MissO: 2008-10-24

says: Check out http://www.savingdinner.com/. Or flylady.com who helps with decluttering you house by her motto - You can do anything for 15 minutes. One otto to another. :)

bikergirl: 2008-01-17

says:

I'm here to help

bikergirl: 2008-01-17

says:

I had the same problem so I can relate. Sometimes we get too busy to prepare the fresh foods and to see food spoiling is terrible.

I have gone to shopping more often. I dont buy in bulk any more and dont stock up. I just get what I need at the time.

I freeze stuff when I make to much, I just put it right away into storage containers. That way its already to go when you are busy.

I think the advice of jstone is good to remake the food into something else. A whole chicken can become other meals and the left over of that can become soup.

Hope thes ideas help.

Jstone: 2008-01-16

says:

I have a large family and we spend a lot for groceries. My husband refuses to eat left-overs but wants to know that seconds are available if he's still hungry. I have learned to make more than enough and either freeze the left-overs or use them as part of another meal. You have to get a little bit creative.

Left-over meats can go into stews, soups, and casseroles. Ripening fruit can be baked into breads or muffins. Pasta can be added to salads. Anything that can't be frozen has to be used within three days.

A discipline that was new to me but has helped is planning the family meals for a week or two in advance, allowing for a few substitutions. When I go shopping, I resist buying things that are not on the list.

I don't buy everything my family likes at one time. They may get a few favorites one week and a different one the next. That way, I can tell them what their choices are and they have to eat what is available.

I hope this helps. Wasted food is not good use of our resources.

Jstone

opalan: 2008-01-12

says:

When my family began to get smaller I really had a challenge with this as well.  Two things really helped me. 1) I started measuring everything so that I knew how much we actually were eating and then only prepared that much. 2) I began telling my self that a little short was better than a lot over because I could always prepare more or something else but I couldn't unprepare anything.  Hope this helps or sparks a new idea.

Pearl