizza party! Schools can easily earn $2000/year just in box tops so a $40 party is a good investment.

4) Clipping box tops is a good way to ensure you're checking the packaging closely. Often you'll find other coupons on the back or inside of packages you might otherwise have missed.

Happy clipping!