You may be thinking that I am going to talk about relationships and what it’s like when you find your perfect mate for life. Nope, it’s not that. Then maybe it’s about diet and weight loss and finding that perfect fit for your body. Nah…that’s been overdone. Truly there are many things that could apply to this two-word challenge. However, the one I am speaking of is one that I instigated upon myself. It is the challenge of finding a container that will fit leftover food without leaving space between the food and the lid. Let me give you a bit of background on how this obsession of mine started.
If you came to my house and checked out my pantry shelf in the basement and my fridge and freezer (yes I have extra appliances in my basement as all good Croatians do), you could probably go shopping. I should supply little baskets. Now, Wiseguy is always telling me to stop overstocking, especially now that it is only the two of us in the house. I, however, disagree. It’s not that we have fewer people in the house, we now have waaaay more people coming for meals now that the children are all coupled and have children of their own. There is a need for more food. (Please feel free to begin your own discussion on this matter). This was a nasty habit I picked up from my mother.
My parents were raised in a village. They literally grew up in tiny homes that were overcrowded with children (free labour). When they came to Canada it was important to stockpile food stuff to ensure they would never be hungry again. I myself did not grow up hungry, but that habit of my mother’s for being prepared was ingrained in my head. However, hubby is always saying he can’t see the light on in the fridge because of all the leftovers and the potential “throw away” food. There you have it. My need to condense our fridge co-habitants. Hubster will open the ice box and see a plethora of food and all I see are half filled containers of leftovers. If we start making dinner using previous meals and a container is left half full, I will seek out a replacement that will fit the contents precisely. My obsessiveness is actually something that I have passed on to the kids too. They now challenge themselves when they help me clean up after a meal. They even do it in their own homes. Yes, my craziness has rubbed off on them. It’s quite entertaining to watch Wiseguy watching his children mimic my obsessiveness. I’m quite proud of it. Anyway, you must be wondering…how is this a challenge?
You may think this is a simple thing. Nay I say! Have you ever had your spouse/friend/family member/acquaintance put leftover spaghetti in a container and it only fills half the bowl? How horrible! What a waste of precious fridge space. My goal is to find the correct container…on the first guess! Anyone can start putting stuff into a larger container than is needed. Pshaw! Way too easy. How about the times you start off with a small container and you misjudged the interior expanse. Oh me, oh my! Not only do you need to peruse your cupboard for a new receptacle, but now you have to wash the one you had previously chosen. FAIL!
Allow me to show you the difference between a PASS and a FAIL.
100% FAIL!
This is how things used to be put into my fridge. Egad!
PASS!
How lovely! Might have even found a smaller container as there is space at the top
Here was my most recent challenge. I boiled macaroni. Part of it was for a casserole and the rest was going to be leftovers for my lunch or perhaps even dinner the next day.
As you can see, macaroni in pot. Next was my chosen container. It was going to be tight, but I think I eye-balled correctly.
Then halfway up the container and still more pasta to go. I took a quick gulp and hoped for the best.
GAME! SET! MATCH!! PERFECTION!
Seriously. The cover fit. All the elbow macaroni is contained. NO…I did not eat any of it. No cheating with this game.
For all you OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) darlings out there…this is a boon for you. It may seem so simple and irrelevant, but once you start you will catch the bug. It’s all about finding the “perfect fit”. And if you are high falutin, you can rename it (as I used to call it) “The Tupperware Challenge”.
Maryann's Life 