At least that's what my kitchen looks like this morning. After work last night I fired up my saws-all and cut out the wall around the refrigerator I built-in on July 4th of 1980. Yup - 29 years and still going strong. But, why wait for an emergency (or a major Holiday) when you can schedule it any time that's convenient? WELLL - less inconvenient!
The old frig is sitting in the middle of the galley kitchen now, still plumbed for ice & water. It is going into the barn. The new frig will fill the larger hole I made, and the barn frig will get retired to a Sears landfill somewhere. Planning! Now - about the contents:
WHAT I SAVED
3 bottles of very good Champagne (Mumms & Krug)
1 $30 bottle of Reisling (Tierce!)
3 open bottles of wine (red/rose/white)
1 bottle Guiness Stout
1 of Olmerang (sp? - good beer)
1/2 case Corona
(OK - it's a bachelor's house)
3 bottles various hot sauce
1 jar ground horseradish (threw the older of the 2 away)
2 packages chorizo
2 packages cream cheese
and the general sauces, jams, spreads, pastes one needs in order to claim they are foodies. (anchovy, tomato, sesame, pickles [5 jars various - 3 of olives!] cheeses [5] pimentos, pine nuts, ginger root etc.)
I threw out half-full (and much less) jars of things I hadn't seen in years.
That was the problem. The old refrigerator was a top freezer/bottom frig with very deep shelves. The older I get the less I look way in the back. (the less I'm able to!)
The new refrigerator is a side by side (hence the bigger hole in the wall!) so I'll be able to see and reach all the contents. Maybe that will mean I'll only have one container of BBQ sauce, ketchup, ginger preserves, horseradish, soy sauce etc open at a time now.
It is also an energy saving Energy Star rated appliance, so I'll be saving enough on electricity (on average) to light my home for 4 months each year for free!
This is such a liberating experience. Out with the old - more room for the new. A new 21.7 cu ft side-by-side for $807!! (thank you Sears!) You see - planning means you can get a Whirlpool at a decent price - not whatever is on the showroom floor the day the old one dies!
NOW - if only the new one will fit through the kitchen door . . .
otherwise - saws-all to the rescue - YIKES!!!
Richard Frisbie, FOOD Correspondent:
RICHARD FRISBIE is published twice a month to Gather Essentials: Food. It is a food junkie's take on growing, raising, preparing and - above all else - eating food. Together we?ll explore the trends, addictions, equipment and regional specialties that make up the sometimes mundane and sometimes sublime cooking and dining experience. You can keep up with my other postings and Gather activity by joining my Gather network -- I look forward to hearing from you.
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Comments: 15
Greetings Dear Richard - well, hang on to a corona for me sweet - and loved reading this - but you should recycle the old one and turn it into an art piece and honor all the meals you've had in the past! It depends on your garden and if it's wild like all of mine - if that's so - I would paint the fridge copper and then get after it with a heat torch and a few patinas - it would blend in artfully and you could use it as a mini green house - take the doors off...Salud
Hey Sears would have taken the old one away for you! Salud
Sears is taking the old one away for free. In this case it is the 40 yr old Dorm frig from the barn. (did I just date myself?) The 29 yr old one replaces the barn one for parties and family reunions. Waste not!
Ok I got you - you are so right on - Waste Not - I don't think I've ever thrown a thing away but Sears did take my old fridge - I had to put mine out on the back patio so I would have room for a washer and dryer stacked in the pantry which we now call the Break room - actually, bought our first Mr. Coffee...no joke. Salud
Wow Richard. I hope it didn't take you 29 years to clean the fridge out!! I'm joking with you. I bought a large side by side when we moved south and I love it. Yes, very large one also. My husband hates it, but that's his problem.
I often have more than one bottle or jar of something opened, but that's because other people in the house don't put things back where they should be and I don't see them. Especially if they put it on the top shelf (I'm very short).
Kudos for your thinking ahead and your sawz all.
In my house everything is built up - even the stoves are on platforms - so there is no bending while cooking or prepping. Short, huh? you would have loved the old refrig! It was a pain in my back (and knees) to use it - but that's what is available on a Holiday when the old one is dead. I swore that wasn't going to happen again!
So maybe you'd like to suddenly appear here and clean out my refrigerator??? I can guarantee the contents are not as pristine. I know you'd find a charred hotdog and a couple of dried up cheeseburgers from last weekend's grilling, a rubbermaid container of old baked beans, and some packake mix I whipped up about two weeks agon that has separated and likely fermented as well.
When will you be arriving?
Kimberly - oh - the stuff I did find - I understand. I saved the containers but threw out several unidentified, but suspiciously fuzzy contents. And anything dated before 2008! A whole garbage bag went to the dump!
Excuse me - I've been reminded that it's an orbital reciprocating saw.
Sounds lik you are doing good getting a new fridge. I really like the side by side ones. I use to have one years ago and really miss it.
Thanks Minipin - if it fits in the door I'll be doing GREAT!
"Maybe that will mean I'll only have one container of BBQ sauce, ketchup, ginger preserves, horseradish, soy sauce etc open at a time now" Don't count on it, lol
As far as I can tell, you still have the makings to entertain a short list for a tapas party. Haha. Congrats on the new 'fridge, Richard. I'm sure you'll use it to it's fullest capacity.
Tapas! I guess so - I forgot to mention that I saved the vacumn packed Serrano ham end La Tienda was giving away over the winter! (It was lost in the bottom of the old fridge!) Tapas for sure!
Great post! I love your selection of foodie stuff that you saved. Now to stock my fridge to that point and I'd be very happy! Thank you so much for the Frugal Living post Richard. Here's to powering your house for free and reaching your food at the same time!