The new refrigerator. YEAH!

Going through this experience of living without a refrigerator for almost a week has generally been a good thing.  It was a challenge on several levels.  The biggest was how to keep my frozen foods frozen.  That was solved with coolers where I put the frozen foods immediately, and packed bags of ice around it all.  I was amazed that most everything was still icy after a total of 6 days.  The few items that did thaw, I used right away.

Because I have an unheated room where it has been very cold, I was able to save and use most all of my produce and fruits.  I made salads for my husband’s lunches each day with added in cold cuts and cheeses or cooked meats left over from meals.   Other perishables such as milk, cream, butter, eggs, cheeses, all did well in the cold storage room.  So I didn’t really loose anything.

Inside the door; lots of storage for bottles and jars.

The bad was the inconvenience of not having my food source right at hand in the kitchen.  It was a nuisance ( and chilly) having to go into the cold room for everything,  and usually forgetting something and having to go back!   Another inconvenience was not doing any grocery shopping for over a week, so my choices of foods to work with was limited.  But that was also a good thing because it forced me to be creative and look at how some ingredients might work together.  In fact it was kind of fun to see what I could come up with for meals.

The ugly?  There were a few forgotten items that became, how shall I say it, Black and Furry?  You know what I mean.  Only a couple things, though.  So in all, we did pretty well

What I’ve learned:   not to save small amounts of things and then forget about them;   like a marinade.  When I found it I didn’t remember what it was or what it was for.  Don’t save tiny bits of stuff in big jars.  The jars take up too much space for what’s in them,  If there is too little to use up, toss it.  And finally—test my creativity now and then by not going to the market so often and using up what I have before buying anything new.  That’s a must!

Inside, lower section; a full width deli drawer, and two deep crisper drawers

Inside upper section.

Freezer main compartment with ice maker. Roomier than it looks!  And a light inside.

Freezer door; two deep shelves.

As I was writing the draft for this post the delivery service arrived with my new refrigerator.   Hurrah!   I thought since you all “saw me through” this disruption in my life I would give you a first look at it.  Thanks, everyone, for hanging in there with me.