Wednesday 4 January 2017

Putting order to a small corner of my world

You know how sometimes you just have to control one little aspect of your life when you feel like you don't have any control at all? Today I tackled the fridge. Oh yes, I pulled every single thing out of that stainless steel bottomless pit of all things half empty. I was ruthless.

I looked at every single "best before" date. If it didn't say 2017, it was gone. (O.K. just so you know, I threw contents away and then rinsed containers and put them in the bluebox because you don't want to be too much of a rebel). I got rid of the half consumed pickled beets, blueberry jam, and salsa with corn in it. (These were all gifted to me, gulp, two years ago).

I was brave enough to open the container of cottage cheese that had just a little bit of cottage cheese, and some shaggy blueish grey mold in the bottom. Yup, rinsed that one out for the recycling as well. I poured the last of the garlic rib sauce down the drain, as well as the not so great chipotle ranch salad dressing.

I took out shelves and scrubbed them and dried them and put them back in (I think in the same spots). I questioned how fruit flies can live (and then die) inside a refrigerator. I really, really wrestled with saving the limes. They were supposed to be for something that I didn't end up making, but they are still fine, and now I feel obligated to look up some recipe that I don't really want to make just so I can use the rescued limes.

I threw out the mostly uneaten plum pudding (happy dance and firm, "I asked you about four times if you still wanted some of this!" to my husband). I questioned why I had not one, but two unopened small containers of sour cream. What the heck was I planning on serving at Christmas time that was such a good idea I bought sour cream twice??

But now, it is a thing of beauty. In fact, there are even bare patches where the gleaming glass of the shelves shows through! It looks almost like the fridges in ads for fridges do, with matching containers and just two apples, or six eggs and carrots with the green tops still attached, just lying there artistically.

When I open the double doors, a bright light shines out and a chorus sings and all is right in my world (until somebody spills something).

16 comments:

  1. I can hear the choir sing! LOL Congrats!

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  2. Glorious! Hope it stays like that for a very long time.

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  3. i dont understand how fridges get so mucky so quickly? forever wiping mine down and now as we have run the food down from after xmas it shall be getting done again before shopping this week ..meh.... sammie xx

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  4. This made me laugh. Don't we all hate cleaning out the fridge? The forgotten things we find? Fighting to get the shelves back in? And the satisfaction when it's all put back together clean and shiny?

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  5. I cleared all the old food out of my fridge today thinking that tonight was the night we put the bins out for the collection by the council's waste services. Turns out I was a day ahead of myself. At the moment I am tackling old records, I have old receipts for goods and furniture that I parted ways with some time ago.

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  6. Sometimes cleaning out the frig, especially after such a big holiday season, takes courage & bravery. Well done you. You have reminded me I need to tackle ours before Friday (garbage day) - wish me luck as I just know there are green mouldy beings lurking in my fridge ...

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  7. Thanks for inspiring me to do that today!

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  8. Our fridge is so sparsely furnished there may be three token items on a shelf. Looks pretty clean.

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  9. Thanks for the inspiration! I will be spending the afternoon with my fridge, thanks to you!

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  10. Such an enjoyable post. Cleaning the fridge is always so rewarding but I find it uses too much electricity afterwards because I keep opening the door to look at how clean it is!

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  11. A clean fridge! Wonderful. I always blame the mess on all those little grandkid fannies I see sticking out of my fridge when I walk in the kitchen. Heads in, pawing through the offerings. They always say "they are just looking." :-)

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  12. This is definitely something I need to do more often; although, since our kitchen renovation begins Monday, every corner of my kitchen has to be emptied and cleaned. It's a bit less laborious knowing I'm going to end up with something new and beautiful though.

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  13. It doesn't take long for food to expire. That's why I hate getting produce. It doesn't last long

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  14. A fresh start to the New Year. Well done, Jenn! As for the limes, I like to squeeze one into a glass of beer, it`s quite delicious.

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  15. HAHA! Even your post about cleaning your fridge is fun to read :)
    I am overdue for this job. There is no choir singing when I open my fridge. But you may hear some heavy metal music about devil worship :)

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  16. You're good. I feel like such a slacker!

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