So, times up, two weeks, no waste?  Did you manage it?


The GLAD Fresh Food Challenge was two weeks with no food waste.  Seems simple enough but the shocking statistics show that the average Canadian family throws out 13% of all food purchased!

For our little family, honestly, it was not that much of a challenge because that is the way I shop and cook anyway.  I hate waste full stop.  I plan my meals and shop accordingly using what I have left before it goes to bad.  I buy in bulk and use my freezer to store things in correct portion sizes so I only ever defrost what I need at any one time.

For us the main use of the Glad products we were sent to try out was to deal with leftovers.  I often plan to cook a meal that leaves me some leftovers.  It makes subsequent meals easier as the bulk of the cooking has already been done.

Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving and we sure had some tasty leftovers!


As always, I let the boys set the table.  Harry built us a Thanksgiving Lego robot each that would help us with all the jobs we do- mine did the washing and the cleaning (Oh I wish it were true!)

My Thanksgiving leftovers made it into two meals over two days, here is what I made;

THE HUMBLE LEFTOVER PIE

I love pie.  Its warm, comforting and is like a hug in food form.  I made a simple pastry using half white and half wholemeal flour.
So this crust was 75g white flour, 75g wholemeal flour, 75g butter (you can use all butter or part butter and part shortening), fat pinch of salt and a little water to bind.  You simply rub the fat into the flour and salt and when you have the texture of sand add a little water to bind it into a ball- don't over work it.  Wrap and chill for 20 mins then roll out and give it a good egg wash with just the yolk and a pinch of salt before it goes in the oven.

The pie was layers of leftovers and included stuffing, chicken (we had chicken instead of turkey this year), vegetables, roast potatoes and the leftover gravy.

This is hands down my favorite way with leftovers- pastry for the win every time!

LEFTOVER SOUP

I roasted some baby carrot in honey, butternut squash with some smoked paprika and some beetroot with cumin seeds for Thanksgiving lunch and the leftover veg was just begging to be made into a rich, thick bowl or warming soup.

I only needed soup for two and I had half an onion in the fridge, stored in a freezer bag or it makes the fridge smell funky!  Chop the onion and fry in a little oil until soft, add some stock and your leftover veg.  Bubble for a few minutes and then blitz till smooth.  Add a splash of cream and taste for seasoning.

Toast some fat slices of bread, butter them generously and sit back to dip your toast into your soup and enjoy.

Now you may be asking why bacon features in my Glad Fresh Food Challenge?  Its all about planning.  If you intend to live with as little food waste as possible its all about the planning.  Here are my top planning tips for tackling food waste:

• Meal Planning- it may seem a simple concept but taking the time to sit down with your weekly calendar and plan what you are making that week is essential for cutting the waste.  The calendar is essential so you know when time is tight and food needs to be fast and when you have a little more time to get ahead.  
• Shopping List- I cannot shop without a list.  I forget what I need and buy two of things I already have.  When making your list check what you have already.  I tend to keep a list going throughout the week and when I run out of something I just make a note of it.  Also take a walk around and check the kitchen cupboards before you complete the list.
• Plan to use it up- If you see a head of celery in the fridge that is starting to flop, plan to use it right now!  Don't pretend it isn't there until its too late.  Make a soup or my favorite the classic "bottom of the veg drawer curry". 

• Have a Back Up Plan- You know those times when everything is going wrong, your running 20 minutes late, your kids are hungry, the sofa exploded, your hungry, the dog needs walking, there are no teaspoons left and the dishwasher needs running and there isn't a clean pair of pants to be found!  Those are the times when being prepared is essential!  Instead of nipping to the shop to buy something quick and unnecessary, have a fail safe stashed in the freezer.  Like these chocolate chip cookies or better still a bacon butty.  

So plan ahead and stick to it!  I find that being prepared to fail is what saves me that extra shopping trip and therefore helps me use what I have instead of buying and wasting more.

NOTE: Just to let you know, I was sent a whole box of Glad goodies to use for the GLAD Fresh Food Challenge.  All opinions, dirty work surfaces and children are my own! 

Anyway, as well as having bananas in the fruit bowl I always have some peeled and frozen for great smoothies but one more great way to use up those pesky black skinned bananas is to make them into monkey tails!


A monkey tail is a frozen banana covered in chocolate and then decorated with anything you fancy- a healthy treat for your kids (and you grown ups, they are delicious!).  Super easy and great for making with your kids.


 You could even go all grown up and add crushed coffee beans, pistachios or my favorite, crushed up Cadburys Crunchy bars!!!

NOTE: Just to let you know, I was sent a whole box of Glad goodies to use for the GLAD Fresh Food Challenge.  All opinions, dirty work surfaces and children are my own! 

I don't have a recipe but I always have a frozen banana in there.  When they are black and soft I peel them, wrap them in cling film and freeze them.  They add great flavour, texture and thicken up your smoothie without the need to add ice or yogurt.  Simply add the frozen fruit and a little milk and blend.


So don't throw away that fruit, it can be saved and although a Soggy Fruit Smoothie sounds a little strange it is absolute delicious!


Tomorrow we are talking leftover pork from that Sunday Roast and how it can make fast food for needy people!

NOTE: Just to let you know, I was sent a whole box of Glad goodies to use for the GLAD Fresh Food Challenge.  All opinions, dirty work surfaces and children are my own!

Now it is foolish to think of food waste only in terms of what the fresh stuff we throw into the garbage.  It also boils down to the fact that we might as well be throwing money in the garbage too!  So saving food and saving money go hand in hand.

So you are driving down the road and the coffee shop is lurking just up ahead.  It's only 5 minutes to get home but we stop by the coffee shop anyway.  Its been a busy day, you deserve that hot, milky coffee and a large chocolate chip cookie, of course!  Well what if I told you that you can have access to fabulous double chocolate chip cookies in under 20 minutes whenever you need one- day or night!!

Meet the Double Chocolate Chip Cookie for Emergencies;

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES FOR EMERGENCIES

INGREDIENTS

• 125g good chocolate 
• 150g plain flour
• 30g cocoa powder 
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 125g soft butter
• 115g soft light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 300g dark chocolate chips

METHOD