It is SINFUL in my eyes. It wastes MONEY. People are going HUNGRY all over. It wastes RESOURCES. It is just so wrong.
I know people who refuse to eat leftovers. My advice - go hungry then! I know that sounds cruel, but it is crazy. Remake it into something else.
Make soup, casseroles, wraps, pizza, quiche............etc.. You can mask it if you try. Breakfasts, lunches, suppers. Sandwiches or snacks.
I know so much food will be wasted after this Thanksgiving Day holiday. I actually have known people who through the turkey away the day after (regardless to how much meat is left). Aaaacckkkkk!!! Good grief - I boil the bones!
Give food to another family member or a neighbor. There are homeless people that would love a sandwich or a tray. Freeze it for later on. If nothing else - feed your livestock. (much of people food is not good for house pets). Just DON'T throw it away.
Not only does it waste food - when so many are hungry, but it is wasting money. If you are that eager to throw money away, go out to a parking lot and just throw cash about!!!!!! At least it would benefit someone.
It is also a huge waste of resources!!! People don't seem to think about this. It took farmers from all over giving of their time and work, animals and veggies being raised and fed, someone to harvest, someone to clean and package it, someone to transport, someone to stock shelves and someone to sell it. Soooooo many wasted resources when you simply throw it away.
That is disgusting and just plain wrong.
We should be thankful for those farmers and truck drivers and stores for providing us nourishment.
Throw your leftovers in the trash - in many big cities the trash trucks come and get it. They pack those trucks full - then off to the landfill/dump. Hundreds of trucks of trash a week are dumped. That compacts much of the trash down - where even wildlife (birds mainly) can't get to it.
All that packing causes gases to be made. Methane gas if made when food items are cut off from oxygen. Methane is horrible - that is what many call greenhouse gas.
If nothing else compost all you can at home - at least that is beneficial to your food system in the long run.
So before your waste - THINK and PLAN:
- Cook a little less
- Have a plan for leftovers - eat as is, re-invent, freeze, or share
- Use small plates - less likely for people to take food they won't eat (they can get seconds if needed)
- Shop from your shelves - instead of buying more
- Plan, plan, plan and be mindful
Just to give you an idea - I recently read that it is estimated that 200 million pounds of turkey alone is throw out after Thanksgiving in America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DISGRACEFUL!!
This isn't just a Thanksgiving or Christmas problem - waste is an every day problem. Please be mindful of your food, your resources and your money.
DON'T WASTE
Many blessings to you and yours my friends. Enjoy a safe, healthy and mindful holiday!
I agree. But I really don't like turkey. I only cook it for Butch. I wanted to cook a roast for Thanksgiving but, lol the look I got! I might still do a small one for me. I love beef.
ReplyDeleteMmmm beef roast sounds yummy too! Why not do it - this year calls for people just enjoying what they ENJOY! I say do it!
DeleteHe will have lots of yummy leftovers - A favorite cold turkey sandwich here!!!!
Both will make great new meals.
Have a wonderful one my friend.
just watch the news of people lining up to go to food banks. It is terrible. Texas had 4 hour waits!!! Good article. Happy Turkey Day Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteBarb in PA
I know - people are hungry all over the world - and so many just throw food away. It is pitiful.
DeleteThank you and the same to you.
Just how much food do Americans waste? Here’s some “food” for thought: The United States is the global leader in food waste, with Americans discarding nearly 40 million tons of food every year.1 That’s 80 billion pounds of food and equates to more than $161 billion2, approximately 219 pounds3 of waste per person and 30-40 percent4 of the US food supply. Most of this food is sent to landfills; food is the single largest component taking up space inside US landfills.5 In fact, it makes up 22 percent of municipal solid waste (MSW).
ReplyDeleteA travesty indeed. :-(
Disgusting statistics indeed. Amazing how indifferent people have become.
DeleteHumans should be better than this - even animals only take what they can eat - and if they can't other animals will. Nothing is wasted.
Yes, food waste just makes me mad. I try really hard to just cook enough for the meal as to not have leftovers because I am not a huge fan of them. We have a magnet that moves from the fridge to the counter when there are leftovers in there and this has really helped us to remember to eat them up. What I have found is that we need way less produce than we think we do and the overbuying of that is where waste could really happen here. I have invested in Rubbermaid produce keeper boxes and they really help extend the life of our produce and have paid for themselves many times over. I recently purchased a Smart Canner that is electric and small enough to keep in my kitchen. It is simple to load up a few jars of things like leftover soup and run them through the canner so that they can just go on the shelf and make easy meals another day. Our turkey carcass will be making broth for the canner, too. I love having that on the shelf for cooking and we can do pints so that we do not waste there either.
ReplyDeleteGood job - my hat is off to you. You are trying to make a difference, not only in your life but for the future.
DeleteWe need to be more efficient in our shopping, using and serving of food. Like you - canning or freezing for another day.
Thanks for making that effort.
Since it is just the two of us, I make a 3-lb turkey breastmeat roast. We will have turkey with the sides for two days, then the rest will become turkey pot pie for the next week (4 meals). No carcass, but no waste. Because my father grew up in severe poverty, I learned at a very early age to NEVER waste food.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful plan. I wasn't allowed to waste either as a child - it just wasn't done. And if you didn't eat your leftovers - you did without. You ate what was on the table.
DeleteYour sinner sounds perfect.
I often think about this - not only food waste, but transforming leftovers into something else, and wonder how much of this is due to the removal of Home Economics classes in Jr. and Sr. High School curricula, and from the "working mom" world. I know my daughter doesn't have anywhere near the cooking skills I did when I married (yes, I know I did her a disservice by working and not including her in kitchen cooking; I feel the guilt all the time, especially when she calls me to ask questions about a recipe). Not only is it the cooking skills that are missing, but the menu planning, nutrition education, and grocery budgeting skills that went away with the removal of Home Ec.
ReplyDeleteAGREE!!!! That has been a tremendous loss I believe. We grew up in such different times. I loved home econ. and I also did 4H which also taught me a lot. Mom and Dad taught me so much.
DeleteThat is for sure something that should be implemented back in schools.
Wasting food is one thing that really makes me feel guilty. I'm not bad - the one thing that I have trouble with is salad greens - that last serving can sometimes get away from me. As a single person more and more I find using frozen veggies a good compromise as I can just use what I need per meal and know that it will keep fine until needed again.
ReplyDeleteI'm one of five children and dad was the sole breadwinner so food waste was a big "No No". I remember being told about the poor starving children in China, India and then later Biafra! My father used to say "Your mother's not a short order cook - if you don't want what's on your plate there is bread and jam in the kitchen! None of this umpteen different meals from the microwave depending on what you might want. My mother and father were great cooks and leftovers were always used up in creative ways and I learned those lessons well.
Oh I remember the 'children in China' speech. Exactly, you ate the meal that was fixed and there wasn't something special for each child or family member. You ate it or not.
DeleteSo glad that so many of us had great role models.
I HATE food waste. If we don't eat it(which is rare) it goes to the dogs or compost.
ReplyDeleteYES - it is being used for food in another way. That is the way it should be.
DeleteI deplore food waste. But both hubs and I eat leftovers, if anything is left at all which is rare it goes to the chickens.
ReplyDeleteGood for you. My sweet Glen used to accuse me of making leftovers. Seemed every time he asked what was for lunch or dinner I said leftovers!!! LOL
DeleteAfter reading all the comments here I would also suggest seeking out the discount grocery stores in your area. This allows food to be bought and eaten that is close dated or somewhat out of date instead of it going to the dump. In the summer there were reports of hundreds of Pizza Huts closing down and our store got in a lot of Pizza Hut food. We bought five pound bags of shredded cheese for 5.99 and they had literally hundreds of bags of frozen meat sauce for $1 a bag and it was five pounds of the most delicious meat sauce I have ever had that I did not make. Not only does it keep the food out of the land fill but it will save you a ton of money. Our stores handle a lot of this food frozen and we have never had a problem with any of it.
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that. I wish we had a store like that some where around here. I know a lot of restaurants sold through drive threw their breads and other items to help them and others.
DeleteWe have a place called Second Helpings that takes large amounts of leftover restaurant food and remakes it. It gives the homeless and unemployable a chance to learn a trade and it feeds the hungry. Really cool.
There should be more options every where.
We have a leftover night generally once a week where there is a hodge podge of bits and pieces in the fridge. I also make fried rice with leftover grilled chicken breast or pork chop; leftover roast beef gets ground up for Shepherd's pie (which we prefer to the roast!); and those lonely two hotdogs in the meat keeper get added to a can of beans.
ReplyDeleteWhere I do run into issues is with vegetables because my son isn't a big fan. I tend to buy bags of salad fixings instead of a head of lettuce because I don't go through it fast enough. In the summer I'll toss some out for the bunnies and some goes in the compost.
I probably waste more food than I ought to, but have found it's much improved since I retired.
Great ideas on remaking food into new dishes. I think being home a lot helps a lot. We are more aware of what is in the frig. Great job.
DeleteI always freeze the food we have leftover, or refashion it into a new meal. I refuse to waste anything if at all possible.
ReplyDeletePeelings, coffee grounds and egg shells are thrown into the garden.
God bless.
I love this - I wish the whole world was as good at this as all you gals are.
DeleteHelping to improve the ground for additional food growth - WIN!
Blessings
Everyone here has said they hate food waste, but no one has offered suggestions for leftover turkey. I'm here to do that!
ReplyDeleteStrip all of the meat from the bones, cut the big pieces into bite-size cubes and freeze all of the meat in two-cup packages. Why two cups? Most casserole dishes call for 2 cups of meat. (In my case, I freeze in 1-1/2 cup packages). I use zip-loc bags and squeeze out all of the air, or suck it out with a straw. I often get 8 or 10 packages which I then use in the coming months for casseroles, turkey pie or in salads. You can use turkey in any recipe calling for chicken. Makes great enchiladas!
Take the carcass--break if up if you have to--and use it to make soup stock. You will be amazed how much meat will cook off the bones. Use it for turkey soup, turkey and noodles, etc. You can also make extra gravy with stock and flour and water thickening. Freeze any excess broth or gravy. Milk cartons are good for freezing. (Canning jars have a tendency to break in the freezer when the liquid expands).
The sooner you do this, the better, but definitely within 3 days. This is also how I handle leftover ham. Sometimes I just freeze the ham bone and make broth later, which I use for bean soup (but equally good for split pea, lentil, etc.).
We didn't have a freezer when I was growing up. In fact, we had a tiny freezing compartment only big enough for two trays of ice. As a result, we ate turkey for days...and days...and days. My parents came of age during the Great Depression and meat was rationed during WW2, so we never wasted a bite. But I can tell you, we sure got tired of turkey! If you take the time to take the meat off the bones and freeze it, you will never get tired of turkey and you won't waste any, either.
We freeze some turkey, some stuffing and a small Ziploc bag of gravy all in one container and enjoy pulling it out for meals for several months. Any turkey after that goes in one cup bags here. Chopped turkey with a can of cream of chicken soup makes a great hot sandwich filling served on hamburger buns.
DeleteGreat ideas. I always freeze extra turkey - so many uses. I love sandwiches, soups, casseroles, fried rice, you name it.
DeleteI am a huge fan of freezing anything that I am starting to get tired of. I still can't cook just a little - so I put things back for another day. It is nice to have a sort of no cooking day.
Great ideas!!! Thank you both
Turkey divan is equally simple. Turkey cubes, fresh or frozen broccoli, thin a can of cream of broccoli soup with 1/3 cup milk, stir in 1/2 cup grated cheese and pour over. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F until bubbly. I think we will be having this Friday or Saturday. Making it will probably get me in the mood to debone the rest of the bird!
ReplyDeleteYum. Great idea. That sounds so comforting.
DeleteI purposely looked for a smaller turkey or breast. I could not find one and the smallest bird was 12lbs. Thankfully ds2 & family will take much of the leftovers and I will freeze some. I try to gather my fragments weekly to use in a new recipe or for lunches.
ReplyDeleteI am making a turkey breast. It was hard to find smaller birds here as well - seems everyone wanted the small ones this year. Usually it's the other way around - can't find big ones.
DeleteI will share with the neighbor and then freeze some.
Tidbits turn into great dishes!
Sad about so much waste. We are a wasteful society. :(
ReplyDeleteI love leftovers! Cook once, eat twice or thrice...makeovers are great too.
Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving.
Tremendous waste - just so sinful.
DeleteI am with you - less cooking the better!
Have a great one!
We are having just 2 turkey thighs, cooked in the crockpot. No waste there! since they are so big, MIGHT have enough left from my portion for a sandwich the next day. MMMM---turkey, mayo, and sweet pickles :)
ReplyDeleteMy parents always threw the giant carcass in a canning kettle after dinner was over and it simmered all night on the stove. Next up: turkey soup! Dad always added too much barley, so it was hearty. We always groaned when Mom said it was a turkey soup night! haha.
All my married life (53 years) I have made leftovers into a thrown-together casserole. Add a can of soup or a lot of cheese, and it all tastes good!! I will waste no food...
On another note: it disturbs me when I see the 1000's of cars lined up at the food banks or pantrys...and the trunks are loaded up to the brim with boxes of food. I will bet you dollars to donuts much of that gets thrown out because it was FREE and many do not know how to use it or save it. Makes me sick. Makes me want to teach a class!! Take the class, THEN you get the free food!!!
Not only classes but many need basic cookware. Our SIL was an inner city pastor and he was appalled to find that families did not have a stove or even pots and pans to work with. This is why you see carts full of frozen dinners being paid for with food stamps. Many only have a microwave and no other way to cook. This becomes generational as the cooking skills are lost and it is often by no fault of their own but just due to their circumstances.
Deletelejmom - I agree - cream of soup or cheese and anything is a new and yummy dish.
DeleteYou are preaching to the choir about the terrible food waste on all levels. I well imagine you are correct that so much of the FREE food will be trashed.
Love the idea of having to take classes and know what to do with it. I would jump over all kinds of hoops and through if I thought someone would give me all that food free.
Lana that is crazy. I wonder if they don't have stoves or don't know how to use them? Cookware can be had for pennies at thrift stores and yard sales. Even a hot pad - they obviously have electricity.
DeleteI sure don't understand the world any more.
Avoiding food waste drives the menu in this kitchen. I also shop from home. I take stock of what's on the shelf or in the fridge/freezer and plan a menu from that starting point. The soup of the week is usually a result of what needs to be used up in the fridge. This week it was broccoli/cauliflower soup. Any leftover meat can be minced in the food processor; add onions, seasoning, relish, mayo to taste for a tasty sandwich filling or cracker topping.
ReplyDeleteYes, yes, yes! I plan on doing a post later about shopping the shelves!!!!
DeleteThrow all those leftovers and tidbits together and you have a wonderful soup or casserole.
Love minced or chopped meat made into sandwich filling.
Great ideas.
So much is wasted in this country, not just food. A blogger I follow from Canada was talking about how many brand new clothes go to the landfill. Leftovers require a little thought but some tasty meals can be prepared from the leavings of a big meal. I need to dig out my turkey tetrazzini recipe. Years ago when I was in high school a neighbor hired me to wrap her Christmas presents. She had taken her turkey carcass from Thanksgiving dinner and made soup from it. That was almost sixty years ago and I still remember that soup! When the Urban Farmer says the blessing before our meals, I always add "and the ability to prepare the food".
ReplyDeleteStay dry! The rain is still bucketing down.
We are a wasteful society on all levels - yes indeed. It is so disgusting. There is a You Tuber who Vlogs about dumpster diving. It is amazing the stuff they get - food, toys, clothes, OTC meds, snacks..... I had to quit watching for a while because of the extremes they got. They do donate tons of it.
DeleteThat soup and the broth made from the carcass - yum. Yes imagination seems to be a thing of the past.
Cheryl, this struck a chord for me. I HATE food waste and I feel it is sinful. I used to work with someone who would not eat leftovers, ever. Her reason was that she grew up poor and "would feel like she was repeating her childhood if she ate leftovers." I didn't even know how to respond to that,so I just sat there in disbelief at her reasoning.
ReplyDeleteHi there. I wouldn't know what to say either. I just don't understand the huge 'dislike' of leftovers. I don't get it. So many things are even better the next day.
DeleteI agree it is sinful. Wasting resources, money, time and so many don't have the pleasure to have any of those.
Glad to have you here!