The recipe bin moved with us almost seven years ago and took up residence in a cupboard just like it had in our previous home. It was ignored except when Earl and I found a recipe in the newspaper or a magazine or from a friend that we wanted to keep. Sometimes I’d print something from a food site online and throw the copy in the bin too.
This morning, I decided to search it for a recipe Tina gave us half a dozen years ago for Southwestern Relish. But when I tried to hoist the bin from its shelf I realized its contents had reached critical mass. Even though my trainer has me working on my biceps, I could hardly lift it down onto the counter.
When I did, a mass of papers – all sizes, some definitely aged – greeted me. Somewhere in there was the recipe I needed. But there were definitely many more recipes I’d never even made. In fact, most I didn’t even remember tossing in the bin in the first place.
As I sifted through for the missing relish, I came upon 7-Up biscuits (Never attempted), crash hot potatoes (Not tried), bagel quiche (Nope!), and crock pot beef tips (No.). I won’t list every recipe; suffice to say most were long on carbs and short on veggies. In addition, I found eight copies of Earl’s signature dish, Funeral Potatoes (which are guaranteed to make a cardiac surgeon cringe).
Near the bottom I found the Southwestern Relish recipe, but instead of returning the bin – now only one sheet of paper lighter – to its home, I decided to organize it and discard recipes that no longer have appeal. When that’s done, I’m confident my biceps can handle lifting the bin back into place.
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