The good fight

Every day I battle against the forces of sensitive teeth and freezer burn, and feel as if I am slowly losing. My fridge is quite small, although not the tiniest, and does contain a serviceable freezer which currently houses half a bag of potstickers, tamales, and a lot of frost. There should also be green beans included in the list (all from Trader Joe's, mind you) except in the name of honesty they are currently sitting upon my desk as I type, being funneled one by one into my salivating taste-buds. The best snack I have ever found: crunchy, cold, nutritious, sweet, refreshing - all 24 ounces, which is wherein the problem lies. My teeth (quite sensitive to cold) require a slow consumption rate which, in turn, allows the beans to thaw slightly as they sit out which removes their most highly desirable quality (crunch) and requires their return to the ice-box. This outcome naturally falls victim to my laziness and ends the snacking session - never more than five minutes at a time - and hence we are faced with the problem of freezer burn. There is no equitable compromise that I have found - cold teeth prevent speed and time creates mush, my least favorite description of food (except, perhaps, for putrid). If only I could find smaller bags! If only I would cook some to speed the process. If only I had a compatriot as crazy about frozen green beans as I. But I fear it is not to be, and as I type the frosty edges are melting and the crunch is fading. There will be no relief until summer when fresh beans abound: sweet, crisp, cheap.