Part of my spring cleaning routine involves the fridge: not just discovering what forgotten leftover lurks in the far back corner, but really starting fresh. All the foods come out, the baking soda box gets changed, and all shelves, walls, and drawers get a good scrub. Something about this task inspires me to cook more, to procure fresher produce, to buy less stuff in jars and bottles.
This year, I was mortified to find 4 containers of Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream, 3 jars of (opened) sweet relish (anyone have any good recipes calling for sweet relish?), 3 jars of (opened) salsa of different heats, 9 onions, and 13 different kinds of Asian sauces! My fridge is average-sized, mind you; things just get lost in there what with the fresh greens (which need their own zip code), fruits and other vegetables, bags of nuts and dried fruits, jars of nut butters and jams and salad dressings, and of course my stir fry sauces.
In the spirit of wasting not, I kept everything that had no evidence of spoilage, and I rearranged everything a lot more logically. (My mom would be proud.) Doing this is a great exercise in starting anew as far as cooking and meal planning. I have decided to shop more often but buy less (mostly to keep veggies fresh and avoid overcrowding), to keep leftovers front and center so they do not become lost and forgotten, and inspire creativity with all of those sauces and spreads.
How about you? What spring rituals help you eat better, live better, and feel better?
1 comment:
We would have a lot more room in the fridge if we got rid of the condiments (various sauces for stir frys, a couple of salad dressings, mustard, ketchup, etc). I love having an almost empty fridge where I can see everything without having to dig around.
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