Happy Monday!
Full disclosure. I cannot take credit for the title of this class. I read it somewhere (maybe Real Simple??). It was part of a series where individuals were talking about the best advice someone gave them and this was advice from the particular persons Grandmother. The Grandmother was born during the depression era and scrimping, saving and endless creativity with what you had on hand was a part of life. This really stuck with me because it reminded me of my Maternal Grandparents and how hard they worked to save and use up every. single. thing. It was a little extreme and we often joke about it in our home (the drawer of bags, the coupon files, the patchwork on clothing and the 'inventions' used to repair things that weren't working). But I can say that because of this thriftiness I was able to go to college.
Today's focus is going to be on food. There are two things I want you to think about:
1. What are you wasting in the kitchen? I'm not proud to say this but I'm the queen of throwing things out. I buy food and it just sits in my fridge until it spoils. Or I buy things and it just sits on the shelf until waaaay past the expiration date.
2. Are you using up every last bit of food? Are you eating every possible morsel left on a plate or saving every last morsel for your next meal? Are you scrapping out the pan? What about your fruit? Or Veggies? Wasting anything? I remember back in the day I was cutting up an apple and my Grandpa couldn't believe how much I was wasting when taking out the core. He came over and cut so delicately and with such precision around the core that he was able to extract just the tough part and the seeds. I had a vision of him as a child receiving a precious piece of fruit and savoring every single bite and leaving nothing but the seeds. To this day I always think about him when I'm cutting up fruit.
This week I want you to focus on cleaning out the fridge and the shelves. Take note if you have food that you need to throw (I'm embarrassed to say I do). Don't forget the little packets of ketchup you may be saving. That's still food! Now take stock and see what meals you can come up with. If you don't have a particular ingredient then get creative with what you have on hand. When in doubt extra spices can mask anything. Only buy staples if you absolutely have to (coffee is a staple). The other thing I would like for you to consider is that when you are cooking and eating use everything up. We live in a luxurious time in that we are now told if we don't clean our plate it's OK to throw out what's left. Who would want those extra calories??? Probably a lot of people would love to have your extra calories so don't be a Wasteful Willy!
One of the many great bonuses to living in a thriving metropolis is the ease of takeout. I love me some takeout and it is really is an easy trap to fall into. Not sure what to cook or too tired to cook? Chinese takeout on speed dial baby! But this has some hidden costs that really are eating up your money. Sure Chinese is cheap but you have the tip (and you should tip well because you couldn't get your lazy buns out the door to pick it up yourself), there are the leftovers that will more than likely end up in the trash, and then there is the wasted food that you didn't eat in your fridge that will probably get tossed. Whoops!
One final 'food for thought' bit. Many of you know how I feel about our apartment. I hate it. It's too small and it really is overdue for a day at the spa. A few months ago an acquaintance from Pakistan came over for coffee . When asked by her husband how her visit went what do you think the first words out of her mouth were? My excellent and gracious hosting skills? The look of our home? How well my daughter behaved? No. She couldn't believe how much food we had in our fridge. Apparently a full fridge is not the norm for her here in the 'land o' plenty' or back home in Pakistan.
Get thee to thy cupboards and fridge and happy eating. If you come up with an interesting recipe let us know! I'm going to be working on a concoction with lentils, sweet potatoes and Turkish soup mix. Feel free to post your concoctions on the blog!
Cheers!
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