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.
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!
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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