The greening of my fruits and vegetables

For some time now, I've noticed the Debbie Meyer Green Bags at Wal-Mart and other retailers. A package sells for $10 and is supposed to keep the new in fruits and veggies stored therein. Skeptic that I am, I mentally pooh-pooh'ed the idea (what a gimmick!) and moved on.

Then I sat at lunch with friends who are not easily fooled and somehow the conversation turned to products we were surprised that worked. Guess what was number one on everyone's list? Yep, the green bags.

Never one to fall behind in the newest gadget and gizmo category, I bought a package. Knowing how susceptible my green bananas were to turning black almost overnight, I made them my guinea pigs and put a bunch in.

Well, wasn't that nifty? I was able to enjoy them all.

What else might Ms. Meyer have up her sleeve? At another retailer, I found red bags for cold cuts, blue for cheese, and beige for bread. And yes, I do own them all.

How have they held up to their promise? The red seems to be doing well by the salami and the cheeses, which we consume in rather large quantities, but not always quickly, is okay, too. The bread and I are not getting along as well, but it could be that I'm storing so-called artisan breads in it and then not eating them as quickly as a normal family would. I haven't thrown them out.

On the other hand, the rest of the family had better take note: Christmas! I've packaged several sets, one for each daughter-in-law's kitchen and one for the large family gift exchange. I'll be able to explain to the DILs how great they are, but I've put a warning label on the one that might get lost in all the family hoopla: "Don't laugh until you try them."

I know I shouldn't have.