Day #5~ The Refrigerator

Cleaning my fridge today actually worked out very well with our upcoming Thanksgiving holiday schedule. We'll be visiting with my parents, and we certainly don't want to come back home to rotting veggies or sour milk! 

Mrs. Housewife, I know it will be a tough job, but I want my fridge shining (and organized!) just like yours! 

To start off here are some great step by step instructions. Wiping down the shelves and such is all fairly straightforward. One tip: add baking soda to your washing water and it will help deodorize! Here are a few cool organizational tips, some of which I didn't know about before:

• Store your most perishable foods on the bottom shelf. It is cooler than the top shelf and will prolong the shelf life. 
  
• Your dairy items (milk, cheese, and eggs) should be stored on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Keep eggs in their original cartons too!
• Place jarred and glass items in the door. However, do not store milk or tube foods in the door. 
• Your fridge should be kept between 34 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The meat drawer is designed to be the coldest drawer in your fridge. Make sure to store your meat in this drawer only. Done this way, you can safely store your meat in the fridge for up to 4 days. Any longer, and you should freeze it.
• The crisper drawer is the most humid, and should contain your produce. Apples on the other hand, should be stored in paper bags. 

So I'm ready to tackle my fridge.... Here is the before pic. I'm really starting to dread these before pics, because my inner 50s housewife is cringing..... but here goes.....

It's very crowded, and completely unorganized. Having 4 kids they have a tendency to just put things where ever it will fit. After reorganizing and cleaning the fridge, it looks like this:

Of course there is always more to do like cleaning the coils underneath the fridge, but I think I'll wait until spring cleaning to do that. I can't overexert myself like Mrs. Housewife. Don't judge me Mrs. Housewife.... I mean, after all, I do believe your milk is on the top shelf of your fridge... *tsk* *tsk* =) 

Here's a couple freezer storage hints:

• When freezing meat remove it from the store package container and wrap it in plastic wrap first, followed by a wrap of aluminum foil, and for triple protection, put in a ziplock bag. To prevent freezer burn make sure that you eliminate any air in the package. Label and date the ziplock bag.
• How long you can freeze something is based upon how well you package it before freezing it- remember you want to get all of the air out to prevent freezer burn. Smaller packages of meat don't last as long as larger cuts.
• When freezing a casserole to make at a later date, make sure to cool the casserole in it's container, then place in the freezer. Once it is frozen remove the casserole from the container, and wrap as said in the first step. (This also saves your casserole dishes from being in the freezer when you need them for something else!) 

As far as preventive care and maintenance for your fridge, it is suggested that one cleans out and wipes down the shelfs BEFORE going to the grocery store. This will help you know what needs to be tossed out and replaced. It is also beneficial to do it beforehand, so that your food won't have to wait to be put away, helping to prevent thawing and contamination.

Well, this busy little housewife will be heading up north to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with her family. No fear, I'll still be blogging! I plan to use this time to read my housekeeping manuals and make up a schedule. I also plan to spend time searching out some fashion tips and things to get me started along the path of finding my long-lost fashionista. Then, once back home, I'll be finishing up my kitchen series with the "Business Center", as done in the America's Housekeeping Book, 1949. 

I hope each of you are planning to have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Blessings~

Angela