Food Waste Friday | Good intentions...
Every week, I post a picture of the food that has gone bad over the last seven days. Why do I do this? Because in March of 2008, I finally got fed up with the amount of food I was wasting, and I thought that showing my waste to other people would motivate me to use up my food instead of wasting it. Because this often embarrassing practice was so helpful for me, I invited other bloggers to join me in posting their food waste photos, and Food Waste Friday was born. If you're not a blogger but still want some food waste accountability, feel free to participate by leaving a comment.
This week, I wasted two avocados. They've been lurking in the dark back corner of my produce drawer for a few weeks and I sort of forgot about them.
I would have mushed them up and used them in banana muffins or banana bread, but they were slimy on the inside. Mushy I can handle, but slimy, not so much. Slimy makes me nervous.
I think I bought these thinking that I was totally going to incorporate more avocados into our diet (because they're super duper healthy!). But the thing is, I don't like avocados.
I know. That's really pathetic, but it's true.
So, I'm not really sure why I bought two of these things that I don't like. I think I was going to make guacamole (which I sort of like) or chocomole, or I was going to be brave and put them into a salad.
Oh well. At least avocados are compostable. And since they're slimy already, they've got a head start on the whole composting thing. 😉
_______________________________________________________
How did you do this week? If you blogged about your food waste, link us up by entering your info into the widget below. You'll save money, reduce your trash output, and get a little publicity for your blog! And if you don't blog, you can still share about your food waste by leaving a comment.
Today's 365 post: Look what happened on my way home.
I wasted a whole cantaloupe! I bought it on sale, so I guess maybe it was about to go bad anyway. Seriously, I bought it like 2 days ago!
That's grounds for a return. Take it back and get a replacement or refund - a melon should last longer than that. Check your store's policy before you go, some stores have a better deal. Safeway, for example, replaces the produce and refunds your money.
Must be produce week as far as food waste is concerned 🙂 I wasted a few apples that I bought in a HUGE box at the farmers market last week (they were soft and brown), a tomato that had gone moldy and a little bit of lettuce that had gone slimy.
On the plus side though, I saved the rest of the salad by eating nothing but for two days (I'm sick of salad now, lol!), 8 tomatoes by making tomato juice for some chili down the road, an onion to flavor the tomato juice and a bag full of cucumbers that my mother in law gave me by making pickles! Hopefully next week finds us all with no waste!
Chocomole?!? If this involves chocolate, I must know what it is!
That's funny because yesterday I just bought my first avocado ever. I don't even know if I like it, but Weis had them on 10 for 10 and I thought maybe I will make guacamole. LOL. We'll see if I am in your shoes next week!!!
Well, I would highly recommend not putting it in the back of your fridge. lol
i threw out a few stale rice krispie treats last night but other than that, we've done really well.
p.s. i love, love, love avocados!
I wasted some blueberry muffins. I hate wasting baked goods, but the blueberries had gone bad! I guess I didn't eat them fast enough?
Oh nooo-- this puts a whole new light on your blog -- not quite sure -- can't -- consort -- with non-likers of the magical green fruit that masquerades as an oily vegetable -- Aaaargh!!
Although, I, too, have an inedible one lurking slimily in the veggie bin with a "headstart on the whole composting thing" (too funny!)
I'm trying. Don't hate me toooo much. lol
While my husband was living in Brasil he had avocado smoothies. I have been skeptical but his sister made one when we were visiting earlier this month and I'm definitely a fan now! She made one without banana and one using frozen bananas. Adding the banana made it sweeter and masked some of the avocado flavor.
Easy to make: One avocado, sugar to taste, 1 liter of milk, banana if using.
We make one similar to this - but we use brown sugar and add a little lime. Yum.
The bad: Bought a big bag of pre-cut salald greens since we had two potlucks to attend this week, and I was working both days. Unfortunately, one was cancelled. We ate and ate salad, but ended up wasting about a cup that got slimy.
The Good: Wednesday is my husband's night to cook dinner, but he ditched it after a bad day at work. Crabby and hungry, I started to make tomato soup and toasted cheese. And then saw 2 avocados sitting in my fruit bowl looking very ripe. Cut them open, but mine were still OK. Dinner ended up being a three-fer in the using up plan: I added the last inch of salsa in the jar to Amy's tomato soup to create Spicy Mexican tomato soup. Made guacamole with the avocados and the last tablespoon of sour cream to put on top. In danger, but saved: avocados, sour cream, salsa.
Is it the week for avocados, or what?
My fridge is quite full and needs some tidying or I'll be in trouble next week!
No food waste here this week. Woo hoo!
I am notorious for nearly forgetting to use avocados in time, but haven't lost one in a long time, although it's been close. The last bag of them I bought from Costco (their avocados are usually very nice) were all half-brown. Not slimy, so I used most of them, but it was disappointing nonetheless. I made guacamole salad: diced avocado, black beans, halved cherry tomatoes, cubes of yellow pepper and diced red onion tossed with chopped cilantro and an olive oil and lime juice dressing (salt & pepper to taste). Youcan also add a finely diced jalapeno pepper, but I didn't this time.
I love avocado salad, guacamole, and just plain avocados. I even like avocado in my sushi (makes it taste all creamy and yummy). I often buy them from Costco as well, and never have any trouble using them up!
What is chocomole????
I second this question 🙂
I know what chocomole is -- I have a dairy allergic cousin and so they eat this instead of pudding. I haven't been brave enough to try it myself! I was wondering, though, what would you have done with the avocado in banana bread? Added it in addition to the banana? I'm intrigued...
Yes, what is this chocomole you speak of?
Some burnt chickpeas, rock hard bread and the tops of two tomaotes went out this week. I've had worse weeks, that's for sure. Onward and upward to better things next week.
I'm the same with avocados, don't really like them but I have had guacamole that I like so I have bought them once or twice to try and make it myself and then ended up having the throw them out because I never got around to it. It's something else I need to master sometime. I've finally trained my palate to enjoy olives, I can do it with avocados too. 🙂
Loving your site. It's a topic we can all benefit from. Thanks
A pint of chopped melon went bad over the weekend in the work fridge.
About 2" piece of turkey sausage. I dont like sausage so it's surprising I even thought to look.
Parts of two CSA peaches. I rescued the rest by making more peach ice cream. I also rescued some deteriorating honeydew I stuck in the freezer by making honeydew sorbet. And realized *after* I simmered it down that was unnecessary, as the recipe called for adding sugar syrup. Next time I'll just add the sugar to the watery melon. Live and learn.
BTW, while I was looking for a peach sherbet recipe I found an avocado ice cream recipe. Let me know if I should post it. I'm not going to try that recipe (I'm also someone that priskill wouldn't like) but this cookbook has proven quite reliable.
I used to hate avocados too until I started mashing them into rice. I find this really delicious and sometimes even crave it. Maybe that would work for you - add some soy sauce if you think it might be a bit icky 😉
Kristin,
I know this is a bit late but perhaps you could try this with avocadoes and see if your family likes it. Take about two cups of cooked salsa homemade or storebought, add 2 tbsp of finely chopped fresh cilantro, and one or two chopped avocadoes. Serve with corn chips its delicous. I have had veteran avacado haters eat it all! You can also use avacados to make delicous ice cream that does not taste like avacado and avacado pie both are really good I promise. I am a foody and getting people to enjoy eating healthy things is a hobby of mine. I really like your blog.
I LOATHED avocados until I was about 30 (is this because I grew up in a 1969 house with an avocado toilet/sink/tub??), then my husband's uncle put some in a salad and to be polite, I ate it. To my astonishment, I loved it and now I crave them all the time and eat them plain with salt whenever I can. But I live in Seattle, and they come from California, so I feel guilty about it...um, that's not quite local...I do refuse to buy the ones from Chile (no offense to Chileans, it's just too far for me to stomach buying produce from) but in the off season, I do splurge on a Mexican one once in a great while when I just can't stand it any more and simply must have one!