<p>Keep the manly comfort foods up front in the refrig. (beer, apple pie, dip, cold roast beef, popcorn, horseradish)</p>
<p>ZM - I posted a sour cream coffee cake recipe in that thread on the other forum. Go make it and have a piece.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe-election-politics/565084-worry-thread-obama-supporters-17.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe-election-politics/565084-worry-thread-obama-supporters-17.html</a></p>
<p>I can tell you that I have been known to put something on top of the frig when looking for something else in the freezer and to forget to put it back and find it defrosted the next morning. </p>
<p>My mother once left a carton of ice cream to defrost on her copier machine (this was 20 years ago and it was a real copier, not a machine like we have in our houses today).</p>
<p>My parents basement freezer wasn’t frost free. My mom was notorious for not closing it completely and having it get filled with frost. My engineer dad rigged it so a buzzer would sound when the door was open, so you knew to shut it hard</p>
<p>Please take it easy on us- the most important thing to remember is that all men marry up- so these problems and many similar are bound to occur. </p>
<p>For mom’s with sons that applies to your child also- they also will marry above their place on the scale of “oh all kind of standards”</p>
<p>I’m with fendrock. Depending on what had been left out overnight, we’d still eat it. Strong stomachs, I guess.</p>
<p>I swear I was eating a piece of pizza that was left out from last night as I read this…depends on the kind of food I guess, but I feel sorry for you zooser, my kids do that with milk all the time!</p>
<p>It sounds as if they were especially nice things, if you were testing holiday recipes. I’m so sorry!</p>
<p>It was an entire roast beef, its gravy, lemon chicken, artichoke casserole, roasted root vegetables, and a potato/gruyere gratin along with a few other things.</p>
<p>Hubby just came home and is very sweet. I peeled more potatoes for homemade fries and he’s been eager as can be to help. </p>
<p>Tom, I like that “marrying up” thing!</p>
<p>My husband cooks. I do not go near the refrige unless I absolutely have to. He gets upset when I move things around. My kids see me go near the kitchen, they come running after me in fear of misusing their dad’s state of the art kitchen.</p>
<p>Well to make it all worthwhile you can tell us the recipes and how they turned out…</p>
<p>How frustrating, zoosermom. Nice you can vent. FWIW, I do the same (although not the same level of gourmet!) – cook ahead for many many meals. Then I immediately (after it’s all cooled) pop everything in the freezer. That way, if we don’t eat it during the coming week, it’s good for the following. And, the family can’t get ahold of the food & bring it to room temp w/out some effort! </p>
<p>tom1944–laughed at your post!!</p>
<p>I’d eat the roast root vegetables, at a minimum…</p>
<p>zooser, I was the guilty party one time. DH made brisket a couple of days before Yom Kippur for our break-the-fast dinner. You can only IMAGINE the reaction when Yom Kippur was over, after 26 hours of fasting, we found the brisket…in the oven. DH had shut off the oven two nights before, asked me to put it in the fridge when I went to bed, and I forgot.</p>
<p>Boy, was I in deep doo-doo. ;(</p>
<p>Many condolences to you!!!</p>
<p>Zoosermom- Your dishes sound like they were masterpieces–to be ruined before consumption is indeed a terrible waste, not only in terms of groceries, and time, but also in aesthetics. The care and creativity, while lost, are at least acknowledged here for posterity if not eternity! Let’s toast the hostess!</p>
<p>Wow, I feel for you and have been there myself. In the last year or so, I have been pretty anal about food waste, so this would’ve really sent me over he edge.
I recently had my 4 yr old Jennair fridge and freezer die on me. It was under warranty, but took 2.5 weeks to get repaired and I lost all of my food.
I did get a check for $250 from Sears to compensate, but it was a LONG time to be without.
I applaud you for cooking for an entire week ahead of time. That is quite a task .</p>
<p>I lost everything in my freezer when I asked my oldest to get something for me out of it. He did and forgot to shut the door. I know how you must feel. In my case, there was not much work put in the food as it was mostly frozen meets and veggies, not prepared dishes, but it still hurt, and cost many $$s. It happens to many of us. Hugs to you, and hug that hubby too.</p>
<p>The following posts that were intended for this thread ended up in a spelling thread(?)</p>
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<p>zm, I realize your frustration here, but on the same token, please don’t make a big issue of this. For whatever reasons, he left it out. Yes, thoughtless, careless, call it what you will. There is no excuse.</p>
<p>On the same token, I’m sure you’ve done some careless, thoughtless things over the years, and didn’t realize it. Mistakes happen. Perhaps in this economy he’s more concerned about putting food on the table rather than back in the fridge.</p>
<p>I’m one of the men who cooks. I am very good, trust me. I’ve done it “professionally”, and for friends. Been married thirty plus years, I’ve done virtually 95% of the cooking the entire time. One, because I enjoy it. Two, because my wife is a food service professional, who gets home after I do. While she is an excellent cook, she prefers not to come home from her job and deal with more food. I’ll even do the dishes. I’ve done all the Thanksgiving and most of the other holiday dinners because she is working. I try to accomdate four different working schedules of four adults home at different times with erratic work schedules that vary daily. I still put out a meal that is enjoyed by all and can still be just as good with a quick zap or reheat to cover the late one. I save “family favorites” for the nights I know all four can eat together, and save the 'their favorites" for the nights they are guaranteed to be there. I ask for menu suggestions, and rarely get them.</p>
<p>I don’t normally complain about any of it. Doesn’t matter to me if they pick at offerings or eat three plateloads each. It’s not worth arguing about. Did teriyaki beef tonight with onions, peppers, white rice. Nobody’s favorite here, but a few grumblings from the missus and two kids. Also made brownies, with and without nuts, as kids aren’t nut fans. Wife commented that nuts could have been smaller. </p>
<p>I told all of them they had two options. Do their own, or fire the cook before he quits.</p>
<p>Just my $.02.</p>
<p>Thank you all again. I love the anecdotes, the advice and the kind words. Violadad, you’re exactly right. It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme.
LJE, how did a four year old fridge drop dead?</p>
<p>violadad - um, do you have a clone?</p>
<p>^sue, I’ve been told that either I or “they” (assuming the powers that be) broke the mold. </p>
<p>In any event, one of me is enough. As I’ve been told numerous times.</p>