Clean Sweep

Clean!

I was so excited about being home that I ended up cleaning out the refrigerator, which BADLY needed it.

I don't know about you, but our fridge tends to quickly amass leftovers, open canning jars, quart jars of iced coffee, salad dressing bottles, aging squirrel meat, garden produce, etc.  It seems like each time I turn my back, the stupid fridge is full to the brim again.  I'm going to blame the same gremlins who steal socks.

It's such a great feeling to know the fridge is clean and organized.  From now on, I'm going to try (cross your fingers for me) to clean it out once a week.

If I can manage to actually make that happen, that would be enough to keep things pretty up-to-date in there.

I have been making strides in my battle to use as much food as possible before it goes bad.  Here are a few tactics that have really helped me:

1.) When I get a package of meat, unless I'm going to cook it THAT NIGHT I'll portion it out into single-meal amounts and put it in the freezer.  I pretty much only buy meat when it's on sale, so often it comes with more than we can eat in one meal so this really helps.  No more assuming I'll use it up in time!

2.) I've been keeping a sharpie in the kitchen to label containers that go in the fridge.  Before I would open a carton of chicken stock or soup, use half, and put the carton in the fridge.  Later I couldn't remember how long it's been open so it ends up getting tossed.  Now, I'll use the sharpie to write the date right on the side of the carton.

3.) I tend to want to put EVERY open container in the fridge.  Soy sauce, ketchup, mustard... not everything HAS to go in the fridge, which opens up space for other stuff.  Read the label on the container, and if in doubt check with a website like www.stilltasty.com.