It’s Friday Guys! It’s time for
No Waste Tastes Great
Fridays I take a little time first thing to strip down the fridge and perishables cupboard, clean both of them, take note of anything that needs replenishing, return any items back to the fridge leaving what needs using up on the counter.
Click here to find out more about my Friday Routine
So what is sitting on the counter in anticipation this week?
I’ve been blogging every Friday for almost 10 months about food waste, after being initially inspired by The Frugal Girl and Food Waste Friday. It would seem that my potential food waste is diminishing. By meal planning, keeping my eye on the ball and then accounting for my perishables it does indeed reduce waste. There are “not so good weeks”, but this tends to be when life gets in the way.
You know you are doing well when on a Thursday evening your Daughter opens the Fridge and goes ‘Awww Mom there’s nothing in it!” when peckish on her return from school.
We have a friend to play after school today and pancakes have already been requested. So it would seem it’s yorkshire puds and frozen low fat sausages (toad in the hole) with frozen veggies for the kids followed by pancakes with sugar and lemon. That’ll use up 2 eggs, and the remaining 3 I have a birthday cake to bake at the weekend and freeze. Job done.
Friday Night is Date Night at Chez Wright and typically we have a takeaway if the cupboard is bare. However since conducting my Cooking From Scratch Cost Experiment a couple of weeks ago, I am feeling some resistance to ordering one. I know I can chuck a couple of free range chicken breasts and peppers in Lil’ Bill my slow cooker to make a Chicken Rogan Josh, hand make some chapatis and accompany it all with a bottle of very reasonably priced chardonnay from Home Bargains. This will be half the price, and I’m happier with the quality of the meat. So I popped out and got the ingredients I needed to do just that.
How’s your Fridge looking this Friday?
This Friday not so good but since starting my meal planning a month ago (having been inspired by your Friday posts) the rest of the month has been pretty good. I’ve cleared quite a bit out of the freezer and my weekly shop has mainly consisted of a few veggies and salad bits (helped by the fact the allotment is doing its thing and supplying some veggies now too). This week however I was slack with a combination of being out to dinner a few times and not putting the effort in last weekend. It has proved to me that meal planning really does make a positive difference and I promise to get back on track (just as soon as my birthday is over next week that is!)
I’ll be doing a post over at http://lessismoreihope.blogspot.com/ in the next few days to chronicle how my month went in terms of meal planning and spending in general and how I’m going to change things for the coming month (and yes I know it’s the middle of the calendar month but I’m doing it payday to payday and I get paid right in the middle!)
Thanks again for the posts and the inspiration!
Claire I’m so glad you are seeing the benefits of meal planning. I guarantee (gosh that’s a strong word) that if you stick with it you will improve each month. You learn by experience. I am now (10 months in) starting to struggle to actually write a NWTG post – which was the original aim. I am accumulating so little waste each week.
I’m heading on over to your site and going to subscribe to make sure I pick your post up later this week! 🙂 ps Happy Birthday!
Thanks Jo. Just logged onto my site to do the post and my traffic has tripled, reckon people must have popped over from here!!! Must stop procrastinating and go write that post!
Glad to hear you got some traffic! Now go write that post! 🙂
This Friday not so good but since starting my meal planning a month ago (having been inspired by your Friday posts) the rest of the month has been pretty good. I’ve cleared quite a bit out of the freezer and my weekly shop has mainly consisted of a few veggies and salad bits (helped by the fact the allotment is doing its thing and supplying some veggies now too). This week however I was slack with a combination of being out to dinner a few times and not putting the effort in last weekend. It has proved to me that meal planning really does make a positive difference and I promise to get back on track (just as soon as my birthday is over next week that is!)
I’ll be doing a post over at http://lessismoreihope.blogspot.com/ in the next few days to chronicle how my month went in terms of meal planning and spending in general and how I’m going to change things for the coming month (and yes I know it’s the middle of the calendar month but I’m doing it payday to payday and I get paid right in the middle!)
Thanks again for the posts and the inspiration!
Claire I’m so glad you are seeing the benefits of meal planning. I guarantee (gosh that’s a strong word) that if you stick with it you will improve each month. You learn by experience. I am now (10 months in) starting to struggle to actually write a NWTG post – which was the original aim. I am accumulating so little waste each week.
I’m heading on over to your site and going to subscribe to make sure I pick your post up later this week! 🙂 ps Happy Birthday!
Thanks Jo. Just logged onto my site to do the post and my traffic has tripled, reckon people must have popped over from here!!! Must stop procrastinating and go write that post!
Glad to hear you got some traffic! Now go write that post! 🙂
This Friday not so good but since starting my meal planning a month ago (having been inspired by your Friday posts) the rest of the month has been pretty good. I’ve cleared quite a bit out of the freezer and my weekly shop has mainly consisted of a few veggies and salad bits (helped by the fact the allotment is doing its thing and supplying some veggies now too). This week however I was slack with a combination of being out to dinner a few times and not putting the effort in last weekend. It has proved to me that meal planning really does make a positive difference and I promise to get back on track (just as soon as my birthday is over next week that is!)
I’ll be doing a post over at http://lessismoreihope.blogspot.com/ in the next few days to chronicle how my month went in terms of meal planning and spending in general and how I’m going to change things for the coming month (and yes I know it’s the middle of the calendar month but I’m doing it payday to payday and I get paid right in the middle!)
Thanks again for the posts and the inspiration!
Claire I’m so glad you are seeing the benefits of meal planning. I guarantee (gosh that’s a strong word) that if you stick with it you will improve each month. You learn by experience. I am now (10 months in) starting to struggle to actually write a NWTG post – which was the original aim. I am accumulating so little waste each week.
I’m heading on over to your site and going to subscribe to make sure I pick your post up later this week! 🙂 ps Happy Birthday!
Thanks Jo. Just logged onto my site to do the post and my traffic has tripled, reckon people must have popped over from here!!! Must stop procrastinating and go write that post!
Glad to hear you got some traffic! Now go write that post! 🙂
Well done!
Mine is overloaded today, but we are entertaining tomorrow so I shopped a day earlier than usual. Only bought what we need for tomorrow though, will leave my usual shopping until Sunday so I can meal plan around any leftovers. I normally don’t like shopping on Sunday due to the trading hours, but I will make an exception for leftovers!
Prior to that, not doing too badly. There’s a few onions kicking around that I think might turn fairly soon, so will dice those up and freeze. Then there’s my usual culprits (bread and eggs) that need to be used up soon. The bread can be frozen for toast, so that leaves eggs for me as well. I might wait and see what of the cookable salad veg (e.g. peppers) is left over from tomorrow and make a big frittata to portion off for breakfasts.
All sounds very organised Lauren! 🙂 Frittata’s are fantastic and save many a day. In fact last night, when I made the kids toad in the hole there was so much I joined them, so I did a frittata for the Hubby with the eggs. We’re having the rogan josh tonight instead. Hope you dinner goes well! Have Fun!
Well done!
Mine is overloaded today, but we are entertaining tomorrow so I shopped a day earlier than usual. Only bought what we need for tomorrow though, will leave my usual shopping until Sunday so I can meal plan around any leftovers. I normally don’t like shopping on Sunday due to the trading hours, but I will make an exception for leftovers!
Prior to that, not doing too badly. There’s a few onions kicking around that I think might turn fairly soon, so will dice those up and freeze. Then there’s my usual culprits (bread and eggs) that need to be used up soon. The bread can be frozen for toast, so that leaves eggs for me as well. I might wait and see what of the cookable salad veg (e.g. peppers) is left over from tomorrow and make a big frittata to portion off for breakfasts.
All sounds very organised Lauren! 🙂 Frittata’s are fantastic and save many a day. In fact last night, when I made the kids toad in the hole there was so much I joined them, so I did a frittata for the Hubby with the eggs. We’re having the rogan josh tonight instead. Hope you dinner goes well! Have Fun!
Well done!
Mine is overloaded today, but we are entertaining tomorrow so I shopped a day earlier than usual. Only bought what we need for tomorrow though, will leave my usual shopping until Sunday so I can meal plan around any leftovers. I normally don’t like shopping on Sunday due to the trading hours, but I will make an exception for leftovers!
Prior to that, not doing too badly. There’s a few onions kicking around that I think might turn fairly soon, so will dice those up and freeze. Then there’s my usual culprits (bread and eggs) that need to be used up soon. The bread can be frozen for toast, so that leaves eggs for me as well. I might wait and see what of the cookable salad veg (e.g. peppers) is left over from tomorrow and make a big frittata to portion off for breakfasts.
All sounds very organised Lauren! 🙂 Frittata’s are fantastic and save many a day. In fact last night, when I made the kids toad in the hole there was so much I joined them, so I did a frittata for the Hubby with the eggs. We’re having the rogan josh tonight instead. Hope you dinner goes well! Have Fun!
I love the photo of the eggs Jo!
My fridge is looking pretty bare, but it could use a wipe down. 😉
Cracking photo even if I do say so myself (pardon the pun :-)). I am trying to improve the quality of the photos I take and use. I’m no amateur photographer so it’s all a bit hit and miss. When I’m feeling especially lazy I take it with my blackberry to e-mail to myself – but the image quality isn’t great (my Nokia N95 used to take great shots).
With regard your fridge, all that cash you made at the garage sale, sure you could afford some hired help to wipe it down for you 🙂
Well done super sales lady!
I love the photo of the eggs Jo!
My fridge is looking pretty bare, but it could use a wipe down. 😉
Cracking photo even if I do say so myself (pardon the pun :-)). I am trying to improve the quality of the photos I take and use. I’m no amateur photographer so it’s all a bit hit and miss. When I’m feeling especially lazy I take it with my blackberry to e-mail to myself – but the image quality isn’t great (my Nokia N95 used to take great shots).
With regard your fridge, all that cash you made at the garage sale, sure you could afford some hired help to wipe it down for you 🙂
Well done super sales lady!
I love the photo of the eggs Jo!
My fridge is looking pretty bare, but it could use a wipe down. 😉
Cracking photo even if I do say so myself (pardon the pun :-)). I am trying to improve the quality of the photos I take and use. I’m no amateur photographer so it’s all a bit hit and miss. When I’m feeling especially lazy I take it with my blackberry to e-mail to myself – but the image quality isn’t great (my Nokia N95 used to take great shots).
With regard your fridge, all that cash you made at the garage sale, sure you could afford some hired help to wipe it down for you 🙂
Well done super sales lady!