"Chemiker" > wrote in message
...
> Well, I was to make chowed pork with pineapple and ginger this day,
> but I've been pre-empted by SWMBO, who is opting for braised sirloin
> tips. Asi es la vida.
>
> Topic: Cooking.
>
> SWMBO wants to get rid of our two refrigerators and get only (!) one
> to replace them. So far, so good. We tend to overcook, and the
> fridges get overloaded with leftovers, which, all too often, wind up
> being discarded.
>
> This is not about what kind of fridge to buy.... I know it's going to
> cost me, and back problems suggest bottom-freezer types are not in the
> running.
>
> The nub is relearing how to cook.
>
> Of this NG's exalted membership, I know there are some who are younger
> and "starting out", with no/small families. Some are empty nesters.
> Some have larger families, or entertain or maybe participate regularly
> in church social suppers, or the like. So here's the question....
>
> Is it easier to cook for 8? or 2? For those who've made the transition
> from one to the other, what were the most difficult adjustments you
> had to make?
>
> Looks like this old dog is going to have to learn a few new tricks.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Alex, practicing "Woof!" and rolling over.

Our new kitchen has an LG French door, with two freezer trays under. Not
sure how the freezer trays will work out in the long run, as I broke my back
a couple of years ago.

I do like the French door top. I don't understand that half of one door is
the up top icemaker/water dispenser, but what the heck. It ends up having
slightly more shelf space than our old one, and about as much door space.
It definitely has more freezer space.

We, like you suffer from TWO maladies.

One, is making too much food. So, I either try to make dinner for two with
perhaps enough for ONE day's leftovers. Or I will make a big bunch, as
spaghetti sauce, then freeze it in two person portions, as I find it easier
to make a big batch of spaghetti sauce and have it taste better than a small
batch. Like, who cooks enough lasagna for two people? For that, I like
Stouffer's.

Two, my wife is the daughter of a depression era baby, and she's just like
her mom. She will keep two tbsp. of corn in a container in the fridge,
ending up with lots of things being thrown away. I had to make a deal with
her about two years into the marriage that if she couldn't tell me the exact
day on which the questionable leftover was made, I didn't have to eat it.
Both she and her Mom think a "Fridgerator" has pyramid properties in
preserving things. You can pull out some unidentifiable blob of slop with
an inch of green mold on it, and no matter what, the answer is, "Well, I
don't understand it, it's been in the "Fridgerator."

Our new kitchen will be totally functional this week, with God's help.
After that, cooking and preserving leftovers is going to change at our
house. I think that cooking the right amount, or just slightly more is the
answer, rather than coping with lots of leftovers, and throwing stuff away.
I can't go to the gizmo store and buy some goodies I want, but we can throw
$$$ away of leftovers.

Go figger.

HTH

Steve

In article >,
"Steve B" > wrote:

> ending up with lots of things being thrown away. I had to make a deal with
> her about two years into the marriage that if she couldn't tell me the exact
> day on which the questionable leftover was made, I didn't have to eat it.

> Steve

Can you get her into the habit of slapping a piece of masking tape on
the cover, with the date marked? It's a pretty easy habit to get into,
as is marking cans and packages with the date they were purchased. I do
it all the time.‹ask Tammy. :-)

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Steve B" > wrote:
>
>> ending up with lots of things being thrown away. I had to make a deal
>> with
>> her about two years into the marriage that if she couldn't tell me the
>> exact
>> day on which the questionable leftover was made, I didn't have to eat it.
>
>> Steve
>
> Can you get her into the habit of slapping a piece of masking tape on
> the cover, with the date marked? It's a pretty easy habit to get into,
> as is marking cans and packages with the date they were purchased. I do
> it all the time. >

My short term memory was severely affected by a traumatic brain injury five
years ago. Since then, I have recovered from a person who could not
remember what two hole cards he folded in seven card stud to a person who
can remember what was cooked two or three days ago. After that, if it
becomes any question at all : I WON'T EAT IT.

Period.

End of discussion.

It's just a me thing. If I have to use tape to tell how old any cooked
leftover is, I'm not interested in it. And, I have found foods in my
refrigerator and cabinets that were three years out of date. The most
recent, a bottle of beer bread mixture sealed in a beer bottle that, when
opened, christened the whole kitchen ceiling, my face, arms, and countertops
with pressurized flour bread mixture.

The more things I find defective in my kitchen, the more adamant I am over
gaining control over it, and just throwing out anything questionable, and
surely anything out of date or just suspicious.

Like Andy, this ain't yo mama's kitchen any more.

Or SWMBO's, either.

When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
claim to being a "cook".

Steve

Steve B wrote:

> When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
> claim to being a "cook".
>
> Steve

So are you saying the bag of fresh carrots I can use for a couple of
weeks in various ways aren't "cooking" ? Are they different because they
sit in my house for a week rather than sit in the store for a week?

Goomba > wrote:

>Steve B wrote:
>
>> When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
>> claim to being a "cook".
>>
>> Steve
>
>So are you saying the bag of fresh carrots I can use for a couple of
>weeks in various ways aren't "cooking" ? Are they different because they
>sit in my house for a week rather than sit in the store for a week?

Well, you didn't grow them and pull them within the hour. LOL

"Goomba" > wrote in message
...
> Steve B wrote:
>
>> When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
>> claim to being a "cook".
>>
>> Steve
>
> So are you saying the bag of fresh carrots I can use for a couple of weeks
> in various ways aren't "cooking" ? Are they different because they sit in
> my house for a week rather than sit in the store for a week?

No, in your case, you can use week old road kill, if you like.

Steve

Steve B wrote:

>
> When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
> claim to being a "cook".
>
> Steve
>
>


I guess people who plan and buy a week or even a month's worth of
food should be listed on your "non-cooks" list, huh?

That's ridiculous. Pantries are full of ingredients for future meals.
If you are ever caught in a blizzard or hurricane that keeps you at home
for days, you'll wish you had those week-old-plus ingredients.

gloria p

>> When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
>> claim to being a "cook".
>>
>> Steve

Should have said using week old leftovers.

There, is that better?

Did you get it that time?

No?

sigh ..........

In article >,
"Steve B" > wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article >,
> > "Steve B" > wrote:
> >
> >> ending up with lots of things being thrown away. I had to make a deal
> >> with
> >> her about two years into the marriage that if she couldn't tell me the
> >> exact
> >> day on which the questionable leftover was made, I didn't have to eat it.
> >
> >> Steve
> >
> > Can you get her into the habit of slapping a piece of masking tape on
> > the cover, with the date marked? It's a pretty easy habit to get into,
> > as is marking cans and packages with the date they were purchased. I do
> > it all the time. >
>
> My short term memory was severely affected by a traumatic brain injury five
> years ago. Since then, I have recovered from a person who could not
> remember what two hole cards he folded in seven card stud to a person who
> can remember what was cooked two or three days ago. After that, if it
> becomes any question at all : I WON'T EAT IT.
>
> Period.
>
> End of discussion.

Apparently not.

> It's just a me thing. If I have to use tape to tell how old any cooked
> leftover is, I'm not interested in it. And, I have found foods in my
> refrigerator and cabinets that were three years out of date. The most
> recent, a bottle of beer bread mixture sealed in a beer bottle that, when
> opened, christened the whole kitchen ceiling, my face, arms, and countertops
> with pressurized flour bread mixture.
>
> The more things I find defective in my kitchen, the more adamant I am over
> gaining control over it, and just throwing out anything questionable, and
> surely anything out of date or just suspicious.
>
> Like Andy, this ain't yo mama's kitchen any more.
>
> Or SWMBO's, either.
>
> When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
> claim to being a "cook".
>
> Steve



--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

In article >,
"Steve B" > wrote:
> When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
> claim to being a "cook".
>
> Steve

Bullshit.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Steve B" > wrote:
>> When you try to create a meal using week old ingredients, you forfeit any
>> claim to being a "cook".
>>
>> Steve
>
> Bullshit.
>

Yes, it is. I meant to say using week old leftovers.

Thank you.

Steve

On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:04:11 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> wrote:

>In article >,
> "Steve B" > wrote:
>
>> ending up with lots of things being thrown away. I had to make a deal with
>> her about two years into the marriage that if she couldn't tell me the exact
>> day on which the questionable leftover was made, I didn't have to eat it.
>
>> Steve
>
>Can you get her into the habit of slapping a piece of masking tape on
>the cover, with the date marked? It's a pretty easy habit to get into,
>as is marking cans and packages with the date they were purchased. I do
>it all the time.‹ask Tammy. :-)

I mark the date on everything that comes into this house, even non
food items just because I'm curious about how long a package of soap
powder, roll of waxed paper, a box of kosher salt lasts. But I don't
need to date foods in the fridge I cooked, I'm not so senile that I
can't remember on Tuesday that I cooked that roast on the previous
Sunday... that after three days it's time to eat it, turn it into
soup/hash, or freeze it before tossing it out for the critters. I
have one of those library date stamps and ink pad... very handy for
when I bring in the groceries. I even mark the price paid on many
items, I find it interesting to note the rate of rise on so many
household staples... even actual staples have tripled in price from
five years ago. A 2 oz bottle of Gorilla Glue has doubled in price in
three years, now costs more than I paid for the last 4 oz bottle....
buy the smallest size, it has a two year shelf life and then quickly
thickens and becomes unusable.

"Brooklyn1" <Gravesend1> wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:04:11 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> > wrote:
>
>>In article >,
>> "Steve B" > wrote:
>>
>>> ending up with lots of things being thrown away. I had to make a deal
>>> with
>>> her about two years into the marriage that if she couldn't tell me the
>>> exact
>>> day on which the questionable leftover was made, I didn't have to eat
>>> it.
>>
>>> Steve
>>
>>Can you get her into the habit of slapping a piece of masking tape on
>>the cover, with the date marked? It's a pretty easy habit to get into,
>>as is marking cans and packages with the date they were purchased. I do
>>it all the time. >
> I mark the date on everything that comes into this house, even non
> food items just because I'm curious about how long a package of soap
> powder, roll of waxed paper, a box of kosher salt lasts. But I don't
> need to date foods in the fridge I cooked, I'm not so senile that I
> can't remember on Tuesday that I cooked that roast on the previous
> Sunday... that after three days it's time to eat it, turn it into
> soup/hash, or freeze it before tossing it out for the critters. I
> have one of those library date stamps and ink pad... very handy for
> when I bring in the groceries. I even mark the price paid on many
> items, I find it interesting to note the rate of rise on so many
> household staples... even actual staples have tripled in price from
> five years ago. A 2 oz bottle of Gorilla Glue has doubled in price in
> three years, now costs more than I paid for the last 4 oz bottle....
> buy the smallest size, it has a two year shelf life and then quickly
> thickens and becomes unusable.

Things do deteriorate. I was talking to a friend who lives in Australia.
His dad was elderly and he was going through the dad's home trying to get
rid of some stuff in an attempt to eventually move him in with his family.
He found toilet paper that he said had to be about 20 years old. He said it
just sort of ripped to shreds.

My dad attempted to give us a ton of old school supplies. The pencils were
all dried out and the lead crumbly. The paper was decrepit. We declined.

In article >,
Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:

> On Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:04:11 -0600, Melba's Jammin'
> > wrote:
>
> >In article >,
> > "Steve B" > wrote:
> >
> >> ending up with lots of things being thrown away. I had to make a deal
> >> with
> >> her about two years into the marriage that if she couldn't tell me the
> >> exact
> >> day on which the questionable leftover was made, I didn't have to eat it.
> >
> >> Steve
> >
> >Can you get her into the habit of slapping a piece of masking tape on
> >the cover, with the date marked? It's a pretty easy habit to get into,
> >as is marking cans and packages with the date they were purchased. I do
> >it all the time.‹ask Tammy. :-)
>
> I mark the date on everything that comes into this house, even non
> food items just because I'm curious about how long a package of soap
> powder, roll of waxed paper, a box of kosher salt lasts.

Me, too. For the same reasons.

> But I don't need to date foods in the fridge I cooked, I'm not so
> senile that I can't remember on Tuesday that I cooked that roast on
> the previous Sunday...

Lucky you. I am.

> that after three days it's time to eat it, turn it into
> soup/hash, or freeze it before tossing it out for the critters. I
> have one of those library date stamps and ink pad... very handy for
> when I bring in the groceries.

I did that for a while; I prefer a black marker.

> I even mark the price paid on many items, I find it interesting to
> note the rate of rise on so many household staples...


<grin> I do that, too. It helps me remember when I bought something
on sale; it's likely to be on sale again at the same time.

--
Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
Holy Order of the Sacred Sisters of St. Pectina of Jella
"Always in a jam, never in a stew; sometimes in a pickle."
Pepparkakor particulars posted 11-29-2010;
http://web.me.com/barbschaller