No Scrap Left Behind

So let's get back to the food.  Reading Wildly Affordable Organic has not only opened my eyes to many ways of saving money while getting down and dirty but also reminded me of the many ways to reduce, reuse and yes, even recycle my food - and I'm not talkin' leftovers.  My garden design plan has not only made room for a chicken coop but now a compost bin as well- don't worry the smell of my daughter's feet will outweigh any farm fresh odors in the neighborhood;)  I'm readying myself to buy a kitchen scale to measure out exact amounts not only for baking bread and cookies, but preparing full meals as well.  I've always guestimated the amount of sugar snap peas to saute up for a three person dinner and there always seems to be a small amount left over whether it's animal, vegetable or mineral.  Clearly my eyes have always been bigger than my stomach.  Never enough to save for later but still enough to make me feel guilty tossing it in the trash.  Scaling down my guesstimates to actual amounts will leave no scraps behind while peels, pits and tops will now go into the compost bin.  Shopping for the week instead of the month will yield more fresh food that's used quickly thereby cutting down on packaging.  So how am I doing?  This morning was fresh blueberry pancakes made with local blueberries I froze last summer, organic white whole wheat flour, local butter (expensive! yikes!), local organic milk, local organic eggs.  The batter made enough to freeze for three or four more breakfast meals.  Lunch will be fresh mixed greens from the farm up the road - although sneaking into Aldo's garden in the middle of the night was tempting I restrained myself figuring I need all the good garden karma I can get.  I'll add a hard boiled egg and some organic bell pepper and cucumbers (not local).  It's time this yoga teacher came up with a new mantra.  I've always used this technique with my daughter to motivate her for her morning routine  "Brush (your teeth and hair), rinse (your mouth), floss, potty, scrub (your hands)."  It's organized, fits easily in your mouth and gets the job done.  We post it on the side of the fridge and sing it while getting ready for school.  For me, let's see -  "Plan, shop, cook, clean, freeze."  I'll chew on that for a few days - like a good bottle of heavy cabernet.