Love Your Freezer

I love that I live in an age where I can freeze stuff....all kinds of stuff. Did you know that you can freeze lemons? (and then have fresh lemon juice or zest in winter....in Wisconsin..... without paying exorbitant prices!?!) Yep, I freeze lemons, extra chopped onions, all kinds of herbs, vegetable peelings for vegetable stock, ham bones, bread, cookies (!) as well as the more usual things that normal people freeze....like meats that go on sale, vegetables and an occasional pizza. Judicious use of your freezer is unbelievably convenient. You can take advantage of sale items and freeze some for later use, thus saving cash and your time. You can make extra black or pinto beans for chili, an extra pot of soup, an extra lasagne (if you are making one, why not two?) or a sauce base like a curry or a creole to freeze now and pull out later for a fast dinner. If you have a garden, you can preserve home grown vegetables (you know if chemicals have been put on it and how fresh it was when you froze it). There ARE a few items that do not freeze well....noodles being one but for the most part, anything you freeze can be an ingredient to a cooked dish. You may want to keep an inventory of sorts so you don't find interesting food-like substances in bags lurking in the far recesses of your freezer. I still find an occasional surprise, but......... I love my freezer!!!!!