The Philosophy

As kids, we were all taught the ills of wasting food. While this website is not really intended to help the starving children in Africa (there are organizations who make more of a difference than eating your spinach will), it is intended to document the ways I’m learning to be smart about using items in my own kitchen. And, who knows? Saving a few dollars might prompt you to donate some money to starving children in Africa. Or a charity near you.

There are a few key rules/suggestions that I keep in mind to make this quest easier:

Tips for Cooking Twice

• Buy the freshest and best quality ingredients wherever possible. Sometimes, lower-quality ingredients can be used immediately or frozen, but in the long run, food which has spent less time being transported and stored will give you the benefit of lasting longer in storage – and in what you cook.
• Be creative about your meals, and always think about EVERYTHING you have in your fridge when you cook. Making a pasta sauce? Add some of those fresh tomatoes approaching their last breaths. Making mac and cheese? Add those cheesy odds and ends. If your milk is heading towards a chunky death, treat yourself and your loved-ones to some frozen fruit smoothies.
• USE YOUR FREEZER! Use it well. Label things. This amazing piece in the NY Times by Mark Bittman is advice to live by. (is my own freezer perfect? no. But I like to think I’m getting better day by day).
• Don’t use things that have gone bad, ever. If you’re not sure, this website is a great resource to refer to.
• Finally, take a look at the recipes here and tweak them to your needs. Keep your leftovers in mind when you cook, and if you have a great way you’ve used your leftovers recently, please forward it my way for posting.

None of us are perfect human beings when it comes to caring for our purses or our environment. But with a little bit of thinking and some foresight, we can all do our little bit in those greatest of greatest resources in our homes – our kitchens.