Category: Food

Leftovers

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Reducing food waste can happen at many stages in a food’s journey, but with the holiday season in full swing, I thought I’d talk a little bit about leftovers today. 

I know some people who are very clever and creative with their leftovers; I am not one of those people yet. But, I do have some tips to share that have helped our family cut down on the leftovers food waste.

One of the best ways to reduce waste for us is to label our leftovers. I tend to be one of those who is overly careful about how old food is. So to counteract this, I keep masking tape and a Sharpie in the kitchen. Most of our food goes into Pyrex containers to be stored, and that is when we label it. By simply marking the date on the food and designating a shelf for leftovers, I find that our food waste is greatly reduced. Another option we like to use is our freezer. Not only do we mark the date in this case, but also the food item. If we know we won’t be enjoying the food in a timely manner, then the freezer is a great place for it. This also gives us bonus, easy meals, whether it’s days or weeks down the road. 

When you’re planning a big meal for a holiday, it might help to have a plan ahead of time for leftovers. And while I know that leftovers are seen as a great bonus of holiday meals for many people, this doesn’t always include all the parts of the meal. So, be sure to have a plan for the side dishes as well as the main ones. The Internet is, of course, a good source for ideas. By simply typing in “leftovers ideas” and the name of the holiday you might be celebrating, you’d be surprised by the number of posts. 

Another way to cut down on food waste is to do your best to plan for how much food you really need. Especially at holidays, I know many people get wrapped up in the idea of a huge meal or cooking certain items because they feel those are expected or traditional items. Be sure that what you’re cooking or buying really matches what people will want to eat in the first place. It might help to ask yourself or those around you which foods are actual favorites versus which foods just seem like they should be on the table.

Another way to reduce leftover food waste is by sharing with others, whether it’s guests you have over for a meal (in non-Covid times), neighbors, or whoever you think might benefit from the food, if you know you won’t be able to eat it all.

Foods go through so much to get to us. The amount of water and time and labor and transportation and packaging is staggering. By trying some of these suggestions or others you might have, hopefully we can reduce the leftovers waste.

Quick review:

-Create or buy foods that match your preferences and the amount that will most likely be eaten.

-Have a leftover plan in place ahead of time.

-Find recipes for leftovers.

-Store and label leftovers in a visible location.

-Freeze leftovers if they won’t be eaten soon.

-Share with people who will enjoy the leftovers, if you won’t be able to.

 

Thank you so much for being here. I am grateful for you. Your actions can and will make a difference!

Microwave Popcorn

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

I stopped buying microwave popcorn years ago when I began reading a bit more about the health risks linked to the perflourooctanoic acid that lines the bags.  I know the Internet has scores of information that we all must sift through to find the truth, but when I repeatedly read about links to diseases, infertility, and cancers, it was quite easy to stop with the microwave popcorn. No matter how healthy the packaging looks, no matter any “organic” labels, I decided it just wasn’t for me. 

The great news is it’s SUPER easy to make your own homemade popcorn. AND, not only is it healthier and way cheaper, it’s also so much better for the environment. Instead of purchasing a box of individually-wrapped bags, you’re either buying a single plastic bag FULL of kernels and the bag can then be recycled with plastic grocery bag recycling, or better yet, you can get in a bulk section using or reusing your own bag. You’ve also got way more control over your popcorn when you make it yourself. You can control the amount and the ingredients. You can spend the little bit extra and get organic kernels, which I highly recommend. And you can often choose if you’d like yellow or white corn kernels. It’s so many pluses that it really is hard to justify continuing with the packaged kind.

Remember, if you are going to be using pre-packaged microwave popcorn, reuse and recycle the cardboard box. You also should be able to add the individual clear plastic wraps to a grocery bag recycling station. If you’re popping your own bulk corn, it’s very likely you can recycle that clear plastic bag as well with the grocery bag recycling.

Popcorn Ideas

Food for Thought

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

I still remember reading Barbara Kingsolver’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle for the first time and reading about her stance on bananas. I quite agree with Ms. Kingsolver about being conscious how far our food travels and being willing to put our foot down about certain foods whose negative environmental impact is just too large to ignore. Buuut, then I had kids. And a zillion and half other things to worry about, and bananas crept back into our kitchen, along with various other foods.

I do my best to reduce food waste. I’m definitely more conscious about food packaging at this point than the food itself. So, I bring my own containers to restaurants for leftovers and we use Pyrex containers at home for everything, instead of plastic baggies. I do my best to make food from scratch. We buy organic, mostly. But, I would say my awareness about food and where it’s come from and its environmental impact, is something I really would like to know more about.  I’m far from perfect in the impact-my-food-has-on-the-enviroment department, but all I can offer is my best. And my best right now, is to appreciate the food we use and not waste it. To slowly journey into discovering which foods we might want to steer away from because of their environmental impact. And to share as I’m learning.

This section is devoted to my exploration in reducing food waste, reducing food packaging waste, and sharing ideas for making more meals at home.

Thank you for being here.  Your actions can and will make a difference.

Popcorn Ideas

Posted on by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

RECIPE ideas:

Powdered Cheese

Nutritional Yeast

Cinnamon Sugar Popcorn (One of my favs!! I usually halve the recipe, which looks like this…)

1/2 cup unpopped kernels
3 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp vanilla

Honey Brown Butter Popcorn (like kettle corn!)

White and Dark Chocolate Drizzle

Herb-y Popcorn (from The Christmas Book-I can’t find online)

 

When I first started popping my own popcorn I used the stovetop. The method may vary, depending on gas vs. electric stovetop and based on how much oil you add. I usually start by throwing oil in the pot with one or two popcorn kernels and some salt. Put the lid on and heat to a medium high. Once those kernels pop, quickly dump in the remaining kernels (usually 1/4-1/2 cup is good), replace the lid, and lower to a medium heat. I like to keep shaking the pot while these get popping, which doesn’t take long. Once the popping has slowed, remove from the heat, wait for a minute, in case there are any delayed pops, and then Voila! fresh popcorn. Of course you’ll want to experiment with temperatures and so on, but this is a great way to get homemade popcorn without using the microwave at all.  And, besides, it’s super fun to watch these kernels in action.

A microwave method we have been using for the last few years is with a great silicone microwave bowl from the company A Mighty Nest.  I love supporting this company, and I love this quick and simple method of popping corn. With this bowl, we just add kernels to the bowl along with oil or butter and salt, place the lid loosely on top, and microwave for about two minutes. 

Another method I’ve read about is to use a microwave safe bowl, add the kernels, oil, and salt, cover with a snug-fitting plate. Microwave for 2-3 minutes. Your time will vary depending on your microwave, etc ,etc so be patient with it the first couple times and take notes so you don’t have to think about it once you figure it out. Just be extremely careful removing the bowl; it will be hot! I haven’t had much luck with this method, to be honest, but I know many people have. Not to, again, suggest another product, but I also just recently saw a silicone lid which can be used with a microwave-safe bowl you already own.

If you have an air popper, that obviously works too. 

The fun part is that you can now flavor it however you want. Want it plain? Melted butter and herbs? Cinnamon sugar? yum. Powdered cheese, which you can also make from scratch? Chili? Chocolate? There are SO many options out there. Once you find some of your favorites, write them down so you have them handy. Down below, there are a few links to ones I’ve enjoyed, but there are really too many to count. My only tip is that sometimes in the homemade method, you may be left with unpopped kernels. So, I always scoop out the popped corn before adding any toppings, so that no kernels end up stuck in the mix. The unpopped kernels can usually just be re-popped at another time, so don’t throw them out.

My only other suggestion is to please, please avoid using a zip-loc bag to mix your toppings.  Instead what you can do is stack two snug-fitting bowls together and shake as needed.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these popcorn ideas.  Thank you for being here.  Your actions can and will make a difference.

(WHY I’m reducing my use of microwave popcorn bags)