Dear FlyLady,

My refrigerator is filled with science projects. I really need help in getting it clean. Can you help me?

FlyBaby in NC

Dear FlyBaby,

All the food in your refrigerator is food that was unloved and forgotten about. They were leftovers that did not get eaten. In the words of my Grandmother, “When you throw food in the trash it is like putting dollar bills in the garbage can.” We have to come up with ways to make sure the leftovers get eaten.

I love having leftovers for lunch the next day. You can also put together some TV Dinners for nights you do not want to cook.

There are some great Bento Boxes on Amazon that you can use to freeze whole meals of leftovers for those nights that you don’t want to cook. You can also use these types of boxes to take a meal to a neighbor. Plan don’t pitch! Label your boxes and date them.

Now back to cleaning out your refrigerator. I have something fun to do. Take all the jars of condiments and empty them into your slow cooker. Add some chicken thighs to this mixture of ketchup, mustard, jam, jelly, steak sauce and BBQ sauce. I like to call this surprise chicken. Serve it with some rice and something green (salad or broccoli).

Set your timer for 15 minutes. Make sure your dishwasher is empty too. Start with one shelf at a time. Fill your sink with hot soapy water and wipe down the shelf. Empty all the containers and let them soak as you finish cleaning out your refrigerator.

I do not use my crisper for veggies. This is where I keep butter, cheeses, cheese sticks, cream cheese, and yeast. I call those crisper drawers, slim drawers. Our veggies have a shelf life and when they are out of site; they are out of our minds. Keep your precious veggies where you can see them.

Next I want you to clean off the front and sides of your refrigerator. You have to make room for your five week menu plan on your FlyLady Calendar. Let’s go for one week at a time. Get rid of those take out menus and get ready to go to the grocery store. It is so easy to put groceries away when you have a clean refrigerator to put them in.

You can do this!

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