Or, rather, take it out of the fridge: today is National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Only a select few holidays can legitimately claim the word “national,” but anyone with a fun idea and an internet connection–or a reason to sell something— can give the rest of us a temporary day-brightener. This is a good thing, because I know my fridge could probably use a pre-company scrub-down, and I’m guessing yours could too.
No judgement here. Just useful resources.
(This sign actually hangs in my kitchen.)
My gift to you, on this auspicious occasion, is a quick and dirty list of books and resources on getting clean and staying safe.
Kitchen Basics
Because not everybody is Martha Stewart.
The Organized Kitchen, Brett McWhorter Semper
The Germ Survival Guide, Kenneth A. Bock, et. al.
Joey Green’s Kitchen Magic, Joey Green.
Can Your Kitchen Pass the Food Storage Test?, Paula Kurtzweil. Also available online.
Green Housekeeping
All of the clean, none of the toxins.
Squeaky Green, Eric Ryan.
Green Housekeeping, Ellen Sandbeck. [I eventually bought this one after checking it out multiple times–definitely a keeper!]
Green-up Your Cleanup, Jill Potvin Schoff.
Clean Naturally, Sandy Maine.
Food Safety
Because the five-second rule will only take you so far.
The Safe Food Handbook, Heli Perrett.
Nutrition and Food Safety, Terry L. Smith.
Just the Facts: Food Safety, a Learning ZoneXpress production.
Emergency Measures
Food safety for doomsday preppers:
Emergency preparedness fact sheets from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Food and Water Safety Tips from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Food and Water Sanitation Tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And, on a more practical note, storage times for the refrigerator and freezer, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
If that doesn’t inspire you to crank up the tunes, pour yourself a refreshing beverage, and get to scrubbing, I don’t know what will. But, whether you choose to observe this whimsical “holiday” or not, rest assured that, even if you don’t feel like doing it right now, you’ll always have the data you need to make informed decisions about whether or not those gummy bears you threw in the freezer last summer are still viable.
Leigh Anne
too tired/happy from last night’s Neil Gaiman lecture to discuss anything overly serious.
Eleventh Stack 