my new friend, the freezer.

restaurant leftovers are good for freezing too.

my freezer has been my ally in my war on wasted food and a bloated grocery budget.

 how?

instead of putting leftovers in the fridge (or the trash), i zip them up in ziplocks and save them in the freezer for a rainy day.

the freezer gives me options. on a good day, i have individual patties of beef, single servings of spaghetti or lasagna, soups, and more.

when there's a bit of salsa or tomato sauce leftover in the jar, i freeze that too. it's great to unthaw when you want to throw together a meal without having to go to the grocery store after work.

i also stock up on and freeze tortillas, because we eat a lot of them, and you can always pull one out and steam it in the microwave for a quick bean burrito.

even shredded cheese lives in my freezer. it thaws easily.

so there you have it. one step closer to getting a picky kid to eat without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

and many of these frozen items end up being good lunches for me at the office. everybody wins.