Now that smells like fermented slime

Tonight I performed the dreaded task, cleaning out the fridge. I guess it wouldn't be such a dreaded task is everyone ate their leftovers or disposed of their leftovers in a timely fashion. Why would you save leftovers if you have no intention of eating them? anyone? anyone? Yeah no answer here either. Since I don't live in a perfect apartment where old food stands up and walks out of the refrigerator and into the trash, which then picks itself up and walks outside to the dumpster. Ugh lets not even discuss the trash.

So yeah the slimy things and the dehydrated things and the smelly things all had to be disposed of. While I was doing the whole tossing in the trash thing, I was doing some thinking. People in the world are starving. Food drives for the holidays have already started, and here I am throwing out half my fridge.

I can easily blame my roommates. There was definitely a container of slimy brown rice in there and we all know I'm not a brown rice type of person. Unfortunately it doesn't matter who wasted half of the fridge in our apartment. There are people wondering about their next meal, who would die do the food I had to just throw out. Well they probably would have wanted it before it was slimy, but you get my point.

So if blaming my roommates won't make the trash take itself out, er oops I mean cause us to waste less food. If my roommates are reading, PLEASE START TAKING THE TRASH OUT BEFORE IT SMELLS LIKE WE LIVE IN A DUMP!!! But yeah back to the food, what is it that will help the whole wasting food thing? Think. Oh yeah it sounds easy, but it really isn't.

Every time you make a meal stop and think. When am I going to eat the rest of this meal? Can I put it in a container and take it to work for lunch tomorrow? All of this thinking might help you waste less. If you can't eat lasagna for 2 weeks straight, maybe you should make a smaller version or freeze half of it so you can have it when you're hungry for it.

Of course buying an extra can of soup and dropping it off at a local canned food drive, would definitely help things out a little too. Do you really need those brownies or donuts? It's the little things people, and it's going to be a rather cold winter so giving the needy a little extra might be a good idea. Well it's a good idea all of the time.

So my roommate made me enchiladas tonight. She's from New Mexico i.e. an expert on amazing enchiladas. Ok so here's how she makes them. She put layers of tortillas on the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Then she layers in some cooked chicken, which she cooks in chicken stock. Then she layers on black beans, green chili (This is definitely the secret and I'm skeptical as to whether you will find a green chili sauce that is amazing as the one her mom sends her from NM, but try it'll be worth it.), and cheese (LOTS OF CHEESE). Then she layers another tortilla layer and the process continues with much the same ingredients. She sticks this whole concoction in the oven at 350 for like 20 minutes. It's intense cheesy spicy and meaty all at once. It's amazing and comforting in a 13x9 inch pan. You won't have to think about whether you can eat this for a week straight. First of all it won't last that long and second of all it is the perfect meal on a cold night. Besides who doesn't love cheesy chicken beany goodness.

Happy Eating!!!

Emily