Monday, July 6, 2020

Around the Kitchen Table: What's in the Fridge? + Book #Giveaway



MADDIE DAY:  When we come up with a new character, especially a protagonist, one way to get to know her is to list what's in the trunk of her car, in her handbag, on her bedside table, and for the authors here, in her refrigerator. Does she keep all the old condiments and bits of jam, just in case, or is she an expiration-date freak? Does she stock milk, bread, fruits, vegetables? Or does her fridge only hold a pack of hot dogs, a bottle of ketchup, and a six-pack of beer?

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MLKers, what's in your fridge at home today? How about your protagonist's?

Since I, Maddie, am hosting this session around the kitchen table, I'll go first. I admit to being a person who keeps that half jar of lemon marmalade in the back of the top shelf, because it went so well with the last pork loin I roasted (except, ahem, that was five years ago). I figure as long as it isn't moldy, why toss it? I also have odd bits of chili paste and hoisin sauce in the door, and always a container of miso and one of tahini in the back somewhere. The rest is full of salad vegetables (lettuce from my garden!), milk, local eggs, cheeses, pickles, bread, tortillas, salsa and a pot of leftover chili. Plus wine and beer, of course. And sourdough starter.

My protag Robbie Jordan is a chef and lives behind her country store restaurant, so her personal fridge can be a little sparsely filled at times. But she always has cream for her dark roast coffee, an assortment of IPAs, and usually a few containers of tasty leftovers in the freezer.

Mac Almeida in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mysteries, on the other hand, doesn't cook at all. She has ham, cheese, and bread for her daily sandwich in her fridge, plus yogurt for her granola and a bottle of white wine. She's a bit obsessive-compulsive, so anything hitting an expiration date goes in the trash. Her freezer is mostly taken up with snacks for Belle, her African gray parrot, who loves frozen grapes and carrots.

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LESLIE BUDEWITZ: Every so often, someone on FB will share a photo of their nearly-empty fridge and I'm astonished! Both Mr. Right and I love to cook and eat, and we can pretty much always make a meal of what's in the fridge (with help from the freezer), even these days when we're shopping less. I'll admit, we may not need 5 varieties of mustard, but each has their own uses, and when you want stoneground, Dijon just won't do! There's always 2% for my morning latte and half & half for his, a bottle of Chardonnay, plenty of veggies, and a variety of cheese. Dried fruit. Kalamata olives and marinated artichokes. Prosciutto, eggs, and English muffins so Mr. Right can make his own breakfast sandwiches. Homemade chocolate Cabernet sauce for ice cream. A can of cat food. And yes, those odd bits Maddie/Edith mentioned -- many can easily be made into salad dressing with a bit of olive oil and a squirt or two of lemon juice or white wine vinegar.

My Pepper, star of the Spice Shop Mysteries, works in Pike Place Market, so she's got tons of fresh produce, meat, cheese, and bread close by and can shop as often as she wants, lucky girl. I confess that her fridge is more orderly than mine, but she too loves to whip up a snack or dinner with what's on hand. And thanks to her chef clients and the butchers in the Market, she's always got bones for Arf the Airedale, her little ambassador.   

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DARYL:   I always have condiments in the fridge. If they get old, I toss and buy new and they get old again, but they are there!  I love having olives and cheese in the refrigerator. These are go-to snacks for me. And I've become a cream with coffee drinker, thanks to my ENT who suggested that could help with my reflux. It did!  So I have a wealth of cream choices: half 'n half, cream, lightly flavored all natural creamer. Last but not least, there is always a good selection of fruit in my fridge. I love all fruit and find it a satisfying sweet when I'm out of the sugary kinds.



LUCY BURDETTE: My refrigerator is a little embarrassing, but here's part of it. I'm trying not to go to the grocery store very often, so I try to plan menus ahead and order a lot of stuff at once. Hayley Snow in Key West has a full refrigerator too, but she has the luxury of popping into the local grocery, Fausto's, or her favorite fish market if she has unexpected guests. (And she definitely will in THE KEY LIME CRIME!)


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LESLIE KARST: My very favorite item to spot in my own fridge is leftovers! When I make a nice meal for dinner—and by that, I mean something more ambitious than merely heating a can of refried beans and throwing together a couple burritos with cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce—I’ll usually prepare enough for two nights. After all, it’s no more work to make dinner for four than it is for two. So, here you can see (on my top shelf) leftover roasted red peppers and onions, a bowl of leftover white bean salad, and (in the meat tender) leftover grilled sausages. Which Robin and I ate with leftover grilled baguette slices that I’d popped into the freezer to keep from going stale.

Sally Solari, my protagonist, also tends to have leftovers in her fridge, but they’re generally from her restaurant, Gauguin, since—being a cook by trade—she’s not big on cooking at home on her nights off. But her leftovers are pretty divine, including such delicacies as Coq au Vin au Gauguin or Roasted Leeks with Walnut Oil, Lemon, and Thyme. Oh, and pretty much every Monday you’ll find in Sally’s fridge a Tupperware container filled with her nonna’s leftover Sunday Gravy from the previous day’s weekly family dinner.

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PEG:  My refrigerator is always stuffed! Lots of produce--lettuce, lemons, vegetables for dinners I've planned (but don't always stick to), berries to top hubby's cereal and apples and clementines. The shelves on the door are filled with various condiments--everything from sriracha to go chu jang sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, etc. I don't keep a lot of cheese in the fridge because I'd eat it all and be the size of a hippo! And then there are the containers of bits and pieces of leftovers, which I usually eat but just as often lose in the back of the fridge--peanut sauce from the night I made satay, tzatziki sauce for the Greek burgers, a small container of chickpea salad with olives and chopped onion...

As for my characters...Monica Albertson from my Cranberry Cove series usually has leftover erwtensoep (Dutch pea soup), a bottle of wine chilling to share with hubby Greg, something from Bart's Butcher for dinner, cranberry salsa and veggies from the farmer's market.

Penelope Parish from my new Open Book Series (debuting in October under my pen name Margaret Loudon), is a typical millenial and her fridge contains a couple of nubs of cheese, a few bottles half full of wine and leftover takeout curry from Curries and Kebabs in Upper Chumley-on-Stoke.

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Vicki: My fridge is pretty much a petri-dish. I never throw condiments out. I might need them some day.  Notice all the beer in the back of my fridge? I don't actually drink beer.  I bought those for guests. One day I'll be able to have guests again. I hope. The coffee is fresh though.


The protagonist of Tea and Treachery, the first book in the Tea by the Sea series, Lily Roberts, has three fridges. The one in her tea room is packed with fresh berries, cream, butter, ingredients to make delicious sandwiches, and the freezer is full of good baking. The fridge in the B&B where she cooks the breakfasts, overflows with local sausages and bacon, farm eggs, berries, milk and cream and good butter. The fridge in her own cottage - not so much. She cooks all day, why would be come home and cook for herself?

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MAYA: Much of the space in my fridge is devoted to fruits and vegetables, which include lettuce and greens from our garden. When refrigerators were redesigned with door bins to hold gallon drinks, the crispers were reduced in size. The ones in my counter-depth fridge don't hold much, so the overflow goes on the other shelves. 


At least I don't have to find room for wine bottles. I have a small wine fridge, which is where I also keep my butter. The wine is at the right temperature to drink and the butter to spread easily. 


The sleuth in my Five-Ingredient Mysteries, Val Deniston, does need to find to room for wine in the fridge, as well as beer, the drink that her grandfather prefers. He also likes to fish, so the fridge often has his catch of the day. She moved in with him originally because her mother asked her to put him on the healthy diet his doctor recommended. Val has mostly succeeded in her mission. Their fridge, like mine, contains a lot of fruit and vegetables. But if Val moved some things aside, she might find a hunk of beef that Granddad bought to cook when she isn't home.

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DENISE

Since this is early Monday morning, which is my normal grocery shopping day, there isn't much in my fridge. Water, condiments, wine, and soda is about it. When I get home later this afternoon, there will be lots of fresh produce.

Skye Denison-Boyd from my Scumble River series never knows what she'll find in her fridge. Between her mother May and her housekeeper Dorothy opening the door is always a surprise.


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ESSIE:  First, I'd like to say that Lucy's fridge puts mine to shame. It's so tidy looking, so no pictures from me! Like Daryl, I make sure I have a variety of cheese on hand for snacking along with baby carrots and  hummus. I also like to try a variety of condiments and sauces, so they're in there until expiry time usually. I do try them, and those I enjoy get use up fairly quickly, but some....well, you know. 

Shelby Cox, my protagonist is not really that into cooking so her fridge has ingredients for easy-to-make meals.  Sauces for pasta, eggs, bagels, etc. Thank goodness for her the guy in her life, Zack Griffin is a terrific cook.  Every home should have one of those!

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KRISTA DAVIS: Edith, I have to say that I'm impressed by your nice clean refrigerator. About a year ago, I came home after a long day, exhausted, and with a carload of groceries. When I opened the refrigerator door, every single shelf dripped a brown liquid. It was on the ceiling and the side walls. There were lakes pooling on the shelves and I had groceries to put away. A word to the wise, do not keep bottled chocolate milk beyond the expiration date unless you're hoping to swim in muddy shattered glass. I had those groceries, thankfully mostly in coolers, out in the sweltering heat and the pressure was on! The glass bottle had exploded during our absence!

There is no chocolate milk in my refrigerator. I always have two percent milk for my tea. Unsalted butter for baking and KerryGold unsalted butter for toast. Apricot jam is a staple. Many years ago, the brother of a friend became very ill while visiting her. The poor guy assumed her condiments were edible. They were not. After that I became ruthless about condiments and now throw them out on a regular basis. I usually have mayo, ketchup, bread and butter pickles, and an assortment of mustards. What takes up the most room? Eggs! Of course, I don't go to the grocery store as often these days so I stock up on eggs, and when I'm lucky, I manage to score duck eggs from a local farmer. I always have fresh fruit, especially berries. Carrots, lettuce, and very soon, fresh-from-the-garden summer squash and zucchini. There's usually meat thawing for the dogs, and cooked barley and quinoa. And these days, I have the well known Stay-At-Home sourdough starter.

Sophie Winston always has a packed fridge and a full freezer. She loves to entertain at home, so she's always ready in case friends drop by. She's very well known for having chocolate chip cookies in the freezer ready to go in case there's an emergency in the middle of the night or she needs a bribe, well, not a bribe actually, but to soften up someone. Right now, Sophie would have pork chops, steaks for grilling, tomatoes from her garden, lettuce, milk, eggs, bacon, fruit, and probably a cake or pie.

Holly Miller lives in the Sugar Maple Inn, so her refrigerator contains yogurt, milk, a bottle of wine, and an assortment of fresh cat and dog food made on the premises. Of course, it helps that the secret staircase in her apartment leads down to the private kitchen, which houses the magic refrigerator, so called because it's never empty. Most of the Sugar Maple Inn's dining leftovers are distributed to the needy, but a portion goes into the magic refrigerator in case Holly or Oma get hungry.

Florrie Fox spends her time managing a bookstore and drawing adult coloring books. She doesn't do much cooking but she loves to bake. She usually has yogurt, cheese, milk, butter, wine, berries, sliced ham or turkey for sandwiches, and condiments. She lives in Georgetown, Washington, DC, so it's easy for her to pick up whatever she needs on her way home from work.




Cleo's Cold Brew Coffee

CLEO COYLE Like our amateur sleuth, Marc and I do a lot of home cooking and try to keep our fridge stocked with staples. If you open our fridge during the summer months, however, you will always see a Mason jar of Cold Brew Coffee, the very same beverage our amateur sleuth (coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi) drinks all summer long. Coffee made with this method is incredibly smooth and refreshing.

Click here for Cleo's recipe.
The flavor is outstanding, never weak or watery as many iced coffees can be. While there are many ways to make cold brew, our favorite is the method we wrote about in our 16th Coffeehouse Mystery Dead Cold Brew. The Mason jar’s lid seals the coffee in an airtight lock, keeping it fresh as you steep it—and when you store it. This method is easy, convenient, and (best of all) inexpensive. If you’d like our step-by-step recipe and a free PDF, you are welcome to click here and jump to our recipe post. Enjoy the summer, everyone. Stay cool! ~ Cleo




GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment to enter to win these books from our authors. 
Remember to include your email so we can contact you if you win. 
What's in your fridge?

Death on the Menu, by Lucy Burdette
Tea and Treachery, by Vicki Delany
The Diva Sweetens the Pie, by Krista Davis
Nacho Average Murder, by Maddie Day
A Sprinkling of Murder, by Daryl Wood Gerber


149 comments:

  1. We always stock a wide variety of soft drinks, my weakness, and right now there is leftover tomato dill soup, fried chicken, and slaw.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Your leftovers sound divine! I'm a tad jealous...

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  2. Until I read your post I never thought about everything in our fridge. The door and one half shelf is just condiments, jelly, and butter, my goodness! But, it all gets used. After that it's from top down: 1. a Brita water picture, 2-3 bottles of 2% organic milk, rich creamer, orange juice, and right now half a bottle of Bloody Mary mix, but could be beer on occasion. 2.the left over shelf, sour cream always, boiled eggs 2-6, greek yogurt, if we don't have home grown a container of grape tomatoes, slice, shredded and chunks cheese of different variety, sliced ham, and turkey pepperoni. 3. 2 cartons of eggs, berries usually strawberries, a cold bottle of German Eiswein, tortillas and maybe fresh meat for whatever I have planned for meals planned. 4. Always avocadoes, cabbage, cucumbers, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, lettuce. 5. Freezer is always full chopped onions of differnt varieties, chopped bell pepper, always a bag of shrimp, various meats, leftovers, frozen french bread pizza, real fruit Popsicles, crawfish, sausage, bacon tater tots, butter we use alot of butter.
    I don't know what that says of us except there is a cajun in the house, but it is pretty much the same all the time. We do love our home canned goodies for sure. Thanks for sharing your fridge😁❤!
    bcollin981(at)gmail(dot)com

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  3. I have to go clean my fridge!

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  4. Well, today is Monday - the day garbage runs. Mondays mean the refrigerator has been cleaned out of all the little dabs I didn't throw out during the last week thinking we "might" eat them. Goes back to my upbringing of waste not want not.

    Monday's are the cleanest and emptiest time for my refrigerator. There are still the standards of condiments, milk, eggs, several pound of butter and chocolate chips - because I bake a lot, pepperoni because you never know when you will want pizza, and assortment of cheeses - which are a stable in this household. With growing a garden this year, there are fresh out of the garden veggies like squash, banana peppers and the much anticipated tomatoes that are just now starting to ripen.

    The only meat item in there right now is leftover rib meat and broth from yesterdays BBQ ribs that was taken out before the sauce added which will used to make hubby some mush this week.

    It's interesting to see what's in others fridge to see the wide array of likes and imagine the meals that come from those contents.

    Thank you for the fabulous opportunity to win not one but FIVE wonderful books.

    Please be safe, stay healthy and have a little adventure along the way - even if through the pages of a good book.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  5. Too much that needs to be cleaned out. Things get pushed to the back and forgotten. suefoster109 at gmail dot com

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  6. We have all kinds of condiments, things to drink and leftovers- most of which we end up eating. I always keep yogurts and cheeses and fresh veggies too as I try to eat healthy. Thank you so much for this chance. pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com

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  7. We have leftovers, condiments, milk, cold brew coffee, and bottle of white wine in my fridge.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

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  8. I always keep 4 huge containers of Fage Plain 0% Greek Yogurt, at least 3 dozen Extra Large Eggs, Fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, lemons) Fresh Veggies (sweet onions, red and green bell peppers, cucumbers, jalapenos, carrots) There is also always a 5 ingredient cheesecake (flavors vary and 0 points on WW) homemade fruit compote, currently a strawberry one. On the doors I keep condiments like ketchup, steak sauce, soy sauce, salad dressings, lemon and lime juice, Land O Lakes Whipped Cream, Coffee Creamers, jams, mustard and pickles. Today I also have thin cut chicken breast, leftover pork loin that we cooked int he smoker, white rice, white cheddar cheese, block of Parmesan. Turkey pepperoni, butter, almond cashew milk, skim milk, container of crystal lite and a container of light ice tea with lemon. tube of tomato paste, container of black olives, salsa, homemade bbq sauce, loaf of bread, hummus, sour cream, cottage cheese and medication.

    Looking forward to seeing what others have in their fridge. I also want to say to everyone to please STAY SAFE, Stay Healthy and thank you for the opportunity to enter this giveaway. busymother(at)gmail(dot)com.

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    1. Always a mask!

      You do sound like a busy mom - that's a full fridge.

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    2. Yes, always a mask! I do keep it stocked. Just don't ask about the freezer lol. That is full too.

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  9. Right now my fridge is full of leftovers from our family's Fourth of July celebration.
    Wendy
    clarksrfun at gmail dot com

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  10. I try & be organized in my fridge .... leftovers of course !! ( I love home-cooking & always a pitcher w/ ice coffee & tea available.. (caffeine gal 4-sure !! ) I like hitting the farmer's mrkts too , so I always have fresh fruits & vegees available to use for my meals ..thank you ladies for the wonderful books you provide for us xoxo

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  11. We have milk and fruit and condiments and some leftovers. Thanks for the contest. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  12. Janetm52 (at) AOL (dot) comJuly 6, 2020 at 9:34 AM

    Lots of July 4th leftovers - watermelon, potato salad, chicken skewers, �� on the cob!

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  13. I am very fortunate as my refrigerator is stuffed with amazing foods cooked by my 92 year old mother-in-law who is 100% Italian and learned to cook from her immigrant mother. Every week, she makes main dishes, sides, and desserts for us, saying "what else do I have to do?". Everything she makes is so delicious!
    Lisacobblestone(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. You are one lucky daughter-in-law, Lis!

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    2. That makes me yearn for my Italian grandmother's cooking!

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    3. I miss my nonna's cooking as well.

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    4. My 90 yr.old mom is Sicilian-American,(Dad was Cajun) and she taught me early how to cook, but since her falls, strokes, a heart attack and now dementia I am the cook for 5 of us, where we're staying-in-place. Lisa, you are indeed very lucky!

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    5. Lynn, please be safe. Yes, stay in place. Wishing you good health. ~ Daryl

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  14. Welcome everyone. This is a fun and different post today. Our fridge's top shelf is totally dedicated to drinks, water, milk etc. The other two shelves are food-left overs, veggies and fruits. The two drawers on the bottom are-one is fruits and the other is veggies.
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  15. We have lots of yogurt, spring mix salad, peppers, tomatoes, and meat to grill. Right now there is also fresh blueberries, canteloupe, strawberries, cherries and iced tea.
    marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
    Maryann

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    1. You are all set, Maryann. Do you make smoothies with all that?

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  16. Yogurt, spinach, tomatoes, peppers, apples, sparkling water, hummus and leftovers. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. I love hummus for a quick sandwich - with tomatoes!

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  17. Produce galore always since they are important and vital, soups, yogurt, lemons a must, variety of drinks, and cheese. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I have produce galore, too! Good for you. Lemons, always. ~ Daryl

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  18. Our refrigerator is sparsely filled-unsalted butter, various mustards, olives which I won't touch, and veggies. It's what's in the gatage fridge that's interesting. I stocked it full of Bounty paper towels! Why, you ask. Because I wanted the luxury of a 2nd fridge, only for the freezer part and I read that it'd run more efficiently if it's full. The workers who redid our kitchen and but their lunches in it were most surprised😄
    I'd LOVE to win the books

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    1. X-jerseygirl, Ha! That's hysterical. I love that you have to keep it full. LOL ~ Daryl

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  19. Oh my, what isnt in my fridge, lol. I have tons of cheese, some of the lunch meat my dog Tyler eats, lettuce, leftover pasta salad, a bunch of leftovers of my sil and brother's, 2 12 packs of diet cokes, tons of condiments, eggs, and some watermelon juice. All from memory so i am sure there is more, lol. kayt18 (at) comcast (dot) net

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  20. I need to do a deep purge on my fridge, I'm afraid... I try to empty out the expired goods whenever I put new in, but for living alone my fridge sure is full! My condiments in the door are very full... I like options! haha sticklerba (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. Brittani, expired? Things expire? Um, yeah! Uh-oh, time to purge for me, too. LOL ~ Daryl

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  21. We have lots of produce;fruits and vegetables of every kind. Also, milk,cheese,leftovers, condiments, iced tea and coffee, yogurt,chicken, eggs and sometimes cake. I am an expiration date freak and throw out anything that has expired, especially meat. I enjoy seeing what other people have in their refrigerators so this was interesting to me. Love all your books.
    clugston.kathy@yahoo.com

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    1. Kathyc, you're good about it. I feel things can expire and still go another 6 months, unless its fresh food. I haven't died yet. LOL Crossing my fingers. ~ Daryl

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  22. It is fridge clean out day pretty much on a weekly basis. We hardly throw anything out, so it is much easier to avoid procrastination. I used to have lots of uneaten left overs and condiments which would sit until they looked like science experiments, but when my wife had to go on a special diet, we found ourselves cooking/baking everything from scratch. Therefore, considering the amount of time it takes to make meals, the cost of almond flour as well as other ingredients, we find ourselves wasting considerably less. The casserole one spent 3 hrs cooking and an hour prepping is way more likely to get eaten than the ready made meals we used to have. I do miss pizza though, lol.

    Thanks for the chance!
    Jenandalana(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Jen, science experiments. LOL That made me truly LOL. ~ Daryl

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  23. I'm a cook. I've also cooked for private parties in the past. My fridge has Organic 2% Milk, butter, 3 types of cheese, bread, muffins and corn tortillas. I also keep small containers of sliced black olives, chic peas and Israeli pickles. I also have a drawer for fresh fruits and the last is for salad veggies. There's also Margarine, home made cucumber salad, home made ice tea, 2 kinds of iced coffee and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember off hand.

    My freezer has chop meat, ground dark meat chicken, 2nd cut briskets, turkey thighs (for shawarma) salmon, tilapia, frozen veggies and strawberries, gal bag of frozen blueberries, four kinds of Kosher sausages, bags of ground coffee, chicken and turkey bones for soup stock and other stuff I can't remember. All in all, I can put together a snack, whole meal or party without going to the store.

    Oh, I forgot the pizza bread on the top shelf next to the ice cubes. LOL

    NoraAdrienne@gmail.com

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    1. Wow your freezer is packed, NoraA. I'm in awe and doing a little bow to your organization skills. ~ Daryl

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  24. Our fridge was pretty empty before we went shopping today. We have juice, milk, lemonade, iced tea, cold cuts, lots of fruit and vegetables, chicken thawing for tomorrow night’s dinner, and since the store had a special on lobster this morning I picked up a few for dinner tonight. There are also pickles, jam, ketchup, mustard, and lots of Asian condiments for stir fries.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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    1. Ooh, I picked up six lobsters last Friday because they were local and so reasonable. Five meals out of them, plus I boiled down the shells and now have three big containers of amazing seafood stock in the freezer.

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  25. Lots of leftovers! Thanks for the chance to win!
    faithdcreech at gmail dot com

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  26. No matter what else I have in my fridge, there will always be cheese and bread. Although he is not noted for his culinary skills, I have Steig Larsson to thank for my addiction to cheese sandwiches. I would be reading along on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and they would decide to make one of the cheese and pickle sandwiches. Next thing I knew, late at night, I was in the kitchen making one too. I, however, substituted Miracle Whip for the butter. No, not mayo, Miracle Whip. I have loved that spread since I was a child. I have since zushed up the original with additions such as bread and butter pickles or jalapenos or cranberry/orange marmalade. That book may or may not have had a few stains when I took it to Half-Price Books.

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  27. I think my fridge contents are pretty basic- fruits, veggies, eggs, butter, milk, cheese, leftovers, etc. I do like to try different condiments, but if I like them they get used up fairly quickly. If I don't like them, then they don't stay in the fridge for very long.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  28. We finished the leftovers yesterday. We have milk, yogurt, eggs, bread, juice, condiments, olives, pickles, kim chi, butter, assortment of cheese, deli meat, tortillas, blackberries picked from our garden, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, beer, lettuce, radishes, cucumber, zucchini squash, carrots, celery, green onions, asparagus,mushrooms, cabbage, peanut butter, tahini, marmalade, maple syrup, jarred jalapeno peppers, sauerkraut; all this is from memory. I have produce delivered weekly. I won't go hungry. LOL bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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  29. I try to clean out my refrigerator every week. I always have condiments, cream for my coffee, veggies and fruit. I also always have cheese, bacon and salami. Thanks for the great giveaway!
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  30. There are a lot of strange, unrecognizable items in my fridge since our granddaughter moved in with us. She drinks cold coffee drinks but not coffee. She's gone vegetarian so there are a number of meatlike products. Fortunately I have a drawer full of cheese for me to snack on. And we have salad greens in another drawer which she doesn't touch. She'll cook veggies to go in things but doesn't care for salad. Oh well. We've lots of condiments, pickles, and olives. Anyone know how long an opened jar of olives lasts? Asking for a friend.
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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  31. I have fresh berriesberries, cheese, watermelon and salad. I have lots of condiments and baby carrots, milk for cereal and unsalted butter for baking and candy making. Thanks for a chance to win this great giveaway! ljbonkoski@yahoo.com

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  32. Milk, condiments, leftovers, fruit, hotdogs, and tomatoes.

    Meljprincess AT aol DOT com

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  33. I'm laughing at all the comments about needing to clean out the fridge! We did a major clean-out before we went to Paris in January, but since the pandemic hit, we've been doing fewer, bigger shopping trips, meaning we make a point of eating up the leftovers and tossing lost bits to make more room!

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    1. Leslie, sometimes I wish we had a "like" button here! Or emojis! ;)

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  34. I'm a condiment rescuer from way back! I try to get them on sale when I can, especially the two-fers. Today is clean out the back fridge(garage) day, after the garbage pick-up around 1pm or so and there's room to put stuff in after the long holiday weekend. I freeze breads,cheeses and meats, as well as "deja foods" as often as I can, since some people I'm feeding eat like a pack of wolves here, where we've been staying-in-place and caring for my elderly mother. DH is pretty good about asking if I'm "saving" things for other meals, whether from the kitchen or back fridge, and I try to keep a checklist of foods from grocery receipts, along with ideas for dinners, and record meals in a notebook. I try to always have a Plan B (if not C) when I'm surprised to physically check before preparing dinner, to make sure an item hasn't been eaten before I fix a meal! I even hafta hide some foods in the back of the freezers & vegetable drawers, where only occasionally my hubs and nephew will venture. I hate to waste food, but yep, I sometimes hide those "science experiments" from myself! I do just often have to go with the flow, esp. these days. This was a fun post, so thanks, Maddie/Edith! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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  35. I just put up a big bowl of strawberries and blueberries. Jteastman215atgmaildotcom

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  36. Yikes, there's a lot in my fridge. Milk, juice, cheese, eggs, meat, leftovers, yogurt, pickles, condiments and ice cream toppings, cottage cheese, half a can of cat food, batteries, probably other stuff....
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  37. I am notorious for having a well (over?) stocked frig and pantry. My pantry is a small closet like space.
    I lived most of my childhood on an unpaved road. We were always prepared in case of a snow storm since we could get snowed in (this was before 4 wheel drive cars being common). This has helped make me the pack rat I am. At one point we had a small frig with a freezer on top. I packed the freezer so full that I used chopsticks to help keep things from falling out of the door.
    Now we have four of us using our frig, my husband and me and my daughter and her daughter. The frig can get mighty full! Makes it interesting to 1-find things and 2-remember what's in there!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  38. Thanks for sharing your fridge contents, everyone!
    Mine is packed full, and is a combo of what is in Maddie (Edith) and Leslie B's fridge. Plenty of condiments. And right now, there are also two kinds of nut milks (almond and cashew), as well as a huge assortment of local cheese. And leftovers from past meals (lamb stew with preserved lemon, sumac chicken).
    grace dot koshida at gmail dot com

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  39. I have a lot of condiments, different kinds of pickles, not long ago I went through my fridge and there were 15, yes, fifteen jars of pickles! I also have some diced chicken, a pound of ground chuck, pepperoni, lots of different cheeses, vegetables, lunch meat, and a bottle of Coffee Tequila I bought in Mexico last Nov. and a bottle of wine I won at a party. Oh, can't forget the assortment of pop.

    irbratb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  40. My refrigerator has eggs, cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables and condiments. The freezer has fish, chicken, beef , berries and vegetables.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  41. my fridge has oatmeal cookie dough baked chicken and veggies some sauces. My freezer has chicken, pork chops, taquitos and ice cream :-)

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  42. We always have water - Water filter, Brita, and bottled. The freezer is stocked with bread and pizza. My email isbooksnpugs(at)gmail(dot)com

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  43. Left overs from the weekend hamburgers chicken nuggets french fries and brown rice casserole some fruit vegetables milk eggs juice

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  44. What an interesting topic to discuss. We just had a holiday weekend, so there are some leftovers in the refrig, along with the usual items such as milk, iced tea, orange juice, butter, jelly, pickles, cheese etc. Some times I have to clean out my frig to ascertain what leftovers may have gotten shoved to the back. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net

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  45. I have some great fresh ready made meals for 1 from our local grocery store! All I have to do it pop them in the oven! There's also some takeout Chinese and fresh veggies! I also keep some Blue Bell ice cream and cookie dough at the ready for when my sweet tooth kicks in!

    emilylgulick@gmail.com

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  46. We have several kinds of cheese, lots of condiments, breads (in FL, bread molds quickly when left in the pantry cabinet), mixed greens, cucumber, pickles, milk, orange juice ... our second refrigerator holds more olives, our Chinese produce we just bought on Sunday, sodas, white wine we use for cooking, my husband's homemade natto (Japanese fermented soybeans), Korean chili paste, some leftover pasta from Saturday night, ... we cook a lot, we rarely went out to eat even before COVID-19 made it impossible/difficult. Our freezers are filled with chicken, beef, chili, gumbo, our homegrown blueberries and blackberries, gelato, ... teenlibn(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  47. I TRY to keep my fridge stocked with LOTS of fresh veggies. I am type 2 diabetic so I need to have a lot of veggies and fruits in my fridge so I am not tempted to snack on foods that aren't good for me. I also have bottled water in there and unsweetened iced tea. Greek Yogurts, In other words...all BORING stuff lol. Thank you for the chance to win! ladyofshalott03(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  48. I was bored yesterday, so I cooked. Now, when a Southern woman cooks, she COOKS! There's left over fried chicken, acre peas from the garden, Mac and cheese, garden salad, mashed potatoes and gravy and biscuits. Oh, and Banana Pudding. Plus, my three kinds of creamer for coffee, and lots of condiments. :)

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  49. Right now lots of different cheese, homemade pickles, milk and water. And apples and oranges. Plus hamburgers thawing to grill tonight.
    bmedrano34@yahoo.com

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  50. Mostly condiments at the moment! I'm still on strict quarantine so I've been using a meal delivery service.

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  51. I try to go out less often, which means I buy more when I go to the store and since I just got back from shopping, my fridge is stuffed! Condiments, variety of veggies, an assortment of different flours, yogurt and leftovers from last night. cindystamps(at)juno(dot)com.

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  52. I love all the condiments on the door, and honestly, with the level of vinegar in a lot of them, they do last a long time, actually beyond their best by date (went to a workshop once and the presenter said the same thing). I have to admit my fridge is tidy since I knocked over a glass with water and cilantro and the water went everywhere!

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  53. Tons of leftovers right now! My husband is out on the road so when I make a meal, it lasts for like 5 meals for me (I don't know how to cook for one!!)! My favorite thing in my fridge and something that is ALWAYS there, is coffee creamer! Can't live without it!!

    Sbandjz AT yahoo DOT com

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  54. Sharon GuagliardoJuly 6, 2020 at 4:31 PM

    I have some leftovers from when my son visited. Milk, juice, pickles, gherkins, olives, heavy cream, two jams, water, couple of kinds of cheese, some pepperoni, carrots, onions, celery, and lots of condiments. catwoman-1(at)comcast(dot)net

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  55. Leftovers from the 4th of July cookout. My favorite thing in there now, is the desserts from the cookout. ���� otherwise it’s pepperoni and cheese.

    Monei2000@yahoo.com

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  56. My fridge is always very well stocked. I cook about 5-7 nights a week and want to have everything I could need. Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  57. We currently have almond milk, unsweetened ice tea, orange juice, bacon, LOTS of condiments including hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, dijon mustard, ketchup, and cheap yellow mustard, apples, and four cream puffs from a neighborhood restaurant. Thank you for the chance to win! aut1063(at)gmail(dot)com

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  58. A whole bunch of leftovers I don't want but can't waste.

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  59. what's in the fridge - orzo salad with zucchini and feta cheese, chicken marinating in Spiedies, watermelon, and margaritas!

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  60. In my fridge (and freezer), I have lots of planned over proteins for future meals. I like to cook once and use protein portions for extra meals. I also have lots of fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator and freezer.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at)aol (dot) com

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  61. I have the usual staples plus potato salad, macaroni salad from the weekend and Rumbledetumps (a cabbage and potato dish). mountainsr4me@hotmail.com

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  62. My fridge always has milk for cereal and half and half for coffee. With six people (and three felines), the rest of the fridge has an assortment of things, because everyone has different requests. Leftovers in containers usually don’t get eaten unless my son is home and he eats them for lunch. The fridge is usually a mess and my husband is always complaining that I need to clean it out more often, but who has time when there are books to be read! 😉
    meeshpsych@aol.com

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  63. Awesome! Deedee0608@gmail.com
    What don’t we have in our fridge? We stock up on a lot of things.

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  64. My fridge has the usuals plus batteries !! Right now it has a small pizza box with chocolate pizza in it! It was a gift from my employer and I am sparingly snacking on it while I am working from home. Egoehner(at)roadrunner(dot)com

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  65. My fridge has fruits, veggies, condiments, sour cream, cheese, a ham, deli turkey, bottle watered, peach ice tea, varieties of Polanar's all fruit, and butter. Probably more items but this is what comes to mind. There will be more in there after we pick up an almost teenager for a few weeks of visiting this summer.

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  66. My fridge needs to be cleaned. Hubby does most of the shopping; he does the cooking. He gets lots of fruit, but not all goes in refrigerator, berries mostly. And he buys meat, but doesn't get it cooked immediately. We have eggs, lots of cheese, tuna of SmartBalance, milk, condiments. Sodas, and even a couple bottles wine.
    donna (dot) durnell (at) sbcglobal (dot) net

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  67. i don't cook!!!!!!!!!!!!my frig has condiments,milk,eggs, tuna fish and some lettuce..........queengf@gmail.com

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  68. We have a lot of juices, fresh fruits, eggs, ground turkey, lunch meat, cheese, leftovers, flavored water, cottage cheese and yogurt. Not too bad.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  69. I love cozie mysteries! One the road enjoying the heat

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  70. Water and Juice in fridge. Also watermelon during summer. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  71. I have wayyyyy too many condiments,along with lots of drinks but have chicken marinating for tonight's dinner of grilled buffalo chicken sandwiches on Texas toast with homemade coleslaw recipe compliments of Youtube!

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  72. Leftover smoked ribs from the 4th! (erin at lorandos dot com)

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  73. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  74. Zevia Soft drinks, condiments, eggs, deli meat and several cheeses. A couple Freshly diners cause I don’t like to cook. Do have some microwave frozen items and gluten free bread

    mdlaugh1@gmail.com

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  75. Zevia Soft drinks, condiments, eggs, deli meat and several cheeses. A couple Freshly diners cause I don’t like to cook. Do have some microwave frozen items and gluten free bread

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  76. the fridge doors are packed with condiments, cheese, butter, and jam. the rest of the fridge has juice, leftovers, bread, water, eggs, more condiments, bacon, sausages, lunch meat, vegetables, fruit, and oh my, more condiments.
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  77. My fridge is fairly empty right, several bottles of condiments, but not a lot aside from except lox, bagels, and cream cheese, ( the cream cheese is a staple for me, the lox and bagels just came out of the freezer). Also, almost always, a pitcher of iced tea (unsweetened)
    annefitza (at) yahoo(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Lox, bagels, and cream cheese are always a hit with me.

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  78. Let's see -condiments, ice coffee, tea, water and soft drinks - beer, wine oh and don't forget the cheese, eggs, fruit and produce, and lots of leftovers from the weekend!!!

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  79. Condiments and milk are always in my fridge. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Doward, you are our lucky winner! Please check your email, and congratulations.

      Delete
  80. condiments, coke, juice, water, milk, left overs - pork chops, chicken, mac and cheese, green beans thanks for the chance

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  81. Probably should go through it but always have the basics. Usually some leftovers. Thanks for the interesting reads. Capswingsfan(at)gmail(dot)com

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  82. Oooh, how fun!! I would LOVE to win these books, thank you to all the authors for your generosity offering such a fabulous giveaway!! Right now in my fridge you would find: leftover mac & cheese that my daughter didn't finish from her lunch, milk, fresh produce, eggs, juice, and condiments (I have a thing for mustard!!). My email is: Akj3765(at)gmail(dot)com

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  83. Just stopped at the farmers market so strawberries, green beans, peas and other goodies. Cheers. At. Marjimmanor. Dot com

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  84. I have a whole of what I call “break & bake” cookie dough packages that I *really* need to bake next Monday - they are taking up way too much room! Book (two underscores) wyrm (at) sbcglobal(dot)net. No spaces anywhere in that email address.

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  85. I'll switch refrigerators with Sally Solari anytime! Mine is more like Stephanie Plums--not much there!! lindaherold999@gmail.com

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  86. I have a tiny fridge with wine and beer (thanks to DIL), bottled water, mustard, ketchup, cheese, butter and leftovers. Not like it was when I lived in my house!!

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  87. My fridge needs to be cleaned out!!! I have all the usual things. milk, eggs, juice, fruits, a few veggies, condiments, homemade potato salad, deli soups, Diet caffeine soda, fresh herbs, cheese (forgot bread again)some tortellini... stuff like that. :D

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  88. Right now my forget is honestly a hot mess. If you would stand in front of it with the door open you would be asking yourself what kind of tornado whirled inside it made it look the way it does. LoL. I have strong cheese, cheese from the deli and salami and laughing come cheese in the drawer, top shelf I have a container of whipped cream, sour cream, Hershey's pudding cups for my daughter who had her wire changed for her braces so her teeth are sore. Eggs, a big bowl of homemade salsa I just made this afternoon. Yogurt, gallon of milk.. in the drawers on the bottom there are grapes, salad mixes, and oranges. In the door... All my the mayo, miracle whip, ketsup, dressings, mustard, hot mustard, butter and usually a 3 liter container of Kool aid.
    Like I said a hot mess. LoL (let's not even go into the freezer it's best not to go in there now since I made salsa, it tends to smell like garlic LoL ... Don't ask just go with it. (Luckily nothing tastes like it lol)
    Thanks for the chance.
    lilyanngill56(at)gmail(dot) com

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  89. Marcia StuelpnagelJuly 6, 2020 at 10:05 PM

    Right now my fridge is way full from leftovers over the holiday weekend and my dad giving us a bunch of groceries that my mom cant eat anymore since she is now on a feeding tube. In my fridge I have a half gallon of milk; a half gallon of choc milk; watermelon; snickers and french vanilla creamer for my daily coffee; coleslaw; pomegranate juice; twisted tea huckleberry flavor; eggs; butter; cottage cheese; sour cream; a ton of condiments my hubby likes creating different sauces with a variety of condiments. We have a lot of fruits and vegetables that we get from the farmers market. My autistic son has to have his veggies and fruits daily. We have leftover chinese food from dinner. A variety of cheeses and lunch meats. I have no idea how we have so much in our fridge without something falling out when we open door. Lol I need to start looking up some more food ideas. Lol I dont even want to talk about my freezer and 2 chest freezers. You would think I was feeding an army. Lol I cant pick a protagonist because I like them all and to hard to just choose 1.

    My email is cwbysfan82@yahoo.com

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  90. I just went grocery Shopping so I have chicken, Bell peppers, yogurt, blueberry muffins and some fresh eggs. Thanks for the chance! Jess
    maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  91. There’s a lot in our fridge - cheese is a biggie!
    Dm_richards (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  92. Our refrigerator holds the usual condiments plus lunch meat, cheese, iced tea, orange juice, leftover macaroni beef casserole (known as macaroni slop), and one or two containers with unidentifiable substances that might qualify as science projects (probably time to toss these!)
    rebarger(at)bellsouth(dot)net

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  93. Maille Mustard (4 flavors) mayonnaise of course, cold cuts, several types of cheese (bleu a must) and soda pop and milk for the hubby. I drink chocolate cashew milk or the silk protein nutmilk.

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  94. Right now, there are still lots of leftovers from the weekend, but we always have a selection of cheeses, the regular assortment of condiments, milk & eggs. We have an extra fridge in the laundry room that mostly stores bottled waters, sodas, and whatever doesn't fit in the kitchen fridge (now that we only shop twice a month!)

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  95. Some leftovers and a big bowl of salad and a box of Whoppers.
    Thank you for the chance
    Penney

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  96. Just a bottle of mustard and pickles

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  97. Our fridge has some "staples" like pita bread, kalamata olives, hummus, pepperoni...yup our staples are a little different than most. I am a diabetic and my daughter is lactose-free. We also have berries, Silk Almond milk, and tupperware containers of leftovers. We always also have our Brita pitcher in there with filtered water. bentleyboy22(at)comcast(dot)net

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  98. Well im glad I'm not alone! I have multiple bottles of ketchup, mustard and relish left over from our sons graduation party. One slice of strawberry cake, because let's face it, sweets don't last around here and there are fresh okra, cucumbers and tomatoes that were plucked right out of my garden! Dwna92010@gmail.com

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  99. I must be a closet refrig peeper. I love reading everyone's comments. My frig has condiments, milk and cheeses, also water. Love ice cold water. diannethompson6005@comcast.net

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  100. I had to take a picture so I'd remember. LOL I have milk, grape juice, wine coolers, beer, small bottle of Rum Chata, pickles, a lot of cheese, cream cheese & butter/margarine, some vegetables, leftovers, a pre packaged salad, eggs, hard boiled eggs, a half can of prepared frosting, leftover dill pickle dip, half bottle of Coke, some jelly/jam, coffee creamer, shredded chicken, ice cream toppings, 2 tubes of crescent rolls, some condiments and a few things that can be thrown out. :) farmermomwife at gmail dot com

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  101. In my fridge I have pop, water, turkey slices, cranberry juice, margerine, oranges and a whole lot more. Thanks for this amazingly generous giveaway. lindamay4852@yahoo.com

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  102. In my frideg I have eggs, bacon, soda, bread, cheese & yogurt. Going to the store for real food. Pick me , please

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  103. I have very little because tomorrow is grocery day.

    2 door shelves of condiments

    6 cherry tomatoes
    2 water pitchers
    1.5 gallons 1% m8lk
    6 grapefruits
    5 oranges

    We try to eat everything before getting more.

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  104. I have a small fridge and it's packed since I just went shopping. I have 6 lbs. of sausage (Italian and brats), 2 heads of lettuce, 5 lbs. of grapes, 4 doz. eggs a door full of condiments, pickles, giardinera and dressings. Tons of beverages because of the heat. In about 5 days it will be close to empty except for the door of condiments and beverages.

    acm05atjuno.com

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  105. Coke Zeroes for me, yogurt for granddaughters and the little applesauce squeeze packs for them, lots of condiments and lots of fruit! Cheese for my husband and pimento cheese as well. Just ate the rest of the leftovers!! Oh and a salad bag! Mwutsey@aol.com

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  106. jalapeno's, eggs, tomatoes, green peppers, turkey lunch meat, brats & sauerkraut, smoked salmon cream cheese and mini bagels, colby jack cheese, applesauce and coffee creamer. Mmmm ~ scoobyvicki57@gmail.com

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  107. Doward Wilson is our lucky winner! Please check your email, Doward, and congratulations. Thanks to all for chatting around the table with us!

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