This morning, I innocently opened my freezer to see if it contained any frozen spinach for tonight’s dinner.  The next thing I knew, I was compulsively emptying each shelf and spreading the contents all over my kitchen.  The freezer isn’t very big, yet for some reason, I felt like I hit the jackpot – there were treasures buried deep inside that I had completely forgotten about.  And there were some that made me laugh out loud, such as the star-shaped ice cubes made from leftover coffee.  But, I am a recycler, so I wasn’t surprised.  (Coffee ice cubes are a great way to make iced coffee without diluting the coffee’s rich flavor.)

I was most excited to find some frozen pesto and marinara that I made over the summer when the produce was at its peak of flavor.  There was a chunk of frozen lemon juice, saved from the last of the lemons on our tree last year.  I was also happy to find some ice cubes of coconut milk (which taste awesome when tossed into freshly steamed rice) and some parmesan cheese rinds (that lend a fantastic flavor to simmering homemade broths or minestrone soup).  There was also a big bag of frozen, peeled bananas that were too old and tired for my kids to enjoy the first time around.  (They transform smoothies by making them thick and ice-creamy.  And of course, they are ideal for banana bread.)

I was relieved to see that not much had gone to waste. There were only a few bags of leftover shredded chicken that were too frost bitten to salvage.  Then again, my dogs won’t know the difference.

Are there any buried treasures in your freezer?