This post tops the list?
Honored. I am honored, I tell you. And I certainly hope that the reader who arrived at my humble blog after asking that question was frightened into cleaning out her fridge, lest she end up with condiment overload also.
You know, I really like that post. It sums up my housekeeping issues very nicely.
But it also made me realize that we are overdue here, people. It's time.
First, I'd like to present our Holiday Collection: the cut celery sticks (top) are from New Year's Day, the potroast and carrots (do not enlarge, you will be sorry) are from Christmas (not typical Noel fare, but we were celebrating Chanukah late - long story); and the vegetable stock? Hails all the way from Thanksgiving.I know, I know - sometimes I just outdo myself.
The other food-poisoning contestants:
- In the metal pot, some leftover matzo ball soup (homemade!) that I cooked a couple of weeks ago for comfort food. It worked; but now all the matzo balls are gone, so what's the point?
- Hmmm....I don't know what is in the top round dish in the center. Any guesses?
- Green beans - no need to explain why these weren't gobbled up, right?
- Extra rice - we always seem to have extra rice. Why? Discuss.
- 2 open bags of baby carrots - they sneaked into the picture when I wasn't looking. They haven't gone bad yet. YET. They know they're doomed.
The container of mayo you see to the right? Is how I know that my best friend doesn't really read my blog. You see, shortly after the condiment overload post referenced above, this friend came by my house with this jar of mayonnaise. "Here," she said. "I figured you could use it."(Me, confused) "What?"
"Take it," she said. "My husband got one of those huge jars at Costco and I knew we couldn't finish it in time, so I put some in a smaller jar to give to you."
"You're kidding me, right? This is a joke?"
"No. Why?"
Talk about bringing coals to Newcastle...
I have started to freeze the leftover rice - because there IS always ome leftover. I agree, no point in Matzo ball soup without the yummy matoo balls.
ReplyDeleteI recently found 2 bags of baby carrots, one that was slimy and one that was dry.
we never have leftover rice. i add milk, sugar, vanilla, eggs, bake for rice pudding. always gone!
ReplyDeleteThe top round container? I think it has a mixture of green beans and rice and something brownish and slimy. Just my guess.
ReplyDeleteI stopped making rice because of the leftovers. I'm the only one who likes rice pudding, so why bother?
And in my fridge is one final serving of pot roast swimming in the crockpot. I really ought to rescue it and serve it to a teenage eating machine before it goes bad. Perhaps tonight?
Thank you for these posts. They motivate me AND make me feel normal.
I hadn't thought about rice pudding...
ReplyDeleteIt's not just rice in our house. It seems everyone is averse to finishing off ANYTHING. There is always the less-than-a-full-serving left of almost every vegetable, side, casserole, etc.
Funny how that never happens with desserts.
If you search "Brazilian Water Polo Player" images, my daughter and her friend are on page two. Blogging!
ReplyDeleteWe clean up most leftovers at lunch time, but if the fridge gets too full anyway, then I just stop cooking till it's all gone.
ReplyDeleteFunny about the rice: we eat it so much that sometimes I just cook a big pot of it to have on hand and then center meals around it for a couple days.
Good for you for cleaning out the fridge. I HATE that job (so much so that Mr. H, or my mother in a fit of desperation, is usually the one to do it).
I cook up leftover rice for next day's lunch...stir fry some veggies, mix the rice with egg and soy and then add to the veggies, cook, et voila! Fried rice! I love it.
ReplyDeleteTilly loves rice so much that I ciik extra...
ReplyDeleteshe likes it for breakfast with leftover beans...and sometimes a protein :)
As to the mystery container...meatloaf and mashed potatoes?
Blessings, E
Crud, I should proof read before hitting the post button...I meant to type "cook" not "ciip"!
ReplyDeleteYou're making me feel a lot better about the container of chocolate ganache from Christmas dinner.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, it's chocolate (with an almost infinite shelf life) and ultra-pasteurized heavy cream (with ditto.) On the other hand, no one's eating it.
I guess I'll keep it until Easter. Then it's out of here.
Look at you. You're a national opinion maker. See you on the Today show next on a panel of condiment disposal experts. I recently did a fridge cleaning. Some month past due yogurt and an orange-y brown container of yourguessisasgoodasmine were the top salmonella contestants.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought the container had some sort of green bean casserole topped with marshmallow fluff, but then I thought surely no one would do that, would they? I'm changing my guess to someone combined leftover green bean casserole and mashed potatoes in the same container. Probably a teenager.
ReplyDeleteThat last bit kills me about the neighbor! Clearly she's not a regular reader.
ReplyDeleteI'm rather familiar with this syndrome. I find my fridge is either filled to the brim with expired things, or empty and offering no substinence. I think I prefer empty. While it is frustrating when you need to eat, at least you don't take chances with your life or health.
ReplyDeletegreen beans and rice - that's what would make me happy :-)
ReplyDeletewonder what your friend would say if you got food poisoning from the mayo she brought over...lol
franzi
Holy Smoke! We are refrigerator soul sisters! Our fridge died briefly after the holidays (o.k. 4 days down is NOT brief, but at least it was resurrected for under $200). Long story short, everything had to go. Who knew I there could possibly have been 4 garbage bags full of stuff in my fridge? I was surprised to find the majority were condiments -- many of which I would swear I never purchased and wouldn't have the first clue what to do with (Vietnamese Chili Sauce anyone?). And I'm glad to see someone else feels compelled to save leftovers despite the fact that we KNOW they're never going to be eaten. I honestly don't think I'm capable of throwing food away until eating it=certain death. Thanks for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteI love my almost 16 yr old. He cleaned out the fridge last weekend while I was at work. We did not ask him to, he just noticed that it was past due and did it. He even removed all the shelves and scrubbed them. He did, however, throw out the monster 2 pound bag of yeast, as the freezer bag it was in was slimy on the outside and he was not sure if the yeast was still good. I had another small jar that had not been opened yet, so I did not have to go to the store after I started the quadruple batch of cinnamon rolls.
ReplyDeleteI love that boy. If only his sisters worked half as hard as he does. :) Maybe I should take him to get his learners permit soon so he can drive my car. Anne does not appreciate it. She only helps around the house under duress and thinks she is an adult at 20.
OMG, I think I love you!!!!!!! Just found you and your fridge. You're my new best friend! Thank you for posting this ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis is priceless (along with the Condiment Overload post). It actually motivated me to both blog about it (and link to you) and clean out my fridge. My post is scheduled for tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI tend to have friends over every other week, which is a great motivator for cleaning the fridge out!! There has to be room for their drinks (it's a byob kind of house) and any cold snacks they might bring.
ReplyDeleteWe never save leftover rice, I just toss it. It's so cheap anyway and my son never eats leftover rice. He's a total leftover-snob!! There's very few foods I can get him to eat the next day.