Ever wonder what to do with a leftover bowl of chewy steel cut oatmeal? As I stared into the abyss that is my refrigerator on this 40 degree and windy morning, I reflected on what I had seen at a home over the holidays. A party with way too much food, far too many sweets and a two-hour lag between when people were told to arrive and the actual serving of dinner.
All of the starters were nibbled at and what was left remained on the table while guests consumed the main courses. We had a choice of two meats, corn casserole, canned sugared sweet potatoes, mixed roasted vegetables, macaroni and cheese and a green salad, most of which were stashed with the previous two days leftovers once dinner was over. The leftover starters were thrown away, wasting easily two days' worth of food. I've wondered since how many of those leftovers that were kept actually got eaten.
I've trimmed my grocery budget by forty percent shopping at Aldi and going to the local fruit and veg stand rather than any of the large supermarket chains in my area. Additionally, I've been working to refine food shopping and menu planning in an effort to curb potential waste and overconsumption.
This will be the year that delivered food becomes a thing of the past. As for leftovers, when I cook, there are almost always remains, which are eaten the next day if they cannot be frozen or made into another recipe. I'm having the remaining Hoppin' John and greens with a salad tonight. That oatmeal I mentioned? Festooned with blueberries and banana coins and enjoyed as a late breakfast.
The sad fact is, we live in the most destructive, over consuming and self-serving society on the planet and for every developing country that seeks to copy our economic model, I cringe in despair at the inevitable overconsumption, waste and pollution which follows.
As a single woman on the outer edges of midlife, my coming elder years will hold many challenges, some of which are being crafted by the minions from Hell as I write. Having spent much of the previous year calling and e-mailing my representatives in our not-so-duly elected government, not to mention signing petitions out the ying-yang, the most control that any of us have rests in our personal lives, our everyday habits and the ability to manage time, money, food and other assets with some degree of conscious thought.
Some of you may believe that this is about finances. Alas, that is but a fraction of the overall picture here. At its essence, this is about what one woman can do to shed a consumerist mindset, re-focus her time and energy and work out how to get out and where to spend time.
As for gratitude, that is a daily and evolving practice. I have the privilege of a roof and four walls to call my own, friends, the ability to read and think, thanks to my education and travels and the willingness to keep going. All of that means I owe a debt of thanks to a lot of people, many of whom are now gone.
That alone is enough to give me pause...
9 comments:
This is a great post put most eloquently.
We very rarely have any left overs and if we do the fox gets them. I lived in a household that ate every scrap when I was young, we had to eat everything before we could get down from the table. That has stayed with me.
Briony
x
I think it's a very responsible way to live. Our society wastes way too much and we consume more than necessary. I cook in a way where nothing is ever wasted. I freeze meals for other days or I make new dishes with the leftovers, particularly soups. Come spring we will plan our garden to include composting, so that even the smallest scraps can be put to good use.
I hear you. On this side of the world I am trying to adjust in similar ways. Less waste is a key. Less waste of money is part of it, but less waste of precious resources is key.
As is gratitude. I have a more than ample sufficiency, and need to remember that - and to share when and where I can.
Thank you for this post. As crafty cat corner said 'a great post put most eloquently'.
Beautiful post. I'm trying not to worry too much about what the minions from Hell have in store for us - here's hoping for a better year all around.
"the most control that any of us have rests in our personal lives, our everyday habits and the ability to manage time, money, food and other assets with some degree of conscious thought."
That's so true. We can try to influence others, but at the end of the day, we control no one except ourselves. But many small parts can add up to a big difference. That's what I try to tell myself, anyway.
Bravo, E. I could not agree more. I've successfully kept Dave away from the grocery store for several days now, convincing him to make a meal out of leftovers instead. It was crazy how much food we had left over after the holidays, and we've eaten pretty much all of it. The waste in our Western societies is truly staggering, and for so many people it's such a way of life they don't even recognize how appalling it all is.
"the most control that any of us have rests in our personal lives, our everyday habits and the ability to manage time, money, food and other assets with some degree of conscious thought."
this is the wisest thing I've read this week. thank you for that thought, and so many others in this reflective post.
Sounds like you and I are on the same page.
Very true. I also find - don't you?- that leftovers can be transformed into really good meals, better than anything you'll find ready made. I get really appalled by food waste. I just saw Ai Wei Wei's film on refugees, and the sheer scale of the problem that it revealed made me really think how lucky we are to have somewhere warm and dry and enough to eat. I hope 2018 is good to you.
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