Today on the eve of the end of my experiment, I don't feel so much like a failure even though I had not accomplish as much as I had hoped to. I feel that I learned a lot from this experiment, things that I could apply elsewhere to my life. And even though I'll have to keep working on clearing out my fridge & pantry for the rest of the week, I have come a long way and I will be a more efficient shopper/consumer/cook/baker in the future.
General Things I've Learned
I don't need to feed the world ~ I should tap into my need to feed on special ocassions for friends and try to keep it to loved ones like my beau and my family. Being a giving person is a good thing but there is such a thing as being too giving.
Effiency is next to godliness ~ I need to be a more efficient shopper and eater. I can't cave into cravings but I also need to keep stock food I want to eat. Buying food I don't really want, only to throw it out later when it expires, is the equivalent of flushing money down the toilet.
Stick to the basics and simplify ~ I purchased a jar of Artichoke Salad, didn't know what to do with it and looked at it with disgust for months until I finall threw it out. A can of artichoke hearts packed in water would have been much more practical and chances are it wouldn't have lasted more than a week in my pantry. If I stick to the basics, I can build meals from there.
Food-Specific Things I've Learned
The incredible, edible egg ~ Eggs are incredibly versatile. They make for a quick dinner, are essential in many desserts and can transform a breakfast. I should always have a full carton of eggs on hand in my fridge and build meals around it.
Look through my pantry & fridge weekly ~ Taking a weekly inventory of all the contents of my pantry and fridge will help me use what I already have and when I do go grocery shopping I can keep in mind those foods that would complement what I already have.
Beef up my staples ~ I should start taking note of those foods that I love, that have multiple-purposes and that I use regularly. These are things I should stock up on. The fancy ingredients that are once-in-a-while kind of foods, should just be purchased once-in-a-while.
2 comments:
All the things you learned are fabulous advice! I am especially applauding your advice about eggs... I love them and if I ever don't have some in my fridge I freak out a little! And probably the best thing is stick to the basics. I have started to do that too--I'd rather have meal components that I can then alter to suit my needs rather than buying specific things that can only be used one way. Bravo to you!
I also made WAY too many oatmeal and pomegranate jelly cookies yesterday. I should give you some to break up the peanut butter cookie overload! :)
I've enjoyed your series! Something I've found helpful is keeping a small clipboard next to my folder of coupons, and I keep my week's tentative menus on it along with an inventory of what's currently in my freezer, and the date each item was purchased; I use that to plan main courses without having to dive in and move things around in the freezer, and then I hopefully use them up before they get very old.
I also tend to stock up on a lot of cake mixes on sale and keep a list on the clipboard of what flavors I have on hand along with their expiration dates. I hate getting out a mix only to discover it had expired weeks ago (grin).
Best wishes,
Laura
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