WFMW: What Doesn't Work for Me---Plastic containers in the freezer!!

I do a lot of batch cooking or once a month cooking and so that makes for needing lots of plastic containers being placed in my freezer on a regular basis. Well that was until recently when I found that they do not as good of a job as a ziploc bag!

I want to be environmentally friendly when it comes to putting the food in the freezer so I was working my way towards using all plastic containers and ridding my house of ziploc bags.  I have a variety of plastic containers from Tupperware to Rubbermaid to Ziploc brand containers.  I don't have much in the way of plastic containers but enough to use some in the fridge for those dinner leftovers to use for lunches the next few days and then the rest to use for my freezer cooking. The Rubbermaid plastic containers are a bit heavier of a plastic than the freezer containers so I thought it would help a bit with freezer burn and just overall easier to stack the same type of containers together in the freezer. However, when they get bumped and slide out of the freezer when I am getting something else out of the freezer and drop to the floor and crack it does not matter which type of plastic container I use in the freezer.

Since switching to containers from bags, I have dropped many plastic containers both the freezer type containers and the Rubbermaid/Tupperware containers!  Needless to say, I have had to pick up food that has scattered all over the floor more than once from the container dropping to the floor and cracking in the process!  Or I have found that a container was dropped and it wasn't realized that it had cracked a little bit and it put back in the freezer for me to find at a later date. I never had a problem with ziploc bags being dropped and splitting open with food going all over the place. Just so that I have covered all the bases, the contents in any of the plastic containers that I have put in the freezer have been totally cooled in the fridge before placing in the freezer.

I have come to the conclusion that plastic containers in the freezer just do not work for me! I need to switch back to all Ziploc bags for the freezer so that I do not end up breaking all of my plastic containers in the freezer and I can fit more ziploc bags into the freezer anyway!  Besides I need my plastic containers for leftovers in my fridge and for lunches. :)

This post is linked to:

• Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family!

Menu Plan Monday 1/2-1/8

I really have been doing menus over the last several months, but I haven’t taken the time to post them due to life getting busy on me and reducing my time spent on the computer.  Now that a new year has started, I am working very diligently to getting some resemblance of order and schedule in place so that a routine can be in place for the whole family.

Last week I did a big grocery shopping trip! I have been working at a new system of shopping over the last few months and the new system is working for our family!  My grocery shopping system is I shop the stores within the 5 mile radius of my house and make a trip to Sam's around the 15th and the last day of each month, which coincide with hubby’s paychecks.  The system allows me to cash in on the good deals and then have some time away from the stores so I am not burning myself out chasing deals every week.  I am finding this plan to be working very well!  I can get the good deals on the weeks I shop and get creative in the kitchen on the weeks where I just swing into Aldi for our weekly supply of 3 gallons of milk and 2 dozen eggs.

This week’s meals are simple and using what meat I had in the freezer and pantry items leftover from before my big grocery shopping trip.   We have had sickness in the house, so the menu might change to accommodate those who are on the mend.

This week’s lunches that are listed below are for the kids and me! Unless we are having leftovers, our lunches are served with apple slices or carrot sticks along with fruit juice or water.   Hubby and oldest son usually take a dinner leftover along with various snacks for their lunches so I don’t take the time to really plan their lunches. I just take the next container of leftovers in the stack in the fridge that I have prepared ahead of time.

A special thanks to Laura-Organizing Junkie for hosting Menu Plan Monday! Need help with your menus; go check the over 300 other delicious meal plans that have been linked at Laura-Organizing Junkie's site or look down in my right sidebar for my menu suggestion lists!

Sunday (1-2)

Breakfast: eggs, hash browns, sausage and cinnamon rolls

Lunch: mini pizzas and pizza rolls

Dinner:  creamy chicken over noodles, peas and crescent rolls

Snack: snack basket

Monday (1-3)

Breakfast: cereal and leftover cinnamon rolls

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  oven fried chicken, fries and corn

Snack: snack basket

Tuesday (1-4)

Breakfast:  waffles and sausage

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  spaghetti(from freezer), and garlic toast

Snack: snack basket

Wednesday (1-5)

Breakfast:  bagels and cereal

Lunch: sandwich & chips

Dinner: roasted chicken, mashed taters& gravy, corn and biscuits

Snack: snack basket

Thursday (1-6)

Breakfast: Pancakes and sausage

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  roast, carrots, and potatoes served with homemade bread

Snack: snack basket                                                       

Friday (1-7)

Breakfast: cereal

Lunch: leftovers

Dinner:  saucy pork chops, rice and green beans

Snack: snack basket

Saturday (1-8)

Breakfast:  Your Choice

Lunch: sandwiches & chips

Dinner: ????? not sure yet.

Snack: popcorn or snack basket