Each Friday I participate in Food Waste Friday (hosting on alternate weeks when Kristen isn’t – she is today so head on over and link up!)
What’s worked for me is having a Friday routine which I do come rain or shine (okay so maybe not last week but I had my reasons).
This routine hasn’t fundamentally changed in over 4 years.
I’m walking through it today. Completely uncensored. Warts (aka waste) and all.
I was a little scared as to what I might find behind my fridge door this Food Waste Friday. It’s been one of those weeks. You know, when an organised home isn’t the priority. Regardless I do try to keep my eye on the prize (reduction of food waste) whatever the ‘weather’.
Opening my fridge, this is what I found;
I emptied the contents onto the counter top.
Cleaned my fridge;
Returned usable items back to the fridge – designing a No Waste Tastes Great plan to ensure the items get used up and do not end up as food waste casualties next week;
Identified items to be used up:
The stash above will make a very nice nail soup, which will prevent it going to waste.
Gosh the photo is super blurry!
Isolate the food waste;
Now this is a little more than usual for me. I have no excuses to give. Just a poor effort on my part.
Next on the list is to devise a meal plan for next week, and write-up a grocery list. But I haven’t quite got round to that bit yet!
How’s your fridge looking this Friday?
If you’re participating in #FoodWasteFriday – don’t forget the hashtag!
Ha, just commented over at Rachel’s how my stress level rises when I fail to meal plan.
However, the “poor effort” weeks are a great reminder that there is a better way to simplify, to save money and to reduce waste.
This week I did not have any waste at all. I have not been too well, so have been living out of our cupboard and freezer. I did not do my usual big shop today, just bought pizza for tonight, bread, milk, eggs, fresh fruit and veg in Lidl.
I have a couple of sachets of creamed coconut. Any ideas what can I use them for? Easy recipes please so I don’t have to stand up for long.
Ha, just commented over at Rachel’s how my stress level rises when I fail to meal plan.
However, the “poor effort” weeks are a great reminder that there is a better way to simplify, to save money and to reduce waste.
This week I did not have any waste at all. I have not been too well, so have been living out of our cupboard and freezer. I did not do my usual big shop today, just bought pizza for tonight, bread, milk, eggs, fresh fruit and veg in Lidl.
I have a couple of sachets of creamed coconut. Any ideas what can I use them for? Easy recipes please so I don’t have to stand up for long.
I know you’ve said before that greens can be a problem area for you. It’s the same for me. But once again, I could not resist the baby spinach because it looked so fresh and green! I don’t even like spinach! But I was determined to add it to my diet in bits and pieces. I started adding finely sliced leaves to my homemade vegetable soup and I was delighted to find the spinach tastes entirely different; it has a kind of sweet taste. I have no idea why, but I’m not going to question it … As long as the greens don’t have dark or black areas on them, I think they would go well in soup or stew or a casserole because they’re going to wilt in those things anyway. I’m looking forward to this experiment.
My waste – a little gravy from Christmas (!), some cooked pasta and sauce (I can’t eat too much tomato product and hubby had already eaten it several times, note to self: don’t cook such large quantities and freeze half the sauce to start with), a few grapes. I also have some coffee cream past the best before date, but it still smells and tastes fresh (the more cream in dairy products the longer they seem to last) so I think we will have a quiche as a treat this weekend to use it up.
All things considered, I think you did very well, Jo. Sometimes food waste is not the worst thing in the world. Other stuff outranks it.
I know you’ve said before that greens can be a problem area for you. It’s the same for me. But once again, I could not resist the baby spinach because it looked so fresh and green! I don’t even like spinach! But I was determined to add it to my diet in bits and pieces. I started adding finely sliced leaves to my homemade vegetable soup and I was delighted to find the spinach tastes entirely different; it has a kind of sweet taste. I have no idea why, but I’m not going to question it … As long as the greens don’t have dark or black areas on them, I think they would go well in soup or stew or a casserole because they’re going to wilt in those things anyway. I’m looking forward to this experiment.
My waste – a little gravy from Christmas (!), some cooked pasta and sauce (I can’t eat too much tomato product and hubby had already eaten it several times, note to self: don’t cook such large quantities and freeze half the sauce to start with), a few grapes. I also have some coffee cream past the best before date, but it still smells and tastes fresh (the more cream in dairy products the longer they seem to last) so I think we will have a quiche as a treat this weekend to use it up.
All things considered, I think you did very well, Jo. Sometimes food waste is not the worst thing in the world. Other stuff outranks it.
No waste here, on a major budget drive at the minute so all food carefully planned and used. I can’t believe we only spent £37 this week! i buy a lot of stuff on autopilot, wine and frozen chicken breasts spring to mind, i have plenty of both!
JoH made a very valid point, real life takes over and other stuff outranks food waste.
Your fridge always reminds me to GO AND CLEAN MINE NOW!! 🙂
Sharron x
No waste here, on a major budget drive at the minute so all food carefully planned and used. I can’t believe we only spent £37 this week! i buy a lot of stuff on autopilot, wine and frozen chicken breasts spring to mind, i have plenty of both!
JoH made a very valid point, real life takes over and other stuff outranks food waste.
Your fridge always reminds me to GO AND CLEAN MINE NOW!! 🙂
Sharron x