Food: Use it Up

I love food.  I like to think about it, experiment with it, and of course, eat it.

I hate to waste it.  But in the busy season we find ourselves in (and my inability to keep an organized refrigerator), I found myself throwing away lots of food last year.  So I did what we do and made a resolution about it.

Really the resolution about not throwing food away is to catch stuff before it goes bad.  I’m not crazy and you won’t find tons of rotten food in my fridge come December 31 because I WOULDN’T throw it away.  It will happen.  It has already happened, (but here’s why I’m not beating myself up about that).  I’m not trying to feed my family crazy smelling stuff, though an expiration date doesn’t mean a WHOLE lot to me if everything smells and looks fine.
And I’m definitely still making leftovers… just repackaging them some.  Adam “isn’t a soup guy” – so yesterday I took leftover chicken soup that didn’t have much broth left in it, threw it in the bottom of a loaf pan, added mashed potatoes to the top and baked a shepherd’s pie.  To him, that’s WAY better than leftover soup.  In the past, I’d have left the soup there, he wouldn’t have wanted it because it’s soup, and it would have gone bad.  What could go wrong with adding cheese and potatoes to any dish?

So that’s the idea.  There were some things in my fridge pre-new year that I have had to throw out, but SIGNIFICANTLY less than before; I’m talking maybe a cup and a half of food rather than whole containers of leftovers.  I’m not the best at keeping the fridge organized, so this is helping.

I’m also trying to freeze what I can as far as leftovers go.  If I know we aren’t going to eat it any time soon, I’ll go ahead and throw it in the freezer if that’s an option.  Today, I’m thawing out carrot/jalapeno soup that I loved but everyone else, well, didn’t.  There was no way I could eat it ALL by myself.  So I froze half.  And lunch for today is made.

Yesterday there was also (wincing) a container of cranberry/orange zest stuff from Thanksgiving.  There.  I said it.  Don’t judge, and if you must, hate on haters.  Luckily it was at the back of the fridge and had frozen!  So it didn’t go bad.  I peeled the top ice off, defrosted the rest and made muffins, all the while feeling vindication over wastefulness.  Some people would say I’m a little ridiculous, but I’m enjoying my kitchen making me think a little, and my kids definitely enjoyed the muffins.  Win, win.

Anyone have some great leftover recipes, tips, ideas?  I’m thinking this may get a little taxing in oh, say, a week?  Let’s hope not.

And confession… I didn’t take the kids outside yesterday.  Daddy did.  I made hot cocoa inside instead!  Good thing this is a process, right?

Next I’ll talk about the other way I’m not throwing food away.  Using it up is a great mantra, but it won’t always work.

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