Yeah, I'm not proud of it. Even after Larry wreaked havoc with my leftover collection last week, I still have a full slate (plate?) of gastronomic has-beens to shame myself with today. So let's get this over with, shall we?
- Far left, some leftover diced canned tomatoes perched prettily atop a container of leftover oatmeal. A commenter has asked why I would bother to save leftover oatmeal. I don't really have an answer for that. Hope springs eternal, I guess...
- Center front, our produce collection - a shriveled lemon I have no memory of buying and a few dried-up baby carrots. Actually, that's not too bad...
- Center back, some Chinese beef and green beans that I think is still goo
d, but Theo insists is not; on top, potroast so old I refuse to look. I'm hoping Larry will take care of that for me. Maybe for Valentine's Day?
- Right, front, is a bottle of salad dressing whose almost-full twin is still in the fridge. This salad dressing is either the bottle that is a couple of years old that I meant to throw away when I replaced it with a newer bottle a couple of months ago; or, this bottle is that newer bottle, but it looks like the older bottle because someone around here opened yet another one and put it in the fridge.
- If you couldn't follow #4, that means you're normal.
- Right, back, is rice, green beans, and a quarter of a chopped onion which is just on the edge of going bad. Perhaps I should put it back in the refrigerator and take a picture of it next week, when there will be no doubt of its superannuated status.
Even though I
have been running this feature for half a year already, the public shaming seems to have had no effect whatsoever on my food-storage habits. I am an irredeemable kitchen slob, it would appear. And you folks haven't even
seen the contents of my downstairs fridge. Suffice it to say that just today I discovered 2 produce drawers full of apples that I stored in there 3 months ago. The fridge smells like an experiment in fermentation. Brewing (if that is the correct term) a batch of hard cider might just be the way to go here...
have been running this feature for half a year already, the public shaming seems to have had no effect whatsoever on my food-storage habits. I am an irredeemable kitchen slob, it would appear. And you folks haven't even seen the contents of my downstairs fridge. Suffice it to say that just today I discovered 2 produce drawers full of apples that I stored in there 3 months ago. The fridge smells like an experiment in fermentation. Brewing (if that is the correct term) a batch of hard cider might just be the way to go here...
Mmmmm...cider! Would it be wrong to feed it to the kids?
ReplyDeleteI still say you should just start putting your leftovers in the freezer and once a week, throw them in the soup pot and say "SURPRISE!" to your family.
Except for the oatmeal. Throw that bad boy out!
PS: What is this about Valentine's Day? Is my dh supposed to do something about it?
I realize you're accustomed to cooking for an army, which explains the frequent leftover oatmeal. I make my children starve and tell them to drink more water so we can stretch our food. Hopefully by the time this one in the incubator is old enough for bigger portions, the teenagers won't be scarfing the food constantly...hopefully they'll be adults on their own.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Larry's Valentines dinner is gonna be awesome.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see any dessert prospects. I have a 2 month old tuxedo cheesecake slice with 4 bites out of it that nobody will let me throw out but it seems to have some sort of fuzz on it. Probably dog hair. I will send it for your special dinner.
Apparently, I'm not normal because I do understand what you're talking about in #4.
ReplyDeleteAnd to prove it, right now in my refrigerator I have about 9 different bottles of barbecue sauce, all open and in various stages of fullness.
It may not have helped you but I don't feel quite so bad when I clean my fridge knowing I'm not alone. Lets call it a community service then you can feel good about throwing it out:)
ReplyDeleteI save oatmeal too. Once in a while, I reheat it and virtuously eat it for breakfast. Even more rarely, I fry it with maple syrup (that is, I fry it in little cakes and pour syrup over it), which my dad used to do. Okay I've only done that once in 3 years but still. It does so count.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean that I could totally follow #4?
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
We had to throw away the same dressing! Got two bottles at Costco and loved it... and then we didn't touch it for a long while... [smile]
ReplyDelete~Luke
Mmmm... Hard cider. Yum. I say go for it since you're already half way there.
ReplyDeletePS: My fridge is messier than your fridge, I'd bet my leftovers on it.
I followed #4. In fact, I knew where you going as soon as you said there was a twin bottle almost full in the fridge.
ReplyDeleteYou say this is a problem?
Does any of it have green stuff growing on it? Are any of the veggies liquified?
ReplyDeleteUntil last week I had two bottles of opened maple syrup in the fridge--until one of tthe bottles got knocked over and the contents leaked out all over the fridge. Then it hardened from the cold, and NO ONE WOULD CLEAN IT UP--until, of course, I lost my mind over it and started screaming!
I say put it all back in. Looks fine to me.
ReplyDeleteI am a lurker but live for the fridge clean out. You can add the onion, tomatoes and oatmeal to ground beef, salt, peper, one egg and worchestshire sauce to make a meat loaf. Toss the chinese beef if it is take out or cut it up and add to chili fixens, you can add the rice and green beans to chicken and cream of whatever soup. I can follow # 4 just mix them all together no one will no the difference. Thanks for sharing your food with us.
ReplyDeleteApples are good, if you remember to eat them in a timely manner. The bushel I got from the fruit stand last tuesday is half gone already. A few pies and kids who could live on them makes them go fast. At $20 a bushel, they are a cheap snack. And they will mix whtever varieties you want in the one bushel.
ReplyDeleteI have a use for leftover oatmeal. I put in the bolognaise, no one picked it. More importantly no one asked what was wrong with the bol. Once tried it with finely grated carrot, they spotted a pinhead sized piece and demanded to know why I put carrot in.
ReplyDeleteMy fridge is always clean. I’ll never stock dinner in it. Because it is not good for health I think..
ReplyDeletecast iron cook pot