The Big Chill

It is so cold. There are icicles on the inside of the window and people are dropping like flies with the flu. I got it just before Christmas, which meant we had to cancel the big party. As I’d done most of the cooking in advance, it wasn’t too much of a problem as it was all in the freezer.

Talking of freezers, I’d be completely lost without mine. We’ve got one of those enormous American style ones, given to us by a friend. I was terribly grateful – it is absolutely huge and has made such a difference to the way I shop and plan meals for my tribe. I really regard it as another storecupboard, only much, much colder. I throw all the meat and fish into it when I’ve done the weekly shop, portioning up the really big bags into smaller ones to make it easier. Then I only have to remember to take something out each night before I go to bed, to defrost for the next day’s supper. It means the fridge is much less crowded now. I can see what’s in there and things don’t get lost behind the yoghurts. No more missing the ‘use by’ dates on forgotten packets of sausages and having to chuck them out. No more discovering the last slice of bacon, a bit blue around the edges and fit only for the bin.

Or that’s the theory anyway… The freezer is so full at the moment that I can’t actually find anything!