I have half a cow in my freezer.
We went in on a cow (actually a 750-pound calf) with a friend and our half arrived at its final destination this weekend, which is this lovely retro chic 70s disco gold upright freezer. We bought it used for a really good deal. It sits in the basement beside another used upright freezer found at another awesome price. It looks like somebody needs to clean that one. (I hope you’ll be right over! I’ll give you a cookie.)
Behold, half a cow. (There’s a shelf missing in the door. It’s a used freezer.)
Actually, that’s half a cow and a whole ewe and half a lamb. Two shelves are devoted to the lamb. The rest of the shelves and the storage in the door is for the beef. Have you ever seen so much ground beef in your life?
There is every cut of meat imaginable–sirloin tips, porterhouse steaks, ribs, etc. And lots and lots of ground beef. Wondering what’s inside these big plastic bags?
This is your lucky day because I’m not going to show you, but I’ll tell you. It’s giant bones. Like dinosaur bones. Okay, actually there are some cow leg bones in there. They just look like dinosaur bones. I think they would probably make Coco very happy. There are also some normal-looking bones that aren’t so huge, and some fat. The bones will be used to make stock. Except for the giant bones. I’ve never seen a pot big enough to hold the giant bones. They might be bigger than Coco. As for the fat, it will be used to make tallow for soap and candles. IS THAT NOT EXCITING? I can hardly wait!
I’d better be doing that soon because in a few months, the pigs will be coming to visit their friends in the freezer and we’ll need the space. Right now, the pigs are still in the meadow bottom. My pantry is full of canning. Two freezers are filled with meat, fruit, and vegetables. There is something very secure about being stocked up. I’m not eager for winter, but I’m ready for it. The other upright freezer holds some store-bought meat and all the fruits and vegetables that I froze over the summer and am continuing to work on. (STILL working on pears here! Pumpkins waiting on the tarmac to go next.)
No one will go hungry here, that’s for sure.
(We have a generator in case of a power outage.)
So that’s what’s in my freezers! You?
shannon says:
omg, i’m pregnant and my stomach is bursting, i can’t bend over and i have acid reflux and this was the wrong day to check in on you.
i have been wondering lately why you never post anything about the piggies….now i know. i could never be a farmer. please don’t post any pictures of them.
On November 4, 2009 at 1:39 am
pamb says:
We have a chest freezer in the garage. I use empty kitty litter buckets as freezer “compartments” or dividers. We have several of those full of frozen veggies & frozen fruits, including a bunch of mulberries off our trees.
DH needs gluten-free & many grocery store meats have added juices with gluten, so there’s several organic chickens & a turkey. Other meat cuts from our meat market, esp lean grd beef & stew beef. Two bags of hamburger patties for our son and two bags of minute steaks for us (super lean ground beef, thin patty, cubed–not cube steaks which are thicker & cook longer). A couple of 5# boxes of plain fish fillets.
One bucket full of small containers of leftovers DH takes for lunch at work.
He likes to do the grocery shopping (clip coupons, read ads), so a variety of convenience meals he gets cheap.
A friend gave us goose & duck eggs this summer. We saved some in baggies in the freezer (minus shells, yolks broken) & use those in his gluten-free bread.
8 boxes of Kashi strawberry flax waffles because I eat two of those for b-fast each day & think they’ve helped my cholesterol. :shimmy:
The nice meat market guy gives us a couple of huge hunks of suet each year. We render it & pour into cupcakes that we put out in a suet feeder for the birds. So bags of suet cupcakes.
The freezer in the spare fridge in the house has flours & baking mixes so we avoid those little moths. All his gluten-free mixes & flours, and our regular baking stuff.
My kitchen fridge freezer has 10 trays of ice cubes. My 5 are made out of distilled water (I use 4 trays a day). 7 cold packs my DH uses to keep his lunch cold & grandkids (here after school every day) use for boo-boos. Two containers of Cool Whip. More frozen meals for g-kids after school. Hot dogs. And a hodgepodge of bits & pieces the dh & son stick in the bottom basket.
Heck, I didn’t mean to go on so long!
On November 4, 2009 at 2:18 am
carol says:
Wow…impressive! Could you tell me how to render the fat to make birdie cupcakes? We live in a Dallas apartment but our balcony faces a creek with lots of trees (almost like being in a treehouse!) and we feed the birds. We’re buying suet cakes for the woodpeckers right now but would love to know how to make the cupcakes, too.
Thanks,
carol
On November 4, 2009 at 6:31 am
Pam Baker says:
Carol, I could be wrong, but my understanding is the suet is special fat around the kidneys of the cow. I’m in Midwestern Ohio & the grocery stores sometimes sell small packages of it. But we use a meat market & the guy there gives me the huge hunks he has after he butchers. In deer season he keeps it to mix with deer meat, but other times of the year he says he often throws it out. So if you can find a butcher shop when it isn’t deer season…
The suet doesn’t have to be rendered. We throw the hunks into the freezer if we can’t get to them right away & often chip pieces off (with an ice pick or screwdriver ) and put them out in the suet feeder cage. But that leaves little chips that flake off when I chisle & they’re too small to stay in the suet cage. Plus we feed suet year-round & when it’s rendered it doesn’t spoil. So the cupcakes are easier, neater, & use every bit of the suet.
All you do to render is melt it in a pot. Once it’s all melted, we remove the cooked meat & rinds (like chittlins), then dip the melted suet with a ladle into cupcake pans with double paper liners. Once the cupcakes are solid, we bag & freeze. We put the cooked meat & rinds into old pie plates & stick those in the freezer, too. During some big snowstorm, we put those out so the big crows will eat that and leave the rest of the feed alone. They only bother our feed stations when there’s a really harsh snowstorm with deep snow.
Our woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatchers, etc won’t touch the store-bought suet cakes. We tried when we couldn’t get suet during deer season one year. Had to laugh at their disgusted flutters when they’d land, ruffle feathers,then take off without pecking.
On November 4, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Cecelia says:
I have a freezer in my garage that is at least 20 years old, another good deal. It is full of trout, chicken, frozen pizzas, popsicles, and other odds and ends. We have plenty of fresh water trout because my husband and sons go on a weeklong fishing trip every year and fill our freezer up. We love it!! The chicken happens to be good deals from the military commissary. It is the pre-frozen chicken tenderloins and was on a huge sale, so we are stocked up.
My house side-by-side freezer just keeps frozen breakfast items, my Sonic ice (a treat for me), frozen juices and small items. We have an icemaker that takes up quite a bit of room.
I love being prepared, but I am not quite as prepared as you are. :sun: I also like to imagine my meat comes from a tree somewhere. I am such a baby when it comes to “reality.”
Cece
On November 4, 2009 at 3:56 am
wvhomecanner says:
Half a cow in mine also since about 2 weeks ago. Minus the bones 🙂
Dede
On November 4, 2009 at 4:05 am
Kathy says:
I too have half a calf in my upright freezer but I just have ground, chuck roast, a few ribeyes, and one peak roast. In there as well are purple hull and cream peas, corn, okra, blackberries and juice,a couple of dozen bags of cut up onions/pepper/celery quick frozen, a few bags of whole blanced tomatoes. There are some blueberries, sliced okra, a #5 bag of flour and sugar, a my last addition of two bags of dried pears. I also keep all my gardening seeds in there as well as a bag of rye grass seed. The only thing store bought in there other than the flour/sugar is some frozen dumplings for chicken and dumplings. I recently spent a weekend putting contents in vac sealed bags and putting dates on everything. And yes, we could eat out of it for a year, and yes, it’s great to have a stocked freezer. Especially with the generator so I don’t have to worry about loosing that cow!
On November 4, 2009 at 4:08 am
Harbor Hon says:
My freezer contains a turkey breast, two roasts, a family size pack of chicken, frozen veggies, bread, ground beef, hot dogs and frozen homemade tomato sauce. I live in a very small place and it’s just me, so that’s plenty. Converted an old bookshelf into a pantry and have lots of dried pasta and beans in an old metal cabinet. I try to fill it all when things go on sale and have been quite comfortable when Winter comes and I can’t get out. I love deer meat, but no one has caught one and given me any this year yet. I know they will though so I patiently wait.
Thanks for showing us your haul. It’s good to know that you’re able to take care of your family in these tough times. I’ve voted for you everyday and you’re still in my prayers that you get the gig. xxoo
On November 4, 2009 at 4:49 am
cricket says:
I also have half a steer (over 1000lb on hoof) in the freezer, 1/4 of a pig,12-15 chickens, a couple of bushels of frozen apples, 1/2 bushel of sour cherries, couple bushels of peaches, 20 quarts of blueberries, and many quarts of strawberries. I have some of the garden beans, peppers, squash, pumpkins, and 25 dozen ears of corn. I also have LARGE bags of flour and corn meal in there getting ready to be sealed up in buckets.It is a lot, but I have 3 huge chest type freezers (nearly 60 cubic feet total. I like stocking up… can you tell.
On November 4, 2009 at 4:56 am
trish robichaud says:
hurricanes are always a threat where i live in florida. i lost most everything in the 04 season. i had a fully stocked freezer. never again, these days i keep it half full, alot of chicken breasts and hamberger.i roll 2 lbs. of hamberger flat in freezer bags, their easy to store and defrost time is 30 min or 3 in the micro. i also keep milk jugs of ice to fill up empty spaces and save on electricity. and you always have ice for your coolers.
On November 4, 2009 at 5:32 am
Leah says:
All that’s in my freezer is a bag of vegetables,lasagna,oh and ice cubes! (put off going to the grocery.) 😕
On November 4, 2009 at 5:41 am
pam says:
I also got a half a cow and found myself trying to figure out what to do with 60+ pounds of ground beef. Let’s just say that I have perfected a bolognese sauce, have made oodles of burgers, and now I am beginning on some winter meatloaves!
On November 4, 2009 at 5:58 am
Sandy says:
Suzanne – how does your butcher package the steaks and roasts? Looks like they are in bags possibly vaccuum sealed? Our hamburger is done the same way as your in the tubes, but the butcher still uses freezer paper to wrap the rest. My freezer is being eaten down to make room for the growing pork. We pressure can a lot of that in jars and put the roasts, chops, and some sausage in the freezer. I like having the jars for quick meals. Heat up a jar, drain it, add BBQ sauce, let it simmer for a while and sandwiches are ready. Also works great for homemade “Helper” type meals. Thanks for being out there in the blogosphere!
On November 4, 2009 at 5:59 am
Suzanne says:
I was not the one who went to the butcher–my friend who we split the beef with handled that part. Some of it is vacuum-sealed, some in freezer paper, and the ground beef in the tubes. I guess they have their routine based on the type of cut.
On November 4, 2009 at 6:12 am
Toph says:
Question please; 1/2 a Calf,is that veal? or if a bit older “Rose Beef’? as opposed to beef.
Freezing strawberries?Don’t they turn to mush when you thaw them,or do you liquidise them?
On November 4, 2009 at 6:06 am
Suzanne says:
I don’t actually have any strawberries in there! All my strawberries were canned. But, you can freeze strawberries in a sugar pack or syrup pack, or even a dry pack, and they are fine.
On November 4, 2009 at 6:09 am
Christine says:
Mine will eventually look similar. We used to always go in on a cow, but that got to be too much beef for just the three of us. Now we’re down to one lamb and we’ll get a hog in the next couple of weeks. I pick up a smaller amount of beef in bulk when it’s on sale and vacuum seal it myself.
On November 4, 2009 at 6:18 am
Diane says:
Wow that is a lot of food. I love it.I am working on stocking up for winter as well. No canning but lots of coupon shopping to get stuff free or very cheep.
In my freazer I have 4 box’s of toster strudel, 2 lbs of ground beef, package of small steaks, freazer jam, 2 tyson ready made meal things, some ground steaks, whole wheat flour, buck wheat flour, corn meal, rice. I have a small little square freazer that was given to us. And the freazer to my refreigator. I kind of wish I had a bigger freazer but I make what I have work for us. I need to get in there and orginize it a bit better.
On November 4, 2009 at 6:19 am
carol says:
The STAR of my freezer is half of a half gallon of Blue Bell Mexican Pecan ice cream. We ate half of it already and then decided we need to NOT eat the other half because we’re….you know….fluffy. It sits in there and mocks me, whispers my name when I open the freezer door and telepathically tells me it can’t hang on forever, that it will soon get that slimy, sticky film that all old, abandoned ice cream gets. That I will have wasted over $6 if I don’t eat it NOW. But I won’t. It’s a testament to my determination. But I’m worried about my husband…he’s not as strong as I am and I’m afraid the Blue Bell will suck him in.
Other than that, I have lunchmeat that was on sale, some bacon, several packs of steaks, chicken stock for soups, a large ham bone that will go into some ham and beans with cornbread….and ice. And half a bottle of water. Interesting, huh?
Carol
On November 4, 2009 at 6:20 am
Lone Star Queen says:
The generator is a smart ideal. Can you imagine the bar-b-que you would have to have if you lost power and didn’t have a generator? You are one busy lady!
On November 4, 2009 at 6:43 am
Lisa says:
My freezer looks similar in contents-freezer packed meats from the slaughter house but it’s not nearly as packed as yours. My motto right now is “Will Work for Beef” in that our neighbor who we buy our sides of beef from asked if I’d come clean her house in exchange for meat. Come January, I’ll be fully stocked on roasts, steaks, burger, ribs, etc.
On November 4, 2009 at 6:48 am
Lynda Dunham-Watkins says:
I want to come live with you and I’ll clean the freezer and, yes, I want a cookie! Amazing.
On November 4, 2009 at 7:00 am
ALICIA says:
It goes fast, don’t worry!!!
We always got a 1/4 for 3 people…it was gone like the wind in no time flat.
On November 4, 2009 at 7:12 am
Sarah says:
That’s called SECURITY… I love a full freezer and full pantry. It makes me feel like I am doing something right, and if things go totally upside-down with the economy, we will still be fed well! I love it, congrats on the “Fullness”! :sheep:
On November 4, 2009 at 7:19 am
Chic says:
Our freezer looks pretty empty..we used up as much as we could before we moved to the farm and we just haven’t got it filled up again. Hopefully soon though. Next year I hope to have it partially filled with veggies from the garden..can’t wait! We also have old fruit trees on the property but this year an early frost took the blossoms before we bought the place. It should be pretty here next spring with all the fruit trees in bloom plus we have long rows of lilacs. Come on spring!
On November 4, 2009 at 7:47 am
trish says:
I’m feeling so left out right now. I only own the tiny freezer above my fridge and I am not stocked up for the winter. What amazes me Suzanne is you probably know what to do with 95% of what is in your freezer. I would stand there and stare and have no clue!!!
On November 4, 2009 at 7:57 am
Box Call says:
Blackberries from summer, fish, beef (not a half a side though, probably 40 pounds worth), frozen tomatoes.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:02 am
KentuckyFarmGirl says:
We have 2 chest freezers full of chicken, deer, frozen strawberries, apples, peaches, cherries, pumpkin, peppers, zucchini, squash, lots of corn, eggs, frozen goat’s milk and I know there’s more in there I have forgotten about. Some store bought beef and pork. We are looking into raising a feeder calf and pig for next year. We also have an extra refrigerator in the outbuilding for water, soft drinks and extra garden overflow. The pantry contains canned green beans, jams and jellies, tomatoes, salsa, pickles, apple butter, apple sauce, apples, pizza sauce, cherries, etc. All my big canisters are full of flour, meal and sugar. We have a large generator. We had a small one but after last year’s ice storm and 16 days without power, we now have 2! We also have electrical access to the well pump in case the county water goes out like it did last year. Propane and gas tanks are full for back up heat and generators. Going through what we did last year makes you get prepared. We’ve always tried to stay ready for things like that but there’s always something you learn during those times.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:12 am
Lynn says:
We processed a big cow and a 2 year old also in May. Sold half of the younger one and therefore managed to squeeze over 600 pounds of beef in our upright freezer (believe me there wasn’t room for anything else!) We give a lot of our meat to family and friends at church. And we host picnics sometimes. We also make large vats of chili which are about 1/2 ground beef. We still have enough to go a while but I feel like we’ve gotten good use out of this year’s harvest (even if the power were to go off). I always am a mite worried when we first put the meat in the freezer that something will happen and we’ll lose it all! That motivates me to start sharing it immediately. I would hate to have those critters rendered for nothing. They were cows with names and I was fond of them. This goes with having them for agricultural reasons; they aren’t pets. But, while they are on the hoof I baby them a lot. I want their lives to be pleasing in His sight (not that cows have great lives). Ours are on grass as much as possible and we hand carry cubes and hay to them twice a day when there is no pasture.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:12 am
Judy22 says:
My chest freezer if full of garden goodness, half a beef and on sale chicken & pork, and fresh fish. I cannot put one more package of anything in it. The pantry is stocked with jars of goodness and other staples. I know I can survive a long time on what is here. Also the generator is ready just in case.
Have you dried any of your pears? Yummmm, pear candy.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:18 am
Suzanne says:
I haven’t tried drying pears yet, but that sounds wonderful!
On November 4, 2009 at 8:21 am
Brenda says:
Hi Suzanne,
My stand up freezer is bursting at the seams with venison. My 17 year old son (the football player), and my dear hubby love to hunt. Its their passion. He says during the friday night football games he is thinking of saturday morning hunting. But he does well at both. I am going to start canning it as soon as santa brings me a pressure canner.
Thanks for sharing your every day life with us!
Brenda
Hanahan, SC.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:20 am
lizzie says:
mmmmmmmmmmmmm……… steak
On November 4, 2009 at 8:20 am
Box Call says:
Found more….sausage, bacon, frozen veggies…mostly peppers, onions, etc. Need a bit of venison in there soon and a wild turkey and some trout. I suspect that soon more folks are going to have to start living the way we do…that is not dependent on the grocery store.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:21 am
Anne says:
Nothing too exciting in my freezer…some bones for the dogs, cheapo coupon stuff for me when I don’t have time to cook. At least now there is no excuse to grab expensive take-out! I just paid over $5.00 for a loaf of bread, so on my next day off I’m going to bake my first loaf of bread! Buying a hopefully preggo Alpine doe next week, so fresh milk and cheesemaking are on the way. I’m learning so much from your blog and I’m loving every minute of it!
On November 4, 2009 at 8:21 am
Lisa says:
Suzanne the next time you are at the store go to the baby section and buy a pkg of cheap door latches (a couple of dollars). They have adhesive that you stick to the side of the freezer and one on the door, then they latch together. I have an upright and last year I cried like a baby when the door didn’t get shut right and I lost a freezer FULL of food. It is a small investment for a big peace of mind.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:29 am
Euni Moore says:
Congratulations on your full freezers. Wush I lived on a farm so mine would look somewhat the same. However, I live in the city (country girl at heart) and have a back yard garden which will be enlarged next year.
In the freezer are trout caught by DH, venison and elk via our sons who hunt and friends, tomatoes, green beans and zucchini from the gardeh, beef, pork and chickens from the market when they were on sale and packaged fish fillets, a ham, a turkey, herbs, blueberries, butter purchased on sale, packaged soups, chicken and beef stock, bones to make more stock and I have no idea about what
DH has stuffed in there. I package soups and stocks in zip lock freezer bags, lay them flat until frozen then stand on end like books; saves a lot of room. Have large containers of flour, sugar, cornbread mix, and biscuit mix. I think we can get through a blizzard this winter. :fairy:
On November 4, 2009 at 8:36 am
lola falana says:
Just have the fridge freezer. At the moment, a bunch of flounder that I found on sale at Kroger. Some ground beef, a ribeye, 4 pork chops (and I don’t like pork, long story),pound of shrimp, okra, green beans, MorningStar Farms grillers, ice cream, ice trays. BORINNNNGGGG!!! :shocked:
On November 4, 2009 at 8:38 am
Will says:
Do you have a generator to back up power in the event your electricity fails? That would be the ultimate worst if you lost all that labor over an electric company’s failure.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:42 am
Suzanne says:
Yes! We have a generator. I’m very worried about keeping the frozen food safe!
On November 4, 2009 at 8:44 am
jason says:
Not a whole lot in our freezer right now. Hopefully within a month or two we will be packing it full of venison (deer meat). A lot of what is left over from last season is going to be made into deer jerky. I love this time of year!
On November 4, 2009 at 9:15 am
Sharee says:
:shimmy: Love the security of all that food! Congrats suzanne! My freezer is empty but I have 1/2 a cow coming at the end of this month….Now to stock up on your recipes! :hungry:
On November 4, 2009 at 9:23 am
Suzanne says:
Thank you for telling me! I just tried the link and it worked. Maybe the SAM-e site was having a glitch right when you tried. Thank you for voting!!
On November 4, 2009 at 9:28 am
Flatlander says:
My 2 freezers are stocked with meet and veggies also.
Oh and pie and lots of apple pie filling.
We don’t go hungry over winter that is for sure.
The only thing we still got to do for winter is chop some more wood, got a lot done but not quite enough for the whole winter and a cathouse has to be made.
Other than that…we are ready for winter….but from the bottom of my heart…I hope winter will be hold up somewhere so we don’t see him too soon.
On November 4, 2009 at 9:33 am
Ms E says:
Hooray, you’re over 15,000!!! Let’s keep up the voting folks, Sam-E needs Suzanne for this job!
On November 4, 2009 at 9:35 am
Janet says:
I am glad you have a generator! We have 3 freezers, a big chest one that was given to us is in the garage and two uprights are in the laundry room. We’ve had one since 1979. They made appliances to last back then. The chest one has tons of berries in it. I wish we had a generator, tho, that worries me sometimes.
On November 4, 2009 at 9:48 am
KCRanch says:
Mine looks very much the same. We purchase 1/2 cow once every year or so, depending on how much we consume. We also have 48 fryers that we raised and butchered this year as well as our pigs that we raised. In my other freezer I have all the berries and apples frozen for use this winter. I also save the bones from the beef and chickens in the freezer to make stock later on.
A full freezer is a blessing and a comfort.
On November 4, 2009 at 9:56 am
EightPondFarm says:
Sam-E *does* need Suzanne. I am a little disappointed there are still more hurdles to jump before the gig is a done deal. But it is worth it. GO Suzanne.
Our freezers (we have 4 of them) look like yours since our roads look like yours — but with more sheep stuff (eg, lamb, milk, livers that need to go to Univ of Mich. for analysis to make sure everybody is still getting enough and the right minerals). Plus we have some paw-paws from last year and some pecans that we need to get rid of since deer season is coming.
We had a freezer fail on us last summer and it was very unpleasant; the buzzards circled and everything. The young man who delivered the new chest freezer had to haul the old nasty one out. I heard him ask his friend “Geez, haven’t they ever heard of baking soda?” Probably not enough baking soda in Missouri to help on that one. Gotta go vote.
😆
On November 4, 2009 at 9:58 am
melissa says:
We buy a half a cow also. It saves a ton of money and trips to the store. My freezer has homemade salsa, apple pie filling and diced tomatos- as well as enough yellow squash to feed an army – I thought I was planting zucchini. On another note – you need to publish a cookbook. Every recipe I have made of yours turns out great. The other day when the timer on the oven dinged my kids cheered because they knew the pepperoni rolls were ready.
On November 4, 2009 at 10:09 am
Nancy in Iowa says:
Wow!!! My little apt. sized fridge freezer has: 3 trays of ice cream, some chicken breasts, ice cream (Carol – where did you find Mexican Pecan? Sounds wonderful – and we do get Blue Bell here), and about 4 single serving sized containers of homemade soup. I would NOT last the winter!!!
On November 4, 2009 at 10:11 am
Ulrike says:
My freezer contains a TON of deer meat (maybe it only seems that way when looking at oceans of ground venison) plus some beef (mostly ground) from my second cousin once removed. I need ground meat recipes. Desperately. I feel like I’m cooking the same meal every night, except when I get fed up and buy something packaged and cook that instead.
After deer season in December, I’m planning to switch my dogs to a raw diet of (mostly) venison. I may need another freezer. :bugeyed:
On November 4, 2009 at 10:14 am
KrisR says:
If I lived closer to you (I’m in Cashmere, WA — waaay across the country), I’d come over and help you can those pears. They’re going to be a really special treat come February when there’s no fresh fruit to be had! 🙂
Love, LOVE your blog! You’re inspiring me to consider starting my own.
On November 4, 2009 at 10:49 am
rileysmom says:
Hi Suzanne,
I’m jealous of your freezers! For two of us, we keep an extra 7 cubic foot freezer in the garage. It has a little elk, venison and antelope. The seasons are just starting, so we’ll be re-stocking. I also keep a rib eye steak or two and chicken, Italian sausage, tilapia, shrimp and salmon. In winter, we may not get out for a couple of weeks…….you just make do!
On November 4, 2009 at 10:53 am
Shirley says:
My very first thought was that I hoped you had a generator. We had an ice storm last February. We hadn’t been without power for more than a few hours in many years. I lost part of what was in my freezer in the refrigerator. I don’t have a big freezer any more.
Looks like you are one prepared gal for cold weather.
On November 4, 2009 at 10:59 am
cgReno says:
Peaches, Strawberries, Veggie Burgers and Tofu Chicken Nuggets………oh, and unsalted butter. I am a very boring freezer participant…………
On November 4, 2009 at 11:00 am
Glenda in Colorado says:
Use a hack saw to cut the big bones up. Or if you have someone who needs to work off some testosterone, maybe a chain saw? That way they will fit in the pot. My parents held onto the “butcher steer” this year a little longer than usual, as a result they have 239 pounds of ground beef. Good thing we use a lot of ground beef in our family….
On November 4, 2009 at 11:30 am
remudamom says:
We’ve got two chest freezers, one whole steer, another on it’s way and odds and ends here and there. Good feeling isn’t it?
On November 4, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Runningtrails says:
I am so jealous of all that fat (and the meat too). Tallow makes extra hard, excellent soap!
I am be so afraid of a long power outage when we would also not be able to get gasoline for the generator. I am considering canning, instead of freezing everything, meat included. I have read that meat is a lot more tender and juicy when it is canned. Also, we wouldn’t lose it during a power outage.
I have to get a canner first, of course 🙂
I also have to build some very sturdy shelving in the basement, but I am thinking about it.
We only have one, not really big, freezer and its full of veggies, freezer jams, breads bought on sale and odds and ends – very little meat right now.
On November 4, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Letha says:
Mine has Deer Meat and a Pig. I would love the have a half a side of beef.
On November 4, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Candy Stivers says:
Canned strawberries? Never heard of that. How do you do that and what can they be used for? How long and what pressure?
My pears are all done. Have your tried pear butter – so easy and tasty.
I’m still working on apples. I think I’ll be done this weekend. I love to can but by the time the seasons end – I’m ready for a breather.
New for me thisyear – homemade pizza sauce and tomato basil sauce to make into soup. Couldn’t wait for winter – tried both and know I will be doing more of each recipe in 2010!!
On November 4, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Suzanne says:
I meant strawberry jam! I also made some strawberry lemon marmalade. I’m sorry if that sounded confusing!
On November 4, 2009 at 2:53 pm
The Retired One says:
Wanna see my freezer?
Wow, that is SOME pick up line.
ha
On November 4, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Donna says:
:chicken: Cute! Thanks for the giggles.
On November 4, 2009 at 6:07 pm
JeannieB says:
I have two freezers that are almost full, I don’t have a half of a cow, but do have venison, turkeys, sausage and a bit more. Some fruit, but I try to can all the veggies. Oh yeah, about 8 pie shells, pecans, butter and I don’t know what else. Maybe time to clean. Please invest in alarms, we had a freezer outside and found out too late that it had stopped working. Fire ants just love electrical motors. Remember us when you start on the soap, I want to watch.
On November 4, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Melita says:
Oh my goodness, I love your freezers and your pantry. You are more than well stocked up for the winter, but of course it’s always fun to stock up just a little bit more, where’s the harm in that. It’s so much fun to see how you prepare for the winter, thank you so much for sharing!
Now on a side note, do you have any experience with the fruit quince? I’m looking to make an apple and quince pie and my goodness there seems to be a million and one ways to do it. I thought you Suzanne might know of a recipe, or maybe Georgia. Could you ask her for me?
On November 4, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Alexandra says:
Ladies, you put me to shame. Nothing but ice cream and some bread dough in mine!!
On November 4, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Sharee says:
So Question…How did you decide to evolve your blog? Did it just happen? I was reading archives and its different from what you do now. I love it dont get me wrong but I was just wondering how and why and where and so on…. LOL I think that your hilarious, a great writer, and a great mom!
On November 4, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Suzanne says:
Sharee, yes, if you go back in my archives past late 2007, it’s nothing like what I do on my blog now. I started this blog in December 2004 as a writer’s blog and as an adjunct to my writer’s website, purely to promote my romance novels. I posted about writing and mostly had a lot of book giveaway contests. I didn’t post every day. I wasn’t even living in the country then. After I moved to the country, I started writing about country life occasionally then more and more, and I liked it. It just felt right. It was a gradual transition. I officially changed my blog to Chickens in the Road (changing the design and naming it Chickens in the Road) in December 2007. My blog of the past two years is very, very different from prior to that, so I never recommend anyone bother with the archives earlier than that and they are not indexed on my category pages. For me, it was just a natural transition. I was following my heart!
On November 4, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Michele says:
I have lots of ice cube trays, 2 turkey patties and 2 vegetarian patties in my freezer, sad but true. When I was growing up my parents bought half a cow for us 7 children, it went fast. 😮
On November 4, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Just B says:
I work a lot, and I work a lot of evenings. At the same time, I’m convinced that processed foods make you fat. So, I spend my weekends cooking up big pots of stews, soups, etc., and I put them in little Rubbermaid single-serving containers, and they become my family’s version of t.v. dinners.
So, that’s what’s in my freezer.
But I’m glad to see the pics. I wanted to buy 1/2 cow and 1/2 pig this fall, and I wasn’t sure my freezer would hold them. Now I’m thinking it just might …
On November 4, 2009 at 5:53 pm
Mittened Paw says:
Suzanne, I am so impressed. We bought a small freezer this spring when we were worried about the economy and stocked it with fresh frozen fruits and vegetables from our small garden, the gardens of friends and the local farmers market. We ordered our grass fed beef and chicken – not as much as you – and put it in there also. I also canned everything I could get my hands on. Now we are enjoying our “chemical free” foods so much that even if the economy does improve, we will never go back. I even made your crock pot yogurt last weekend. Yummy! Thanks for sharing all you do with all of us!
On November 4, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Donna says:
:chicken: Oh my gosh! How absolutely terrific. What security to know you’ve got all that stuff stockpiled for winter. You don’t even have to leave if you don’t want to! I enjoy reading your blog so very much.
On November 4, 2009 at 6:04 pm
kristen says:
Isn’t that just a wonderful feeling! I am not nearly as stocked up as you are, but what little I have stocked up on feels WONDERFUL! I actually go out into the garage and just open the freezer and stare and smile…does that make me weird? :dancingmonster: like this..:-)
On November 4, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Cindy says:
You should be proud of yourself, Suzanne. It must be a great feeling to have your shelves and freezer so well stocked. I’m afraid my freezer doesn’t hold a candle to yours. I was tickled pink to get a few green beans into the freezer this summer, along with a bunch of peppers. Some day I’d love to be able to stock my pantry/freezer as well as you do.
On November 4, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Lola-Dawn says:
Wow, good for you! When my kids were growing up, I figured each autumn that I had 3 years worth of food frozen, canned, dried, leathered, etc. Not necessary now that it’s just me, and not really possible now that it’s just me in a small apt. Old habits die hard and sometimes this time of year I look in my cupboards and freezer and think hmmm, Old Mother Hubbard’s Cupboards probably looked healthier! In my freezer? Ice cubes, 1/2 gallon of Breyer’s Double Vanilla ice cream (for which I REFUSE to feel guilty!), bag of frozen mango pieces, bag of frozen blueberries, one sirloin steak, and (strangely) one wiener but not hot dog bun. And an unopened pound of Starbucks coffee beans. And a ziplock baggie of rosemary sprigs. It’s just a little square box in my fridge … if that’s any excuse! Sounds pathetic though.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Tina says:
1 small goat, with three more on their way, in the chest, chicken, corn, 1 small rabbit (he needs a friend to join him in a stew),blackberries, june berries, raspberries, tomato sauce, milk, and some store bought veggies (since the voles ate everything but the pumpkins, corn and tomatoes this year 🙁 ) in the upright, Apples waiting to be sauce, goat fat and mixed kitchen fat waiting to be soap above the fridge.
On November 4, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Celia says:
I don’t have a whole lot of facebook friends but did post the link and ask that everyone vote for you, Suzanne. Hope it helps! I’ve been voting everyday. Drooling over all that wonderful food in your freezers! I need to eat healthier but cooking for one is not easy, lol! :hungry:
On November 4, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Melinda in Washington State says:
With just two of us, I do not need alot in the freezer. Some chicken breast and thighs, a rib steak or two, some frozen salad shrimp and rolls. I also have corn, green beans, pumpkin ready for pies, butternut squash, and carrots all from our garden, and blueberries from our bushes. Some purchased petite peas. Oh, I can’t forget the cranberries. No one mentions cranberries.
On November 5, 2009 at 12:44 am
Donna says:
My parents used to do that – get a half of beef and put it in the freezer and fresh corn from a neighbor’s field…my husband does the grocery shopping and I just have one (side by side) freezer that we keep full…he shops weekly, on base.
On November 9, 2009 at 8:47 pm
becky3086 says:
Well, we have one small chest freezer and right now there isn’t as much in it as there was a couple weeks ago. Chicken that I processed myself are still in there, a big package of breasts, and the backs for soup are all that is left of them, the quail has been eaten as well and I need to hatch more, a package of pork chops, a couple of steak, a couple different things of turkey, some fish, some hamburg, some blueberries and different veggies.
Doesn’t seem like much but it is a lot more than I used to have. When I lived with my ex-husband we never had more than what we needed for 7 meals to go the week. Today is Friday and there is enough food to go at least a couple more weeks. I am hoping there will be deer meat in there this winter and am thinking about doing more chickens if I can ever get rid of this raccoon!
On August 13, 2010 at 10:33 am
LK says:
I realize that I am resurrecting this discussion. :wave:
Come November, we will have an elk and two pigs to add to all kinds of fruits, homemade maple syrup, fruit syrup, veggies, juices and baking to add to our three freezers. We have some other truly odd-ball stuff in there right now too…You’d NEVER guess. My daughter does have some frozen insects, however, in one fridge freezer. She still needs to pin them into her collection.
Aside from that, as far as the food goes, there is just nothing like having your own “store” right in your own house.
On October 14, 2010 at 12:29 pm
Sheila says:
Right now in my regular freezer I have some frozen gingerbread cookie dough , foolproof pie crust , hamburger meat and a few other misc items and in my deep freezer I have a couple jars of blueberry jelly , whole cranberry cranberry sauce , grape jelly , strawberry jelly , spaghetti sauce , apple sauce some soups a few frozen veggie burger patties , some homemade cookies , homemade brownies , crepe batter , crepes , grandmother bread and muffins.tomorrow I’m gonna make some more bread and maybe a few breakfast items to add to it (never hurts to be prepared) 🙂
On February 6, 2011 at 12:09 am