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.
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I wasted a lot of things this week. Sigh.
And two of the things I wasted are meat. Oy. There’s some rotten chicken, some old lunch meat, two tomatoes, and a banana.
Why did I have a bad week? It’s because I had a really, really busy week around Sonia’s birthday, and I didn’t manage to stay on top of my fridge. Living without food waste really does require consistent mindfulness, and when my life gets too busy, that mindfulness kind of falls to the wayside.
But, birthdays are important and they don’t happen all the time.
And on the bright side, we had a fabulously successful clean-out-the-fridge night last night, and I am now feeling quite on top of the food situation at my house.
We ate a lot of leftovers and random bits of food, and I made myself some scrambled eggs with the last of a pepper, some leftover sauteed mushrooms, half a slice of ham, and a slice of bacon.
And my children also helped by spreading leftover chocolate frosting onto crackers for dessert.
They suffer so.
Hey, on a chocolaty note, Lisey’s got a blog post up. Just click on the photo to go see what she made. 
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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.
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Today’s 365 post: Deja Vu
Joshua’s 365 post: Ugh!
Angela Warren says
I wasted Basmati rice, green beans and broccoli this week! Ugh! Broke my no waste mini-streak.
accountingsofamy says
Well I’m a little late posting but I just wanted to let you know that even though you didn’t have the best of food waste weeks that because of your inspiration I did have a no food waste week.
Skirnir Hamilton says
I did have some food waste this week, but not a lot. A small amount of gouda cheese left from oh, about new year’s day that had some liquid in the bag with the mold of course. We tend to do crackers and cheese at new year’s and did some super bowl Sunday, but no one else had any after that. I buy for my hubby as it is his tradition at Christmas/New years and I can’t eat much cheese anymore as my stomach revolts if I do.
I did throw out a few grapes. What do you all do if you have 10 or 15 somewhat soft and shriveled grapes? But I think that was it.
But next week, I have some lo mein noodles that we didn’t like much to use up, a small amount of sweet and sour sauce, some bacon that was from bacon wrapped fillet mignon (Ideas?) which I finished in my dinner salad tonight, and some rice left overs. Maybe I will have some of my chili that I froze 1 cup servings of over the lo mein noodles. I doubt I would mind that much for lunch one day.
Shelly says
Unless that banana was completely beyond all hope (completely black isn’t always beyond all hope–they turn black when cold), you can just pop it in the freezer–still in its peel for things like banana bread (just toss in the whole banana), or peeled and in chunks for smoothies (put in Ziploc bags or a container w/ a lid).
Kristen says
Trust me, it was utterly disgusting. I did salved 6 other bananas, but that one was just…gross.
Shelly says
Ewwww! Wise decision, then!
Meghann says
Not such a good week for me either!
Amy W says
We threw out more than we should have this week too. My oldest was lamenting with me about all the good food that went to waste. I know what happened- with special birthdays the last two weeks we didn’t have our normal Saturday Leftover Smorgasbord. My daughter reminded me that we should have declared a leftovers nite during the week. Yep, we sure should have. Plus I did a freezer inventory and had to throw away some seriously freezer burned beyond recognition meat that had gotten pushed to the back of the freezer. Ugh!
Shannon L. Buck says
Congrats and thank you for all your efforts to provide information, motivation and inspiration! I am passing on the Versatile Blogger Award on to YOU!
http://frugalrecipes.wordpress.com/2012/03/09/i-received-the-versatile-blogger-award/
EngineerMom says
1. Half a roasted orange pepper (I had made 3 roasted peppers that I ate on grilled cheese sandwiches, but just didn’t get to that last half before it went bad!)
2. Some pureed prunes. K had been having “issues” and I made these for her, then discovered she HATES prunes. I planned to make some prune danish with them, but I can’t eat very many carbs, and DH didn’t think it sounded tasty. So rather than waste all the ingredients for pastry dough, too…
3. Some vanilla yogurt that had mysteriously disappeared into the back of our yogurt shelf. It had a sell-by date of Feb 15, and although I’m usually pretty willing to try “old” yogurt or use it in baked goods, this carton had been opened a while back and smelled terrible.
Not too bad, other than the yogurt. Unfortunately, we don’t compost (long story), so it all had to go into the trash.
The Keswick Blogger says
To answer the question “how do you waste pizza?” Make it on a gluten-free crust, of course! That is a fool proof and sure fire way to have at least one thing to photograph for your F.W.F post. Trust me, I know this to be true *grin*
Becca S. says
We had leftovers last night to avoid food waste, as well.
Although I still wasted some rosemary and a bit of granola.
But compared to last week, that’s not too bad!
Kelly says
Meals from bits and bobs of leftovers in the fridge are our favourite meals!
It was our first week of participating in Food Waste Friday and thanks to my mildly OCD husband we had zero food waste!
BrokeElizabeth says
I love throwing together a meal from what is already in the fridge! I’m trying to teach some of my friends here at uni to do the same, but they don’t really understand the concept of leftovers
Jessie@Jessie:Improved says
Eh, I’ve had worse weeks. That being said, I’m entirely defensive that this week’s waste is not *really* my fault.
Dianna @ practicing frugal says
Birthdays are such a special and fun occassion. You do a wonderful job of making them special.
We too waste more food when we have had a busy week. Unless of course it was so busy I didn’t get to cook much, then the refrigerator is empty.
It’s my favorite time of the year ….. daylight savings time. I love getting longer evenings. Happy Friday everyone.
Katy Wolk-Stanley says
I actually have about food waste twice in the last week or so. Most memorably about what to do with a large batch of takeout Thai food after we found a “nest of hair” in one of the dishes.
http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/2012/02/food-waste-question/
You might want to check your gag reflex before clicking on this link.
Katy
WilliamB says
It also helps to have an empty-ish fridge, like I did this week. I have a ton of meat in the freezer and a ton of food in the cabinets, the only shopping I need do is produce and whatever supplies have run out. I haven’t felt like cookign much. Not feeling like cooking = not feeling like shopping = emptyish fridge = No Waste!
Need to use up:
limp celery
collard greens
either declare the 3.5 month old beets dead or eat the darn things
Kelly says
I would have chopped up that tomato, cook it down and make a salsa and put it in mason jar. I love buying over ripened tomatoes from Farm Boy to make my salsas.
Birthdays are very important and I have my own child’s party coming up! If you read my blog I’d love some frugal ideas.
Abigail says
I am really excited at joining in with Food Waste Friday! Thanks Kristen! Abigail x
Adrienen says
I love this! Accountability and community! Thanks for sharing
Linda says
I lost some yogurt starter this week, it has happened several times. I’m not sure why mine goes bad before I make my next batch but it won’t deture me from making homemade yogurt. Mmm, good!
Molly says
We don’t even bother keeping homemade starter because it hasn’t worked for us. Instead we buy a store starter and use that until it’s gone – and it stays good way longer (all those preseeeeervatives).
But I agree – won’t keep me from my homemade yogurt!
Holly @ My Plant Based Family says
When we ate meat I hated to waste it. I would think oh there goes $7 worth of this or $10 worth of that. I still think about that with our Plant-Based eating but it is not usually such big amounts, maybe a $1 or $2 here and there.
This week I discovered some of the potatoes in the pantry were getting way to soft. I drew a face on one and named it. Her name is Penelope and she has pigtales!
Have a great weekend!
holly
Michelle @ Simplify, Live, Love says
I looked hard this week at the monetary cost associated with food waste. I figured how much money I threw in the trash this week and then thought about it in terms of things I could have bought. Scary! And eye opening. Food waste has got to end. Thanks as always for hosting. Have a great weekend!
{Adventuresindinner} says
I’ve got soup on the brain for dinner tonight. I’m thinking cheese and potato might help us cope with -12 today and +12 yesterday C:
Just think, you had a great week and have a happy birthday kiddo so this is still one for the win column.
Kathy says
Oy? I’ve never heard a Christian use that expressive Yiddish word! Maybe you picked it up from me or one of your other Jewish readers
If you want to get the full effect, you say “Oy! Vey Shmear!” I am not sure what the exact translation is, but I believe it probably was developed to avoid the sacrilege of using the Lord’s name in vain – which I know is a big Do Not Do for good Christians, also.
So, “Oy” away
Raffaella says
Well, I’m Italian and I learnt some words from the fantastic sit-com “The Nanny”, hehehe.
Kristen, you’re good. One evening I decided we were having omelette and I took an unopened box of 6 organic eggs. They were 7 days past their date. Ooops. And my bf buys a lot of fennel ’cause he likes it a lot but then forgets to eat it… and buys more.
Raffaella says
(took *out fo the fridge*)
Michelle says
We had a lot of wasted pizza
minders says
I just have to ask, how do you have wasted pizza?!?
Diane says
You and I had the same thoughts yesterday….I made my Clean the Fridge soup with carrots, frozen peas, veggie stock, onions, lentils, tomatoes, tomato paste and leftover spaghetti. It was extremely tasty and now I can put off a trip tot he grocery store for one more day.
Live and Learn-Toss and Turn says
It’s very satisfying to have a meal from the refrigerator, isn’t it? We’re having omelets like that tonight.