Sightings of UFO's in North Devon!

Oh I am not alone!!

I have loads of UFOs in my freezers .I used to really believe that I would remember what those little pots & packages had in them but after pastry turned out to be sugar paste ( the quiche would have been interesting!) I decided to label everything carefully.
I bought nice labels from Lakeland & a freezer proof pen & was very smug. What I had not thought about was that even good quality labels fall off in the freezer so I have lots of little pots, packages etc. & lots of labels but not TOGETHER!
I like to think of it as a challenge now- whatever comes out of freezers has to be used- we've had some 'interesting' meals. Actually butternut & parmesan cheese soup made a really nice base for a gammon joint in pressure cooker. I might even make it again intentionally one day.

We have a moderate sized chest freezer and of course, you only get the one basket that suspends from the top edge of the freezer and holds next to nothing. We bulk buy chicken fillets, fish and fish products and also beef, lamb and pork; after all isn't that the whole point of having a freezer?

Well, to get to my point, I found that the food was all getting jumbled up. I tried to keep it tidy with an area for red meat etc but that didn't work either. Then I happened across some of those laundry bags for washing delicates, the mesh ones with a zip across the top, seem to recall they were from Lakeland.

So, I had the idea of colour coding them, I bound the edge of one with red bias tape, one with, blue and one with pink; I now have three separate mesh bags for beef, fish and chicken respectively and know exactly where the meat products are!

We also found the stick on labels fell of so we also use a wipe off marker.

I too have some UFO’s lurking... the OH bought some bulk buy meat, which was delivered just chilled. He put it all in the freezer before I got home, so it is almost impossible to tell what some of it is.

The mystery meals reminds me of when I used to do a lot of competitions, which required labels from tins to be sent as ‘qualifiers’. I used to label the tins before I took the manufacturer’s labels off, but these used to drop off sometimes, leading to some “interesting” menus.

My friends and I call this freezer surprize Lol

I have found that masking tape stays on well in the freezer.

I had a grand clear out of the freezer a few months ago, eventually arriving at the bottom where I found an M&S Apple pie dated use by 2007! At least I now know what's in it; I use those sturdy supermarket shopping bags to sort stuff now: I have one for bread, one for frozen veg and so on.

What is bami goreng? Is it worth making and freezing?

We have a plastic tub in the freezer into which go "leftovers" (we're very good at portion control so it's usually only bits) and wait until it's full, then it all goes into a large pan and is liquidised to become soup. We only defrost it once - and it's eaten in one sitting, so (I don't think) any danger of food poisoning (particularly important for meat). Every soup is different but usually delicious! I also add things like stock cubes, Worcester sauce, tomato puree, whatever is needed. Recently I also added a large dollop of hummous from the fridge that had gone past its sell-by date, and was starting to taste a bit "tangy" and it really added to the flavour. (Another variety = "cream of salad drawer" i.e. soup using all those tired looking salad vegetables in the salad drawer).

I've (regrettably) had to phone my local council twice, after seeing my specially bought compostable food bin liners being dumped in with the rubbish (not on recycling weeks)
They were very helpful and it hasn't happened since. Our usually binnie was off
When you make the effort it should be respected and I flatten cardboard, rinse and dry glass and steam off labels where possible.
My freezer is not used as I buy fresh food at least 4 times a week.

Our council doesn't do food composting, though I know most do. I think I heard that local authorities will be told they must do it by central Government.

Re freezer UFOs, I also hate waste, so there's usually lots of unidentified stuff lurking. I ask DH to do the clear out. He is ruthless, especially with what he perceives as 'my' stuff.

On the topic of clearing things out, though, last Summer I did the same with dressing table drawers. I put together a bag of things that I only wear when on holiday. I thought I put it in a suitcase ready for future hols. We're off on hols next week, and guess what - yup, can't find it anywhere.

I think I need a declutterer...

phoenix. Oh Pheonix thank you! You've made me laugh when I was feeling very jaded!

I love "unidentified frozen objects"! I've just put a nascent one into the freezer, happily expecting myself to remember it will be useful casserole veg...

As for not throwing away leftovers... That's a problem of our generation isn't it? Raised by parents who suffered a war-time of rationing and who learned to make do with anything. I feel guilty if I throw away a piece of paper that could have been used for a shopping list...

Now, the fridge: After my husband died and it was just the girls and me, the fridge very quickly became the "Postpone throwing away until later" filing compartment, or the "PTAUL"!

Keep being so wonderfully bright and funny! People like you make life worth living for someone like me who lives alone and gets a bit down with pain and problems!

GabriellaG54.
I don't know whether to praise you or to hate you! Actually you are wonderful. Obviously you are able to go shopping for fresh food four times a week. I am lucky if I can go shopping once every four weeks! That food is freshly frozen at the field-side gives me some comfort as I need frozen veg.
As to the recycling of glass I am still trying to get my council to send me a bag so I can put it out for free collection. They insist that there is a paid-for bin, but I do not need that and all my neighbours have the free bag, so why can't I have one?

Why did you not boil a few potatoes and swede no added extras for sure and no waste either?

Oh Tillybelle
I do hope that it isn't illness or disability which prevents you shopping more frequently.
I could use the freezer but I really do like to shop early, sometimes as soon as they open. Tesco superstore is open 24/7, Waitrose at 07.30, Sainsbury's at 7am and M&S at 8.30am (8am Sat) so I like to get in and out before the yummy mummies park their 4x4s and yap on their mobiles in the aisles.
I sit and have a free cappuccino, read their in-house magazine then go home.
They're all nearby so I can easily walk there or a 10 min drive from home.
I can walk along the canal path, chat to the narrow boat owners and feed the ducks. Sainsbury's and Waitrose are a few steps from the tow path and I can sit on a bench in summer with some fresh sushi (made while you wait) and a drink.
I find it odd that different councils have different colour bins and methods of collection. Our recycling goes in a blue bin including glass and aluminium foil. Food waste in a small green bin (I line mine with a compostable bag) and rubbish in black bin. Food waste is collected weekly and blue and black bins on alternate weeks. I must say that they are exceptionally good and will collect my bin in bad weather instead of me putting it on the drive.
It seems that your Environmental Health department aren't being very helpful. Perhaps they've been out of bags for glass since Christmas. You're doing your bit but they aren't helping matters.
Time to lean on them a bit.
Meanwhile, take care and keep warm.

I have an annual dispersal of the squadron of UFOs just before Xmas to free up freezer space, for which I am thankful as my fridge freezer died yesterday so less to deal with before its replacement arrives. Unfortunately that's not for another week so will have to be using up stuff I would rather not yet.

I've just eaten a UFO . I'm not sure what it was as I've got a rotten cold/flu thing . It heated up my throat and blasted the sinuses - better than Covonia !
It must have been veg curry !
Forget the chicken soup thing .

phoenix....

I label and date all our leftovers judiciously yet we misplace them anyway. H likes to re purpose the containers but he won't replace the labels, so we end up defrosting the navy bean soup instead of the beef stew. He also doesn't put things back where they belong.

There's only two of us so many of our leftovers aren't generous enough for the freezer. Sadly, after 4 or 5 days uneaten food becomes 'suspect' and neither of us will touch it.......yet I still don't have the heart to throw it out!

For me, a 'guilt free' toss only happens when food has changed color or grown a healthy coat of fur ....it's either that or H has jokingly drawn a 'skull and crossbones' on something that's been sitting for more than a week.

Phoenix - think you've cheered us all up!
I'm probably going to spoil this by being a bit serious and nerdy.
We now have 4 freezers as we are concerned about what Brexit might bring.
Sad ex-maths teacher that I am, I have a spreadsheet with a list of what's in the freezers and the suggested use by dates and also lists on the front of each freezer showing what's meant to be in them.
Having said that, the odd UFO appears - probably me being too lazy to label and log it properly!

ElaineRI55
Yes indeed. Very sad.

but why no matter how many you buy or dont buy when you clean out the freezer there are peas everywhere? in the ice in the cracks and crevices peas peas peas and more flippin peas

Oh yes..we do have UFOs. I labelled a whole batch of stuff by writng on the lid with pen. However then reuse said container and do not always re- label.. so mashed potato can turn out to be stewed apple. Gives a new meaning to "Pot Luck" meals!

GabriellaG54. Bless you and thank you! Unfortunately I am disabled by constant pain and other conditions that make me ill. I have discovered that if I am feeling reasonably well (about one day in three weeks these days) I can drive to a Tesco and ride on one of their disability scooters round the shop. It's still a bit difficult to reach things but the people at that Tesco are so friendly. They have to carry out my shopping for me too so I get to know them. I am lucky in that I do not suffer from loneliness or that driving need to get out of the house which I know many people have. I have always been fine on my own from very early childhood as I was brought up in a rather strange manner.
I would stop for coffee but generally on my trip out I start to feel the pain too much and need to get home. Living with pain is a different life from normal. However it isn't all misery by any means. So long as I am able to lie down when I need to and I am not under stress to meet other people's agendas I actually am quite happy! I have 5 very small mostly rescued dogs who are my best friends. Being small they exercise in my quite large garden and play together. They are far less trouble than one big dog I used to have and do everything together so it is like looking after one dog. Sometimes the "Chihuahua" ("" because I have my doubts!) is rather different! He has to be the man and protect us all as the rest of us are mere girls, but he is actually very scared of most things! He did very courageously stand his ground and protect us by barking fiercely to tell a pile of old fence boards to keep away! That was last summer. The leader is Maisy a mixed breed who looks terrier-ish and has amazingly big ears that stick up with extra long wavy hair floating out of them. She is SO bossy and shouts at the others if they do not immediately obey the daily routines of going outside or to bed etc.
I adore these little dogs. The youngest has been with me 5 years. Recently a man came from a local Church and told me he had a charity to help people like me with jobs needing doing in the house such as mending and maintenance. I'm suffering from the results of a very bad and dishonest builder and have many problems to rectify not to mention not being able to put up shelves and cupboards I desperately need so my things are in boxes still. But he was bogus and made several visits culminating in one in which he bullied me severely and said I had to get rid of the dogs! Despite the builder's mess the house is clean and decent. His words were so cruel I nearly broke down. However this led me to write to the Vicar of his Church whereupon I found out that there was no such Charity! And this man and his friend were planning to take away all my things - the things in boxes which are my dinner service and other china, kitchen equipment I'm managing without at this time, e.g. my Kenwood mixer, nice new scales and other things I packed away because of the builders. I used my camping/picnic items while the building was going on. The building was to make it possible to use my powered wheelchair indoors.
I have had so many bad people do evil things to me in the last few years:
There was the Builder, of course, he was followed by a clearly dishonest Trading Standards man and then my MP having a crazy rage in my house (she is known for it) because, for example, I had bought paint and other decorating materials, (yes! - completely illogical! She shouted "YOU do NOT have decorating things! You know you don't!" I assumed it was because I'm disabled...) then this "Christian Charity " man. All these people in a row who should be good people who have come to me and done egregiously evil things. The result is simply that I have become a recluse. I shut myself in and try and manage on my own. Progress is slow, regarding the house being sorted out. I often wish I could get back to my creative hobbies but the building/decorating/floor laying must be out of the way first. It's hard work and I need to lie down in the day due to pain. I am told by my daughters that I am hoarding but they do not understand that my normal things (see above) are still packed in boxes. Neither do they understand that I have been forced to rely more on my creative hobbies since I no longer can go out. Thus I have fabrics, wool and my semi-precious jewellery making items in their boxes. I have had to break from using these while the floors needing taking up and decorating has to be done. With no money - the builder saw to that - I have to do these things myself in my own way despite my pain and disability. It takes a very long time and many days I do none of it. But I go at my own pace without having to justify and explain to people about my pain. And I am happy like that. It is a relief not to have the burden of people who have no concept of what my life is like or what has happened to me, pestering me and telling me what I "should" do in their opinion. An opinion which is completely wrong and uninformed because they refuse to observe my actual circumstances.

You have done me so much good in letting me explain this! Thank you so much!

Stewed apple can look very much like leek and potato soup!

I'm sorry that you are still having problems Tillybelle.
Have you read Bel Mooney's book 'Small Dogs Can Save Your Life'?
I haven't read it myself but have heard about it.

I needed some extra tomato to go into my spaghetti bolgnese mix and grabbed what I thought was prefrozen tomato sauce (I really must check labels). Once defrosted I chucked it into the mince and to my horror realised it didn't look like it was supposed to look. Turns out I'd chucked in sweet n' sour sauce. Fortunately I hadn't stirred it in so was able to remove most of it. Haven't come across any pineapple in my bolognese yet!!