On the Fifth Day of Christmas....

ON THE FIFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS, MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME...A CLEAN REFRIGERATOR

A couple of days before Christmas I asked my daughter to clean out the refrigerator.  More specifically, because there were only two of us for our After Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Dinner (a tradition for whenever we are asked elsewhere on the day of Thanksgiving), we still had massive leftovers.  I can never cook for just one or two, but more for at least 4, 6 or even 8 people.  Pounds of mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, veggies, turkey…it’s always way too much, even when I purposely purchase the smaller quantities.  Yes, I hate wasting, but after 2-3 weeks of leftovers (and making plates for almost everybody I know), enough is enough.  I therefore asked her to remove the leftover food from the fridge and clean out the containers. 

What I didn’t know was that she would also devoid our refrigerator of practically everything else.  I mean, we’re talking condiments, salad dressings, everything.  I didn’t realize this of course until I opened the refrigerator door and there were EMPTY shelves.  As in, I don’t think my fridge has been that empty since I got it!

OK, now I know it seems weird to complain about my 13-year-old completing—hell, even exceeding the expectations of completion—any chore that she’s been given, but Oh. My. God.  I don’t even have Ketchup.  I mean, really, the Ketchup was bad?  Is that even possible???  And the cheese was moldy?  Cheese by its very nature is moldy!  The girl couldn’t even spare my fricking Colby Jack. 

So I’m in a weird parental dilemma.  Yes, I get that it is best not to eat food past the expiration date, and yes, she did a REALLY surprisingly thorough job.  How then to explain to her the time and money to replace the items required that were really not that perishable?  Especially in a refrigerator that runs at almost freezing level.  I mean, I am not making her consume curdled milk or rancid vegetables or maggotty meat (because eeeeewwww).  We’re talking items that admittedly probably have so many preservatives (she didn’t even save the preserves!) they’d outlast my lifetime at least.  Maybe even hers too! 

Well at least the stone ground mustard and the La Croix were spared.  And no diets were harmed in the writing of this blog.  That’s something at least. 

Good grief.  Be careful what you wish for indeed.  Ha ha. 

Until next time, Lovelies….