Wednesday, October 29, 2008

As The Food Turns: Election Week Edition

There is no doubt we are living in an exciting, unpredictable time, what with a global economic crisis and a crucial US election looming on the horizon. Everywhere I look, people are discussing the complicated issues of economic reform, abortion rights, immigration laws, and universal health insurance, just to name a few of today's hot-button topics.

And me? Well, I'm cleaning out my fridge. That's right - in a world fraught with crisis and change, there is only one thing you can count on: Suburban Correspondent's Wednesday afternoon fridge frenzy. Isn't that sort of comforting? Think about it - no matter who wins the election next week, you can still come here the next day and witness my latest edifice of inedible former comestibles. And that's a promise.

Over to the left, observant readers will notice an open but full can of tomato sauce atop a half-full carton of low-sodium chicken broth, which itself perches precariously on a glass container containing a single serving of our famous Enchilala Duff along with a lone taco shell; this container, in turn, sits Jenga-block-style atop my Tupperware celery keeper, which apparently was not doing its job (as evidenced by the photo to the right).

At the base of the stack is, quite frankly, an impostor. I had assumed it was a chicken dish of unknown origination date; but upon closer inspection (after the photo shoot) I discovered that this particular leftover entree was a mere 2 days old, and therefore ineligible for participation in this weekly feature. Sorry about that.

Despite my impressive tower-building talents (finely honed by years of playing with Duplos/Legos), I was unable to figure out a way to include this pitcher of orange-juice-gone-bad in the stack. Believe me, I tried. But, alas! Such an achievement must wait for one who has fridge-cleaning skills far greater than mine.

Perhaps one of our potential First Ladies would like to have a crack at it? Cindy? Michelle? Aren't you lovely ladies anxious to show the voting populace (well, a small segment of it, anyway) that those White House refrigerators will be in experienced hands? Or are you both, perhaps, housekeeping mavericks who order take-out every night? Inquiring minds want to know...

21 comments:

  1. you could balance the celery container across the top of the pitcher, cross-wise, and stack everything on that. :D

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  2. You rock if that's all you had in your fridge that was past it's prime!!!

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  3. You have visiting relatives, and you still have time to amuse us with your refrigerator mayhem? I'm impressed. And grateful, after all that reading about the economy, election, and general doom. Thanks!

    And thanks for the tip on the celery keeper. I find that if I put a damp paper towel in the bag with the veggies, it seems to regulate the moisture, and they last longer. There are no guarantees on this method on citrus or veggies older than a month old!

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  4. Never know, the men might be in charge of refrigerator organization in their households...

    Wish I was ordering out tonight, though.

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  5. Ewwwww. That celery just made me dry heave. ;-)

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  6. I am just impressed that you had no hummus, saurkruat or salsa in that pile!

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  7. My money's on Michelle for fridge-organizing skills.

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  8. Even after being separated from the Ex for a year why do I still feel guilty if I let something go bad in my fridge which "proves" my inadequacy as a housewife and mother....I so love your Wednesday post b/c it makes me feel NORMAL! Thank you!

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  9. Refrigerator Jenga...you are such a homeschooler.

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  10. girl next door - that's my job: keeping the world safe for inadequacy...

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  11. that celery keeper is a slacker.

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  12. That is one nasty batch of celery. Great stacking though.

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  13. Celery keeping tip: take the stalk of celery out of the plastic bag it comes in and wrap it in tin foil and put in your refrig. Keeps much longer (tip found on a patterned paper towel -- and it works!)

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  14. My mom has that celery keeper . . . from way back when she was a tupperware dealer for all of two minutes.

    And I am extremely comforted that with all the upheavel our country is currently experiencing, you, suburbancorrespondent, remain constant.

    (it took me FOREVER to type your name!)

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  15. That celery looks past it's prime!
    How is it that everything you say is always so funny....I wish I could do that!

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  16. That's odd - I always think that reading other people's blogs, too. Even as I'm writing a post, I'm thinking, "Oh, I know Sue at Navel-Gazing could have made this 10 times funnier." It's agonizing.

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  17. Sweetie, that is some sad celery...which endears me to you even more.

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  18. "Maverick" and "refrigerator" in the same sentence. There must be an election looming on the horizon or some other freak of nature!

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  19. Nice on the celery...beautiful wilt on those stalks. That takes artistry.

    Okay, I really appreciate the full disclosure nature of your post. I would not want to walk away from a post like this, still suffering under the impression that one of the items was spoiled, when in fact, it was simply misidentified. Bravo. You have earned the Octamom Seal of Approval.

    Blessings!

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  20. I pride myself on journalistic integrity.

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  21. But...but...in which home (out of 7 or 8?) would Cindy actually be responsible for the fridge? Would that be a new skill she'd have to learn in the White House? That's it. I can't vote for her. I mean her husband.

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