Food Waste Friday | waste and glass x 3
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.
I have 3 photos for you this week, and as I was uploading them, I noticed that all 3 of my food waste items are in my glass Pyrex containers
. I do love those things. And despite the fact that they're housing food waste this week, I generally find that storing food in clear containers such as these is uber helpful in the fight against food waste. Being able to clearly see what's in the fridge helps me to do a better job of using it up!
Lettuce
I meant to compost this last week, but forgot, so it's getting lumped in with this week's waste. It's some rotten lettuce that was left over from when I sent tacos in Mr. FG's lunch.
Two sausages
There's one in the bowl and one on top. They've been in my freezer since who knows when. I thawed them just to see if they were still good, and even hot off the grill, they just didn't taste right. So, after eating one, I'm calling it quits and throwing away the other two.
The saddest food waste of the day
Last night, we had a delicious Mandarin Chicken Salad for dinner. I love it when we have dinners of this type because it's SO easy to make an extra bowl of salad for Mr. FG's lunch. And it's super easy for him to eat at work too...no heating up necessary.
I made this bowl of salad last night, put it in the front of the fridge, and went to bed.
This morning, though, I walked into the kitchen and was met with an unhappy sight. Someone (I don't know exactly who because my kids are still sleeping) took the water pitcher out of the fridge along with the salad, and proceeded to leave the (not-refilled) water pitcher and the salad out on the counter.
All. Night. Long.
Gah!
Fortunately, I managed to scrounge up something else to put in Mr. FG's lunch, so he won't have to eat out. But the salad is still going to have to be thrown out, and I am sad about that.
I am feeling less irritated than I was upon first seeing the room-temperature salad, but I am still going to have a (kind and patient, hopefully!) chat with my kids about putting things back into the fridge.
Also, we might go over the whole "fill up the water pitcher after you empty it" concept.
________________________________________________
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:Sonia's going to be a good mama one day
Joshua's 365 post: The Tea Wall
Does it feel like I'm hovering over the computer, waiting to link up? I am.
Because it's almost breakfast, and I have to turn off the computer before we sit down, and leave it off until naptime. I'm bossy that way. But it means we all have a better day.
Lunch was my nemesis this week too, but I already had an inkling last week that this would be the case. No glass containers for me, though.
Someday.
Totally understand! I'm about to hop off the computer to go get started on my school morning (which is no-computer time for me! Gotta be bossy with myself.).
Fortunately, you and I seem to be on similar schedules, so your hovering is not in vain. lol
I learned the schedule from you - the only way I can have time at the computer without ignoring Mr or the kids (or the housecleaning, or the cooking, or...everything else, really) is if I carve it out of the morning by getting up early.
Plus, I think more clearly in the morning (not a big improvement on the rest of the day, and probably only noticeable to me), and get to have some alone time. You know, without locking myself in the bathroom. I always look forward to it.
Okay, computer: Off.
I hate when things get accidently left out! This happened a few months ago when my husband forgot to put 2 containers of wedding soup back into the fridge. It pained me beyond belief to dump them out the next morning! On the plus side, it hasn't happened since!
I love my Pyrex glass containers. I have had some of the round ones, with lids, for twenty years. In the past couple of years I have splurged and purchased some of the larger rectangular Pyrex containers, with lids. I try not to put food that is hot/warm in plastic containers and I love the transparency of the clear glass.
I'm fairly new to blogging about my food waste, so by the time I think, "Oh man, I should have snapped a pic of that!" it's too late!! I had a mod podge of things that got tossed this week, but it's getting to be less & less each week, which is my goal. Especially now that my hubby's work situation is, uh...well, we're not really sure what's going on....*sigh*
Have a great weekend everyone!!
Angie
In my house we would probably still eat that. One reason is that it's not too warm yet for spring. Also, many other cultures are not as picky about refrigerating food as we are as Americans.
Nothing this week, which is a minor miracle. Over the weekend I bought a ton of produce (I'd missed eating healthy on my otherwise lovely vacation), by Tuesday the household was permeated with strep. I'm getting better - now swallowing feels like eating sandpaper, not razor blades.
Just a few carrots for me today - will do the usual slow-cooked soup - my favourite.
It's my Daughter's 6th Birthday today so my food photo this week is of a Birthday cake I made instead of food waste. Am presuming I won't be photographing any leftovers of the cake next Friday - just the 35 kids sharing it!!!!! Have a lovely weekend everyone! Sun is shining in the UK today hooray!
I was so close! Sigh. Will have to eat extra dessert tonight to get over the disappointment.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. No strep, food sacrifices in the dead of night and gets some sunshine. It is beautiful in Ottawa today.
Not a good week here at our house - several things had been pushed to the back, or under things and were forgotten, so they spoiled, or sprouted or turned to mush. I have been kind of distracted lately, but still . . . .
I love Pyrex storage as well. We are kind of new to it as we've always used plastics before. I still use the plastic stuff in the kids' lunch boxes, but agree that being able to see your leftovers is a real help in cutting down on food waste.
Is it bad that I would STILL eat the Mandarin Chicken Salad? haha 🙂
A little rice vinegar on it and back in the fridge. Unless your house is kept super hot i don't think that it spoiled.
The kids could have their own glass of water by their beds each night!
I love pyrex. This is the week of the pyrex, because I just did a post on it yesterday. And while I did not take a picture, my waste (refried beans) was in a pyrex. I love pyrex.
I don't want this to come off as nosy, but I would love to see how you have your fridge organized! I always seem to "loose" stuff in the back. I'm going to try your tip of only using clear containers for leftovers this week to see if it helps us.
Thanks!
Kate, one thing that helps is to put items on trays that you can pull out. Even old cookie sheets will work. The shelves in my fridge pull out, but I prefer the trays.
Love that idea Elaine! I'm about to clean out my fridge over the next few days and will give that a try. 🙂
Small amount of waste this week. Two peppers from the farmers market. Otherwise we are good.Right on track with eating up what we have and not buying more than a weeks worth of veggies and fruits from the farmers market.
Since starting to follow your blog a couple months ago I have really cut down on my waste....my hubby has also started taking some leftovers for lunches, depending on the amount, instead of sandwiches everyday....he's trying to "spice up" his lunches too. I don't have any food waste to report this week...YEAH! Of course we I don't get the 1/4 head of lettuce eaten by tomorrow it might be there next week....so tomorrow for lunch...salads (of course this kills me since I opened a new lettuce head today but my hubby put the lettuce in a different drawer in the fridge and so I thought it was gone already - oh well salads are good for us).
My kids are great at putting the water jug back in the fridge, especially when it is empty... It's the refilling part they always "forget".
When I was a new mother, and very sleep deprived, I put the leftover lamb gyro meat in the microwave overnight, instead of in the refrigerator. I was so disappointed when I discovered it in the morning. My husband would have eaten it but I dumped it! 🙁
Double thumbs down on the salad (but at least it wasn't your fault):). I have been informed numerous times that "I Don't Know " left the water pitcher empty, and didn't put the ketchup back in the fridge, and left his socks and shoes in the middle of the living room floor, and left his lunch bag at school for 3 days before bringing it home (with the milk untouched and the banana now black and smushy). I wish " I Don't Know" would move to somebody else's house; he/she is wrecking havoc in mine!!! 🙂 Have a great day!
Half a stalk of lemongrass and a knob of ginger. Should have put them in the freezer, but I didn't.
I love my Pyrex containers, too, but I wish the lids held up better.
There was no way that I was going to be able to use the all cilantro and the arugula that was in my fridge, so I offered them to coworkers.
We didn't have any food waste from our fridge! Yay! But, I'm not doing so great on my Food "Waist" though! 🙁
Disastrous week all round. Had even decided not to post at all but then published a draft of something else I didn't actually want to publish so ended up editing that to have a food waste post. Yep, that's kind of about typical of how my week went. It's definitely time for a new one!
hehe....so how did the "fill up the water pitcher when you empty it" go? and do you have any words of wisdom to share? Mine are all older and STILL do that to me ...