Don't throw food away challenge

Oscar_the_Pug

Well I am going to have to be more conscious of not saving stuff from being binned by using expensive ingredients to turn into something else, and then binning the costly new creation!

That's what happened to my clementine cake which went mouldy when DH ignored it as he doesn't like orangey cakes

Still you live and learn. That was my first food chuck out of the month.

It did inspire me to clear out and defrost the freezer which is now beautifully organised. I then chucked out a tail end of risotto which had been there too long and a few mouldy cloves of garlic. I'm not sure how to cost this all, but around £3 I expect.

On the plus side I also used up some frozen lentils on curry last night, and used the leftover coconut milk today making butternut squash. I even blended in the spoonful of leftover lentil curry to the pan of soup to eke it out and avoid waste. Still feeling inspired (and decided we didn't need to do a shop at the weekend - hopefully will stretch out remaining groceries til next weekend!)

Keep going guys, we're doing well! :T

Oscar_the_Pug

Oh, forgot to mention that I was also inspired to strip my tom plants of the last green fruit and made chutney, and also made chilli sauce thanks to the linkie to the homemade mustard blog on another thread.

What with using up my oldish dried fruit making Christmas cakes and apple and cranberry chutney last week am feeling like a right preserving nut! :eek:

Thanks everyone for sharing - you're keeping me inspired!

Nicepeach

Hi All, I've been following this thread with interest since it started & it has really inspired me to "think before I throw".

Instead of throwing leftovers or "odds & ends" from the fridge straight in the bin I have been doing a lot of recylcling and have been producing some "interesting concoctions" in my slow cooker & also keeping viable leftovers for next day lunch etc. Used to always bin any leftover slices of pizza :eek:. Now I let them cool, pop them in a plastic bag in the fridge & eat for my lunch next day. Always put any unused beans/sweetcorn etc. in plastic tub with lid on in fridge (takeaway boxes are FAB!) & these go into concoction or are used to accompany another meal. Also tried chopping up a head of broccoli that I bought last week into smaller pieces & stored in strong freezer bag in fridge - it's still absolutely fine.

DS VERY VERY VERY anti eating leftovers so it's mainly down to me. I seem to recall they did something about food hygiene/BB dates etc in last year of primary & he is still RED HOT on it (he's 18 next April). I know a few of my friends children are like this too & it seems to be drilled into them at school. DS has a morbid fear of eating anything re-heated but what the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't weep for & I'm always very careful.

However, one thing I have been doing for a long time, & may be of use to others (& not only with food) is using measuring spoons, cups & a measuring jug. Sounds a bit naff but it really works. I have a set of metal measuring spoons (the sort held together on a kind of key chain) of different sizes from 1/4 teaspoon up to a tablespoon (also have metric measurements on too) & a set of Tala cookware cups which vary from 1/4cup up to 1 whole cup. These REALLY help to prevent over-using anything from olive oil to soda crystals (which I have been using instead of washing powder since April - only did it to prove it WOULDN'T work & also use vinegar instead of fabric conditioner but IT DOES WORK!!! & I'm still using it & will continue!).

Just try this little test on yourself if you have any measuring spoons/cups/jug: Pour out what you THINK is a pint of any liquid into a bowl (water/milk/wine - if you haven't drunk it all by this time of night rotfl:. Now empty the contents of the bowl into a pint jug or larger if you have it & see how much MORE you have used. Now try with what you think is a teaspoon or tablespoon of dry ingredients & scoop it out with the equivalent measuring spoon. I was shocked when I did it & only did it because I tried a recipe & it went disastrously wrong & I couldn't work out why til friend questioned my extremely generous proportions of ingredients!

I now use the measuring spoons & cups for everything, especially slow cooker concoctions as I can then adjust what works & what doesn't. I was feeling brave with last week's "beef pot luck" as I call it & added half a cup of oats (not ready*brek type but proper oats) to the mixture. I've often seen this suggested on here as an addition to mince to "bulk it out" but hadn't tried it. It didn't "bulk it out" but what it did do was thicken it really nicely, similarly to pearl barley, & I didn't have to add any gravy thickener or cornflour etc. at all.

I also use the spoons/cups for measuring stardrops to correct solution (per instructions on the reverse) & this avoids MASSIVE SOAPY MOUNTAIN on carpet/upholstery or whatever I'm mopping up!

Hope this tip helps avoid some wastage & I'd be interested to hear about the results of your experiments...

PixieDust

I bought a tub of sour cream for "dips" to go with the spicy(ish) potato wedges I made today....I tasted the cream but t'was not nice enough to eat/drink/pour by itself so I have sought out a recipe for something calling itself "Pound Cake" and using sour cream, and I've just sent Hubby out to borrow a 1lb loaf tin from a nearby friend.....so fingers crossed that it works!!!!

SpikyHedgehog

Struggling with DS2... DS1 is pretty good & will eat stuff even if he doesn't really like it, he'll eat it, but DS2 is very fussy! I made seed spread tonight & it tastes very much like peanut butter (doh! that would be the peanuts...), because I thought he'd like it as he likes peanuts & peanut butter. Gave him 2 slices of bread & seed spread for dinner + a teaspoon of pea risotto (he doesn't like my risotto, but I wanted him to try a tiny bit). Couldn't finish the bread as the spread 'had a crunchy texture' but asked for pudding

Husband had called in after work & I offered him some to try of DS2's piece & he stuck his finger to try the spread, so I didn't fancy it after that & scraped it off the bread before eating that - waste I guess another 2p, but it means I'll have to eat all the spread & I'd prefer a variety!

Put the dodgy apple from last week in my porridge this morning - not as bad as I thought, I only had to throw an eighth - but at £1 a bag of 6 apples, that still comes in at 2p wastage. That shocked me when I worked it out! I know it's a rough calculation as I've not allowed for cores that go in the compost already.

PixieDust

"Pound Cake" is made and cooling in the kitchen That's 3/4 tub of sour cream transfigured into something (hopefully) pleasant to eat and not lobbed in the bin. I may change my username to "Food Magician"

plsplshelpme

I have just read the whole thread and think it is a great idea. In reply to the left over cornichon vinegar, put sliced cooked beetroot in keeps for a week or so. would love to join in will start next week as going caravaning at the week end.Now any suggestions for a numb btm?

PixieDust

Ha! Does anyone remember my alchemy of t'other evening, turning chicken bones into the Elixir of Stock? Well I used the stock In a sauce to go with meatballs and pasta And and and........while it was cooking I mixed the fat from the top of the stock with wildbird seed and will put it out for them tomorrow. Tee hee *does one thing and thinks she's Superwoman*

BohemianCoast

Well the fishcakes collapsed mightily in the pan but were delicious. "I don't want to know what's in these, do I mummy?" Oh, they're full of good things. The hobnobs have been much admired. But one of the bananas was manky in places (the rest went on my bagel, so perhaps 5p wasted), and one end of the lettuce had seen better days. (20p). So we're up to £3.22, and that £10 target is looking decidedly dodgy.

sistercas

ive had to throw half a tub of rancid coleslaw away today - approx 30p

total so far £1.05
just been shopping so need to make sure things dont get pushed to the back of the fridge and go off