MEAT-CAKE

George Carlin has a great skit about the mystery food found in the refrigerator that goes like this: "Perhaps the worst thing that can happen is to reach into the refrigerator and come out with something that you cannot identify at all. You literally do not know what it is. Could be meat, could be cake. Usually, at a time like that, I'll bluff. "Honey, is this good?" "Well, what is it?" "I don't know. I've never seen anything like it. It looks like...meatcake!" "Well, smell it." (snort, sniff) "It has absolutely no smell whatsoever!" "It's good! Put it back! Somebody is saving it. It'll turn up in something." That's what frightens me. That someone will consider it a challenge and use it just because it's in there."

Does this sound familiar? If so, here is a quickie on organizing your refrigerator to keep it organized, avoid meat-cake suprise, and to save money.

PURGE: The best time to do this is the night before trash pick up, if you don't want to gag every time you walk into your garage for the next week. Open EVERYTHING. Remember the lesson on leaving no stone unturned? Look, smell (yikes), and check for expiration dates. Toss out the smidges left of this and that, consolidate where possible, and eliminate excess duplicates; if you have 6 kind of mustards, toss a few of your least favorites or combine similar ones. Make a mental note of HOW much was tossed, or the multiples of things purchased because it was hidden or poorly labeled and long forgotten! While you're purging, don't forget the outside also. Toss expired coupons, schedules, duplicate photos etc. It's looking or at least "smelling" better already, isn't it?

CLEAN: Give it a good cleaning if it needs it. Baking soda is a good odor eliminator, and Clorox Clean up gets rid of discoloring due to dyes and packaging.

SPACE PLAN: Get to know the layout of the land. Do you HAVE to put food in the area the drawers say? Well you should if you want to preserve them longer. The deli/cheese tray is the coldest, and should be used for that purpose. The crisper drawers seal tightly and and keeps in humidity to help retain moisture. You may also consider "green bags" or I also recommend Tupperware Fridgesmart containers to really extend the life (See Product Favorites). I love Fridgesmart, but wish they were clear so I use the labels), and they can take up a little extra room. Seriously, I had some strawberries in one for at LEAST 2 1/2 weeks - vs the standard 4-5 days. Also, do your homework and find out what fruits and veggies belong in the fridge and which DON'T. Get those potatoes, onions, squash, tomatoes (yes, I know they are a fruit), garlic and ginger out of the fridge. Same goes for most fruit, so get most of them out of the fridge. Store berries, grapes and ripened or cut fruit in the fridge. Not only are you making room, but you're produce will last and taste better. Get a fruit bowl to encourage grabbing of fruit in a hurry. Use the door of the fridge for bottled and jarred foods and condiments. Don't put eggs in the door, they stay fresher in their cartons, away from the door/oxygen. For everything else, consider clear containers for quick ID of the contents or using erasable food storage labels (see favorite products for labels that can go in the fridge, freezer, dishwasher or microwave!),

Other tips; square containers fit better than round ones, consider a soda can dispenser, pull out tray, or turntables for easy access. Consider keeping "ready-made snacks" and left overs in the same place all the time, for quick access of snacks by everyone without having to "dig" and a quick inventory of leftovers need to be eaten or "re-invented" to avoid waste. Consider labeling the leftovers and including the date they were made.