What's for Dinner Tonight?

[Halex]

Amy,  , when you can freeze a few meals so there is always something yummy to eat.

Do t get too freezer crazythough, LOL

H

[obbie]

Bafs chicken casserole tonight.


Robyn

[Amy :-)]

Amy,  , when you can freeze a few meals so there is always something yummy to eat.

Do t get too freezer crazythough, LOL

H

Lol I can't get freezer crazy like you Halex We only have a baby freezer

I would like to cook in bulk and freeze more meals, especially when things like meat and chicken are on special, but I am a bit scared of freezing and defrosting meals in case I do it wrong and I either ruin the meal or make someone sick.

I'm a wuss I know...

[Halex]

You can freeze most things

Name & date them, dont leave them in there longer than 2-3 months.

If you could stretch a spag bol or casserole out with some added veggies, an extra tin of tomatoes, peas etc, freeze some.  Then you can have a nice meal when the pantry is empty.

H

[Amy :-)]

Thanks Halex

Do you just freeze meals in plastic containers?

[Halex]

Yes I have more tupperware than you can imagine.

I also buy take out plastic containers for meals.

Zip lock bags can work too, there are freezer ones out now. I have also been known to use veggie plastic bags double or triple bagged when I run out.

H

[Amy :-)]

Thanks again Halex!

I might just have to do your triple-vegie-bagging trick because they are much cheaper than tupperware But I suppose I can reuse the tupperware can't I? The bags would just get thrown out and I would have to keep replacing them....

Do the bags work for soup?

[judydawn]

Amy, I tend to use bags for most of my freezing as they pack flatter than containers.  Ikea zip lock bags are quite cheap, 2 sizes in a box and 4 sizes in all. I think I paid $3.95 for a box of 50 bags in 2 of the smaller sizes (not that small).  If I buy meat in bulk I vacuum seal them with the bags that came with the sealer. Soup, casseroles and sauces are ideal for freezing in ziplock bags as are cakes etc.

[fundj&e]

Amy have you ever heard of depression cooking, i love this type of cooking, maybe because i grow up with it, and i still cook this way 
Do a search on youtube, depression cooking with clara 

i use F/Bags to freeze milk,whey, butter milk,sauce and soups anything really   

[snappy]

Thanks again Halex!

I might just have to do your triple-vegie-bagging trick because they are much cheaper than tupperware But I suppose I can reuse the tupperware can't I? The bags would just get thrown out and I would have to keep replacing them....

Do the bags work for soup?

Amy, do you know you can reuse the bags too? I don't reuse the ones that have had raw meat in them, but I use them to put individual kids snacks like little pieces of cake, piklets, a cookie etc so I can just grab one for the lunch box.  I just wash these out with detergent and warm water and reuse.

I have a few Tupperware items and they are great quality but if you are on a budget then I find the Sistema brand of containers to also be great.  You can find them at Coles and two or three times a year they have 50%off so I buy up big then.  

You can't go wrong with freezing things like lasagna, cannelloni, pasta sauce.  I buy up big when things are on sale and make something with it and freeze or preserve.  I got a big bag of onions for $1 this week and made some red onion relish.  Should make the sausage and mash potato nights a little more tasty!

[judydawn]

What an amazing lady Clara is Uni - is she still alive? 

[fundj&e]

she is JD according to wikipedia   

[keiramax]

Thanks for the reference to Clara, Fundj - what an amazing woman.  My sister in law tells a not so funny story of when she was growing up.  They were very poor and one day she came home from school and her pet rabbit was missing.  That night for dinner they had rabbit casserole, it wasn't until she was in her 20s that she realised what had happened and asked her Mum. 

My Grandma use to tell us stories of the depression, I wish now I was old enough to fully appreciate her lessons, but at 16 you think you know everything.

[Amy :-)]

Thanks to all of you for your quick and helpful responses!

I feel more confident about freezing meals now, and am also fully informed about depression cooking Thanks for that Uni

I think I will try freezing my meals in bags and washing them out, as snappy suggested. Unfortunately no Ikea where I live JD, so will have to settle for Woolies or Coles. I will buy a few packs when they are on special And I see what you mean about the ziplock bags being flatter than containers JD. I just scoped out the dimensions of my freezer, and I probably wouldn't fit many of those bulky tupperware/sistema containers in there

[mcmich]

Clara is amazing.
Tonight we are having chicken and corn chowder and olive bread.