It really does. There is not much that is more aggravating to me than wasting food. It is a huge waste of money, time, and resources. When M makes something for dinner (or breakfast or lunch for that matter) she makes enough to feed everyone, almost exactly. If not, we have leftovers and they are eaten the next day. It is great, and we almost never throw any food away. Except for in some circumstances, but I’m just not going to get into those since they aren’t really about me or either of my girls. Anyways!
Every now and then it pops up either in the news or on a blog that I read a large number of pounds of food being thrown out despite still being perfectly edible. Why? Because they are ‘day old’ or their ‘serve by’ date has passed, just as one example. Other times, it’s just because someone made too much food and has no concept of eating leftovers. It seems to me, and this is just my opinion and how I see things, that the more affluent people tend to think they are above eating leftovers.
What’s wrong with leftovers? If it was good enough to eat once, it’s good enough to eat again. Especially if it’s homemade.
Am I wrong? Is there something inherently ‘poor’ or ‘desperate’ about eating leftovers? Personally, I think they are the greatest thing when it comes to making my lunch in the mornings.
Oh, wait. Maybe that’s the issue? Affluent people don’t bring lunches? I work in the downtown core of my city, and there are A LOT of people who eat out for lunch everyday. Is that simply because they’re lazy, or they think that it’s a good thing to spend their money on? Sure, I like to eat lunch at a restaurant sometimes. Not everyday. It’s a treat, it’s something to brighten me up on a boring or lousy day. If I’m too lazy to find something in my fridge to eat… well, that doesn’t happen because there’s always something to eat.
Sometimes it’s just a bag of crackers, a few fruit and a container of vegetables. I’ll throw some hummus in there too. It’s just a mish-mash of stuff to eat, but it tastes good and gets me through the day.
At restaurants, I know from personal experience from working in one, there is a lot of food that gets thrown in the garbage. Whether it’s because it goes bad, the ‘quality timer’ expires, someone clumsy drops it, etc. That’s part of the reason I don’t really like to eat out very often. There’s also the fact that you have no real idea where the food comes from in a lot of cases, but that’s a whole separate concept.
If I want to eat something fancy, I just tell M that I have an idea for a dinner/lunch/breakfast/snack and work with her to find a recipe and help her make it. That way, it’s made with ingredients I know I’ll like in realistic quantities. And the leftovers taste delicious, no matter what.
Wasting food just makes me really angry. There’s the fact that there are starving children and adults across the world, including in our own cities, who can’t afford to eat. There’s the fact that the carbon emissions from growing, harvesting and processing that food are just thrown into the trash, literally. There’s also the fact that it is a horrid waste of money.
In a world where everything is about earning more money to buy more crap, you would think that people would be less likely to throw it in the trash. You may as well be throwing your money into the garbage directly for all it’s worth. I just don’t understand why there are so many people who just throw their food into the garbage (or compost, which at least fertilizes the ground, but still) and then wonder why they have no money at the end of the month.
Anyone have any tips, or are you as confused about this as I am?
Guest Post: How to Make Eco-Friendly Pest Repellents
Today we have a special treat to help prepare us all for spring. Insects are pesky creatures, but if you're like me you don't really want to go around squishing them and killing them all day. Insects do serve a purpose on this earth, so repeling them naturally with earth-friendly materials is healthy for both your body and the earth. Here are a few different ways to repels pests using environmentally friendly items, thanks to a guest post from Bailey Harris who typically writes for car insurance, but also cares about the earth and it's health. Take it away, Bailey!
Commercial pest repellants can work very well when it comes to keeping pests away. But if you would rather not spray toxins on your skin or release chemicals into the air, there are more eco-friendly ways of getting rid of pests inside and outside your home. With a few simple and inexpensive ingredients, you can create your own natural pest repellants.
Mosquito Repellants
One inexpensive way to keep mosquitoes away is to put vodka in a spray bottle and spritz your skin with it. If you don’t want to walk around smelling like alcohol--it will leave a slightly stale odor--you can cut the scent by adding a little essence of basil or some other scent you enjoy. The basil will enhance the repellent quality while improving the odor. You can also make a non-alcohol spray solution by steeping three teaspoons of dried feverfew in one cup of hot water. Allow the mixture to cool and spray it on your skin.
Burning a citronella candle also works well if you're outside. The pests will avoid the area as long as the candle continues to burn. Unfortunately, if you’re moving in and out of the area you won’t be protected, and applying citronella directly to the skin won’t keep mosquitoes away for long. You’ll have to reapply often. Some people consider citronella to be toxic. The EPA considers citronella safe, but if you have concerns you may opt for a citronella-free essential oil candle made from soy wax.
Moth Repellants
If moths are your concern, there are eco-friendly alternatives to chemical moth balls. The most common substitute is probably cedar chips. Cedar chests are used to store woolen clothing for a reason--cedar repels moths. Placing your cloths in a cedar chest or sprinkling cedar chips in the closet will keep moths at bay.
Rosemary, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorn, and thyme are herbs that not only add flavor to your meals but can do double duty as a control for pests. They can be combined and placed in a sachet, and then hung in the closet to keep pests away while making the room smell good
Lavender and mint are other eco-friendly ways to enhance the odor of a room while repelling moths. As with the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn, rosemary, and thyme, lavender and mint are attractive odors and can be placed in a bag and hung in your closet to provide protection from moths.
General Pest Repellant
Basil is a natural repellent for bugs. If you sprinkle basil leaves around the bottom of the cupboard or put them in an open container inside the cupboard the scent will keep the pests like ants and roaches away. Basil also works to keep pests from entering a home. Try sprinkling basil leaves around the house and in cracks in the cement or wood. Fresh basil plants can have a similar effect if plants strategically around the house.
Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes on many topics, including car insurance for http://www.carinsurancequotes.net/.
Commercial pest repellants can work very well when it comes to keeping pests away. But if you would rather not spray toxins on your skin or release chemicals into the air, there are more eco-friendly ways of getting rid of pests inside and outside your home. With a few simple and inexpensive ingredients, you can create your own natural pest repellants.
Mosquito Repellants
One inexpensive way to keep mosquitoes away is to put vodka in a spray bottle and spritz your skin with it. If you don’t want to walk around smelling like alcohol--it will leave a slightly stale odor--you can cut the scent by adding a little essence of basil or some other scent you enjoy. The basil will enhance the repellent quality while improving the odor. You can also make a non-alcohol spray solution by steeping three teaspoons of dried feverfew in one cup of hot water. Allow the mixture to cool and spray it on your skin.
Burning a citronella candle also works well if you're outside. The pests will avoid the area as long as the candle continues to burn. Unfortunately, if you’re moving in and out of the area you won’t be protected, and applying citronella directly to the skin won’t keep mosquitoes away for long. You’ll have to reapply often. Some people consider citronella to be toxic. The EPA considers citronella safe, but if you have concerns you may opt for a citronella-free essential oil candle made from soy wax.
Moth Repellants
If moths are your concern, there are eco-friendly alternatives to chemical moth balls. The most common substitute is probably cedar chips. Cedar chests are used to store woolen clothing for a reason--cedar repels moths. Placing your cloths in a cedar chest or sprinkling cedar chips in the closet will keep moths at bay.
Rosemary, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorn, and thyme are herbs that not only add flavor to your meals but can do double duty as a control for pests. They can be combined and placed in a sachet, and then hung in the closet to keep pests away while making the room smell good
Lavender and mint are other eco-friendly ways to enhance the odor of a room while repelling moths. As with the cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn, rosemary, and thyme, lavender and mint are attractive odors and can be placed in a bag and hung in your closet to provide protection from moths.
General Pest Repellant
Basil is a natural repellent for bugs. If you sprinkle basil leaves around the bottom of the cupboard or put them in an open container inside the cupboard the scent will keep the pests like ants and roaches away. Basil also works to keep pests from entering a home. Try sprinkling basil leaves around the house and in cracks in the cement or wood. Fresh basil plants can have a similar effect if plants strategically around the house.
Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes on many topics, including car insurance for http://www.carinsurancequotes.net/.
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