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KrisM
09-26-2010, 08:02 PM
It's time for another Clean Sweep Challenge!

This week, we will tackle food storage. You can pick the area you want to work on. Are you growing science experiments in your fridge? Do you wonder what is at the bottom of your deep freezer? Do you keep buying spaghetti sauce only to find you have 15 jars in the pantry already?

To make it more interesting, we thought we'd have a contest to see who has the oldest food! So, as you sort through, take note of any especially old 'use by' dates.

Before and After pictures are always welcome, if you care to share.

KrisM
09-26-2010, 08:05 PM
I'm going to clean out my fridge. I don't do it often enough and I am always surprised at how lovely it looks with nice, clean shelves. I'll do it by Wednesday morning, as that is trash day :).

If I have a chance, I'll also work on the food storage containers falling out of my pantry. I have one big shelf of plastic and it really is a mess. I really should just get one of these:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41T54pkDHQL._SL500_AA300_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000BGTURM/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=284507&s=kitchen)

jgenie
09-26-2010, 08:09 PM
I'm in - I need to catalog what's in my three freezers(yes, three for four people including one that doesn't eat solids) and throw out the unknowns!!

LMPC
09-26-2010, 08:57 PM
Oooh, I'll start this tomorrow during DD's nap! I need to throw out science projects in the fridge and wipe everything down.

I'll let you know if DH notices! And thanks for the challenge!!

niccig
09-26-2010, 09:06 PM
I cleaned out my fridge the other day as there was a slight stinky odour, I think from either an old block of butter or hummus container - I didn't want to sniff too close to find out.

I'll do my deep freeze. It's been 5 years and never defrosted it. So, I'll clean it out, get rid of old food, and defrost it. I should do it by Thursday because that is trash day.

Nicci

gobadgers
09-26-2010, 09:08 PM
I really need this challenge - or rather, my pantry needs it. I have no idea what's behind the front row in my pantry right now. I know there are some cans of beans, and every time I reach back there I can find one. But I don't know what else. There is probably some good stuff back there. I could really use a better system. I'm starting tomorrow morning during DD's preschool!

DebbieJ
09-26-2010, 10:11 PM
I just threw out all the old leftovers tonight before I even read this thread. Hooray for me!

KrisM
09-26-2010, 10:56 PM
I just threw out all the old leftovers tonight before I even read this thread. Hooray for me!

Way to go! It's a good accomplishment to have it done!

lmwbasye
09-26-2010, 11:21 PM
Oh, I'm in. Going to start with fridge tomorrow (will post pics in the morning) and maybe the pantry. It needs it but my parents will be here so not sure I'll get to it.

kijip
09-27-2010, 12:12 AM
I am the dork with labels in my fridge. I clean it out about once a week. The food in the garage is my issue right now, and mainly because the garage is an issue, lol. Sigh. I can not tackle that before October 2nd because I have 500 people, including most local elected officials it would seem, converging on an event I am running this week.

tiapam
09-27-2010, 12:20 AM
Hmm, before I read this I threw out a Idiazabal cheese we bought in Spain in Fall 2003. It was a last hurrah trip before TTC! I can't tell you how many times I thought I really should throw it out. We even moved it to our new house! Not sure what was different about today, except we were also finally moving an extra couch out of our overcrowded living room, and I am trying to get things organized so we can celebrate DD's bday.

MontrealMum
09-27-2010, 01:05 AM
Ok, I'm in :) I won't make my personal deadline of tomorrow evening when MIL comes to babysit stick because we've all been sick here again. Sad how IL visits are often the impetus behind my cleaning binges. Who in their right mind makes Mon. a deadline day anyways? :D

But I'll try to get the fridge and freezer (we have a separate one) under control and post before and after pics. Especially since I'd like to start cooking and freezing for the winter. Our cupboards are good, the fridge, for some reason, is a mess.

KrisM
09-27-2010, 08:01 AM
I am the dork with labels in my fridge. I clean it out about once a week. The food in the garage is my issue right now, and mainly because the garage is an issue, lol. Sigh. I can not tackle that before October 2nd because I have 500 people, including most local elected officials it would seem, converging on an event I am running this week.

The fridge sounds awesome! By labels - do you label where milk goes, etc?

PMJ
09-27-2010, 12:26 PM
KrisM:

Where is that container sorter from? That looks COOL and just what I need !! Do you think it would fit in a cabinet though? Looks too high. hmmmm

crl
09-27-2010, 01:05 PM
Okay, I'm in. In keeping with my usual m.o., I'm going to do a baby step and clear out and organize two kitchen cabinets that store canned goods, snacks and misc dishes. I actually did the refrigerator a couple of weeks ago and these cabinets are the next logical step. I'm hoping to get them done today, but if not, I will aim to finish by Friday.

Catherine

avd3875
09-27-2010, 03:09 PM
I'm going to try to do this one. I have the container thing KrisM posted. My mom bought it for me at Costco years ago. It's decent. The seal is not like Tupperware, but for non-liquids it's fine.

KrisM
09-27-2010, 03:15 PM
KrisM:

Where is that container sorter from? That looks COOL and just what I need !! Do you think it would fit in a cabinet though? Looks too high. hmmmm

The one I pictured is this: http://www.amazon.com/Handy-Gourmet-Around-Storage-Containers/dp/B000BGTURM/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285614853&sr=8-1. But, there are different versions of them it seems. My mom has one and it fits in her cupboards.

crl
09-27-2010, 05:06 PM
Okay, I'm in. In keeping with my usual m.o., I'm going to do a baby step and clear out and organize two kitchen cabinets that store canned goods, snacks and misc dishes. I actually did the refrigerator a couple of weeks ago and these cabinets are the next logical step. I'm hoping to get them done today, but if not, I will aim to finish by Friday.

Catherine

Success! Dd took a long nap so I managed to completely empty out two upper cabinets. I pitched a few things, not too bad there actually; discovered some duplicates (waaayy too much powdered sugar for some reason); and found a few things that needed to be relocated to more logical homes. I wiped down all the shelves. Then I put stuff back in a more orderly fashion.

Thanks for the challenge!
Catherine

hellokitty
09-27-2010, 06:29 PM
I desperately need to work on my container issue. I re-organize it every yr and then my mil and my mom end up giving us containers of food and they get all mixed in despite my attempts to give them back (I think DO give back most of them). The lid situation is driving me bonkers. I am going to have to cut some cereal boxes and use those to hold lids. I keep my containers in a lazy susan, so if lids fall out the door doesn't work right.

KrisM
09-27-2010, 07:27 PM
Success! Dd took a long nap so I managed to completely empty out two upper cabinets. I pitched a few things, not too bad there actually; discovered some duplicates (waaayy too much powdered sugar for some reason); and found a few things that needed to be relocated to more logical homes. I wiped down all the shelves. Then I put stuff back in a more orderly fashion.

Thanks for the challenge!
Catherine

Awesome! Don't you love it when you open those cabinets now?

crl
09-27-2010, 08:19 PM
Awesome! Don't you love it when you open those cabinets now?

:)

Catherine

LMPC
09-27-2010, 09:22 PM
Alright, got the fridge door shelves all clean and organized....threw out jelly with an exp date of 2/09...yuck! Also threw out lots of containers of leftovers that were well past their date....I'm notorious for not eating leftovers! The shelves look so nice! The rest of the fridge will get done tomorrow....

I'm loving this challenge!!!

crl
09-27-2010, 09:46 PM
Alright, got the fridge door shelves all clean and organized....threw out jelly with an exp date of 2/09...yuck! Also threw out lots of containers of leftovers that were well past their date....I'm notorious for not eating leftovers! The shelves look so nice! The rest of the fridge will get done tomorrow....

I'm loving this challenge!!!

Hooray!

Catherine

kijip
09-27-2010, 11:20 PM
The fridge sounds awesome! By labels - do you label where milk goes, etc?

Yup, I will take some pics and post here. Great for T and to keep tabs on perishables in the fridge so we can use them...before they perish:hysterical:

gobadgers
09-27-2010, 11:32 PM
I cleaned out the pantry and it feels great! It didn't take long at all, but I finally know what's in there and can see it all again! I already had plenty of wire shelves in there, I just wasn't making good use of them.

I did find a few expired cans, but not too bad because we just moved in a year ago. However there were four half-gone packages of pasta :bag

My MIL was here just a couple weeks ago, now I wish I'd done this before she came. I ALMOST wish she could come back to see how organized I can be ;)

It'll never be Better Homes and Gardens worthy, but here's a picture. That's our microwave on the middle shelf (it's a small kitchen).

KrisM
09-27-2010, 11:51 PM
I cleaned out the pantry and it feels great! It didn't take long at all, but I finally know what's in there and can see it all again! I already had plenty of wire shelves in there, I just wasn't making good use of them.

I did find a few expired cans, but not too bad because we just moved in a year ago. However there were four half-gone packages of pasta :bag

My MIL was here just a couple weeks ago, now I wish I'd done this before she came. I ALMOST wish she could come back to see how organized I can be ;)

It'll never be Better Homes and Gardens worthy, but here's a picture. That's our microwave on the middle shelf (it's a small kitchen).

Great job!

Question - where do you have other things? Our pantry is about that size and our kitchen isn't tiny, but average sized, I think. My pantry has 3 shelves with food, 1 with plastic storage, and one with bigger appliances (mixer, breadmaker). I'd love to add another 1-2 shelves of food, but am not sure where I'd put the rest!

gobadgers
09-28-2010, 04:50 PM
Great job!

Question - where do you have other things? Our pantry is about that size and our kitchen isn't tiny, but average sized, I think. My pantry has 3 shelves with food, 1 with plastic storage, and one with bigger appliances (mixer, breadmaker). I'd love to add another 1-2 shelves of food, but am not sure where I'd put the rest!

Thanks!

My kitchen has a passable amount of cabinet space, but very limited counter space; thus the microwave in the pantry. It was in there when we moved in and we laughed pretty hard, but couldn't find a better place for it so it stayed.

I keep nearly all my serving dishes and nicer glasses in a buffet/hutch-type thing in the dining room so that clears out some space. It's right off the kitchen so it's not too much of a pain to get things out.

I have a wire shelf just below the microwave that holds all the ziplocs, saran wrap, aluminum foil and wax paper. I didn't think it would work at first, but I've gotten used to reaching in there to get them out, and they don't actually have a footprint, which is nice.

We have a small peninsula that has awkward storage underneath - those pass-thru cabinets that can be opened from either side. Most of the big stuff is down there - slow cooker, blender, pans, breadmaker, glasslocks, etc...

gobadgers
09-28-2010, 04:56 PM
I don't know what to do with my kitchen linens. Does anyone have a system that really works well? I have one drawer for towels and washcloths, and we use the same placemats on the table day in and day out. I have some other placemats, runners, tablecloths, but they are still in deep storage because I can't figure out where to put them.

I had one cabinet for them at our old house. It should have been plenty of space but they inevitably got messed up as soon as I had to pull out something from the bottom. So, I want to get them back out but I'm worried that whatever I do with them, they'll end up a big wrinkled heap anyway. Any suggestions - what works?

TIA!

KrisM
09-28-2010, 05:45 PM
I don't know what to do with my kitchen linens. Does anyone have a system that really works well? I have one drawer for towels and washcloths, and we use the same placemats on the table day in and day out. I have some other placemats, runners, tablecloths, but they are still in deep storage because I can't figure out where to put them.

I had one cabinet for them at our old house. It should have been plenty of space but they inevitably got messed up as soon as I had to pull out something from the bottom. So, I want to get them back out but I'm worried that whatever I do with them, they'll end up a big wrinkled heap anyway. Any suggestions - what works?

TIA!

Do you have room in a coat closet to hang them? Use pant hangers for the placemats and fold the tablecloth over a regular hanger.

niccig
09-28-2010, 07:23 PM
I cleaned out my shelf of oils/vinegars/frequently used spices and put in 2 turntables that were in the other thread. I have a shallow cabinet, so I could only use a 9" turntable. I have one for oils and another for vinegars. I lost some space and had to put the big container of white vinegar in another cabinet. I wish I had room on the turntables for the different salt/peppers, but they're fine stacked beside. Despite losing a little room, it is much easier to see what I have.

I emptied out the chest freezer and found
4 half chicken breasts dated 03/2009 - can I still cook these if I do it in a sauce to make up for slight freezer burn?

6 packs of plums frozen in syrup in 2008. I didn't like how the syrup made them all soft, so I never cooked with them. I defrosted and tossed these.

Enough frozen apricots from July 2009 to make 2 batches of apricot jam. My mother said they should be fine to use for jam. DS's school has a big market fundraiser and everyone makes things, they mentioned jam, so I'll make 2 batches, keep one, give the other to the school. I need to buy more jam jars and pectin, but I'll try to do this in the next week or two, when it's cooler.

1 bowl of frozen snow - the stuff you buy in a tube at the toy store.

2 ham bones to use in soup - still OK? I think one is from Easter 2009

I've got all the frozen stuff in the inside freezer that is now stuffed to the gills. Once I get rid of the apricots and the ham bones, I might not need the chest freezer to be on. I used to shop more in bulk for meat/fish, but not lately. I'll have to see if it's worth keeping it or not.

Just waiting for the ice to melt off the freezer, it's currently turned off so I can de-ice it. I've been meaning to do this for the last year at least, and it really didn't take much time to do. Maybe 30 mins to take everything out and into the kitchen freezer, and wash the baskets. One basket is still frozen solid to the side :oops: It might take another 10-20 mins to wipe it out once the ice has melted.

DebbieJ
09-28-2010, 07:34 PM
Great job everyone!

niccig
09-28-2010, 07:40 PM
I have some other placemats, runners, tablecloths, but they are still in deep storage because I can't figure out where to put them.

TIA!

I have a decorative cabinet in the living room that has shallow drawers, and I put my tablecloths, placemats in there.

Do you have room in a linen closet or in a neighbouring room like shelves in a laundry closet or mud room??

gobadgers
09-29-2010, 04:02 PM
Do you have room in a coat closet to hang them? Use pant hangers for the placemats and fold the tablecloth over a regular hanger.

I love this idea! Our coat closet is overstuffed right now, but needs to be cleared out too :D So maybe I can make some room in there. I can't imagine the table linens would take up much space, and I can put them in that difficult space on the edges. Very excited about this, thanks!

KrisM
09-30-2010, 08:55 AM
I love this idea! Our coat closet is overstuffed right now, but needs to be cleared out too :D So maybe I can make some room in there. I can't imagine the table linens would take up much space, and I can put them in that difficult space on the edges. Very excited about this, thanks!

Glad to help! I read that idea somewhere and thought it would be great in some homes.

My fridge and freezer are clean and I'll hope to get to the pantry shelf today or tomorrow.

niccig
10-02-2010, 02:39 PM
How did everyone do?

I got my chest freezer cleaned out and defrosted all the ice.
I cleaned out my spice drawer and put everything back alphabetically.
I used the round turntables posted in the organizing ideas thread for my oils and vinegars.

It's so much easy to cook now!

crl
10-02-2010, 02:45 PM
My seven year old is really happy he can see and reach all the snacks now. :)

Catherine

MontrealMum
10-02-2010, 09:37 PM
Whew! I finally finished cleaning out the fridge. We've got people coming over tomorrow so that was big motivation.

The main part of the fridge and the crispers were mostly fine, just needed a bit of tidying and weeding, but the door has always been a complete disaster. For some reason we constantly have multiple, opened containers of the exact same thing. For example, there were three half full jars of marishino cherries (those would be DH's), 5 containers of mustard (3 different kinds), and several expired bottles of salad dressing. I combined what I could, and tossed what was expired. Then I washed out all the trays. Am I ever tired, but I'm hoping we can keep it this way with a little vigilance.

Thanks for the push everyone :)

KrisM
10-04-2010, 09:46 AM
Whew! I finally finished cleaning out the fridge. We've got people coming over tomorrow so that was big motivation.

The main part of the fridge and the crispers were mostly fine, just needed a bit of tidying and weeding, but the door has always been a complete disaster. For some reason we constantly have multiple, opened containers of the exact same thing. For example, there were three half full jars of marishino cherries (those would be DH's), 5 containers of mustard (3 different kinds), and several expired bottles of salad dressing. I combined what I could, and tossed what was expired. Then I washed out all the trays. Am I ever tired, but I'm hoping we can keep it this way with a little vigilance.

Thanks for the push everyone :)

I'm the same way with the door bins. Salad dressing is nearly always expired as well.

I love how the fridge looks with clean shelves! I always think I'll keep it that way, but somehow don't. I know I asked about that once here and people say to clean the shelves every time you get home with groceries. That just doesn't work for me :).

KrisM
10-04-2010, 09:47 AM
So, how'd we do? Are we enjoying knowing the food we're eating isn't 3 years old? :).

I love my clean fridge. I did tackle the plastic containers as well and that shelf is so much better now! I need to keep it that way.

I hope you all enjoyed the challenge and are ready for another coming soon!