KitchenKitten99
04-30-2007, 04:25 PM
Recently, while going through my MIL's cupboards with her, looking for a particular box of tea she wanted to bring up North with her (a friend brought it back from England last fall), we came across a whole, unopened box of hot cocoa packets. They looked a little 'dated', whereas the printing, styling, etc, looked like it was from a while ago. Well, the copyright date on the outside of the package said 1984!! Know what's even scarier? They didn't move into that house until 1986. They have a habit of this. If you use anything in their medicine cabinet, make sure you check the dates. They had a bottle of aspirin that expired in 2001 that I brought to their attention when I asked to use one and found it last week. I think it is the compulsive buying habits crossed with their membership at Sam's, forgetting neither of their sons live at home, and it is just the two of them.
I have found that if I offer to cook something at their house, I bring the ingredients, because on several occasions, I have come across spices and various ingredients that are no longer usable, either because of questionable color, consistency, or the fact that whatever it is, is now a solid block of whatever-it-is.
I am actually pretty good about making sure stuff hasn't passed it's expiration date, especially if it has sat in the cupboard for more than 2 weeks, unless it is canned stuff. I think anything that gets even remotely old is bread, because we seem to go through phases that we will eat it more one week than the next. I won't even let leftovers sit in the fridge for more than 3 days. I guess it just comes from my dad being all paranoid about it after he ate something in the cupboard that did pass it's date by about 3 months and he did get a little ill, but before he saw the date on the package when my step-mom asked where he got what he had just eaten.
I have found that if I offer to cook something at their house, I bring the ingredients, because on several occasions, I have come across spices and various ingredients that are no longer usable, either because of questionable color, consistency, or the fact that whatever it is, is now a solid block of whatever-it-is.
I am actually pretty good about making sure stuff hasn't passed it's expiration date, especially if it has sat in the cupboard for more than 2 weeks, unless it is canned stuff. I think anything that gets even remotely old is bread, because we seem to go through phases that we will eat it more one week than the next. I won't even let leftovers sit in the fridge for more than 3 days. I guess it just comes from my dad being all paranoid about it after he ate something in the cupboard that did pass it's date by about 3 months and he did get a little ill, but before he saw the date on the package when my step-mom asked where he got what he had just eaten.