Food | Debra Fillingim

Originally posted on Blogger 6/24/11

Ok I’m sorry, but I think being creative in the kitchen counts for a lot. If you are the one in your home that does the cooking and meal planning then you know it is one of the most creative things we have to do-every day. I like food to be fresh but it is a real balancing trying to keep food that is fresh in the house and using it before it spoils. I feel awful when food has to be thrown out (or given to my worms) because I did not get it prepared before it spoiled.

As much as I love to cook, some times I just don’t want to. I’ve exhausted myself with too many other tasks during the day. Not only that, but after I cook, then I’m going to have to clean up. My daughter got a good deal when she got married-Jake cooks and she cleans up. I should have gotten that in writing before I got married.

I was too tired to cook. It was too hot to eat. Garbage was going out the next day and there was the chicken with a lot of meat left on it. I knew I wanted that carcass in the garbage. The fridge was packed with food yet I did not think there was anything good to eat. I started to pull containers out of the refrigerator to see what I could make of it.

I deboned the chicken, added clery, onion, and mayo. My sister-in-law Mary served chicken salad once with a pinch of sugar…I have never left it out since. I shredded the last of the lettuce onto two plates and piled the chicken salad on top. I had four containers of hummus-one half empty. I split that into two mini bowls and grabbed the last of the tomato basil wheat thins. I sliced up the the lastof the tomato, celery, and cucmber that would not make it another two days.

I fixed it up pretty and served it to the husband. He was impressed! As for me, I added a few things to my plate that he would not like. Lots of black olives and some hearts of palm.

The dinner was great if I do say so myself. Lettuce, cucumber, celery, and tomato were consumed rather than thrown away (ok I admit the worms got a little bit). One empty container of hummus was thrown out as well as the chicken carcass and an empty box of crackers.

The refrigerator was cleaner, no food was thrown in the garbage, and I felt more creative than ever!