Last week I signed up to the Love Food Hate Waste challenge and pledged to do the following for one week:-
Plan weekly meals
Make a shopping list for the week and stick to it.
Use any leftovers to create new meals.
Keep a food waste diary for one week to see how much and what types of food we throw away.
So how did I get on and what confessions have I got to make!
Sunday - family came round for lunch, so always slightly more difficult to judge how much to cook etc, but it was roast beef, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, brussel sprouts and gravy.
Dessert was hilarious as a cider apple syllabub with a cracknel that hadn't quite hardened enough so it, well and truly stuck your teeth together. Delicious flavour, but each mouthful certainly exercised your jaw - we fell about laughing. If you ever want to pull teeth, this would do the job.
Anyway the little waste on the plates was saved for Fudge, our dog - no sticky toffee though and amazingly there was no wasted dessert.
Monday, always a tricky day in the Rigby household, as each member attends a club in the evening - each club takes place at a different time and means eating quite late. Leftover cold beef and bubble and squeak made from the leftover brussel sprouts.
Tuesday, determined to be good and stick to this as much as I can, slaved away to make Aunty Delia's cottage pie to use up leftover beef with a leek and potato topping. Generous enough to give Fudge two portions.
Wednesday, bananas beginning to build up from the fruit bag, so ask number one daughter to please make some of her delicious banana cake. I knew dinner was going to be difficult tonight as a half term visit to Huddersfield was taking place for Tim and number one daughter.
Decide to oven roast the peppers that have been breeding in the fridge, planned to add to the pasta dish I was making for tea. Time drags on and our appetites our waning so leave the peppers for Thursdays supper.
Thursday, ciabattas with roasted peppers and mozzarella.
Friday comes, uh oh lurking in the back of the fridge is some spinach limp and dark, it must be binned even Fudge looks away in disgust, no wonder he wandered off!
Friday night and my earlier efforts of attempting the domestic goddess have long gone - I want something easy to put in the oven and bring out cooked and ready to eat. I convince myself, that after my queuing at the local supermarket(how boring) and arriving home at gone seven I deserve it.
So it was easy, only trouble is a takeaway is on the cards for Saturday night as a full day, is leaving Tim and I no time to cook. Feeling guilty about the packaging on the takeaway though!
Whew - last day Sunday, chicken from the freezer.
So, what have we thrown away - some bananas, spinach which we do like, some milk as I over estimated our capacity for it and was tempted by the 2 for £3 offer. That'll teach me, could have saved over a £1. Also threw out some shrivelled parsnips, some cream and my worst confession was some soup that I had bought and not even noticed that I could freeze it had to be binned.
The Fresh pod definitely helps to keep the fruit and vegetables fresher for longer, I do enthuse about this product because I know its paid for itself time and time again.
I know that we could try harder and with a bit more effort waste less, I think we would have thown away more if Fudge hadn't helped out. Thanks Fudge.
So I do resolve to keep on trying to reduce our waste, landfill and save money.
Plan weekly meals
Make a shopping list for the week and stick to it.
Use any leftovers to create new meals.
Keep a food waste diary for one week to see how much and what types of food we throw away.
So how did I get on and what confessions have I got to make!
Sunday - family came round for lunch, so always slightly more difficult to judge how much to cook etc, but it was roast beef, yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, roast parsnips, carrots, brussel sprouts and gravy.
Dessert was hilarious as a cider apple syllabub with a cracknel that hadn't quite hardened enough so it, well and truly stuck your teeth together. Delicious flavour, but each mouthful certainly exercised your jaw - we fell about laughing. If you ever want to pull teeth, this would do the job.
Anyway the little waste on the plates was saved for Fudge, our dog - no sticky toffee though and amazingly there was no wasted dessert.
Monday, always a tricky day in the Rigby household, as each member attends a club in the evening - each club takes place at a different time and means eating quite late. Leftover cold beef and bubble and squeak made from the leftover brussel sprouts.
Tuesday, determined to be good and stick to this as much as I can, slaved away to make Aunty Delia's cottage pie to use up leftover beef with a leek and potato topping. Generous enough to give Fudge two portions.
Wednesday, bananas beginning to build up from the fruit bag, so ask number one daughter to please make some of her delicious banana cake. I knew dinner was going to be difficult tonight as a half term visit to Huddersfield was taking place for Tim and number one daughter.
Decide to oven roast the peppers that have been breeding in the fridge, planned to add to the pasta dish I was making for tea. Time drags on and our appetites our waning so leave the peppers for Thursdays supper.
Thursday, ciabattas with roasted peppers and mozzarella.
Friday comes, uh oh lurking in the back of the fridge is some spinach limp and dark, it must be binned even Fudge looks away in disgust, no wonder he wandered off!
Friday night and my earlier efforts of attempting the domestic goddess have long gone - I want something easy to put in the oven and bring out cooked and ready to eat. I convince myself, that after my queuing at the local supermarket(how boring) and arriving home at gone seven I deserve it.
So it was easy, only trouble is a takeaway is on the cards for Saturday night as a full day, is leaving Tim and I no time to cook. Feeling guilty about the packaging on the takeaway though!
Whew - last day Sunday, chicken from the freezer.
So, what have we thrown away - some bananas, spinach which we do like, some milk as I over estimated our capacity for it and was tempted by the 2 for £3 offer. That'll teach me, could have saved over a £1. Also threw out some shrivelled parsnips, some cream and my worst confession was some soup that I had bought and not even noticed that I could freeze it had to be binned.
The Fresh pod definitely helps to keep the fruit and vegetables fresher for longer, I do enthuse about this product because I know its paid for itself time and time again.
I know that we could try harder and with a bit more effort waste less, I think we would have thown away more if Fudge hadn't helped out. Thanks Fudge.
So I do resolve to keep on trying to reduce our waste, landfill and save money.
