Frozen Onions & Pumpkin

I hate when I buy food and it goes bad before we eat it. I am sure I'm not alone here.

My fix: Freezing food to use later. I know, I know, this is not a new idea, but I just recently started doing it because I was tired of wasting money on food that just goes bad.

I had some onions that were getting kinda old, so I decided to chop them up and freeze them in separate, serving-size bags. I also had 2 pumpkins from my Thanksgiving decorations that I decided to cook and save to use in baked stuff (or whatever else I could find to use pumpkin for).

 



I like to use onions when I cook certain things, but I don't use them up fast enough when I buy a big bag. If I chop them up, I can put them in little bags to freeze and then when I need some, they are already chopped and ready to cook with.

Freezing raw onions like this is only good if you plan on cooking them later (for soup and stuff). They aren't good to use raw after you freeze them in like salads or anything. They get watery and soft. SO, only freeze chopped onions to use when you cook them :)

This is my pumpkin. I had 2 pie size pumpkins I used for my Fall decorations and I just couldn't throw them out. So, I chopped them up, boiled them, and mashed them. I put it in serving-size bags so I can use it when I bake. Pumpkin puree is great to use in baked stuff like cookies and even pancakes. AND...it's healthy :)

If you want to learn more about freezing food to use later, I would recommend checking out MoneySavingMom's Freezer Cooking 101. She has a TON of recipes that you can make ahead of time and freeze to use later. And also explains the benefits of "Freezer Cooking"

I have tried a few freezer cooking recipes. So far, my favorite is pancakes. My son loves pancakes for breakfast, so making a bunch one day and freezing them to use when I don't feel like making them (which is often) works out really well. It's better than buying frozen, pre-made pancakes from the store. Mine are much more healthy :)