Basic Rules My Parents Somehow Missed
I don't usually post anymore, but I seriously need to vent right now. I've been in my parents' house for 2 weeks now (I'm leaving on Saturday), and after a recent quest for cheese that turned into throwing out 75% of the contents of the fridge, I feel like I need to write things down.
1) Don't buy more milk products than you can use in a given week (or two, but that's a stretch). Just because sour cream's on sale doesn't mean you should buy 4 pints. You'll end up throwing half of it away (or glaring at me when I throw it away even though it's "only" 2 weeks past its expiration).
2) Fruits and vegetables are not items to buy in bulk, at least not with only 2 people in the house. You like apples and you like pears and you also want some carrots for healthiness. Ok. Buy 2 apples and 2 pears and a small bag of carrots, not 5 pounds of apples, 6 pears and 3 1lb bags of carrots. ESPECIALLY when you forget about all of them and leave them to rot in the fruit drawer for a month.
3) If you're not sure if you have something, don't buy it, or at least call your damn spouse and see if you have some already. If s/he says, "um...I thiiink we have x", don't buy extra chicken legs "just in case".
4) Fresh meat should be used before its expiration date, and within 2 months if frozen. Nuff said.
5) Reduced priced meat should be avoided (you guys are nowhere near qualifying for food stamps, here), and if you *must* purchase it, use it within 2 days (and that's a stretch). Don't leave it in the fridge for a week, and DO NOT FREEZE IT. It will surely be nearly bad once it thaws again.
6) Check expiration dates on your condiments before you use them. Heck, while you're getting out the ketchup, check the jam and horse radish, too. There's really no excuse for having jelly 4 months passed its expiration date hanging out in the fridge. You're not too busy; that's a load of crap.
7) Expiration dates are not suggestions! If it's passed its expiration date, chuck it. If it's something cheap, you can afford to replace it. If it's expense, you want to enjoy it while it's at its peak.
8) Just because it hasn't reached its expiration date doesn't mean it's not bad! You admit that your fridge's temperature is a bit wonky, and I agree that $.75 is a great deal for half a gallon of milk, but that does make it a little questionable. Even if the expiration date is 2 days away, throw it away if it doesn't taste right! This is another place where I can do without the snide looks because I'd rather not make myself sick over sour milk that still has a couple days left.
OK. Phew. Much better. That's just fridge rules, there's a lot else wrong around here, but I think I've grossed you out enough.
<3, Sarah
1) Don't buy more milk products than you can use in a given week (or two, but that's a stretch). Just because sour cream's on sale doesn't mean you should buy 4 pints. You'll end up throwing half of it away (or glaring at me when I throw it away even though it's "only" 2 weeks past its expiration).
2) Fruits and vegetables are not items to buy in bulk, at least not with only 2 people in the house. You like apples and you like pears and you also want some carrots for healthiness. Ok. Buy 2 apples and 2 pears and a small bag of carrots, not 5 pounds of apples, 6 pears and 3 1lb bags of carrots. ESPECIALLY when you forget about all of them and leave them to rot in the fruit drawer for a month.
3) If you're not sure if you have something, don't buy it, or at least call your damn spouse and see if you have some already. If s/he says, "um...I thiiink we have x", don't buy extra chicken legs "just in case".
4) Fresh meat should be used before its expiration date, and within 2 months if frozen. Nuff said.
5) Reduced priced meat should be avoided (you guys are nowhere near qualifying for food stamps, here), and if you *must* purchase it, use it within 2 days (and that's a stretch). Don't leave it in the fridge for a week, and DO NOT FREEZE IT. It will surely be nearly bad once it thaws again.
6) Check expiration dates on your condiments before you use them. Heck, while you're getting out the ketchup, check the jam and horse radish, too. There's really no excuse for having jelly 4 months passed its expiration date hanging out in the fridge. You're not too busy; that's a load of crap.
7) Expiration dates are not suggestions! If it's passed its expiration date, chuck it. If it's something cheap, you can afford to replace it. If it's expense, you want to enjoy it while it's at its peak.
8) Just because it hasn't reached its expiration date doesn't mean it's not bad! You admit that your fridge's temperature is a bit wonky, and I agree that $.75 is a great deal for half a gallon of milk, but that does make it a little questionable. Even if the expiration date is 2 days away, throw it away if it doesn't taste right! This is another place where I can do without the snide looks because I'd rather not make myself sick over sour milk that still has a couple days left.
OK. Phew. Much better. That's just fridge rules, there's a lot else wrong around here, but I think I've grossed you out enough.
<3, Sarah