Winter stockpile

So we ALL know (because it's all i talk about... sorry) that Cecelia has severe food allergies. she can't have anything that has been processed because of soy contents. that means she gets to eat super healthy, all fresh and mostly organic fruits and veggies and baked or boiled chicken and beef (or SOME ground turkey meat).

Well two days ago i went downstairs into my basement and opened up our deep freezer. At one point this puppy was FULL to the brim of cow meat (we got 1/4 cow for our wedding) and breast milk (tmi and gross, sorry life of a mother) along with a bunch of other foods. It felt so good knowing if financial hard times struck (or more likely if life continued as it always does) we would still have food.  When i opened it two days ago it was COMPLETELY empty. This scared me.

It hit me that this winter it is going to get SUPER expensive to feed a growing toddle and myself and my husband off all natural and fresh food. Prices are super cheap right now for fruits in season. This paranoia gave me a plan.

Kel and i shop and SAM's Club a lot. we usually don't get much because with only 2 adult and 1 small child mouths too feed their portions are too big. Not anymore. kel and i went to SAMS and for the first time bought fresh produce. We got strawberries, watermelon, mangos, pineapple, carrots, and tomatoes for ridiculously cheap considering the size. I then got everything home and cut it all up. i took 3/4 of it and put them in 1lb increments into baggies and froze them. I learned for fresh fruit it avoids freezer burn and lasts longer is you cut them into pieces and froze each piece on wax paper individually then put them all in a baggies. that way you can take out the pieces you need and don't waste anything to freezer burn. We have started a small stockpile that in winter we can pull out piece by piece and not have to pay a ton for it. We will be able to eat strawberries in December and they will have not been processed at all. The watermelon i pureed and put in ice cube trays. It works great for smoothies, they don't have to be watered down with ice and they taste sweeter. I was able to do this with a lot more than just fruit.

Total we have:
2lbs mangos
5lbs strawberries
3lbs watermelon
2lbs blueberries
2lbs pineapple
7lbs cheddar cheese (fresh shredded from a 10lb block, cheaper than buying shredded and goes a lot further)
4lbs mozzarella shredded cheese (also from a block! so much cheaper)
3 tilapia fillets
1 chicken breast uncooked
1 chicken breast cooked and diced
2 beef soup bones
2lbs carrots diced
5lbs onions (bought a large bag at SAM's, diced them all and they freeze GREAT and are ready to pour straight into homemade soups)
1lbs green onions
2 pizza dough crusts

All in one afternoon and all for $100ish at Sam's (that also included our meals for this week not listed). I am so encouraged to have food stored again, know Cecelia can eat fresh and healthy all year long. I finally feel like i am being proactive about her food, but at the same time i am still helpless!