I did something last weekend. Tired of listening to political advertisements and stewing over election-related newspaper coverage, I went to my kitchen to accomplish a must-do — cleaning out the refrigerator.
Things have been a little crazy this election year and let’s just say, it was overdue for a little elbow grease.
When my children were younger, I would cook enough food for a threshing crew. Pots of goulash and apple chicken curry, fed my family.
However, I’ve had a difficult time adjusting to just my husband and I at the dinner table.
There were no leftovers with kids in the house. Now I have ample and it takes an effort to consume the leftovers.
Both my husband and I come from big families and our mother’s were accustomed to cooking in volume.
My late mother-in-law earned a reputation for using “leftovers” in soup.
Waste not. Want not. We actually feel guilty when wasting food. But on occasion, we slip up and don’t get miss something.
Everyone has one container in their fridge that’s covered with kitchen film and mold, don’t they?
I didn’t find of these containers this time around.
However, I did discover a couple of sour cream containers that had seen better days.
There was a fungus among us. There were also some duplicate bottles of condiments — mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise and barbecue sauce.
After checking they were still good, I combined the two into one container.
I had to use my reading glasses to look at expiration dates on some of the lesser used items, such as bottles of salad dressing (ranch, vinaigrette).
The same went for my yeast, which I occasionally use making bread. I was good there too.
So, after pulling everything out of the fridge, I took out all the shelves and the fruit and vegetable bins and washed them out.
There were a few garden tomatoes that were past their prime. And they were chucked. While the bins were drying, I attacked the refrigerator and wiped up spills and a few fruit flies that managed to infiltrate the cooler.
I realize this subject is not something I’d usually write about.
However, there is much to be said about the experience. Clean shelves, clean bins gave me something to be pleased about.
Coming home from the grocery store I was able to put my purchases in a clean and organized fridge.
After months and months of name-calling and political division in our nation, state and locally, doing something as simple as cleaning my refrigerator was cathartic.
I had sense of accomplishment at home, which serves as my refuge from derision.
My husband and I have worn out the mute button on our television remote control.
If the election is not decided, a la the Florida recount of 2000, odds are I’ll continue to have an opportunity for more cathartic cleaning.
