Tuesday, September 25, 2007

My milk tangent...

Why is it when milk ISN'T on sale, the kids tend to go through it soo fast?! For reals! It's like I pay $3.50 for a gallon, (which I hate to do, because I know the minute I do, it's going to go on sale the next day!) take it home and within 2 days, we are in need of milk again. So of course, since it went on sale the day after I paid full price for it at Wal-Mart, (10 half gallons for $10 at Fry's) I go to buy 3, because that's more than the 1 gallon I bought at full price that we went through so quickly, but less than 2 full gallons, just in case it doesn't go quite as fast. It does though. It goes pretty quick, so before the sale ends, and while there's still about 1/2 left in one of those half gallons, I go back to buy 4 more. That was about 2 weeks ago? What was I thinking?! I got up this morning, open the fridge to get some cereal for Camden, and there are still 3 of those 1/2 gallons sitting in there, unopened. They expire today. I'm really anal when it comes to expiration dates. I HATE to keep anything past it's "expiration" date. I'll use it on the expiration, but I'm very thorough with checking before using. I smell, check for mold, staleness...that sort of thing.
I mean, my mom is always reminding me how nothing ever used to have expiration dates and that most things are safe past their expiration. But I've experienced eating a roll in the morning with the expiration still being a day or so out, and later THAT SAME DAY, looking at the bag again and noticing mold that wasn't there 3 hours ago. It makes my stomache turn...literally. I'd rather be on the safe side. Anyway, back to the milk. So I open one up and smell it, and my first thought is that it smells sour. It's probably just the milk that has dried up around the top, but whatever. I had to open another just to check the smell and see if one smells "fresher" than the other. Either way, they will all 3 be poured down the drain either tonight or in the morning. I just can't keep it. How bad is that?

5 comments:

Abby said...

I'm the exact same way with expiration dates. Especially with milk. It might even be the day BEFORE the actual expiration and I'll discard whatever's leftover. Not that there usually is anything left over because Calix is the only actual milk drinker in this house (it tends to make me sick). But yeah.. I've poured lumpy milk..and sour milk into a good bowl of cereal too many times to even mess with expirations anymore!

Anonymous said...

hi sarah:
i would so gack if i accidentally drank lumpy old milk! nasty! oh, i am laughing writing this. we are so on those expiration dates in my home. i should go have some milk, eh?

may your day be nasty milk free,
kathleen

Jenna said...

Yeah, but don't forget that usually the date on milk is the SELL BY date, not the USE BY date. It's good for a week after that.

On the bright side, at least your milk goes on sale! Ours in CA is $4.59/gallon, or 2 for $6.39. Always. And we go through about 4-6 gallons a week!

Sarah said...

Fry's actually has 2 dates printed on their containers. First is the "sell by" the other is the "best by" which helps me even more in determining if I should dump it.

Anonymous said...

so sarah:
what's on your mind tonight beside milk?

enquiring minds like mind are interested to see what you post on next.

i posted a rolling on the floor laughing thing tonight ... and on a serious thing.

blessings,
kathleen :)

ps. and my milk here in anchorage alaska is sometimes on sale for as low as $3 or $3.50, but usually it is at least between $4 and $4.39. and jenna should own stock in milk for as many as she buys each week for her team! :) :)