Before the pandemic hit, I had been working on ending food waste in my home, and I was doing it alone. I’d mentioned to everyone that it seemed to be a pretty sizable problem and that I wanted to fix it but no one else had really bought-in. I’d let them know that the dinner they were eating was made with leftover rice or pasta, or a bunch of veggies that had been in excess of a previous dinner’s requirements, and everyone would nod and say “Cool.” That’s not nothing. I have a few very picky eaters and they were doing their best.
Now everyone is more invested in my project. They’ve watched the fridge empty out and listened when I let them know that even though I’d ordered groceries we didn’t have a blind idea when they’d arrive, if they’d arrive, or if the things we needed would all be included. The Instacart shoppers are doing their very best but if the grocery store is out of something there isn’t a lot they can do. The young man who seems to pick up our groceries most often has been really great. He texts us and asks if he can substitute something else, lets us know options and prices, informs us of store policies, and even sends pics of the empty shelves sometimes. He really doesn’t need to show us the bare milk cooler or whatever, we believe him, but it shows us the situation in a way that has an impact, this is real. What we’re all going through is real.
Anyway, leftovers get eaten now and almost nothing is going to waste. I still find little things that were hidden, behind or under other things, that have gone bad or grown mold and those things are wasted. I’m talking about leftover casserole in amounts of about 1/8th of a cup, or fresh herbs that hid under a bag of carrots. (cries a little, I love fresh herbs and it is tragic when I let them go to waste) Before the pandemic I would often end up tossing up to ¼ of an entire casserole or pan of lasagna, the kids would actually let ½ a pan of brownies get stale. (!!!) In the current dystopia the huge lasagna I made lasted less than 24 hours and we’ve had not a single brownie, cupcake or cookie wasted. My son said; “Now that I’m actively trying not to waste any food I realize how much food I used to waste. It was not a small amount.” Said with all the thoughtful gravity a 17-year-old boy could muster. He was always my super picky eater. He had massive issues with texture that were pretty savage. It is a BIG deal that when dinner is not good this kid now lies and says “That was good, thanks Mom.” My daughters, who have been relatively uncomplaining and accepting of whatever was put in front of them are now the ones most likely to make special requests and insist that they need certain foods. I could not have predicted this switch.
At this point I am cooking what I’m calling “original meals” about 70% of the time, maybe? By that I mean meals that I decide I’m going to make, get the ingredients, maybe make a substitution or 2 and make pretty much according to the recipe. The rest of the time I’m making meals backward by starting from “What have I got on hand? What in the fridge needs to be used up right away?” Often those questions lead to some kind of fried rice dish made from; the leftover halves of veggies chopped for previous dinners, leftover rice, and a purposely-leftover bit of chicken, pork or beef, all dressed up with a fresh palette of spices and some soy sauce. Or I might find that I have a bunch of left over baked potatoes and decide to mash them up and use leftover veggies and some ground beef to throw together a shepherd’s pie. I think of this as Leftover Lottery I spin the wheel and dinner is what it is. Soup is a good place for some kinds of leftovers too. Sometimes some leftover meat gets cut up and thrown into a casserole dish with some pasta and a condensed soup and that’s dinner.
We’ve been able to get some groceries delivered and I am very grateful for that. This whole thing would be so much worse without getting milk, cheese, fruit and veg delivered. The thing about groceries being so uncertain is that everyone appreciates it so much when “Hey! There’s lettuce and OJ! Oooo, apples and bagels!” The years of being spoiled by convenience are melting away.
Has anyone else felt the need to get creative to conserve food? Got any cool tips you want to share? Any funky ideas that came out really good? Let me know! Comment and share your genius. I really love hearing from you all. This isolation is tough.
A very cool book if anyone likes to knit. It was a post-Xmas gift from my husband because it didn’t come out til January… I think. While I knit I am, of course, watching shows or videos, mostly Liziqi or tiny house tour videos. 
Gen-Xer Remix 