I am delighted to have this opportunity to show you the contents of my fridge since it allows me to virtue signal and showcase my minimalism, which is all the rage these days. It is my small contribution to attaining net zero and saving the planet, a matter upon which I could write volumes…but I won’t. (The foregoing sentence is an example of what we used to call sarcasm. I point this out as many people seem unable to recognise it anymore.)
People often ask me how I stay so trim, vibrant, and energetic at the advanced age of 62. Well, they don’t, but they should. And if they did, I’d tell them that it’s all down to the contents of my fridge.
Does it overflow with packets of processed meats and pre-cut vegetables from the supermarket? Do the shelves bend under the weight of the cans and bottles of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks? Is the crisper box a graveyard for wilted cauliflower from yesteryear?
No, nay, never! It is a beauty to behold.
On the top shelf, you’ll notice the thermostat showing the temperature in the spoilage zone. The fridge was here when I arrived in the house 5 years ago and in keeping with my minimalist philosophy, I refuse to replace it until it conks out.
As evidence of my tendency to thrift, I offer the jar of Tahini which has occupied the top shelf for some years and expired in April 2024. I take no notice of such trifles as arbitrary expiry dates. It hasn’t killed me so far. I intended to make falafel you see, but my blender wouldn’t blend so I’m keeping the Tahini until this non-blending blender dies and I can purchase a more powerful one.
On the second and third shelves is my egg collection.
Under this a stray lemon, a bowl of greens harvested this morning from the greenhouse ready for breakfast and in the box, ginger for our daily juice.
Next down some of my butter and cheese supply. The rest is in the freezer. We eat butter with everything. On top of that, homemade panella for dinner tonight. Panella is food from heaven.
Next down are carrots from the greenhouse used for juice and stew.
Then we have bottles of water from our well, distilled and chilled for drinking, lemon water to wake you up in the morning, raw milk sourced locally and my favourite cider vinegar. We have 100 more bottles of it stored under the stairs.
On the bottom the crisper drawers, with fruit to add to our daily vegetable juice.
One of the two shelves on the door doubles as a mustard cemetery, holding mustard that expired in June 2022, bought for a sauce I no longer make. Who knows, it may come in handy someday. Next to this is Chlorine Dioxide. No home’s complete without it.
Above that is an assortment of face and eye masks left behind by my brother-in-law when I ejected him from my abode a year ago. I leave them there to remind me always to watch my back.
So you can see I am a paragon of virtue and frugality and an example to all of you. Please be assured that I did not add or remove any item from the fridge, or hide a stash of Ferrero Rocher under the bed beside the potty before taking these photos.
I know you all suspect me!
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Posted in response to @galenkp's Weekend Experiences prompts asking 'What's in your refrigerator?'