Snacks That You Can Freeze for Later

I loved stocking the freezer before all of this, and I especially love it now.  When grapes are about to go bad, throw them in the freezer and you'll have bite-sized popsicles whenever you're in the mood.  Bananas, yogurt, and pretzels will help you win the freezer game too.

I'm sure you've got strategies for preserving grocery store finds too, and not because you're a hoarder, but because you're savvy.  Me too!  If we have this stuff, we might as well be smart with it.

Grapes are among my favorite things to put straight into the freezer.  I'll leave them on the counter for a day or two and grab a handful now and then, and right before they start to get a little iffy I'll throw the rest into the freezer.  They might be even better that way, especially on a hot summer day.  Grapes turn into little popsicle bombs that also mix well with a handful of nuts.

Bananas are another fruit that I'll throw straight into the freezer.  If you like brown bananas, good for you, but I like them just a shade away from green and not the least bit mushy.  As soon as one brown spot appears, into the freezer they go. They taste a smidge different when they're hard and cold like they're almost thirst-quenching.  If you want to drizzle them with chocolate on their way into the freezer, your family may love you even more.

Another easy frozen creation takes a little bit of stirring, but it's not too labor-intense overall.  Open a 16-ounce can of 100 percent pure pumpkin, stir it into a 32-ounce tub of vanilla yogurt, spread the mixture into a thin layer on a cookie pan, and pop it in the freezer.  Once it's frozen, break it into smaller pieces and you've got little triangles and squares of joy.  You can drizzle them with honey or top them with pistachios or walnuts too.  Whatever strikes your mood.

I let my daughters create random freezer entries too, and it's interesting to see what they come up with.  It usually involves caffeine-free soda mixed with cranberry or apple juice, and they pour that into a popsicle mold.  They love the fizzy-sweet vibe and they have a million different combinations.  I'll stick to grapes.

I could go on forever with this freezer inventory, but another quick idea is to drizzle chocolate onto pretzels.  Put that Ziploc bag in the freezer next to the bananas and make a bite-sized frozen chocolate-banana-pretzel sandwich when the mood strikes.  You could even add peanut butter and wonder where that has been all your life.

Wasted food makes me crazy, so I've learned that the freezer is my friend and things that could spoil or get stale can usually be saved with a little creativity.  Saving food has always been a good idea, and now it may be more important than ever.

If you've got other good creations, send them to me!  We'll keep the idea exchange flowing.