Spring cleaning, freezer and pantry edition
Because a great way to spend a rainy spring day is by ensuring you have enough space for your snacks.
Good morning! I spotted some beautiful crepuscular rays (also known as sunbeams) over the weekend. Not sure everyone geeks out about crepuscular rays as much as I do…but I hope the view brings you some joy on this Monday morning regardless. Have a great week!
WEATHER TIDBITS
FINALLY: The storm system that brought severe weather and extreme rainfall to parts of the Mid-South over the past several days will clear the inundated area and begin to move offshore. There will still be a chance of some stronger storms and heavy rain in the South Atlantic region today before calm weather returns. This system brought devastation to parts of the Mid-South and Ohio Valley - you can read a summary from CBS News here.
The Severe Weather Outlook from the Storm Prediction Center for Monday, 4/7/25, highlighting a chance of severe weather in the South Atlantic region. APRIL (SNOW) SHOWERS: A cold front will remind some of us in the Northeast and Great Lakes region that winter is one stubborn season. According to the Weather Prediction Center, high temperatures are expected to be 10-30° cooler than seasonal averages across the region behind the passage of the front. Lake-effect snow will be possible for those downwind of the Great Lakes, and snow is also looking likely in New England, especially in the higher elevations. Most of the snow accumulation should be light - just enough for winter to remind you it’s not over ‘til it’s over.
The surface temperature anomaly from the ECMWF forecast model, showing cooler than average temperatures for the eastern U.S for the first half of this week.
FROM MY KITCHEN
How are all my spring cleaners doing? I’m in the thick of it - but we’re always in the thick of cleaning in my household due to Exhibit A below. I grew up with Bernese mountain dogs and thought I knew dog hair, then this goofball entered my life. The girl can shed. The lint roller stays busy and more than one vacuum cleaner has met an untimely demise in this house.
One of my spring cleaning tasks this year is to make some room in the freezer and pantry. I want to be better about freezing/preserving fruits and veggies this year so I can enjoy them through the winter, but it won’t be possible if I don’t have the space for it! Plus, ice cream season is coming. All weather is ice cream weather, but summer is undoubtedly the time you want the most room in your freezer for ice cream. I will NOT let a lack of space get in the way of my summer ice cream eating habits.
Cleaning out the freezer and pantry is just another way of saying we’re eating our way through the freezer and pantry. Last week I used up the last of my frozen cherry tomato supply in a pasta sauce, threw the rest of my frozen peaches in a smoothie, and made a delightful blueberry compote with frozen blueberries. I have a bad habit of stockpiling bread ends in the freezer and then never actually using them - those were tossed in the food processor, made into bread crumbs, then sautéed with some olive oil/salt/pepper/garlic/parsley/parm to make a crunchy kale salad topping. Ta-da! Suddenly I could see (part of) the back of the freezer again.
Anyway, a rainy day is a good excuse to tackle a project like taking inventory and/or cleaning out your food storage areas! You’ll be grateful you did next winter when you have all the frozen fruits and veggies your heart could ever desire.
Final thought of the day - some mornings call for oatmeal and some call for a smoothie full of greens, but a sunny Sunday morning in the spring calls for the decadence of french toast and blueberry compote. Balance, my friends!
RECIPE INSPIRATION
On the off chance you’re also attempting to free up some space in your freezer, here are some recipes that take advantage of the freezer staples.
Blueberry Compote from Love & Lemons
Homemade Breadcrumbs from Love & Lemons
Tomato Sauce (using frozen tomatoes) from Mangia with Michele
Homemade Corn Chowder from The Chunky Chef
Peach Upside-Down Cake from Taste of Home
California Date Shake from NYT Cooking
Thanks for making it to the end of the Frost Bites Newsletter! I’ll be back in your inbox next Monday with the weather forecast and recipe suggestions. In the meantime - get outside, eat good food, and remember all weather is ice cream weather.