A Challenge: Chill Out and Clean That Fridge

In yesterday's post, I talked about reading a book and feeling a renewed enthusiasm for clearing out my fridge and pantry, to keep food organized, use it up in a timely way and to minimize waste.

Cleaning out the fridge is not a particularly exciting chore and one that is very easy to put off. To make things just a little bit fun and build up some motivation, I'm posting this challenge online so maybe we can do it together.

A pic of my fridge from 6 years ago!! I still have these kinds of "zones"
in my current fridge but we haven't bought OJ for years.

Here's the plan, to be done separately for the fridge and the freezer. It does not all have to be done at once, this clean-up can be done 15 minutes at a time over a few days.

1. Look at the contents and take inventory of what you have in there.
2. Anything that is spoiled or beyond its usable life, throw it out. Sometimes we shove these things in the back of the fridge/freezer to avoid dealing with the guilt of throwing it out, but it has got to go.
3. Anything that needs to be used up, gather it together, and think of ways to use it up in the next few days. You can leave comments on this post asking for ideas. Or look up recipes online.
4. Don't forget the fridge door, which is usually littered with condiments that look like they last forever but don't. If you're unlikely to use a condiment again, toss it out. 
5. Give the empty fridge/freezer a good wipe down and restock it, organizing food in a logical way. A place for everything and everything in its place. That's an oldie but goodie.

While you're doing the fridge clean-up, fill out this little survey:

• A before picture of your fridge:
• The most unusual/exotic/interesting item in your fridge:
• Three items you always have in your fridge:
• The oldest item in your fridge: 
• Item(s) from the fridge that needed to be used and how you used it/them up in meals or recipes:
• An after picture of your fridge:

Ditto for the freezer...

• A before picture of your freezer:
• The most unusual/exotic/interesting item in your freezer:
• Three items you always have in your freezer:
• The oldest item in your freezer: 
• Item(s) from the freezer that needed to be used and how you used it/them up in meals or recipes:
• An after picture of your freezer:

You certainly don't have to get to all these questions! Just tell us and show us what you want to.

If you have a blog, you could write a post about your fridge and freezer clean up and e-mail me a link to your post.

If you don't have a blog (or even if you do but don't feel like posting this project), you can e-mail me your answers/photos, at onehotstove AT gmail DOT com

The deadline for e-mailing me is Sunday, Aug 4th. On Monday, August 5th, I'll write a post telling you about my fridge/freezer clean up and include all the e-mails and links sent to me.

I'll leave you with a few inspiring/informative articles related to this project:
NPR: Don't Fear That Expired Food
The Kitchn: Fridge-Clearing Cooking, Fridge Efficiency Tips
Apartment Therapy: How To Clean A Fridge, How to Organize a Fridge