Recipe Book Tweaking and Reviews!

[JulieO]

Cookie, it is a very good idea.  I do this every 3 months (end March, June, Sept & Dec) and do like JudyD did (go through freezers and write down what's in there, then plan meals accordingly).  It means that for those 3 weeks or so, my grocery bill is quite low plus I then know that nothing in my freezers is more than 3 months old. 

[Katya]

I got so fed up with forgetting what was in the freezer that I  have done an Excel spreadsheet, listing everything drawer by drawer, including the date it was added.   Now when I take something out, I cross it off the list and, similarly, when I add something, I write it on the list.   I then periodically update the spreadsheet and print out a new copy.

No more surprises now, which iis, probably,  a good thing

[brazen20au]

gosh you guys are good! i always forget to label my containers and am too scard to eat them lol

[Thermomixer]

I put together an Excel spreadsheet and kept it up to date for a couple of months.  Then I wnet crazy one weekend and cooked and cooked and cooked and put lots of bags and containers in without putting them on the spreadsheet.

Tomorrow I plan to audit my spreadsheet.

[I Love Bimby!]

Have to scrape my bottom jaw from the floor in amazement at your organisation everyone    - I have a lot to learn     

[faffa_70]

I am with you ILB... Thought I was somewhat organised  but nooooooo not even somewhat lol

[Katya]

Don't be fooled by my only success at organisation.  You should see the state of the rest of my life - the only certainity in my life is what is in my freezer.   Heck, I'm not even that good at keeping such a close eye on my bank account  - although with online banking it is a lot easier.

[cookie1]

I actually keep a record of what meat I have in the freezer so that I can use it up. I did have a record of the rest of the food too but it kind of got mucked up when we were away in May and I haven't fixed it. I did go and arrange the food in the freezer onto relevant shelves/trays, now I had better get off my ........................ and go and list it.

[Amanda]

Goodness - such organisation!!
I, like Karen, frequently forget to label containers in the freezer.
consequently we periodically have 'surprise' meals!!  I pull something out and it is a surprise to all of us until it thaws enough to be recognisable.

[mama_bel]

Good going with the freezer depletion!  I love having "use-it-up weeks" where we eat from the fridge, freezer, pantry and garden as much as possible.  It sure saves time and money and wastage!

I have some masking tape and a pen with my freezer containers now.  It's the best label system I've found so far (peels right off, but not before you want it to).  I label the meals "pasta sauce with veg 08/09" for example.  When I put it away, I pull other meals forward and hide the newer ones behind.

We've gone a bit off-topic here. Oops!

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

You have all inspired me to get my freezer organised.  I went through yesterday and had a big clean out.  I made a list of everything that needed to be eaten soon and am going to plan around that.  I don't have a lot of meals but have lots of meat that needs to be used.  There are 4 large corned silversides that my Uncle gave me and I have been avoiding.  One each week for the next month I guess 
Chelsea 

[I Love Bimby!]

Mine is daunting - 90% lamb.... so when I get my act together I should have a whole heap of recipes to submit to the forum all about lamb... 

[trudy]

Can't wait,. we love lamb in this house!!!

Trudy

[cookie1]

Chicken and Cashews
EDC page 107

I made this exactly as the recipe. I found the sauce a little bland-possibly I didn't put enough soy in it. To liven it up a bit I stirred some sweet chilli sauce through it.

4/5   Will make it again.

[faffa_70]

We love this recipe, I halve the sherry and up the soy