1. When making recipes at home, I've been dividing the finished product into three batches. One for dinner that evening, one for the refrigerator for leftovers, and one for the freezer so we can reheat in a pinch at a later date. This has been working out tremendously!
2. Sandwich bread always seems to get moldy before we eat it all. Take a few slices out and freeze the rest. When you need a couple slices, take it out of the freezer about 30 minutes before you eat it. I actually like the taste of the frozen bread better. Probably because its always fresh! Also, I found this little tip about bread freshness by the twist tie color that is quite interesting. Twist Tie Color Code
3. Only need part of an onion for your recipe? Chop up the whole onion. Take what you need for your meal and freeze the rest. This works wonders when in a rush to get a meal on the table.
4. Don't throw away the ends of onions, celery, and carrots. Freeze them until a cup or two is collected. Then take the "collection" and put it into a pot with a couple cups of water and simmer for an hour. This makes delicious vegetable stock. I can't wait to try this with corn cobs in the summer. Apparently it makes a yummy broth for soups.
5. Make your own chicken stock from leftover chicken bones. Use the method above (put into a pot and cover with water and let it simmer away with a few herbs) and presto! Another technique I'm excited to try is using this method with the peels from shrimp. Can you say shrimp stock for my jambalaya recipe?!
6. Use stale bread (if you don't freeze it) and make your own croutons. This is so simple to do and really makes a statement. Take sandwich bread, french baguette or any day old bread you make have and chop into cubes. Lay it out on a lined cookie sheet. In a small saucepan, take butter and your favorite herbs; I like salt, black pepper, oregano, parsley, and a little bit of thyme; keep on low heat until the butter is melted. Pour over the bread cubes and toss them ensure each piece is lightly coated. Pop them into the oven at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once. Tada!!!
7. If you have fruit that is getting a little too ripe, make smoothies, fruit pies, or breads. I love making banana bread. This is the recipe I use (I definitely opt for less sugar) Easy Banana Bread Recipe, but I add in other ingredients to make it my own...or whatever I have lying around in my pantry. Coconut, pecans or walnuts, ground flax seed, mini chocolate chips...literally whatever I have lying around!
8. Whenever I go to the store and buy soups or pantry ingredients, I rotate my older items to the front of the shelve. This is what the grocery stores do so shouldn't we try this method in our homes?
9. Make your leftovers into another meal. Leftover mashes potatoes? Put them into a buttered pan the next morning for a hash brown-like breakfast treat. Leftover steak or chicken? Slice it into strips, throw it into a pan with taco seasoning, and once warm, put into a tortilla with cheese, peppers, and onions for a fajita night. When you turn your leftovers into a different meal, it's more exciting and tastes completely different from what you originally made.
10. Revive your stale cereal. If you have a box of cereal that's gotten soft or stale, don't throw it out. Bring it back from the dead simply by spreading it onto a baking sheet and putting it into a warm oven for 3-5 minutes. Be sure to watch it because you don't want it to burn. After a few minutes, take the cereal out of the oven and let it cool. By the time it's cooled completely, it will be crispy and crunchy and good to eat for a few more days.
I hope these tips help out not only in the kitchen, but with food waste. And not only will you waste less food, you'll save money because you will use food to its fullest! Waste not, want not!
XOXO Mindy
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