Also, I am using this public forum to encourage us to eat out less which includes better meal planning.
This Weeks Food Waste.
 |
| Two more tomatoes and a potato joined this one in our waste this week. |
This was the week that the produce got away from us. We had three tomatoes that got rotten before we used them. Also when I was cleaning out the pantry, I found a rotten potato hidden behind a big box. That explained the smell we couldn't place last week. However with the rest of the tomatoes, Wally and I made spaghetti sauce and salsa that we froze, and Theodore and I made a big pot of potato soup from the rest of the potatoes (for the recipe, see Wally Makes Soup). Both were very good.
Last Minute Addition: A bag of burnt popcorn that is going to the squirrels and birds.
This Week's True Food Confessions
 |
| Even though it may not be soup weather, we really liked this potato soup. |
We didn't exactly have a good food plan this week, but we made out okay anyway. We had to do some adjusting for the day we didn't have electricity, and we continued to so some catering to Theo's healing mouth. We did most of our meal planning from the produce that Uncle Billy gave us which included squash, tomatoes, and potatoes. We made squash stuffed with sausage, wild rice, and cheese. Everyone liked this even if they weren't big squash fans. It's amazing what a little cheese and sausage will do for a dish. We also made spaghetti and potato soup as mentioned above. One night we had Domino's pizza and it was very good. That's something that we have cut back on a lot since we been trying to eat at home more, so we really enjoyed it.
Now, here's the most important part. For the last couple of weeks, we have been trying to encourage each other to work with what we have at home to eat. When someone is tired or is having a craving for something out, another person tries to "talks them down." It helps that most of the time we have an alternate plan. But you know what, sometimes pizza that has been cooked by someone else just tastes good. I think it's that flexibility that is keeping everyone on board with this effort.
That is one ugly looking tomato! Looks like you did well this week though.
ReplyDeleteWe will probably be having soup this week as well, but it is soup weather over here (just coming out of winter). Soup is always yummy :)
I love soup anytime of the year.
DeleteThis is really, really good! I think your work of using what's on hand and cooking at home is really showing. Your family has made tremendous progress. So you had Dominos one night. I hope that you all really enjoyed that pizza. I find if we splurge occasionally then we're more inclined to stick with "the plan" the rest of the time. You're doing great, keep it up.
ReplyDeleteI lost an entire loaf of homemade whole wheat bread. It bothers me most because it is work to make that bread. And I'd rather be outside having fun than in the kitchen these last weeks of summer.
I get a pizza from Dominoes with double the sauce and tomatoes on top that I love. Haven't been able to duplicate it anywhere else so it is a special treat.
DeleteI would be really upset about losing a loaf of homemade bread. Sorry that you did.
Cheese and sausage make everything better! I cook for one so having more than 3-4 servings of something in the fridge is a recipe for food waste, so I'm haven't been much of a big batch cooker. I recently got some tasty sugar-free, nitrate-free sausage from pastured pork at the farmer's market and cooked up enough with sweet potatoes and onions to last the whole week...I was still happy on day 4 of eating the same thing!
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to try the nitrate free meats. Maybe next week. Thanks for the reminder.
DeleteWe've been eating a lot of garden meals as well. Dinners of corn, green beans, tomatoes and cucumbers with an occasional skillet of squash cooked with tomatoes, fresh herbs and goat cheese. Guess I had better tackle the buckets of tomatoes on the kitchen floor today before they all start to look like your example. As far as meal planning....we're not so good at that so good job! Good thing we don't have any restaurants nearby.
ReplyDeleteWe have lots of good restaurants around, disposable income, and four drivers. It's all too easy.
DeleteAlso, there is nothing like a meal of fresh veggies. They are so sweet when they come right out of the garden.