I love your videos. I reinvent all leftovers and small pieces of STUFF. My husband does not even know he is eating leftovers. I also don't mind Cook Once-Eat Twice. There are only 3 of us. All Adults. My dad is 93. I am 68. My hubby is 76. I will say seniors do have to be creative. God is good. We have never done without. We are blessed. We have learned to enjoy Quesadillas made with leftovers. Yummy!.
My mother had to cook for a very large family with a very limited budget . I remember her supper planning was simple …. Monday spaghetti with meat sauce or tacos, Tuesday pork chops, Wednesday meatloaf or hamburgers, Thursday shake and bake chicken or chicken fingers, Friday fish , Saturday a surprise meal and on Sunday always a roast beef or roast chicken or turkey or pork loin. She always had 2 sides that was a well balanced diet and rotated her weeks plans. There was never leftovers because the boys in the family ate them. It was simple and easy and always yummy and we never went hungry .
re: meal plans - the thing that helped me start to cook more is that realization that you don't need to say "monday I make... tuesday I make..." I was stunned when my friend was like "i just decide these are the meals I'm going to make. I make whichever seems like a good idea that day." It just never occurred to me that you could approach meal plans that way.
This is what we do. I have a dry erase board on the fridge that I keep a list of what we have the ingredients for. Then we pick something off the list for supper that night. It’s usually a good mix of recipes, some of crockpot, instant pot, casserole, or even soup & sandwich. And mix of protein (chicken, ground or solid meat, pork & seafood) so we can get variety. And most of our “waste” goes to our chickens so we luckily have little waste.
Your comments on brand loyalty really hit home. For years, I insisted on using certain brands, but with the way grocery prices have risen, I've had to rethink that. These days, I'm shopping by price, not by brand - and I've found that cheaper brands or store brands or other brands that are on sale are just as good in most cases. I really enjoy your videos and appreciate the info I get from you!
I tell my kiddos this! Good better best! Chipotle is good, those frozen convenience food is better, ingredients cooked and prepped at home is best! NONE of them are bad! But long as we pay attention to it like you say that is truly the key ❤️
Chipotle is my weakness... but I can make a bowl with one of their tortillas on the side last three meals by adding two tortillas from home to the leftovers. I don't mind eating it three times that week: two lunches and a dinner, or a lunch and two dinners... I'm okay with that.
So my family just does not like leftovers very often. So what I've recently started doing is only making just enough for each family member to have a portion. I only do this for dinner. This has cut WAY down on food waste! It works for my family situation.☺️
What if they want more, my house hold people get upset like if I’m restricting their food. But when I make a lot they don’t eat it. So I tell them to eat a fruit or something.
@@healthyliving9601 I do like you and tell them they are free to make themselves something else if they are still hungry. Everyone in my house is an adult now, so honestly most nights I make enough for just those people who will be eating. No one ever complains that I don't make enough, but if they did I do like you do.
Like many people today we're also on a very tight budget and we can’t afford wasting food so about once a week we have smorgasbord night. I reheat all of our leftovers and serve it family style on the table. At the end of the evening, there are no leftovers of our “leftovers” 😋
I have the opposite problem.... I never have enough spring mix, even if I buy the Costco size clamshell. I have a side salad with nearly every lunch and dinner. Every couple of days I prep my fave salad combo in a salad bowl with a lid, that way it's all set. I use different dressings and crunchy toppings to keep it interesting. I also keep a paper towel in the package and store it upside down so it stays fresh. It helps me eat more veggies, and now I never waste salad greens.
We’ve been working hard to make sure that we eat all of our leftovers. I’ve been realizing that leftovers can go over two nights and save me from cooking when I don’t need to be.
Leftovers are our lunches so I think I’d be super disappointed if my husband didn’t eat leftovers lol. I put the leftovers in meal prep containers and we just pop it on the microwave when we are hungry. I ate leftover meatballs, potatoes, carrots and onions is a yummy red sauce for lunch today. I’m actually following a cook book this year which is 365 days of dinner recipes(and desserts). So I literally do not have to meal plan for the entire year and back in December I made my shopping lists for the entire year! I just make sure to check my pantry/fridge/freezer to make sure I actually need that item for that week. Any meals in the book that I didn’t think my family would like I made eat out/leftover nights, but there really weren’t very many of those! It’s made dinner so much easier for me and all I have to do is remember to thaw out meat. Portions are big enough to get 2-4 lunches.
Many generations did not have a choice about leftovers-they simply could not afford to waste food. I think many people who never had to think about this before are starting to value food more and seek to waste less.
I was not in the habit of eating leftovers as a child. I have learned to eat them though and you are right -- they save so much money -- especially these days when groceries are constantly going up. My son has special needs and only eats a very limited number of foods so we cannot really save on his foods, but my husband can and do save on food for us. Seasonal ingredients, meat sales, eating leftovers, and not letting food go to waste. We have significantly cut down on our food waste and my husband even roudly commented about that the other day. It made me so proud!
I love leftovers. Many things taste better the next day. So happy you are going to do a meatless menu. Being vegetarian I like to try new ideas. Love your channel ❤
Great suggestions, Mindy! Fortunately, neither of us minds eating leftovers and my unpicky husband is always open to trying my recycled leftovers. One thing that has helped as groceries have gotten more expensive is to remind myself that we are eating to live, not living to eat and have simplified the meals I prepare. A tip for the salad greens from someone who’s thrown out enough to feed several hundred rabbits is to wash, prep and dry them as soon as you get in from the store. Then place them in an airtight container with a paper towel in the bottom and one atop the greens.
I do that with my greens too, and I found the best container is Rubbermaid brilliance (the 9 cup plastic one). My romaine lettuce lasts around 2 weeks this way!
I can’t relate to people that don’t eat leftovers either. Not being judge mental but it was never an option in my life because- it seems wasteful. And I want to cook as little as possible. 😂 I love your recommendation to try making smaller portions and put in the good word for leftovers if having enough for seconds is an issue.
After throwing away another halfway used box of greens that had gone bad, we decided to get an in-home garden (it's a farmstand from lettucegrow). We buy the plants out of our grocery budget. And we can slowly use the greens while it stays fresh. We've had it for a year and love it.
I appreciate all of the ideas! I'm really trying to buckle down and not eat out or buy frozen meals since it's just me at home. It's hard to get into that habit after so many years of doing the opposite. If you haven't done it before, how about a video regarding single people making meals and budgeting? I get that most people on here have a family but us singles need some more ideas too! 🙂
@@squisitissima2810 I was going to suggest this. 1/2 Recipes, but freeze 1/2 of that. Continue to do so until you have a freezer stock for rotation. Then you only have to cook half as often, rotate out your freezer meals the other half of the time... continue to replace what you use from the freezer with half of what you're cooking.
I am single now for 14 years after raising a large family. I also got into the trap of takeout and pre-made food. I used to absolutely despise leftovers. I still haven't learned to cook for one, but do it regularly now and those leftovers are my work lunches and next day or two dinners. Not exactly sure how I was able to switch it around to being grateful for what I already had. I think it was a process during my debt-free journey. It was long, arduous and intentional. I now don't want to spend money. I've been kinda craving a pizza from a local pizza restaurant, but I ultimately decide I really don't want to spend the money. I will some day soon. I just have available food to cook at home so I'm okay.
I'm a single senior on a very fixed income. I love your channel Mindy and would LOVE a meal plan for us folks too!! Thanks for all of your great suggestions. I know sometimes it's hard reinventing the wheel!!😁 Much love, Joan
I appreciate you pointing out the budget busters. My husband and I went through our budget roughly six months ago and said we're eating out too much it's okay to indulge once in awhile but too much has too much money. We actually downloaded an app called copy me that which stores recipes and I can meal plan on that site as well as make a grocery list. We went so far as to make a list of everything in the refrigerator, freezer and in the pantry so I'm not over buying when I go to the grocery store I always know what I have. I truly appreciate ❤
Ohmigosh!! Mindy!! I thought I was being sooo frugal for years and years!! Every Wednesday night we have ‘wing Wednesday’ with one of those store-prepped large veggie trays. Thru the teenage years, when my girls had braces, they would never eat the carrots or celery. All of the broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers and tomatoes were devoured, leaving me with excess carrots and celery. Yet, every week… I would prep them and leave them in the fridge for snacks, to no avail. After a couple of days, I would invest in a single onion. Chop the onion, remaining carrots and celery and freeze as a mirepioux. OR I would chop them, and use those mixed greens (ya, the ones that we buy to throw away in 10 days) and plate a salad with every dinner. With carrots, I would shred them to freeze, to put in stir fry, coleslaw, ramen or spaghetti/ red sauce. For years my kids told me I was doing the ‘cheap thing’. I have to admit, they sure did come in handy when the girls got sick and I had to make chicken soup !! You got me girl! I feel so validated !! I love your videos! Keep’m comin’!😊
As a grandmother, I raised my daughter on a very strict grocery budget. Instead of purchasing snack foods for school lunches, I kept a fruit bowl and made homemade treats. My daughter is quite smart. When she figured out a system of bartering extra treats for prepackaged snacks from her fellow classmates, she still had the junk food treats she wanted……until I busted her. LOL I also fed two stepchildren on a regular basis. I discovered some things over the years. If you buy fruit, wash it or cut it up and place it in the fridge, kids will eat it. One of my favourite meals was Mexican wraps. I would cut up all the salad veggies and place all the ingredients and condiments on the table. The kids would create their own unique wraps and it always surprised me at HOW MANY VEGGIES they will eat when presented that way. Nothing ever went to waste because they would be incorporated into lunches. In 2014 and 2015, I travelled to the Midwestern USA twice. Once for Thanksgiving, second for the 4th of July. Two different seasons and I had to shop and cook for two more children. While the older girl was somewhat fussy, the toddler was easier to feed, believe it or not. Whenever I placed a choice of fruit or vegetables in front of them, they kept reaching for seconds and thirds. Mainly the toddler. I like to think about it as being like a choice in a restaurant. There are only certain food choices on the list. The meal is set on the table. If they don’t like something, they can choose to pick it out of their meal or ignore it. BUT, this is what we are eating. I do NOT give into children’s demands if they don’t like the meal. I refuse to leave good food on the table and heat up a nutrient-deficient frozen meal with too many chemicals. Any uneaten food is put away and eaten later. If the kids come back hungry, I redirect them to the fruit bowl in the fridge. Interestingly, my Aussie lifestyle and upbringing influenced my cooking styles. I could not get over how ravenous the American kids were for fresh, healthy foods. I had a 3 year old getting refills of cooked and raw veggies and fruits. Fast forward to today. I have two grandchildren at the moment. They both prefer home cooked meals over takeaways. I credit this to my daughter and son-in-law who have both had a positive impact on the kids and their eating patterns. The one thing I told my daughter when she her first baby is that, when starting on solid food, GIVE THEM WHATEVER YOU ARE EATING. Whatever the family eats, the baby eats, even if you have to blend the food up. I am very proud of my family and I am happy knowing I was a positive influence in their lives.
I, too, have adopted the loosely goosey approach to meal planning. There are two of us and having a list of meals to choose from gives my husband some say in what we are eating. I normally * the foods that need to be eaten first. I cross out as we eat, and normally only plan for six per big meals per week. The7th one is LO (Leftover) day. It works well for us! When my girls were young, they took turns on LO day taking orders from the LO Menu. Thank you Mindy. You have a very good approach to family meals! Wish I could have watched you videos about 50 years ago.
We are a family of 7 on a single income, so I live by all these tips! I will admit, I recently had to have a stern talk with myself about spring mix. I never get through the whole package before it goes bad🤦🏻♀️
“I recently had to have a stern talk with myself” Too funny 😂 I relate to that very much and also had to give myself a stern talk last week regarding certain greens & veggies
I’m with you on the leftovers! I remember Lydia Senn sharing some tips on RUclips and Instagram about how to make leftovers more palatable, like reheating using the stove or oven instead of the microwave 😊
Growing up, my grandmother used to answer every question about dinner with "We're having leftovers." I've taken up that habit and have adopted her meal planning. She often would start the week with a roasted or slow cooked dinner (like pot roast or chicken). Each following night, she'd open her fridge, pull out the leftover meat and any veggies she wanted, and create a new dinner from her leftovers. I do something similar, although I plan out at least one or two meals from those leftovers. Also, I am trying to buy an extra veg or two, especially versatile ones like squash or peppers, each week to use later in the week for a "thrifty" pantry meal. I know I can always open my pantry or fridge, pick out an ingredient/marinade/sauce that needs to get used up before it expires, and create a meal from that, a protein from the freezer, and that versatile veg. It actually helps me buy fewer ingredients and still manage to make great meals that my family loves. Plus, we often end up having at least one "surprise" dinner out each week: we get invited to a last minute event, we hear about an event we wish to attend, or we wind up at my in-laws' home. In the past, my dinner plan for that night would throw a wrench in my weekly plan and things would go to waste. In the past month or so, I've started planning for just Sunday (Roast), Monday (Meatless), and Tuesday (Takeout homemade). Wednesdays are busy with Jiu Jitsu practice, so we have a leftovers night from whatever we have left so far. By Thursday before, I'd already have my plans thrown off by too many leftovers, dinner with the in laws on Sunday, or other, and I'd scramble to get back on track. Now, however, I'm trying to make a new meal from leftovers and/or do a pantry cleanout meal. Then Fridays are Seafood Days, and Saturdays (which often end up being just my husband and I) used to be wildcards that wound up with wasted ingredients. I started doing Y.O.Y.O. dinners (you're on your own) in the past couple of weeks because we always have leftovers or pantry options that we can figure out for ourselves. Also, we often get invited to parties or dinners on Saturdays, so I've stopped planning on any recipes. As a result of these changes where I plan on 3-4 meals, our weekly budget has dropped by $30-40 per week and I'm so much less stressed each week.
I completely agree with you on all points. We adjust our grocery budget every year because we know that items go up in price. By the way there is a small vacuum jar sealer that I got on amazon that helps me not to waste my salad greens. I just cut up the lettuce, wash and dry it in a salad spinner and seal it in a jar. It will last for a couple of weeks that way. You may also need to pull a paper towel in the bottom of the jar before you put your lettuce.
I struggle getting my family to eat leftovers, but I have a few single "work sons" that are always willing to take them off my hands. They love it and I love being able to feed them while not wasting good food.
I needed this reminder! I recently returned to work and it’s a bit embarrassing to say that our grocery/fast food budget almost immediately bumped up. So, I’m taking Sundays to defrost a few proteins and making a few healthy carbs to have a head start for the week. Giving back to our community during the holidays is BIG on my list. So, I have that in the back of my head when I’m considering making a convenience purchase.
Appreciate the tips, Mindy! Also, I'm excited to hear that you're releasing another meatless meal video! I'm vegan for ethical reasons (mainly for animals, but also for the environment), and though I know the meatless meals may include dairy or eggs, it's nice to get some new ideas and modify them to suit my lifestyle. I watch every one of your videos! Keep it up!
@@SeeMindyMom I love meatless ideas. Meat really is a budget buster, and is not really necessary for every meal the way it seemed to be drilled into us growing up.
Thank you for the great ideas on reducing waste and using things up ! My husband and I enjoy meatless meals so I am excited to see what you have in store for us ! Thank you Mindy !
I live on leftovers,planned overs,creative renditions! I tend to remake the main recipe to taste like something else! For example; when i make spaghetti with separate meat sauce,the next meal will become spaghetti pie casserole,if there is still some left,i make crafted sandwiches using little bits of the spaghetti pie with extra cheese in a sandwich crimp machine like hot pockets or sandwich triangles,like grilled cheese created sandwiches. I also make my own mixes that i keep in containers on my counter. I do not have a pantry,i have cupboards so i have canisters on my counter with my homemade mixes in them. I do not buy jiffy mixes because i have my own made up and setting at the ready! We do meatless mondays and either use eggs,or mushrooms or beans! Creativity is the key,in my opinion,to get us all through our food crises!
Thank you for all the great tips, especially 9 and 10. Temperance is a cardinal virtue we definitely have a hard time practicing and even speaking about in the modern world. Thank you for reminding us all of it. God bless you for helping us all!
Another amazing video! I am a big fan of cooking more than I will eat, then putting it into portions and freezing it for use another date. Makes it easier for me to be able to just pull a precooked meal out of the freezer and thaw/heat it up. I cook for just myself though.
This was such a great comprehensive yet quick overview of how we can stop wasting money/food. I always love every one of your videos, but this one is especially terrific, thanks for all your hard work and time spent on this channel!! ❤
Such good tips! I decided to shop at home this week. My freezer is full ( a blessing!) but I need to pause hitting the stores. My meal plan is left overs at least once this week for dinner and everyday for lunch. Even if I just repurpose and make chicken into chicken salad. If my family didn't eat leftovers- they'd starve😄. Obviously this wouldn't count if someone had food problems due to something like being autistic or something like that. I have a meal plan on the fridge for everyone including me- to see and I also have a magnetic white board with all the leftovers that are in the fridge and ideas on how to eat the leftovers- that really helps!
Also, I have discovered by watching your videos if I plan just a little we can have a sweet treat for less than we expect. For example, a cake mix and a few ingredients I have on hand are tasty and beat the price of Hostess cupcakes etc. Hope that makes sense, but you really bring that point home. 1) We do not need dessert everyday. 2) A cake mix or even from scratch cake is far less expensive than I thought and easier to prepare with a little minimal planning and can save money.
Thank you for the wise suggestions. I think most of us need to reevaluate our food spending habits occasionally. It's a great reminder to me and I thank you for your time and efforts. It helps me a lot.
Thank you for this video! I love the idea of simply cutting your meal plan into your meal options versus committing to have this on this day and that on that day. I think that will be incredibly helpful for me.
Thanks for saying this! I often get hung up on having each day planned and assigned. I blame a long history of perfectionism. I'm learning to be fine with good enough.
I appreciate all you do to help us save money. We used to buy dunkin dounts coffee everday.till I looked at my bank account I make it at home everyday.weekend I do buy it .I save 50 a week 200 a month no more
Thank you for some great tips. You hit the nail on the head. Wants and needs are two different things and we get in a rut. Thank you for this video. ❤❤
Great video 👍 Lots of wonderful suggestions to adapt to our families during different times & seasons. It's wonderful to see that a lot of my frugal habits are being suggested, so I know I am on the right track. Thank you!
Great video!!! My son-in-law used to work at your church and he highly recommended your videos. I became a fan and have been watching ever since. Although I don't make any of your meals because I eat low carb, they look absolutely amazing. I really enjoy your pantry meals, because that's how I cook. What do I have to make something. Keep putting out those videos. You are appreciated!!!
I just love your videos! So many great tips...I am single and I definitely do eat leftovers!! I second the vote below for a single person video! Excellent tips single or not!
I am also very bad about using up the salad greens! So I stopped buying them for several months to keep myself in check with letting them go to waste. Just recently I started purchasing them again and guess what still not using them. So just hearing you say that out loud makes me realize I just need to quit buying them. I’m never going to use them up like I should. 😂
I don't plan everyday either. My planning evolves around having lots of well rounded ingredients in the house to make the meals quick and nutritious. Thanks Mindy.
Great tips! I have found that lately I have been watching so many food prep meals on RUclips and I see so many recipes I want to make; therefore I am adding items to my grocery list to make the recipe, then I don’t make that recipe but I see another one and the cycle begins again.
I thoroughly enjoy your content. I agree w/everything you shared! I especially appreciated the comment about balance. I've gone too far at being intentional at points, and it's important to live, as well!! Many thx. Abundant blessings to you and your family... P.S. My favorite RUclips videos of all are your pantry challenges where you walk around and grab open packages of things from the fridge/freezer/pantry. Love it! I've done it here and invariably wind up making something new & delicious just by being creative :-)
Thanks Mindy! You always have a lot of good ideas! Once when our three grandsons and their parents were with us and I had several leftovers that needed to be eaten I reheated everything and put it on the table. We called it a Smorgasbord and the boys loved it! I have also used your plan where I choose a few meals for the week and pick up what I need to make those meals. Then in the morning I can choose what sounds good to me and fix that meal knowing that I don't have to run out and pick up something I need.
Snacking…! That’s a big one! We save the “No thank you” portion of our kids meal and bring it back out when they want a snack. I am aware other people do something different with their kids especially when we babysit others.
We do meals with "roll over ingredients" a lot. Ex. meatball sandwiches to use buns from a previous day, and spaghetti the next day to use up the left over meatballs and sauce.
An idea for not wasting salad greens. I chop them up right after buying them and store them in a tupperware in the fridge so it will be eaten within a week, plus u have greens for tacos or sandwiches at hand.
Great video (as usual)! Hello Fresh is an excellent resource if you are just learning what is “just enough” for two - I was buying as if there were five of us and constantly throwing out extras before using Hello Fresh for a few months. (I also learned how to make meatballs because of them 😂)
I meal plan both ways! I do plan specific meals, like quick or crockpot meals, on days when we get home late & then the other days are loosey goosey just knowing what meals I have ingredients for & what sounds good to us that day.
If I can plan this I plan 3 or 4 ways to add greens to menu at the start of the week and use lettuce at breakfast as a topping occasionally put lettuce on beef or Turkey or cold meat sandwich or add salad of 3 or 4 ounces salad as a side at dinner. Finally add lettuce to top hot soups.
I love the tips! I also agree about the needs and wants. I had to give up my diet sodas. In actuality it took two years. Cuz I just cut back at first, and switched to seltzers. Til I finally just drank ice teas made at home. Now tea is my treat as I usually drink water. The process of getting there was a give and take for awhile. Now I feel so much better! I also had to give up coffee! Now I thought that would be hard, but it want. I drink hot teas, decaffeinated of course. I agree about the salads, it so easy to just open a bag. So many items and things to think on and about. Thank you for sharing.
I just got out of the hospital, this time u was there 3vweeks. I came home a tossed a lot of food this time. I try thanks to you j too make Lo mein, it was wonderful. Thank you again for these ideas
Picking meals for the week rather than the night was a game changer for me. Especially when I remember to take the meat I need for the week our of the freezer on Sunday so it's defrosted by the day I need it! The days I do mark out day are where a crockpot meal would work best. We live pretty rural which equates to days where I'm driving around a lot even though I may not be far from home. If I know I'm going to be getting home on a day that doesn't leave time for making a meal, I make sure I have the crock pot going that day or some kind of simple meal that utilizes frozen food. last night it was using frozen meatballs, a quick swedish meatball sauce, noodles, and frozen peas.
About once a month, I'll freezer-prep some foods, like small casseroles, meatballs, crock pot shredded chicken, or sliced up peppers and onions. I package it all up and store it in the freezer. I find it hard to use those up! (So dumb, I know.) It's like I want to "save" it. For what? I'm the same way with $$. Once it goes in my savings account, I find it hard to take it back out again. I did thaw and serve a delicious sour cream noodle bake last week, so there's some progress. 🤣
Growing up in the 80s in the UK, we didn't have leftovers. The meal was cooked for the family and that was what we ate. The only time there were leftovers was from Christmas Dinner.
I have a small days of the week dry erase board on the side of my fridge and it helps me visualize and put even a small boundary in place for that week so we don’t eat out or waste food.
Salad greens can be hard to use up, I agree. Aldi's has mixed greens that can be cooked down if they start to wilt, instead of eating them fresh. I do that.
I'm also a very loose meal planner. Our schedule is just so hectic that I never know what nights we'll be home. I just pick 3 meals and plan for one night to be leftovers. Whatever nights those happen to fall on is just the way the cookie crumbles lol
When I meal plan I tend to do the same. Not plan specifically for each day but have the ingredients for the week. Sometimes I have unexpected leftovers and eat that meal twice and other times a meal I intended for two days gets mostly eaten up in one! The weekly method allows for that flexibility.
Hi Mindy , when it comes to using up salad ingredients. I plan to make meals like tacos, fajitas burgers....I'm the only one that likes fresh salad. I use the leftover greens for my salad along with 1 or 2 small tacos. The kids love to make nachos with the leftover meat. Works for me. Love your videos ☺️
My husband says he hates sour cream… well it was called for in the dough when I made perogis and some other things.. I never told him and he never noticed 😉
I love your videos. I reinvent all leftovers and small pieces of STUFF. My husband does not even know he is eating leftovers. I also don't mind Cook Once-Eat Twice. There are only 3 of us. All Adults. My dad is 93. I am 68. My hubby is 76. I will say seniors do have to be creative. God is good. We have never done without. We are blessed. We have learned to enjoy Quesadillas made with leftovers. Yummy!.
My mother had to cook for a very large family with a very limited budget . I remember her supper planning was simple …. Monday spaghetti with meat sauce or tacos, Tuesday pork chops, Wednesday meatloaf or hamburgers, Thursday shake and bake chicken or chicken fingers, Friday fish , Saturday a surprise meal and on Sunday always a roast beef or roast chicken or turkey or pork loin. She always had 2 sides that was a well balanced diet and rotated her weeks plans. There was never leftovers because the boys in the family ate them. It was simple and easy and always yummy and we never went hungry .
re: meal plans - the thing that helped me start to cook more is that realization that you don't need to say "monday I make... tuesday I make..." I was stunned when my friend was like "i just decide these are the meals I'm going to make. I make whichever seems like a good idea that day." It just never occurred to me that you could approach meal plans that way.
This is what we do. I have a dry erase board on the fridge that I keep a list of what we have the ingredients for. Then we pick something off the list for supper that night. It’s usually a good mix of recipes, some of crockpot, instant pot, casserole, or even soup & sandwich. And mix of protein (chicken, ground or solid meat, pork & seafood) so we can get variety.
And most of our “waste” goes to our chickens so we luckily have little waste.
Your comments on brand loyalty really hit home. For years, I insisted on using certain brands, but with the way grocery prices have risen, I've had to rethink that. These days, I'm shopping by price, not by brand - and I've found that cheaper brands or store brands or other brands that are on sale are just as good in most cases. I really enjoy your videos and appreciate the info I get from you!
I tell my kiddos this! Good better best! Chipotle is good, those frozen convenience food is better, ingredients cooked and prepped at home is best! NONE of them are bad! But long as we pay attention to it like you say that is truly the key ❤️
I totally agree!
Chipotle is my weakness... but I can make a bowl with one of their tortillas on the side last three meals by adding two tortillas from home to the leftovers. I don't mind eating it three times that week: two lunches and a dinner, or a lunch and two dinners... I'm okay with that.
So my family just does not like leftovers very often. So what I've recently started doing is only making just enough for each family member to have a portion. I only do this for dinner. This has cut WAY down on food waste! It works for my family situation.☺️
What if they want more, my house hold people get upset like if I’m restricting their food. But when I make a lot they don’t eat it. So I tell them to eat a fruit or something.
@@healthyliving9601 I do like you and tell them they are free to make themselves something else if they are still hungry. Everyone in my house is an adult now, so honestly most nights I make enough for just those people who will be eating. No one ever complains that I don't make enough, but if they did I do like you do.
Like many people today we're also on a very tight budget and we can’t afford wasting food so about once a week we have smorgasbord night. I reheat all of our leftovers and serve it family style on the table. At the end of the evening, there are no leftovers of our “leftovers” 😋
We do this the day before garbage day. That way all of the boxes and packages get pitched, too, and the fridge is cleared out for next grocery shop!
I have the opposite problem.... I never have enough spring mix, even if I buy the Costco size clamshell. I have a side salad with nearly every lunch and dinner. Every couple of days I prep my fave salad combo in a salad bowl with a lid, that way it's all set. I use different dressings and crunchy toppings to keep it interesting. I also keep a paper towel in the package and store it upside down so it stays fresh. It helps me eat more veggies, and now I never waste salad greens.
From May to October we eat a salad practicaly everyday. We run out of lettuce very quickly too.
I love leftovers, it means I don't have to cook again yet - Yay!
The people I know who dislike leftovers are not the ones doing the cooking
That's a great point! That's also a reason I like them, too! LOL!
So true!
Right!
Ain't that the truth!
We’ve been working hard to make sure that we eat all of our leftovers. I’ve been realizing that leftovers can go over two nights and save me from cooking when I don’t need to be.
Leftovers are our lunches so I think I’d be super disappointed if my husband didn’t eat leftovers lol. I put the leftovers in meal prep containers and we just pop it on the microwave when we are hungry. I ate leftover meatballs, potatoes, carrots and onions is a yummy red sauce for lunch today. I’m actually following a cook book this year which is 365 days of dinner recipes(and desserts). So I literally do not have to meal plan for the entire year and back in December I made my shopping lists for the entire year! I just make sure to check my pantry/fridge/freezer to make sure I actually need that item for that week. Any meals in the book that I didn’t think my family would like I made eat out/leftover nights, but there really weren’t very many of those! It’s made dinner so much easier for me and all I have to do is remember to thaw out meat. Portions are big enough to get 2-4 lunches.
Many generations did not have a choice about leftovers-they simply could not afford to waste food. I think many people who never had to think about this before are starting to value food more and seek to waste less.
I was not in the habit of eating leftovers as a child. I have learned to eat them though and you are right -- they save so much money -- especially these days when groceries are constantly going up. My son has special needs and only eats a very limited number of foods so we cannot really save on his foods, but my husband can and do save on food for us. Seasonal ingredients, meat sales, eating leftovers, and not letting food go to waste. We have significantly cut down on our food waste and my husband even roudly commented about that the other day. It made me so proud!
I love leftovers. Many things taste better the next day. So happy you are going to do a meatless menu. Being vegetarian I like to try new ideas. Love your channel ❤
Exactly! Especially soups, pasta sauces, chilli 🌶
Great suggestions, Mindy! Fortunately, neither of us minds eating leftovers and my unpicky husband is always open to trying my recycled leftovers. One thing that has helped as groceries have gotten more expensive is to remind myself that we are eating to live, not living to eat and have simplified the meals I prepare. A tip for the salad greens from someone who’s thrown out enough to feed several hundred rabbits is to wash, prep and dry them as soon as you get in from the store. Then place them in an airtight container with a paper towel in the bottom and one atop the greens.
I do that with my greens too, and I found the best container is Rubbermaid brilliance (the 9 cup plastic one). My romaine lettuce lasts around 2 weeks this way!
I can’t relate to people that don’t eat leftovers either. Not being judge mental but it was never an option in my life because- it seems wasteful. And I want to cook as little as possible. 😂 I love your recommendation to try making smaller portions and put in the good word for leftovers if having enough for seconds is an issue.
I hear you!
I think I just love food too much. I eat something and enjoy it. And if I enjoy it, I want it again. I'm often disappointed when leftovers are gone.
Me too! My roommate (sister) does not really like leftovers. So I try to turn it into something else.
After throwing away another halfway used box of greens that had gone bad, we decided to get an in-home garden (it's a farmstand from lettucegrow). We buy the plants out of our grocery budget. And we can slowly use the greens while it stays fresh. We've had it for a year and love it.
I appreciate all of the ideas! I'm really trying to buckle down and not eat out or buy frozen meals since it's just me at home. It's hard to get into that habit after so many years of doing the opposite. If you haven't done it before, how about a video regarding single people making meals and budgeting? I get that most people on here have a family but us singles need some more ideas too! 🙂
I've done a few in the past, I need to revisit that idea!
When I was living alone, I always chose recipes that could be frozen. I would then halve the recipe and freeze leftovers if necessary.
@@squisitissima2810 I was going to suggest this. 1/2 Recipes, but freeze 1/2 of that. Continue to do so until you have a freezer stock for rotation. Then you only have to cook half as often, rotate out your freezer meals the other half of the time... continue to replace what you use from the freezer with half of what you're cooking.
I am single now for 14 years after raising a large family. I also got into the trap of takeout and pre-made food. I used to absolutely despise leftovers. I still haven't learned to cook for one, but do it regularly now and those leftovers are my work lunches and next day or two dinners. Not exactly sure how I was able to switch it around to being grateful for what I already had. I think it was a process during my debt-free journey. It was long, arduous and intentional.
I now don't want to spend money. I've been kinda craving a pizza from a local pizza restaurant, but I ultimately decide I really don't want to spend the money. I will some day soon. I just have available food to cook at home so I'm okay.
I'm a single senior on a very fixed income. I love your channel Mindy and would LOVE a meal plan for us folks too!! Thanks for all of your great suggestions. I know sometimes it's hard reinventing the wheel!!😁 Much love, Joan
I appreciate you pointing out the budget busters. My husband and I went through our budget roughly six months ago and said we're eating out too much it's okay to indulge once in awhile but too much has too much money. We actually downloaded an app called copy me that which stores recipes and I can meal plan on that site as well as make a grocery list. We went so far as to make a list of everything in the refrigerator, freezer and in the pantry so I'm not over buying when I go to the grocery store I always know what I have. I truly appreciate ❤
Ohmigosh!! Mindy!! I thought I was being sooo frugal for years and years!! Every Wednesday night we have ‘wing Wednesday’ with one of those store-prepped large veggie trays. Thru the teenage years, when my girls had braces, they would never eat the carrots or celery. All of the broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers and tomatoes were devoured, leaving me with excess carrots and celery. Yet, every week… I would prep them and leave them in the fridge for snacks, to no avail. After a couple of days, I would invest in a single onion. Chop the onion, remaining carrots and celery and freeze as a mirepioux. OR I would chop them, and use those mixed greens (ya, the ones that we buy to throw away in 10 days) and plate a salad with every dinner. With carrots, I would shred them to freeze, to put in stir fry, coleslaw, ramen or spaghetti/ red sauce. For years my kids told me I was doing the ‘cheap thing’. I have to admit, they sure did come in handy when the girls got sick and I had to make chicken soup !! You got me girl! I feel so validated !! I love your videos! Keep’m comin’!😊
As a grandmother, I raised my daughter on a very strict grocery budget.
Instead of purchasing snack foods for school lunches, I kept a fruit bowl and made homemade treats.
My daughter is quite smart. When she figured out a system of bartering extra treats for prepackaged snacks from her fellow classmates, she still had the junk food treats she wanted……until I busted her. LOL
I also fed two stepchildren on a regular basis.
I discovered some things over the years.
If you buy fruit, wash it or cut it up and place it in the fridge, kids will eat it.
One of my favourite meals was Mexican wraps.
I would cut up all the salad veggies and place all the ingredients and condiments on the table.
The kids would create their own unique wraps and it always surprised me at HOW MANY VEGGIES they will eat when presented that way.
Nothing ever went to waste because they would be incorporated into lunches.
In 2014 and 2015, I travelled to the Midwestern USA twice. Once for Thanksgiving, second for the 4th of July.
Two different seasons and I had to shop and cook for two more children.
While the older girl was somewhat fussy, the toddler was easier to feed, believe it or not.
Whenever I placed a choice of fruit or vegetables in front of them, they kept reaching for seconds and thirds. Mainly the toddler.
I like to think about it as being like a choice in a restaurant.
There are only certain food choices on the list. The meal is set on the table.
If they don’t like something, they can choose to pick it out of their meal or ignore it. BUT, this is what we are eating.
I do NOT give into children’s demands if they don’t like the meal.
I refuse to leave good food on the table and heat up a nutrient-deficient frozen meal with too many chemicals.
Any uneaten food is put away and eaten later.
If the kids come back hungry, I redirect them to the fruit bowl in the fridge.
Interestingly, my Aussie lifestyle and upbringing influenced my cooking styles.
I could not get over how ravenous the American kids were for fresh, healthy foods.
I had a 3 year old getting refills of cooked and raw veggies and fruits.
Fast forward to today.
I have two grandchildren at the moment.
They both prefer home cooked meals over takeaways.
I credit this to my daughter and son-in-law who have both had a positive impact on the kids and their eating patterns.
The one thing I told my daughter when she her first baby is that, when starting on solid food, GIVE THEM WHATEVER YOU ARE EATING.
Whatever the family eats, the baby eats, even if you have to blend the food up.
I am very proud of my family and I am happy knowing I was a positive influence in their lives.
I like to make leftovers into new dishes. Then no one knows they are eating leftovers. Saves money and helps me get creative with food.
So funny you mention that because I"m doing that very thing today! :)
I, too, have adopted the loosely goosey approach to meal planning. There are two of us and having a list of meals to choose from gives my husband some say in what we are eating. I normally * the foods that need to be eaten first. I cross out as we eat, and normally only plan for six per big meals per week. The7th one is LO (Leftover) day. It works well for us!
When my girls were young, they took turns on LO day taking orders from the LO Menu.
Thank you Mindy. You have a very good approach to family meals! Wish I could have watched you videos about 50 years ago.
We are a family of 7 on a single income, so I live by all these tips! I will admit, I recently had to have a stern talk with myself about spring mix. I never get through the whole package before it goes bad🤦🏻♀️
“I recently had to have a stern talk with myself” Too funny 😂 I relate to that very much and also had to give myself a stern talk last week regarding certain greens & veggies
I used to have that problem, I finally started adding a layer of paper towel inside the container and now I get an extra 2 weeks or so out of it :)
I’m with you on the leftovers! I remember Lydia Senn sharing some tips on RUclips and Instagram about how to make leftovers more palatable, like reheating using the stove or oven instead of the microwave 😊
Growing up, my grandmother used to answer every question about dinner with "We're having leftovers."
I've taken up that habit and have adopted her meal planning. She often would start the week with a roasted or slow cooked dinner (like pot roast or chicken). Each following night, she'd open her fridge, pull out the leftover meat and any veggies she wanted, and create a new dinner from her leftovers. I do something similar, although I plan out at least one or two meals from those leftovers. Also, I am trying to buy an extra veg or two, especially versatile ones like squash or peppers, each week to use later in the week for a "thrifty" pantry meal. I know I can always open my pantry or fridge, pick out an ingredient/marinade/sauce that needs to get used up before it expires, and create a meal from that, a protein from the freezer, and that versatile veg. It actually helps me buy fewer ingredients and still manage to make great meals that my family loves. Plus, we often end up having at least one "surprise" dinner out each week: we get invited to a last minute event, we hear about an event we wish to attend, or we wind up at my in-laws' home. In the past, my dinner plan for that night would throw a wrench in my weekly plan and things would go to waste. In the past month or so, I've started planning for just Sunday (Roast), Monday (Meatless), and Tuesday (Takeout homemade). Wednesdays are busy with Jiu Jitsu practice, so we have a leftovers night from whatever we have left so far. By Thursday before, I'd already have my plans thrown off by too many leftovers, dinner with the in laws on Sunday, or other, and I'd scramble to get back on track. Now, however, I'm trying to make a new meal from leftovers and/or do a pantry cleanout meal. Then Fridays are Seafood Days, and Saturdays (which often end up being just my husband and I) used to be wildcards that wound up with wasted ingredients. I started doing Y.O.Y.O. dinners (you're on your own) in the past couple of weeks because we always have leftovers or pantry options that we can figure out for ourselves. Also, we often get invited to parties or dinners on Saturdays, so I've stopped planning on any recipes. As a result of these changes where I plan on 3-4 meals, our weekly budget has dropped by $30-40 per week and I'm so much less stressed each week.
I completely agree with you on all points. We adjust our grocery budget every year because we know that items go up in price. By the way there is a small vacuum jar sealer that I got on amazon that helps me not to waste my salad greens. I just cut up the lettuce, wash and dry it in a salad spinner and seal it in a jar. It will last for a couple of weeks that way. You may also need to pull a paper towel in the bottom of the jar before you put your lettuce.
I struggle getting my family to eat leftovers, but I have a few single "work sons" that are always willing to take them off my hands. They love it and I love being able to feed them while not wasting good food.
I needed this reminder! I recently returned to work and it’s a bit embarrassing to say that our grocery/fast food budget almost immediately bumped up. So, I’m taking Sundays to defrost a few proteins and making a few healthy carbs to have a head start for the week. Giving back to our community during the holidays is BIG on my list. So, I have that in the back of my head when I’m considering making a convenience purchase.
Appreciate the tips, Mindy! Also, I'm excited to hear that you're releasing another meatless meal video! I'm vegan for ethical reasons (mainly for animals, but also for the environment), and though I know the meatless meals may include dairy or eggs, it's nice to get some new ideas and modify them to suit my lifestyle. I watch every one of your videos! Keep it up!
Thanks so much! That video should be out sometime later this week. :)
Yes! I'm excited too!
@@SeeMindyMom I love meatless ideas. Meat really is a budget buster, and is not really necessary for every meal the way it seemed to be drilled into us growing up.
@@SeeMindyMom a
Thank you for the great ideas on reducing waste and using things up ! My husband and I enjoy meatless meals so I am excited to see what you have in store for us ! Thank you Mindy !
AMEN- to the food snobbery! Including looking down on the way other people eat.
I LOVE the spoon drop moment! These are all really good reminders--and something that many families can benefit from. Thank you!
I love your meatless meal videos! We have been vegetarian for 11 years, and I feed all my home daycare kids meatless meals :)
I live on leftovers,planned overs,creative renditions! I tend to remake the main recipe to taste like something else! For example; when i make spaghetti with separate meat sauce,the next meal will become spaghetti pie casserole,if there is still some left,i make crafted sandwiches using little bits of the spaghetti pie with extra cheese in a sandwich crimp machine like hot pockets or sandwich triangles,like grilled cheese created sandwiches. I also make my own mixes that i keep in containers on my counter. I do not have a pantry,i have cupboards so i have canisters on my counter with my homemade mixes in them. I do not buy jiffy mixes because i have my own made up and setting at the ready! We do meatless mondays and either use eggs,or mushrooms or beans! Creativity is the key,in my opinion,to get us all through our food crises!
Thank you for all the great tips, especially 9 and 10. Temperance is a cardinal virtue we definitely have a hard time practicing and even speaking about in the modern world. Thank you for reminding us all of it. God bless you for helping us all!
Another amazing video! I am a big fan of cooking more than I will eat, then putting it into portions and freezing it for use another date. Makes it easier for me to be able to just pull a precooked meal out of the freezer and thaw/heat it up. I cook for just myself though.
This was such a great comprehensive yet quick overview of how we can stop wasting money/food. I always love every one of your videos, but this one is especially terrific, thanks for all your hard work and time spent on this channel!! ❤
I choose the order of my meals by what is the most likely to go bad first!
An obvious one we can sometimes forget about. Great reminder.
Such good tips! I decided to shop at home this week. My freezer is full ( a blessing!) but I need to pause hitting the stores. My meal plan is left overs at least once this week for dinner and everyday for lunch. Even if I just repurpose and make chicken into chicken salad. If my family didn't eat leftovers- they'd starve😄. Obviously this wouldn't count if someone had food problems due to something like being autistic or something like that. I have a meal plan on the fridge for everyone including me- to see and I also have a magnetic white board with all the leftovers that are in the fridge and ideas on how to eat the leftovers- that really helps!
Mindy, we often have salad greens to use up. We throw them into scrabmled eggs or into any veggie we are sauteeing that night.
Those carmelized onion meatloaf sandwiches from Hello Fresh were BOMB!!
i don't do a lot of fresh produce. just potatoes and lettuces and for both of these i plan 2 or 3 meals in a row that i need them for to use them up.
Also, I have discovered by watching your videos if I plan just a little we can have a sweet treat for less than we expect. For example, a cake mix and a few ingredients I have on hand are tasty and beat the price of Hostess cupcakes etc. Hope that makes sense, but you really bring that point home. 1) We do not need dessert everyday. 2) A cake mix or even from scratch cake is far less expensive than I thought and easier to prepare with a little minimal planning and can save money.
Thank you for the wise suggestions. I think most of us need to reevaluate our food spending habits occasionally. It's a great reminder to me and I thank you for your time and efforts. It helps me a lot.
I really enjoy your down to earth, common sense approach!!!
Thank you for this video! I love the idea of simply cutting your meal plan into your meal options versus committing to have this on this day and that on that day. I think that will be incredibly helpful for me.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for saying this! I often get hung up on having each day planned and assigned. I blame a long history of perfectionism. I'm learning to be fine with good enough.
Great tips Mindy, thanks so much!!😊
Mindy and family have a great week have fun thanks from Oklahoma
Great video!! Appreciate all of the tips and will be following them with my family
Mindy, thanks for sharing your great ideas.
Thanks Mindy!
I spent all day yesterday shopping and cooking. Very satisfied with myself! 😃
I appreciate all you do to help us save money. We used to buy dunkin dounts coffee everday.till I looked at my bank account I make it at home everyday.weekend I do buy it .I save 50 a week 200 a month no more
Thank you for some great tips. You hit the nail on the head. Wants and needs are two different things and we get in a rut. Thank you for this video. ❤❤
Love your new glasses. Thanks for the tips about not wasting food.
We dont eat leftovers either but I send those home with my children and grandbaby.
I love what you said about food snobbery. 👏🏼
Great video 👍 Lots of wonderful suggestions to adapt to our families during different times & seasons.
It's wonderful to see that a lot of my frugal habits are being suggested, so I know I am on the right track. Thank you!
Yes, yes, and yes. Terrific words of wisdom!
Great video!!! My son-in-law used to work at your church and he highly recommended your videos. I became a fan and have been watching ever since. Although I don't make any of your meals because I eat low carb, they look absolutely amazing. I really enjoy your pantry meals, because that's how I cook. What do I have to make something. Keep putting out those videos. You are appreciated!!!
Thanks, Karen!
Mindy keeping it real! Love your videos and all of your helpful tips❤
I just love your videos! So many great tips...I am single and I definitely do eat leftovers!! I second the vote below for a single person video! Excellent tips single or not!
I am also very bad about using up the salad greens! So I stopped buying them for several months to keep myself in check with letting them go to waste. Just recently I started purchasing them again and guess what still not using them. So just hearing you say that out loud makes me realize I just need to quit buying them. I’m never going to use them up like I should. 😂
I don't plan everyday either. My planning evolves around having lots of well rounded ingredients in the house to make the meals quick and nutritious. Thanks Mindy.
This video was so relevant and helpful. Thanks Mindy!
I'm so glad! Thanks!
Great tips! I have found that lately I have been watching so many food prep meals on RUclips and I see so many recipes I want to make; therefore I am adding items to my grocery list to make the recipe, then I don’t make that recipe but I see another one and the cycle begins again.
I hate Mac n Cheese. But I buy it because when I'm not around others in my family do like it and it's cheaper then a takeout order.
Love ❤️ your videos 📹 so much helps me through this process of trying to save money. And also how to use my budget and also try to make meal plans
So glad I can be helpful!
My kids grew up knowing that individual snack packed items were when we were out. So if they wanted to snack it took a little more work.
We have that rule in my house, too. Of course, I have to remind them frequently. :)
I thoroughly enjoy your content. I agree w/everything you shared! I especially appreciated the comment about balance. I've gone too far at being intentional at points, and it's important to live, as well!! Many thx. Abundant blessings to you and your family... P.S. My favorite RUclips videos of all are your pantry challenges where you walk around and grab open packages of things from the fridge/freezer/pantry. Love it! I've done it here and invariably wind up making something new & delicious just by being creative :-)
Thanks! I have another one of those coming out next week! :)
Great Video!!!❤
Thanks, Katy!
Fantastic video full of great tips. I'm definitely going to use a few of these.
Thanks, Alma!
@@SeeMindyMom you're welcome.
Good tips! Thanks Mindy Jennifer 🦋😃
A lot of Great value brand has some good products 😄
Hi Mindy Thanks for this video it was so helpful
And useful love all the great suggestions 😊❤️
Thanks so much!
Thanks Mindy! You always have a lot of good ideas! Once when our three grandsons and their parents were with us and I had several leftovers that needed to be eaten I reheated everything and put it on the table. We called it a Smorgasbord and the boys loved it! I have also used your plan where I choose a few meals for the week and pick up what I need to make those meals. Then in the morning I can choose what sounds good to me and fix that meal knowing that I don't have to run out and pick up something I need.
We love leftover buffets in our house, too!
Snacking…! That’s a big one! We save the “No thank you” portion of our kids meal and bring it back out when they want a snack. I am aware other people do something different with their kids especially when we babysit others.
Thanks for your videos thanks ❤️ 😊
I'm trying to become an ingredient household..I do buy some convenience items but really switching my mindset on it
We do meals with "roll over ingredients" a lot. Ex. meatball sandwiches to use buns from a previous day, and spaghetti the next day to use up the left over meatballs and sauce.
An idea for not wasting salad greens. I chop them up right after buying them and store them in a tupperware in the fridge so it will be eaten within a week, plus u have greens for tacos or sandwiches at hand.
I love all your ideas you are one of my favorites thanks for all the hard work you put into your videos they help a lot 👏👍🙂
Thank you so much! I appreciate the encouragement!
Mindy you are so inspiring my cousin and I were talking about exact same thing before I watched your video
Great video (as usual)! Hello Fresh is an excellent resource if you are just learning what is “just enough” for two - I was buying as if there were five of us and constantly throwing out extras before using Hello Fresh for a few months. (I also learned how to make meatballs because of them 😂)
I meal plan both ways! I do plan specific meals, like quick or crockpot meals, on days when we get home late & then the other days are loosey goosey just knowing what meals I have ingredients for & what sounds good to us that day.
A chest freezer is so handy to store left overs to combine later into a tasty dish.
If I can plan this I plan 3 or 4 ways to add greens to menu at the start of the week and use lettuce at breakfast as a topping occasionally put lettuce on beef or Turkey or cold meat sandwich or add salad of 3 or 4 ounces salad as a side at dinner. Finally add lettuce to top hot soups.
I love the tips! I also agree about the needs and wants. I had to give up my diet sodas. In actuality it took two years. Cuz I just cut back at first, and switched to seltzers. Til I finally just drank ice teas made at home. Now tea is my treat as I usually drink water. The process of getting there was a give and take for awhile. Now I feel so much better! I also had to give up coffee! Now I thought that would be hard, but it want. I drink hot teas, decaffeinated of course.
I agree about the salads, it so easy to just open a bag. So many items and things to think on and about. Thank you for sharing.
I just got out of the hospital, this time u was there 3vweeks. I came home a tossed a lot of food this time. I try thanks to you j too make Lo mein, it was wonderful. Thank you again for these ideas
Wishing you a complete recovery, Heidi.
Picking meals for the week rather than the night was a game changer for me. Especially when I remember to take the meat I need for the week our of the freezer on Sunday so it's defrosted by the day I need it! The days I do mark out day are where a crockpot meal would work best. We live pretty rural which equates to days where I'm driving around a lot even though I may not be far from home. If I know I'm going to be getting home on a day that doesn't leave time for making a meal, I make sure I have the crock pot going that day or some kind of simple meal that utilizes frozen food. last night it was using frozen meatballs, a quick swedish meatball sauce, noodles, and frozen peas.
Gert video! I use my leftover salad greens just like spinach and add it to soups and stir fry's that way I am not wasting it. 🥗🥘
About once a month, I'll freezer-prep some foods, like small casseroles, meatballs, crock pot shredded chicken, or sliced up peppers and onions. I package it all up and store it in the freezer. I find it hard to use those up! (So dumb, I know.) It's like I want to "save" it. For what? I'm the same way with $$. Once it goes in my savings account, I find it hard to take it back out again. I did thaw and serve a delicious sour cream noodle bake last week, so there's some progress. 🤣
Growing up in the 80s in the UK, we didn't have leftovers. The meal was cooked for the family and that was what we ate. The only time there were leftovers was from Christmas Dinner.
I have a small days of the week dry erase board on the side of my fridge and it helps me visualize and put even a small boundary in place for that week so we don’t eat out or waste food.
I purposely make enough food to have leftovers to take for lunch!
me, too!
Salad greens can be hard to use up, I agree. Aldi's has mixed greens that can be cooked down if they start to wilt, instead of eating them fresh. I do that.
I'm also a very loose meal planner. Our schedule is just so hectic that I never know what nights we'll be home. I just pick 3 meals and plan for one night to be leftovers. Whatever nights those happen to fall on is just the way the cookie crumbles lol
When I meal plan I tend to do the same. Not plan specifically for each day but have the ingredients for the week. Sometimes I have unexpected leftovers and eat that meal twice and other times a meal I intended for two days gets mostly eaten up in one! The weekly method allows for that flexibility.
Hi Mindy , when it comes to using up salad ingredients. I plan to make meals like tacos, fajitas burgers....I'm the only one that likes fresh salad. I use the leftover greens for my salad along with 1 or 2 small tacos. The kids love to make nachos with the leftover meat. Works for me. Love your videos ☺️
My husband says he hates sour cream… well it was called for in the dough when I made perogis and some other things.. I never told him and he never noticed 😉
We take left overs and make our own frozen meals. That way when we need something fast for lunch or a dinner we grab our homemade frozen dinners.
great video sometimes the truth hurts but needs to be said thank you