Preparing for Thanksgiving Leftovers

As a bachelor, I still adhere to certain cleanliness rituals. One of these is the weekly "cleansing" of crisper drawers, refrigerator shelves, and freezer space. This habit was instilled on the farm by my mother. While there were rarely leftovers from six children "feeding at the trough", refrigerator shelves were wiped down weekly and "expired" food was thrown to the chickens.

The task of cleaning the refrigerator is now a dreaded one. To wit, when I worked many years ago in a State of Missouri Office, the huge side-by-side refrigerator in the "break room" was shared by six supervisory units, each with six employees. The tidying of the refrigerator was supposed to be rotated among the employees of each group. Supervisors were "exempt" from the actual cleaning, but "responsible" for their underlings doing the task. One employee's performance rating was actually lowered because she refused to take her turn cleaning out the refrigerator!

Subsisting on a state employee's meager salary, almost everyone "brown bagged" their lunches. The unmarked and not named bags sprouted the most exotic molds and decaying smells if not taken out. There was always the half-full bottle of Thousand Island Dressing with no owner's name on it: pitch it or risk saving it for the team next week to decide its fate?

My refrigerator cleaning took on deeper meaning this past weekend. What could get eaten before Thanksgiving and what could be disposed of to make room for the inevitable Thanksgiving leftovers?

I found a half-carton of Ricotta Cheese, unused from the Labor Day Lasagna Dish; the downy blue insides pointed straight to the trash can. Shaking up the partial bottle of Ginger Ale indicated that it was flatter than the plains of Kansas; the sink had a ticklish gargle as it was poured down its drain. The turnip dish made with bread crumbs---gone! The partial head of cauliflower bought at Soulard Market during a recent resolve to eat more raw vegetables---gone! The freezer burned pork and turkey hot dogs (a bad marketing combination if ever there was one)---gone!

Cleaning out the refrigerator is a cathartic experience. "Preparing the way" for leftovers of that unique American harvest holiday, Thanksgiving, is a time-honored ritual. If you haven't yet tackled this task, DO IT NOW! Share your comments after this blog---you will feel better for doing it and more prepared for Thanksgiving!