For me, I feel like a good rule of thumb is to take a break from freezing foods every so often and just focus on emptying the freezer and eating what I already have a little at a time. I don't see the point of freezing so much stuff that I don't even know what's in there. I don't want to find a piece of meat that's ten years old and have to wonder if it's going to taste disgusting and either wind up wasting it or force feeding it to myself/family.
One way I avoid forgetting what I have is by keeping a running list, which serves as an inventory of both my freezer and deep freezer. I write down the date it was frozen, what was frozen, its location, and whether it was cooked before freezing it. This helps me to know what to eat and in what order. Also, writing directions on the packaging for reheating casseroles and such really helps save time. I don't want to dig out various cookbooks each time I need to check the directions for the cooking times and temps of various dishes.
For me, I feel like a good rule of thumb is to take a break from freezing foods every so often and just focus on emptying the freezer and eating what I already have a little at a time. I don't see the point of freezing so much stuff that I don't even know what's in there. I don't want to find a piece of meat that's ten years old and have to wonder if it's going to taste disgusting and either wind up wasting it or force feeding it to myself/family.
One way I avoid forgetting what I have is by keeping a running list, which serves as an inventory of both my freezer and deep freezer. I write down the date it was frozen, what was frozen, its location, and whether it was cooked before freezing it. This helps me to know what to eat and in what order. Also, writing directions on the packaging for reheating casseroles and such really helps save time. I don't want to dig out various cookbooks each time I need to check the directions for the cooking times and temps of various dishes.