Monday, June 9, 2008

Randomommy

I never thought I could get quite so excited over a household product, but HOT DAMN if my life hasn't changed since I started using shower caps in the kitchen.

It's just that when I see tupperware and its generic friends I am so often filled with doom. I loathe washing them out, and there is always one that's been in my fridge for forty days, containing a primeval curry. You see it when you open the fridge and reach way into the back in search of olives and maybe a thumb of half-frozen but still-good goat cheese. You see it and it sees you because by now it has grown eyes. But you can't stand the thought of cleaning out the tupps after dumping the curry, so you just plum leave it there. Know what I'm saying?

Eventually, like maybe every second month or so, you find such a terrifying tupps in the back and you are too frightened to open it. Because you fear if you do, the thing inside might just jump up and wave at you. And so, filled with guilt, you bypass all laws of recycling and conscience and economy, and you just sort of fling it into the trash. It's a small tupperware, you reassure yourself as the image of Al Gore on that scaffolding consulting the carbon chart hovers in your mind's eye. Bugger off, Al! I hardly ever do this! And you've got servants!

Enter shower caps. To clarify, I was remembering how my gran used to put these little shower cap dealios over bowls of leftover food. Literally they're just bits of elasticized plastic that you stretch over the top of a bowl. Then when it's time to clean out the fridge, you just pop off the shower cap, stick the bowl in the dishwasher, and all you have to clean is the cap. No ugly curry-stained tupps to detox. AND when you think about it, you're minimizing the number of dishes and lids you have to use, which is easier on you and the enviro. Because basically you're not decanting food from dish into tupperware, but rather, taking the original dish and covering it. As though with plastic wrap. Only the shower cap makes it easier because it's pre-sized to stretch and fit your bowl. And it's reusable. My gran used hers for, like, fifty years (no exaggeration) in true old-school thrifty style.

I mentioned all this to my aunt in South Africa and next thing you know I have some shower caps of my own (thanks, Nettie!). They fill me with joy. They take up very little room in my miniature kitchen, and they don't scare me when I open the fridge. Basically I'm here to tell you that life is worth living when you have shower caps for your kitchen. Ya know?

Because I am incredibly kind and selfless, I want to offer a lucky reader a freebie shower cap set. But I don't know how to find them in America. "Shower cap dish-covers" doesn't generate a good Google result. Anyone know where we can find some? I have yet to find a new favorite Dollar Store here in Crabcity, but I suspect when I do, I might get lucky.

On another note I worry that my freebie weekends have driven away loyal readers seeking content. Content is still here, friends. It's just masked by all the swag. But I still get a pithy weekly or twice weekly bit in. Like the piece about Mick Jagger. Or the one about Crabtot's greatest dream: to become a pregnant teenager. Or the one about Ikea. Hey, disgruntled readers, at least I don't have tip jar on my page. Yet.

Penultimately, to the readers who have written to ask me which Sweet Valley High novels I wrote, stay tuned. I will revisit my past life as a ghostwriter sometime in the next month. As well as revisit my other illustrious jobs: phone sex operator motivational speaker, crack peddler medical supplies salesperson, and so forth. Peeps, there are so many things you can do with an MFA in Writing from one of the finest institutions in America. And I have done most of them. So come back, and let me inspire you and yours!

Last, I think no mommy blog can be complete without the requisite photo of its author from the 1980s. I too am about to capitulate, breaking my self-imposed no-pix-of-self-or-tot rule. I always thought the writing should do the talking. But I never said I wasn't a hypocrite, and boy do I have a gem for you. I don't know when I will reveal myself, but be assured I will be sporting a most peculiar hairstyle and a school uniform that smacks of South Africa in all its forward-thinking, ideology-smashing history. Cool bananas!

Also, pretty please if you want more Crabmommery, stop by the bloglet: recent posts include ruminating on my permanent state of wishful thinking, gabbing about the magical properties of oil cloth(that's a very deep post), dissing consistency, and discussing why I refuse to eat dinner with my 3-yr-old (ooh! That one got the Yahoo moms [where bloglet also appears] mighty peppery!).

16 comments:

THE WHITTINGTONS said...

i like the shower caps idea. i find myself in the same situation regularly. in fact, it's been awhile now... i probably need to check in on the current state of mold in my fridge. then again, what's another couple days...

Daisy said...

I remember my grandmother using these "caps", too! No, I don't know where to get them or what they're called here in the U.S. If you find out, I'd love to try them.

Fall From Grace said...

Oh! someone sells these things. In three sizes no less. ummm... Glad? Ziplock? someone. And they're colour-coded, wheeee!

Alas, I don't use them. I just stick a lid on the pot and put it in the fridge. When I run out of pots, I know it's time to excavate. And actually... there's some leftover turkey stew that I'm afraid to face. It was in the fridge since LAST Sunday, and I took it out this past Sunday and put it on the counter fully intended to get to it.

Erm... it's still sitting there. Be very afraid.

Anonymous said...

That is a great idea. I hate when you find old things in your fridge and they are repulsive. I have purposefully started buying clear bowls so that I can know what is in there. Way too many times I have a bowl of mac/cheese that gets overlooked until it is changing color. I'm gonna have to try the shower cap as I despise using saran wrap. Oh and they sell shower caps in our grocery store.

Laura said...

Glad used to make the stretch cover lids, but alas, like all good things, this has come to an end. I think once consumers realized that they could use the free shower caps from hotels and that you could re-use them forever, the market for them dried up. You can sometimes find them in those close-out stores, like Big Lots, and you can find other brands on amazon.com.

lace said...

Just googled reusable bowl covers and
found a set of 50 for 3.99 online at some site called Walter Drake. He apparently sells lots of must have items.

Those As Seen on TV products. Yup he sells those as well.

Alexis said...

I can't wait to hear about the SVH books!
It's true about the MFA: not much you can do with one. Having an MA in English Lit from a fancy pants school is almost as bad. The most lit-related job I have had with mine was teaching freshman comp at a suburban community college.

I suppose you could just use the plastic shower caps in the hair care aisle, but I wonder if they are made of a particularly toxic-grade plastic?

Anonymous said...

I got my showercap things at Wal-Mart. I think I've seen them at Target, but I'm not sure. They are typically on endcaps and sometimes in the checkout aisles, rather than in the actual departments where one would look for such things.

crabmommy said...

lace! this is astounding news! stay tuned for shower cap freebies in a future giveaway, moms, and be prepared to add another weapon to your arsenal as domestic warrior.

Bix'Mom said...

I tried the GLAD covers for awhile, but due to laziness, thriftiness, and the desire to never clean/throw out another tupperware container, I have been using zip-bags for the past several years. Just dump your leftovers into the bag. If you eat it within the next few days--fantastic. If you don't ever get around to eating it--just toss the whole thing in the garbage. Soups, pastas, just about anything fits into a gallon-size baggie.

Anonymous said...

My mom has used shower caps to cover food since, well, ever since I can remember.

There is a bunch of old, scary food in my fridge right now. I have to face it tomorrow as we are running out of room.

Anonymous said...

I've never heard of those but they sound like a great idea. I too, have many science experiments growing in my fridge and they call out to me at night. I have started to use the zip lock bags more and more. Makes for easy clean up.

Fall From Grace said...

Was it Gallagher...? George Carlin? who had a 'food' routine:

Could be meat, could be cake. It's MEATCAKE! Tell it to come back when it makes up its mind.
You see an empty plate in the back of the fridge - something ATE something else!
From the picky eater: Is there a picture of it in the cookbook? Bet it don't look like that!

Love that man.

lace said...

here's the link to walter drake.

http://wdrake.resultspage.com/search?p=Q&ts=custom&w=reusable%20bowl%20covers

Laura said...

I have so many shower caps, I dont know what to do with them all! I wish I could get you a few for a giveaway. I snag mine from hotels when we travel, which is often. Even my grandma has told me I have too many and to stop sending them to her. Can you believe? Great idea and use for them! I'm going to try it out.

Anonymous said...

I thought I was the only one who threw those things away - my husband doesn't even know. But, I put them in the recycle bin! Guilt-free.

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