The beast I am referring to is your refrigerator. There is not a photo of mine. I took photos of our actual refrigerator, only to realize I still have nearly 200 hundred photos on my memory stick. I didn't erase them because my husband said he wanted to put them on his computer as well. That may take a while. He is quite busy. So, here is a photo of a similar, yet neater model.
My refrigerator has always been known for its abundance of food. Unfortunately, we lead busy lives and sometimes things expire. Trust me, its not a pretty sight. Over the past year, in my ongoing quest for better health, I have sought to focus on three things when it comes to the refrigerator. One. Keep track of leftovers. Green is bad...unless the food was green to begin with. Still, don't lose track of the stuff in the Tupperware or other plastic containers. Two. Keep glasses handy so you can watch those expiration dates. I don't really have to worry too much on this one. Our youngest serves as the expiration date police. He is forever pulling something out and announcing to everyone that we need more of that particular item. I know it sounds rather obsessive compulsive, but this is good. I don't drink the whole milk he drinks or the fat free skim my husband drinks. I drink soy only. Sometimes they have to remind me when the milk is nearing its "use by" or "best by" date. Finally, keep lots of fresh fruit and veggies available to munch on. If its there, someone will eat it. The same idea works for the junk food in your refrigerator so try to keep as many healthy items on hand as possible.
I already told you about three milks in our refrigerator (whole, fat free skim, and soy). We also have half and half ( for my husband) and Silk soy creamer (for me). What else does this beast of an appliance hold? For starters, lots of fruit for my smoothies. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries (need more of those...ran out today), etc. I have wheat germ for the smoothies also. That alone takes up a lot of space. We have a drawer for yogurt, a drawer for sugar free Jello, and a drawer for assorted cheeses (we like cheese). You will also find Orange Juice, eggs, corn on the cob, celery, mini apple sauces (our youngest loves those), pickles, salsa, protein bars, bread (it makes it last longer), and miscellaneous condiments. Most of them, we rarely use. My husband loves jalapeños and pickled ginger (not together of course). I love to cook with fresh garlic. Our youngest loves grape jelly on his PB & J. The salad dressings usually stay until they expire or we use them in cooking (Italian). Funny, but I can't remember when we last used the mustard, ketchup, and Mayonnaise (which is made with olive oil).
The freezer has lots of bags of frozen veggies, sweet potato french fries, potato, spinach and feta pierogies, ice cream (for the boys), and the same brand of frozen waffles our youngest had on his last scout camping trip (he liked them).
We have a second refrigerator/freezer in our basement. I keep all the big items there (things like cod, Tilapia, salmon and chicken breast, frozen chicken tikka masala). There are some Popsicles too and a frozen pizza that I will never touch. Most the refrigerator holds beer, water, and soda for company. I now drink the water from the refrigerator dispenser (Pure Source 2 filtration system). Our youngest has yet to be converted from bottled water to filtered tap water. What can I say? I drank bottled water until recently. I've had trust issues with water since Desert Storm. Besides, with teenagers, you fight the battles you can win...right?
So, that about sums it up...me...facing the beast in my kitchen (and basement). Now I know what to shop for next time I go to the grocery store. : )
Time to face your beast.
Remember, think healthy and...
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