Waste Not, Want Not: Menu-planning With Food Scraps

This week's recipes fit nicely with the concept of using up leftovers.  The recipes practically speak for themselves, but I guess part of my job is to speak for the recipes :)

Waste Not, Want Not: Fruit Salad and more

What to do with this week's leftovers:

Bacon, leftover from making Spinach Salad:

Put all leftover pieces on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Put in the oven, then set temperature to 400 degrees. (Yes, put the bacon in while the oven is still cold!) Bake 17 minutes or until slightly under-done. Drain and blot grease, cool, and then freeze. When frozen, transfer to ziploc freezer bags and return to the freezer. When you are ready for a few strips of bacon, microwave the frozen strips for 10-20 seconds, depending on how crispy you like them and how many strips you are microwaving at a time.

Waste Not, Want Not: ScrapPasta Salad and More

What to do with this week's leftovers:

Peppers, mushrooms and green onions (left over from making Chicken Primavera) are my favorite kind of leftovers because you can do so many things with them!  Saute and use for:

1.  French Dip Sandwiches

2.  Omelets

3.  Quesadillas or Fajitas

4.  Smothered steak or chicken

5.  Pizza topping (you don't even have to saute them for this)

Waste Not, Want Not: Introduction

One of the easiest ways to reduce your food spending is to reduce your food waste!  Now, I'm not recommending that you consume spoiled or expired food just to save money...but I AM recommending that you find a way to use it BEFORE it spoils or expires.  The theory is a no-brainer, right?  But the practice and the follow-through take a little work and planning.