...to clean out the refrigerator

...and bake some cookies and make another batch of those Mississippi Mud Muffins

The refrigerator is one of the many things on my list of "things to do" before Mark gets home.  And so is the freezer and our fridge/freezer combo outside....maybe he won't notice if I don't' clean out the one in the garage?  This was on my top three list today.  Baking was #2.  Getting Isabella's haircut was #3.  Pictures to follow of that tomorrow.

The last time this fridge task was done...was when my Dad was here.

The time before that...when my in-laws were here.

Before that...when my Mom was here.

Clearly this is not a task I enjoy.  And when my family visits they try to help out as much as they can.

Overall I try to keep a pretty clean house.  But my refrigerator is embarrassing!  If you are my guest...please don't open my fridge.  I will get the milk for you.  I can assure you, the milk is fresh (we go through nearly a gallon a day...) but you don't want to see what other things may lurk in there!

First, while I will admit that I do NOT like most left-overs I have a very hard time throwing anything away.  This of course leads to me finding a very interesting array of items in the refrigerator.

Second, we have a side-by-side refrigerator.  And nothing can EVER stay organized in a side-by-side.  There simply isn't enough space.

Third...I have four children that help themselves.  And put things away...without lids.

To make the task more interesting I like to play a little game with myself while I do this task entitled, "What Was This?"


Isabella's retort to this whole cleaning-out-the-fridge quandary is:

If you made better meals, we wouldn't have so many left-overs.

Touche.

The most notable items I found were:

1. Rock-hard pumpkin scones made the week before Christmas.  They were delicious then...I am not certain how these little ones became forgotten....very sad.  
2. Three containers of cottage cheese.  No one except me even really likes cottage cheese; why then do we have 3 of them?
3. An empty container of chocolate milk.  "Not Me" has taken responsibility for this one.
4. A jar with 1/2 a sandwich pickle in it.  "Not Me" has also taken the blame for this one.
5. Two boxes of band-aids.  Yes.  You did read that correctly.  Not one, but two boxes of band-aids.  Each hidden in a different compartment.  Audrey informed me it was so none of the other kids could find them.   She is such a compassionate child...I hope none of them gets a cut.  

Well the task is done.  The fridge is clean enough.  And the cookies are baked.  And the muffins are sitting pretty in the kids lunches for tomorrow.

So who coming to visit next?  And when?  My refrigerator hopes it is sooner than later.