Let's just come right out with it.
There couldn't be anyone in the whole internet less qualified to write this post than I am. My refrigerator is one of my most serious problem areas, and it's not just because that's where the Hershey's syrup lives.
Of all the areas of my house that spiral out of control, my refrigerator is almost certain to spiral the most vigorously.
But I'm trying to turn over a new leaf, and I thought I'd share my results so far.
A couple of weeks ago, I took everything out of my fridge, cleaned every possible surface and tossed out everything that was expired. And while it wasn't the most fun job, I can't even tell you how good I felt when it was all done. I celebrated with a giant swig of Hershey's syrup.
Oh, I'm kidding.
No, I'm not.
Anyway.
One of the things that overwhelms me most about managing my fridge is having a system for thawing
meat. If I set the package directly on the shelf, I worry about bacteria, but it's a hassle (and wasteful) to seal it up in a fresh Ziploc bag every time.
So I've set out this glass dish (right) as a permanent solution. Any meat to be thawed goes directly in the glass dish. No more rearranging items to make a spot. The glass dish is always there. Fresh meat from the store can go directly in here too. Every few of days, I can toss the dish in the dishwasher--no more concerns about bacteria.
But before we get to the part where you share your links, let's pause for a moment to glory in the entire finished product. (Nope, no "before" picture, because I'm afraid y'all would have sent the health department to shut me down.)

Please notice the labels on the shelves. I really needed a label to tell me which shelf was for salad dressing, because the 18 bottles of salad dressing just weren't hint enough.
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Where's the milk?
Posted by: Sheri | Friday, June 13, 2008 at 10:47 PM
Amazing! I think God wants me to turn my refrigerator into Science experiments. I now require glasses to check dates, forget to label what was put in there when, and only notice when some new cure for for disease begins growing on the items placed there.
As far as the freezer is concerned, I usually find treasures from 10 years ago, diligently thaw them in hopes that they are still edible, and throw them in the trash because sometimes the smell is really funky. Well, it was worth a try.
Retirement is WONDERFUL! Who cares any more! When what is thawed no longer is presentable on a plate, WAHOOOOO, I go out to the local cafeteria.
You are more than welcome to tackle my kitchen and freezer any time you choose. Any items still "in date" are yours for the taking. Please bring your label making machine.
Love your blog, you and yours, Gego
Posted by: Gego | Monday, June 16, 2008 at 10:59 PM