A WELL STOCKED FREEZER

This week, we are delving into our freezer. You know, that place where we shove leftovers or meat sales from the grocer then forget what's in there.

Ree Drummond aka Pioneer Woman has her 12 Favorite Freezer Staples. Let's see how they compare to yours and mine:

Frozen Peas - Yes, I keep these. But since I'm the only one to eat these, when I get the bags of vegies on sale I bring them home, open them up and freeze them in portions for me.

Frozen Green Beans - No... the only time I use frozein green beans is in the mixed vegetables.

Freeze Your Own - Absolutlely! I take advantage of produce sales as well as my own garden 

Frozen Corn Kernels - Again, this is one I buy in bulk then break down into smaller packages.

          Bob loves corn. However, corn is one of those items that does NOT breakdown in the colon 

          -potentially causing tears/ scar tissue within the colon. As we get older, this is one item to eat

          in moderation.

Frozen Fruit - Yes! Produce sales as well as pre-packaged. Because these will crystallize FAST in

         your freezer due to temperature changes in transport - either to the store or to your home, unless

         you're going to use this right away, frozen fruits and vegies will keep better if you put them in

         seal-a-meal type bags.

Raw Meats - When bringing raw meats home from the store, your  best bet is to get them out of the 

       store packaging as soon as you get home. Well-packaged meats will last longer and store

       packaging does not always meet this standard. Remember to LABEL!

       A) This gives you the opportunity to check the meat and make sure it's good. I've had issues 

            several times with bad meat... particularly chicken. Hang on to your receipt, check the meat

            and return to the store right away if there are issues. You don't want to begin dinner on 

            Thursday night, open your package to find the meat is spoiled. 

      B) Repackage into the Food Saver bags for longer/ safer freezer storage

Cooked Meat 'Components' - Anything you pre-cook. When I bring home hamburger from

           the store, I often brown up the meat and package out for quick dinners. 

           For chicken, if you know you want to do shredded BBQ chicken or Chicken and noodles, go

           ahead and cook it up as soon as you bring it home then package up the prepared meat for

           future meals. Take advantage of sales!

   

Sauces, Stews and soups - This is a great way to package leftovers. Ree packages hers in ziplock bags

          freezing them flat for space-saving storage. Since I use FoodSaver, I will freeze leftovers in 

           round or square pans that will fit my FoodSaver bags. After they've frozen, I dip them in hot

           water to 'unmold' then slide into the FoodSaver bags. This sucks all the air out I might not be 

           able to do with the standard ziplock - preventing freezer burn in under six months. 

          ANYTHING with a moisture content is going to create freezer burn or at the very least crystals

          in under six months - shortening your freezer life.

Casseroles - I do these the same way I do the sauces, stews and soups. 

          If I'm going to reheat in a casserole dish, I will 'freeze mold' in that dish, pop out and put in 

          FoodSaver. When it comes time to cook, I remove from the bag and pop back in it's original 

          pan. 

Bread Dough - I don't buy store bread doughs primarily. I have been known to buy Pillsbury Southern

        style biscuits for quick Biscuits and Gravy. But when it comes to bread dough, making my own 

        as needed isn't that time consuming. If I were as busy as Ree or worked outside the home, then I 

        would definitely take advantage of this option.

Dinner Rolls - See Bread Dough

Puff Pastry - I usually only use this or Filo dough during the holidays. So I buy as needed. But if                you're one to entertain periodically, this is a good staple for your freezer. Elegant desserts   

       without the time expenditure.

Pie Crusts - Again, this takes 5 minutes to make. She says she makes her own and freezes for when 

       she needs that quick pot pie crust or dessert for the church potluck... but seriously, pie crust 

       doesn't take that long. If you know you'll need something that afternoon... mix it up first thing, 

       wrap in plastic and toss in the freezer until you're ready for it later. The key is to PLAN - even

       when that 'plan' needs to be within the next 6 hours.

Aw Nuts! - yep... nuts will get stale pretty quick in the cabinet. I take mine out of the plastic, put into 

        mason jars and seal with the food saver... then in the freezer they go. Will keep seemingly 

       forever!

Next week, we'll talk about MY pantry then the last Wednesday, MY freezer. We'll also talk about why having certain things on hand can help on our weightloss journey!

Enjoy the Journey!

A WELL STOCKED PANTRY

Until Bob gave me a copy of the newest Pioneer Woman cookbook Come and Get It!, I'd not given thought to actually owning one. I mean, all the recipes are readily available at Foodnetwork.com/pioneer woman. But now that I've held one in my hands and stuck page flags on all the recipes I want to try, I think there are copies of previous titles in my future.

I love her fun style
I love pictures of her family and the ranch
I love the step-by-step photography for each recipe

If I'm not mistaken, each cookbook also has it's share of tips. This one - Come and Get It! shares her pantry and freezer staples.

Canned Tomato Products - I tried canning my own diced tomatoes this year and just wasn't happy with the result. Until I can find a 'meaty' variety, I'll stick to the store bought. I also keep tomato sauce and paste on hand

Jarred Marinara Sauce - Since canning my own last year, I only keep a couple of jars for larger meals. I can all of mine in pints as that is pretty much all I need for dinner for two.

Syrups - Mrs. Butterworths please. I also keep Grandma's Molasses on hand for cookies or topping a hot buttered home-baked biscuit. Nothing says southern like a hot buttered biscuit with blackstrap!

Dried Beans - I keep Great Northern for ham n' beans and black.

Canned Beans - Black beans, VanD Camps Pork n Beans Van D Camp new Baked Beans. I also keep pairs of Brooks Chili base /w beans and Busch's Baked Beans with Honey. This is our go-to staple for chili.

Rice - I keep mostly Minute Rice. Not the healthiest but when you're cooking for one and you get hungry last minute, this is the way to go. My rice also includes rice side dishes like Knoll or Rice A Roni

Stocks & Broths - I don't keep a lot of these on hand. I do have bouillon paste for chicken and beef in the refrigerator so I can make up what I need without opening a 4-C box. My plan is to invest in a pressure cooker and put up my own.

Potatoes - I do keep a few potatoes on hand, but we try not to eat a lot of them. We'll get to freezer next week but I do keep tater tots in the freezer for casseroles. I also keep about 4 cans of potatoes on hand for adding bulk to a soup/ stew if needed.

Onions & Garlic - yes and yes. Bob doesn't care for onions but I  will put them in most anything. Garlic we both love... to the extent that I planted three varieties this year. Iv'e never planted garlic before so come July, I'll let you know how they came out.

Breadcrumbs - I keep bread and crackers both on hand. Last year I bought several loaves of french bread off the clearance rack at WM. I cubed them up and dried them on the dehydrator. Afterwards, I vacuum-sealed them in wide-mouth quart mason jars. I can use them as is or crush them up as needed. I also buy Townhouse crackers when they are on sale (New Years and Super Bowl). I can put a sleeve and a half in one wide-mouth quart. We use them in meatloaf, bread fish/ chicken tenders and chicken cutlets (for Chicken Parmigiana)

Salsa - I keep one jar in the fridge and one back-up in the pantry. I'm the only one that eats it. I add it to my chili and taco meat

Pickled Jalapenos - Nope.. but I do keep cans of Chopped Green Chiles for my homemade burritos.

Roasted Red Peppers - I've not kept these on hand but I need to remember to add Sun-dried tomatoes to the list. I've come across a couple of recipes I want to use them in.

Jarred Pesto - again, just a me thing. Bob doesn't care for anything green except green beans and canned peas. I keep one jar in the fridge that lasts seemingly forever.

Jams and Jellies - YES! Mostly my home canned preserves. I keep inexpensive grape for the Oriole feeder. Concord Grape jelly for Bob (store bought until I can find a good supply of grapes to make my own) and while I can my own strawberry and peach preserves, I keep a jar each of store bought for emergency PB & J cravings. LOL I keep store bought apple butter and apple sauce on hand for baking. Apple sauce is a great substitute for 'fat' in a recipe. I'm hoping to get a supply of apples this year and replenish my home-canned stock.

Unami - no but I do keep Teriyaki marinade, soy sauce and other Asian-style sauces on hand.

Olives - Not in this house :-D

Oils & Vinegars - Vegetable Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil are staples as are White vinegar, Balsamic and Red Wine.

Condiments - Who can live without ketchup, yellow mustard, brown mustard, honey mustard, Miracle Whip and BBQ sauces in multiple flavor profile varieties? Not this household!

So that's my take on Ree Drummond's Pantry Staples. Next week, we'll peek into her freezer!

What are some of your staples in these categories? I'd love to know... you might inspire me to add them to my shopping list!

Enjoy the Journey!