The impending threat of Tropical Storm Ernesto sent me home early yesterday. Sent me home to an empty house. After the tedious shutter closing job was done I was left in virtual darkness at 3pm. What was I to do to wile away the time? Or more importantly, what was I going to eat for dinner? It was time to discover what had been left behind in the move. I peered into oblivion, more commonly known as the freezer. After my eyes adjusted to the blinding arctic scene I discovered that my options were bleak to say the least. Sure, I had plenty of frozen berries for rich smoothies or delectable blueberry muffins. Alas, my blender and baking supplies were now 5 hours away acclimating to their new home. I rummaged past the berries and pulled out a sole salmon steak. It would have to do. I set it aside to defrost and dashed off to watch t.v. (which thankfully I had left behind). I tuned in to my favorite channel (have you guessed it yet?), the Food Network. Nothing like hours upon hours of deliciousness to make one inspired. And if inspiration never comes, you are guaranteed to be hungry enough to eat anything thrown in front of you!
In today’s consumer driven and wasteful society, it is a rarity to eat every last morsel in the fridge or freezer before restocking. How many of you have opened up the fridge or freezer seeking out your next meal only to exclaim, “There’s nothing to eat!” I myself have the awful habit of letting good food go to waste. “Oh, that meat’s been sitting there for days, no that fish has been in the freezer for months, hmm those tomatoes are looking a little wrinkled.” Guilty as charged. Now that I have moved all of my non-perishables to Jacksonville, I have no choice but to clear out what’s left in the house. I have been in this situation only once before, last year when hurricane Wilma hit. Having been to Costco just the week before, our freezer was chock-full of goodies. With the power out and the food defrosting, we had to act fast. And by act, I mean eat. We teamed up with our delightful neighbors (they had a BBQ) and feasted each night on gourmet spreads.
Now, once again, I am faced with the task of eating each and every morsel left in the fridge and freezer. It truly is a thorny scenario, but one which I face with fierce determination and a rumble in my tummy.
A Tasteful Journey 