Monday, June 14, 2010

Our Refrigerators Are TOO Big!

I decided I'm not going to replace my big refrigerator. I'm going to look for something much smaller ~ like they have in Europe ~ or long-term stay hotels.

Between my husband's and my shopping trips, our fridge is crammed ~ so while I've pretty much memorized what's at the front of each shelf, I have no idea of what's lurking to the rear. You know, we Americans toss 40 percent of what we buy at the grocery store or restaurant ~ and I think the way we store food contributes to that.

It's painful to know you buy all that stuff when you don't use it!

I understand that young families probably need a bigger unit, but for one or two people, it seems you could manage rather well. First of all, you'd know exactly what was in there, or what you needed to buy, for the next one or two meals. Secondly, your stuff would be fresher because you'd be shopping two or three times a week. We're talking produce, of course.

As for all the discarded food, I'm quite intrigued with the idea of a neighborhood compost project. Lots of benefits ~ and more on that later.

Below is my latest favorite dish:

Roasted Parsnips & Carrots

Slice some parsnips and carrots lengthwise into narrow wedges. Toss with a tablespoon or two of olive oil to coat, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I always use sea salt!) While they're roasting in the oven ~ all spread out on a griddle or pyrex surface (450 degrees) ~ mix a couple of tablespoons of diced scallions and chives with a tsp of rosemary and a tsp of thyme and sprinkle that over the veggies just before you serve them.

If you slice the veggies really thin, roasting time is about 45 min.

Yum!

3 comments:

Sheri said...

I can't imagine a smaller fridge -- although I can see the benefits.

But I fit into the category of raising three growing, teenage boys who eat just about everything...and are then hungry again (20 minutes later).

I've been to Europe and thought their "on-demand" style of shopping (along with small fridges) probably provided fresher food with less waste.

Thanks again for some great ideas!

Anonymous said...

You would be surprised as how little amounts of space really are needed for a family of four.

One great piece of advice that I read was to put gallon jugs full of water in your refrigerator and freezer in any open spaces to keep it cool even when opening your fridge. (Source: RefrigeratorPro.com)

Kay said...

I'm finding I need more refrigerator space as am storing flour, corn meal, cooking oils, flax seeds, nuts, etc. With only 2 at home, we don't use these commodities up quickly enought to just store on the pantry shelf.