freezing in the summer

In an attempt to embrace the fact that I am 27 going on 40 something, 

I recently started stocking and freezing some food. This is something usually reserved for those who have children, lived through the Great Depression and/or are doomsday preppers. I am none of these. 

This takes planning and thinking ahead. And while those are not generally words or phrases that describe me (due to my moderate ADD),  I'm proud to admit that I can sometimes fake it and convince people that I'm borderline "type A" (due to my mild to moderate OCD).  Obviously this is only successful in short intervals because after too much time with me they will realize that my keys are locked in my car, I left the oven on and my phone is dead. The only thing "type A" about me is that I have some seriously "great" idea and… that.is.where.they.stop. Not after spelling out these "great ideas" in detail to my husband Nate of course. The trick is to wait until you are in the car with your victim to start your rants and ramblings, so there is no escaping. Your welcome. 

 I washed and dried the fruit and spread them on pans. 

Flash freezing the fruit keeps it from sticking together in a big clump. 

I bagged it up and will use it this fall/winter for smoothies, muffins etc.

It's cheaper to buy produce when it's in season and either local or at least grown in the US. 

This is especially true when you're buying organic,

which I definitely do with berries and most produce of which I eat the skin. 

Click this link http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/ for a full list of produce that you should always by organic and those that you can save some money by buying conventional. 

I need more blueberries! 

It was hard not to eat them all!

Rasberries and the rest of the strawberries. 

It was so easy!!

I also froze chopped celery, onion, jalapenos, pineapple, lemon wedges, cooked shredded chicken and ground beef over the course of a week. 

I'm torn. 

I'm trying to get away from using plastic in the kitchen BUT ziploc bags make so much sense. 

Since the bags are not getting hot there shouldn't be the worry of chemical leaching but 

tossing them is wasteful. ugh! Sometimes I rinse and reuse them but I wouldn't rinse them with hot water and then put food in them. double ugh!!

Anyways... I love this whole freezing thing, because I rarely use up all my produce when cooking. Now I can just grab what I need from the freezer. It makes cooking quicker and less wasteful. 

Most of this was grown locally, organic or both. I love supporting local farms and knowing where my food comes from. Freezing helps you do this in the winter months too. 

I found Andrea's site Simple Organized Living to be most helpful when tackling the freezer. Also check Lisa Leak's blog series "preserving seasonal foods" from 100daysofrealfood.

Oh and this is what happens when you chop 6 or so jalapenos without wearing gloves or washing your hands thoroughly. I also don't recommend scraping out the ribs and seeds with your fingers. I was just trying to be on with my food :) 

rookie

After scouring the entire and asking for advice on facebook, I coated my hand in oil, butter, soaked it lime juice and found temporary relief in a tub of sour cream. As you can see I was desperate. 

I ended up "sleeping" with my hand in a bowl of ice water all night. 

Needless to say I will not be doing that again.