Food Storage Week

Posted July 20th, 2007 by Cynthia Townley Ewer

Houseworks holiday plan American Thanksgiving reminds us to be grateful for our bounty--and in most homes, that blessing is most clearly seen in the larder. Refrigerator, freezer and pantry hold a wealth of foodstuffs--and with holidays ahead, these food storage areas will be called into front-row service.

This week, we'll declutter, organize and clean food storage areas. Whether you have a single shelf and refrigerator-top freezer unit or dedicated areas for pantry and freezer storage, it's time to bring order to the larder.

Holiday prep chores run in harmony this week. We'll inventory the freezer and pantry, take advantage of seasonal sales to stock up, and build frozen assets to see us through December's busy evenings.

This Week's Houseworks Focus: Food Storage Areas

Houseworks by Cynthia Townley Ewer Reading Assignments from Houseworks:

Get organized in refrigerator, freezer and pantry - page 114-123
Tackle clutter, organize and clean food storage areas with these great ideas.
Top tips for grocery shopping - page 96
Save money at the supermarket ... all year long!

Inspiration from the Web:

This Week's Holiday Prep Checklist:

holiday plan

Clean out the refrigerator. Seasonal cooking requires storage space, so clean out the refrigerator now. .
Clean out the freezer. Make-ahead baked goods and holiday freezer meals need room, too. Clean out the freezer to create a home for holiday goodies to come.
Set up a freezer inventory. Keep track of your frozen assets with a freezer inventory form.
Organize and inventory the pantry. The year's best sales on staple foods lie just ahead. Know what you need--and make space to store it--with a pantry inventory. Set aside foods you won't use to donate to holiday food drives.
Stock up on seasonal staples. It's loss leader time at the supermarket, as merchants compete for your holiday food dollar. Take advantage of low prices and stock the pantry.
Plan potluck meals. If you're part of family, church or social groups that hold Advent potluck dinners, be ready. Our potluck meal planner will help organize and delegate community dinners.
Add freezer meals to the freezer. Whether you do an at-home freezer cooking session, try the new meal assembly franchises or simply cook some extra pots of chili or spaghetti sauce, stow away a few pre-cooked freezer meals. In December, you'll appreciate having dinner ready to go on busy nights.