Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Trying to Keep Occupied

So how do you Inventory your freezer/pantry areas? I have the worst memory in the world (I wish it were all pregnancy related, alas, it is not) so I decided that I needed to inventory all the freezers and pantry areas in the house so I could better use what we have and plan for what we need, as well as make for easier menu planning (looking at the list vs. digging around.) In the perfect world I will always be updating these lists - taking away (crossing out) and adding the things I put in on the list as well. Kind of a perpetual thing. Maybe the deep freeze list will get retyped once/twice a year (after adding lots - like the beef or the fruits.) I made lists for:

the big deep freeze,
the extra freezer from the 'outside' fridge,
the freezer from the house fridge,
the inside and
'outside' pantries.
The inside pantry list is a bit more difficult to maintain, there is always stuff going in/out of there... Actually that one isn't typed yet, just scribbled in the notebook I wrote it down in. Hard to say what to include on that list. Do I put everything on it or only the unopened stuff? But then how will I remember that I do have sesame oil or red wine vinegar for certain recipes?

Anyway, it is a work in process. I did put a pen attached with a ribbon next to all the lists so it is easier to remember to cross off/add to the lists.
Any other ideas? How do you keep yourself organized in the food department??

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmm your newest blog didn't show up on my reader! Good thing you sent me the link!
I also have a freezer list. I just have a list in Microsoft Word that is set up in categories
VEGGIES/FRUIT/MEAT/ etc

And I write on it as I add to or take away. We just have the one deep freezer, and our pantry is quite a bit smaller than yours, so I can always see what we have and what we need. You can see some of my pantry here:
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/mnkydad/Homemaking%20stuff/?start=all

Angel said...

Where do you buy your beef?

JJJ said...

We have been raising our own. This year (because we thought we would be moving) we didn't raise any :-( But this spring we are hoping to raise 4 steers or cows. We will be keeping 1/2 of one, and selling the rest after it is cut and wrapped - probably next November. We have had nothing but compliments on the beef we have sold in the past. It is so nice to know what they were fed, how they were treated, etc..

D is also planning on raising some pigs and getting more laying hens as well this year.

Our growing family said...

I think your list looks great! I wonder if you could find easier ways by searching the internet?
Hope you have your babe soon!

Annie said...

Great idea, JJJ...I need to do something like that too. I did manage to inventory our frozen chickens yesterday, something I should have done Before I put them in the freezer, lol!

Am caught up now on your posts....I really liked the way your flowerbeds turned out - I need a couple teenage boys around our joint!

I'll show the Gman the doors on your woodshed, he was talking about doing similar on his big shop doors....

take care,

Annie

http://countrylivinginacariboovalley.blogspot.com/