Guess What I Found in the Bottom of the Freezer? . . . . . . . . . . . . (plus Freezer Organization)

Have you ever cleaned out the deep freeze after several years? Really, truly cleaned it by taking everything out? We did just that today, preparing for the 220 lbs of pork my husband picked up at the butcher shop. He had the butcher block the hog out (cutting it up into specific large pieces) so he could do the curing and smoking to make bacon, hams, pulled pork plus neck bones, ribs, sausages, loins and hocks. I'll post more on that later.

While we were cleaning it out we discovered about a hundred Popsicles and freezer pops that had fallen down to the very bottom over the course of time. We must have purchased them over and over thinking that we were out! Well, Taylor certainly is well stocked for summer now. This is a shop sink, large enough to easily wash a Cocker Spaniel, so it's deep. And halfway full.

While we were at it:

We had to get this deep chest freezer under control- too much, too messy. Tubbies to the Rescue!

A friend's son had the idea to purchase tubs and segregate the types of frozen food. Pork, Beef, Chicken, etc. It's worth a shot. The tubs may break from the cold but if it works, we will investigate freezer quality tubs. I hear so many people complain about their chest freezers that there is surely a market for this type of organizational system.

Tub 1: Pork products.
Tub 2: All other red meats
Tub 3: Lunch meat/odds and ends

Hanging Bins: Four- one holding turkey stock, three others with smaller items.
Lower section: flours and sugar. Full chickens. Vegetable bags. Popsicles!!!!!

Not everything can fit into the tubs, at least not what we are currently processing, although the big hams will be hung. You can make out the top of the tub just beneath the product on the right side of the freezer.

Someday I may be able to eat some of this, you see I (almost) fell in the garage while stepping over some melting, icy gunk that was dripping from my car. I caught myself but with a huge jolt which somehow knocked my jaw out of alignment. I keep replaying it over and over trying to figure out how this happened. All I can determine is that my own shoulder came up and hit my bottom jaw on the right side only. It hurt my jaw plus my ear. I keep having to pop my ear to relieve pressure. At first, I could not close my mouth all the way and talking was limited (much to my husband's delight- I talk a lot).

I'm a chicken when it comes to mouth pain, except for root canals which I find to be a breeze and typically do on my lunch hour. I'm giving it until the end of the weekend to get better before I see a doctor - or dentist. It's a little better, at least I can touch my teeth together in back now but chewing is out of the question. I do think that I can live on scrambled eggs, soups,pudding and yogurt if need be! I really don't want some evil doctor pulling my lower jaw down hard enough to realign it, at least not unless I am completely sedated, for days.

Watch for a post on the pork processing. We have a couple of refrigerators full and more on the smoker. Now I'm off for a nice batch of scrambled eggs!