juliebove
10-04-2006, 08:39 PM
I am suffering from what I call "grandma syndrome". My maternal grandma had 8 kids so she cooked or fixed meals for a lot of people. Once the kids moved out on their own, she still continued to cook this way. I remember her coming to stay with us when my mom was in the hospital. She cooked up a big pot of something that she called "Spaghetti Red". Don't know how she got this name because it was really macaroni with a tomato sauce. I liked it, but she made so much of it that we had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and there was more in the freezer. It was many years before I could bring myself to eat it again!
I had a similar problem for some time but then I worked hard to make/buy only the right amount. But then the food allergies came. Both my daughter and myself. And I've got a husband who eats like a pig but isn't always here. I never know when/if he'll be home for a meal or what he will want to eat. And he's no help. If I ask him he acts like I am intruding. Separate issue, I know...
So now the problem I'm having is I cook something and wind up throwing it out because nobody eats it or they don't eat much of it. And then the raw stuff. I make a recipe that is good but makes far more than I can eat. Or I keep adding stuff to the recipe and before I know it I have a huge amount. Or I buy stuff like fruits and vegetables that look good but either rot before I think they should, or I buy more than I can eat.
These past few weeks have been rough I suppose because I've been on the go so much. I have food at home that I intended to eat but I haven't been able to get home to eat it and my daughter and I wind up at a restaurant. We do sometimes take food with us when we know we'll be out but due to a series of frustrating and time consuming things that are out of the ordinary for us, our routine was mixed up.
So tomorrow is the day the garbage men come and I've thrown out a huge pot of soup and a ton of fruit and vegetables. I also know I'll be throwing out some of what was in my organic produce box this week because there is just no way we will eat it all. Too many greens in there this week. Gah! Sometimes I don't even get the box if I think I won't be able to use it all.
Does anyone have any suggestions for food purchasing/making that will help me avoid or at least cut down on the waste? I realize if I were to just buy food one day at a time (like I used to) this would help. But the nearest grocery store is about 2 miles from me and not on my way to/from any of the places I normally go. When I was working, I could just stop on my way home each day and pick something out. Now I have to make a special trip with the exception of the days I will be working at my daughter's school and that doesn't start till next week. Then there will be a store I can stop at on the way home, once a week. But to make daily trips to the store is too costly with the gas prices. I can go to the health food store several times a week because it is next to my daughter's dance studio, but they don't normally have fresh produce in there aside from Wed. when they have the produce boxes.
It seemed so much easier when we were all eating the same thing. Then it was easier for me to figure and there was less waste. But with three people often eating three different meals, I am looking at a lot of waste. :(
I know freezing has been mentioned before, but I just can't bring myself to eat something once it has been frozen. Perhaps I am spoiled. I just like really fresh food.
I had a similar problem for some time but then I worked hard to make/buy only the right amount. But then the food allergies came. Both my daughter and myself. And I've got a husband who eats like a pig but isn't always here. I never know when/if he'll be home for a meal or what he will want to eat. And he's no help. If I ask him he acts like I am intruding. Separate issue, I know...
So now the problem I'm having is I cook something and wind up throwing it out because nobody eats it or they don't eat much of it. And then the raw stuff. I make a recipe that is good but makes far more than I can eat. Or I keep adding stuff to the recipe and before I know it I have a huge amount. Or I buy stuff like fruits and vegetables that look good but either rot before I think they should, or I buy more than I can eat.
These past few weeks have been rough I suppose because I've been on the go so much. I have food at home that I intended to eat but I haven't been able to get home to eat it and my daughter and I wind up at a restaurant. We do sometimes take food with us when we know we'll be out but due to a series of frustrating and time consuming things that are out of the ordinary for us, our routine was mixed up.
So tomorrow is the day the garbage men come and I've thrown out a huge pot of soup and a ton of fruit and vegetables. I also know I'll be throwing out some of what was in my organic produce box this week because there is just no way we will eat it all. Too many greens in there this week. Gah! Sometimes I don't even get the box if I think I won't be able to use it all.
Does anyone have any suggestions for food purchasing/making that will help me avoid or at least cut down on the waste? I realize if I were to just buy food one day at a time (like I used to) this would help. But the nearest grocery store is about 2 miles from me and not on my way to/from any of the places I normally go. When I was working, I could just stop on my way home each day and pick something out. Now I have to make a special trip with the exception of the days I will be working at my daughter's school and that doesn't start till next week. Then there will be a store I can stop at on the way home, once a week. But to make daily trips to the store is too costly with the gas prices. I can go to the health food store several times a week because it is next to my daughter's dance studio, but they don't normally have fresh produce in there aside from Wed. when they have the produce boxes.
It seemed so much easier when we were all eating the same thing. Then it was easier for me to figure and there was less waste. But with three people often eating three different meals, I am looking at a lot of waste. :(
I know freezing has been mentioned before, but I just can't bring myself to eat something once it has been frozen. Perhaps I am spoiled. I just like really fresh food.