Honestly, I'm usually pretty good about keeping my fridge in order and weeding out the yucky stuff or expiring doodads, but this past year has been The Exception For Everything. A great deal of Little Things I Usually Do had to be streamlined or just plain Cut Loose, and Fridge Stock Maintenance was one of them. Obviously, now was the time.
I was happy to see that things were not completely Out Of Control. Nothing growled at me, nothing was furry, and nothing walked out of its own accord. Everything was well within its expiration date; apparently I had performed at least one Fridge Patrol. I just don't recall it (thank you, B12 deficiency).
Here is what I Threw Out:
I know; it's like I decided ahead of time to Have A Theme--Pickles. We eat No Pickles. I'm not sure why we have so many. It's no wonder they kept being shoved all the way to the back of the refrigerator. Probably the mini sweet pickles were bought to put out for a party. The other ones I have no real excuse for. The pickled peppers...who knows. But they're all gone now and I don't miss them a bit.
Sam came for lunch today and finished off the leftover spaghetti. One more container gone!
Next week, Throw It Out Thursday moves to another location where I throw more crap out. What are you Throwing Out, or what lives in your fridge that has to go?
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I didn't know pickles ever expire. Who knew! I just checked the closest thing to them in my refrigerator, the olives, and I'm still working on a bottle from 2015. Happy cleaning!
ReplyDeleteJean--Now there are two words I can't say belong together, happy and cleaning. ;-)
DeleteI hate pickles.
ReplyDeleteI used to eat them all the time as a child. I especially remember the ones they used to have on Tom Sawyer's Island at Disneyland. You could go inside the fort back then, and there was a snack bar of sorts. They had a huge barrel of giant pickles, I wish I could remember how much they were. 25 cents, maybe? Maybe a nickel?
Anyway, somehow I burned out on eating so many pickles and I haven't touched one in at least 30 years.
Which is really weird, now that I think about it.
Gina--I completely understand, and once again, you and I are Twin Sisters Separated At Birth.
DeleteAs I related below, I was nuts for pickles as a kid, even getting my Very Own Jar for Christmas presents. Those enormous pickles at fairs and amusement parks were a disappointment for me, however, because they were always mushy, and I liked a nice, snappy pickle. The tear-inducing sourness of the hamburger dill chips was heavenly to me, and I always wondered why they didn't make their big pickles just like those.
I make my own pickles every summer, and I don't eat any of them anymore. I pack up several quarts and send them off to Jared and Sam. I used to make pickled vegetables and lovely pickled green beans, and don't make those either. I don't eat them.
Nutritionists everywhere are touting the benefits of pickled foods--kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles. They say it's good for the gut. Figures. Like you, I'm all pickled out.
We had a new frig delivered yesterday. Fine opportunity to clean out the lurkers. Only now some of them are lurking in the downstairs freezer, mainly because I do not have leftovers to use at lunch after JG finishes supper. If I do, he does. On the other hand, who can throw out extra icing? Not me,anyway.
ReplyDeleteThis may be a competition. You throw out and then I try to match you.
My extra pickles are going to the Community Hall where we are putting on a fundraising dinner on Sunday. And I have to bake, sob, five pies by then. Hm. The baking will get rid of some of the fruit in the big freezer.
Mary--There you are! I visit your spot every day, wondering if you are well. Glad that you are!
DeleteI have an extra fridge AND a freestanding freezer in the basement. Rick and I were just talking about how we need to get rid of the extra fridge, which has turned into a place to store beverages, primarily, and the overflow from holiday foods, or the surplus packages of butter or sour cream if I am taking advantage of a sale, etc. I feel like it could go, but it works fine, and WHAT IF...!?!?
I am fascinated and entertained by the fact that you serve icing as part of supper. ;-)
We have not descended to eating it with a spoon. Yet. The rule is that it has to be ON somethingg. Ditto, whipped cream. I have known JG to smear the latter on a cookie. And he never gains weight.
DeleteMary--I have eaten whipped cream in a bowl with chocolate syrup and chopped nuts. I will do so again on Tgiving, since I dislike pumpkin pie. You can have that recipe!
DeleteI love pickles, but I am picky and must have Claussen or other brands like it that are not heated. I don't know why, they just taste better.
ReplyDeleteI love the sight of a well organized fridge. I don't know why, but I do. It rarely happens, though I'm pretty sure there's no furry or slimy foods in there right this minute. Maybe.
I used to hate leftovers. I do not know why. I'm working on it, coming around, trying to not waste food. I used to think of leftovers as Ted's department, but maybe now I can take some responsibility too.
J@jj--I had a torrid, mad love affair with pickles in my youth. I even got them as Christmas presents. I'm also a Leftover Appreciator, and Rick and I have a Leftovers Night if the fridge warrants it or Sam doesn't deem any of ours suitable for his lunch.
DeleteI abhor waste of any kind, so it's difficult for me to toss anything that is still good, but sometimes one has to consider other values, like therapeutic, space, and aesthetics.
Our fridge is in pretty good shape, but the freezer is another story ...
ReplyDeleteBridget--I hear you on that. I had a Meaningful Session with that not too long ago.
DeleteOh dear! My freezer is getting emptier and emptier. I may be able to really scrub it soon (I hope). The frig? Another story, and a gross one. The other day I found 3 different containers of the same food (thanks to my husband), 3 apple halves in different baggies (thanks to my husband), a bottle of pick-a-pepper with nothing left in it that could be easily gotten out (thanks to my husband). There may be a theme here....
ReplyDeleteVera--I am sensing the very same theme. I am mystified by the apple halves. Who saves half an apple?
DeleteI like pickles, friends of olives. I'm sorry that these had to go, but you know best. I adore your "Throw It Out Thursday" theme. Even if you did throw out some perfectly delectable pickles and peppers. But I'm not judging here...
ReplyDeleteAlly Bean--I wish we were neighbours; I'd have given them to you! I hate to waste anything, especially food.
DeleteNo olives were harmed in the preparation of this post. I have a jar of large Spanish olives (stuffed with pimiento) and a jar of pitted kalamata still in the fridge. And several cans of black olives in the pantry. I adore olives.
Hopefully next Throw It Out Thursday won't be so wounding for you. ;-)
I just put those sweet midgets on our grocery list - I haven't had any in forever & now I HAVE TO HAVE THEM. I've been known to put half an apple in the fridge - especially if it's one of those ginormous ones. If I want to eat it alone I'll put cinnamon on it to preserve it, and if I plan to chop it up in a salad I'll put it in lemon juice.
ReplyDeleteOur fridge needs some attention - it's been on my list for about two weeks now. There's not a lot to throw away, but some of the shelves definitely need to be wiped down!
Bug--I love being an Inspiration!
DeleteI guess I am the type of person who always finishes an apple. I do like using them in salads, especially when I make chicken salad. Apples are so versatile.
Don't you hate cleaning up the fridge? Sometimes, I just take a few swipes in there whenever there's a clean rag in my hand. Saves me lots of time down the road.
Well done. I am constantly cleaning out my fridge. How do those veggie and fruit drawers get so messy?
ReplyDeleteMeredith--That is a terrific question. I hate those bins!
DeleteI was very guilty of having an M.C.U. ( = Mold Cultivation Unit) going on in my fridge for a long time. Last summer, I decided I was fed up with the 35-year-old fridge in our condo, which we inherited 10 years ago, and decided to splurge on a newer model. No extras, but stainless steel with French doors and bottom freezer drawers. Took me untold hours on internet to find a model that fit in the narrow space we have (counter depth vs. height.) In the end, I finally latched on to something that would fit if Mr. O. just got rid of a tiny little cupboard above the fridge that was completely USELESS! He dismantled it, and had one of his workers come in to plaster and paint the old cupboard area, and... voilà ... we had an awesome new fridge. I was so inspired by the beauty of this fridge, and not having to deal with a missing glass shelf (broken when I decided to clean it using hot water!), etc., that I have kept my new fridge totally up-to-date since then. *sigh* Happiness is a new fridge.
ReplyDeleteOrtizzle--I completely understand Refrigerator Retrofitting. It's annoying and frustrating. Like you, I am grateful for having a handyman husband with a great list of connections in the Trades. Kudos to you for your continued virtuousness in keeping your new Refrigerator clean and its stock rotated.
Delete