Anyone else discover far more efficient ways to live life since this pause?

[LuvOrlando]

Love the ideas! I think I have about 100 cloth napkins I've collected with holiday tablecloth sets and I'm sure they can stand a few rounds before they show any age at all, perfect!

Came back to say I will try the bacon in oven for BLT, I can't stand the splatter mess - although I collect as much fat as possible in a ziplock in the freezer to season some things like split pea soup. I also collect chicken fat and beef to either add to soup flavor or saute veggies for fried rice or to brown meat for stew.

I am also in the zero food waste department, I grew up poor too so I've always been careful but this is a whole new level for my family, who are of the class that grew up with the luxury of what I call specialty bread - I did not have buns, I put a hotdog on reg bread diagonally & did just fine. Anyway, the only waste these days is when the spinach or salad turns too fast - if I catch it I will saute and refrigerate for either a side dish or adding to am omelette. Left over everything goes into a chicken, lentil or barley soup or omelette. Weird alarming issues that lead to waste, so far 2 times I noticed food having been tampered with, one was a ricotta which was sliced open & the other was a salsa that didn't pop last night so they both got tossed :/ no chances here. These days opening and washing under lids on dips and sour cream is the new routine. I did discover, also during taco night last night, that if you freeze sour cream it gets watery and gross so now I need to find something to do with the sour cream I ruined because I refuse to toss it if the consistency is the only problem

Grocery delivery is every three weeks, I start my list the day it comes and preen every few days. It gets pricey all at once but I can control what is coming into the house much better and keep interesting meals flowing. I actually think I spend less overall, even with prices climbing, because I don't forget what I have or do impulse buys.

 

[punkin]

Love the ideas! I think I have about 100 cloth napkins I've collected with holiday tablecloth sets and I'm sure they can stand a few rounds before they show any age at all, perfect!

I am also in the zero food waste department, I grew up poor too so I've always been careful but this is a whole new level for my family, who are of the class that grew up with the luxury of what I call specialty bread - I did not have buns, I put a hotdog on reg bread diagonally & did just fine. Anyway, the only waste these days is when the spinach or salad turns too fast - if I catch it I will saute and refrigerate for either a side dish or adding to am omelette. Left over everything goes into a chicken, lentil or barley soup or omelette. Weird alarming issues that lead to waste, so far 2 times I noticed food having been tampered with, one was a ricotta which was sliced open & the other was a salsa that didn't pop last night so they both got tossed :/ no chances here. These days opening and washing under lids on dips and sour cream is the new routine. I did discover, also during taco night last night, that if you freeze sour cream it gets watery and gross so now I need to find something to do with the sour cream I ruined because I refuse to toss it if the consistency is the only problem

Grocery delivery is every three weeks, I start my list the day it comes and preen every few days. It gets pricey all at once but I can control what is coming into the house much better and keep interesting meals flowing. I actually think I spend less overall, even with prices climbing, because I don't forget what I have or do impulse buys.

Banana bread for the watery sour cream.

 

[RamblingMad]

I have found I’m more productive working from home when I work in 15 minute bursts with breaks in between.

 

[Heather07438]

zero food waste

This is something I've always been battling but trying even harder now. I bought a 6pk of 24oz glass food storage containers last year and love them. Ideal for freezing leftovers/extra, stack nicely, seal great to maintain quality. They've improved my motivation and ability to reduce waste. I hated using the freezer for prepared foods because they'd either lose their flavor or get lost or unidentifiable. $25 on a good set pay for themselves pretty quick. I constantly use them, every day some are going thru the dishwasher.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Hmmm, I always thought freezing glass is bad because it shatters, maybe this isn't true & come to think of it I am not entirely sure where it got into my head. I vaguely remember a push away from glass in the 80's and it just kept going from there, seems we all lived to regret that hunk of nonsense.

BTW, IF I could get milk delivered in glass through a container exchange I would totally do that, I am ok with glass & hate that I am stuck with plastic especially now that we discovered germs cling to the stuff. I would love a milk container next to the door like my grandma had

 

[pryncess527]

Line your sheet pan with nonstick foil before baking your bacon in the oven. When done, let the pan sit until the grease has hardened, then throw away the foil.

This is how i cook bacon, but i find the actual bacon needs some grease remived

 

[Heather07438]

Hmmm, I always thought freezing glass is bad because it shatters, maybe this isn't true & come to think of it I am not entirely sure where it got into my head. I vaguely remember a push away from glass in the 80's and it just kept going from there, seems we all lived to regret that hunk of nonsense.

BTW, IF I could get milk delivered in glass through a container exchange I would totally do that, I am ok with glass & hate that I am stuck with plastic especially now that we discovered germs cling to the stuff. I would love a milk container next to the door like my grandma had

Tupperware branding may have something to do with that, lol. I still have my white Tupperware colander from... yikes! 25ya.
It's white and still looks brand new thru 1000s of uses. But Tupperware never impressed me in the freezer.

Glass depends on quality too, the design (to prevent weak points that could chip) as well as tensile strength. Avoiding drastic temperature changes is important.

 

[Hiitsme]

Same here! I pretty much only use paper towels to soak up grease from french fries or bacon. My kitchen towels do all the cleaning

If you have paper bags that aren't like gross or contaminated you can use them to soak up the grease from foods. When washing the cleaning cloths, don't forget to add bleach to the washing machine.

 

[pryncess527]

I bought this set of glass storage containers years ago - tge lids can be a bit hard to snap, but they are totally leak-proof, & safe for the freezer and oven

GlassLock 11434 18 Piece Oven Safe Assortment Set, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BVJWCN6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5DYQEb7Z3KBAD

 

[Heather07438]

I bought this set of glass storage containers years ago - tge lids can be a bit hard to snap, but they are totally leak-proof, & safe for the freezer and oven

GlassLock 11434 18 Piece Oven Safe Assortment Set, Blue https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BVJWCN6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5DYQEb7Z3KBAD

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y31WGWRMine are like these Right now they come 30 or 36oz.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Freeze the lemon juice in an ice cube tray, then use the cubes in lemonade or iced tea.

I used cloth diapers as burp cloths when I had babies--for Kid #2, I would literally have to do a load of laundry because I went through so many burp cloths! Nowadays, I still have a few sad, tattered cloth diapers that we use as cleaning rags (and Kid #2 is 23). I'm not much of one for paper towels either, except for draining grease--I either use cleaning rags or dish towels (if it's something less disgusting, like a water spill). We've got 5 people living here, I do plenty of laundry anyway. Luckily, my kids have caught on to using cloth versus paper towels.

I've also been getting into the mindset of using what I have--it's not so easy to just run out to the store if I need something.

 

[loves to dive]

I suggest that you make lemon shortbread cookies with a lemon glaze with the leftover lemon juice (and zest if you have any). You can thank me later!

My pants may not though.

 

[NYCgrrl]

If I didnt fry french fries at home or make bacon, i think i could too. I just havent found any good alternatives for grease! (Looking for suggestions if anyone has found a solution that doesnt just eliminate greasy food from my diet ) But it takes me forever to go through a roll.

Brown paper bags do a great job of absorbing the grease of fried foods. Also good for flour coating chicken and such. Put the seasonings and flour in the bag then the item you want to fry and shake. You'll have evenly coated product and cleaner surfaces.

 

[bearzabout]

Wide mouth pint size canning jars are safe to freeze. We have some milk frozen in a few so we can make mac and cheese. We use canning jars for leftover storage in our fridge. They are safe and the wide mouth lid fits both pint and quart sizes.

We learned how to can during the last turn down and really enjoy the hobby.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Anyone else discover far more efficient ways to live life since this pause?

I discovered that I don't need paper towels, like at all. Early on I invested in a few batches of cheap washcloths because they are washable and this is not only sanitary and renewable, because I can wash them, but I am helping the environment and landfills. Also the plastic bags I was using to collect the used washcloths made me nervous because they are plastic so I switched to pillowcases. Now I have nothing single use in the process, I simply move around my house every evening putting out stacks of washcloths in the bathroom and kitchen and wash the whole thing with laundry every other day.

Another old toweling for cleaning rags user here. To pre-wash them I soak in a mild bleach, detergent and water solution in a plastic container then rinse them out (don't want the bleach touching other clothing) before adding them to the regular wash.

I clean the house with a limited amount of proprietary products. Generally, white vinegar, bleach, ammonia (do NOT mix bleach + ammonia as it makes a deadly gas) and liquid dishwashing soap (Dawn for instance) will do most everything in the house including glass. I use a rubber edged glass cleaner to cut down of paper towel usage. Once every 2 or 3 months I rub the wood furniture with a melted beeswax candle for the smell and sheen it gives. It's more work than an areosol can of Pledge but then I'm spending less time in the gym working on my forearms. I like the smell of Murphy's so use that about once a month for hard wood surfaces.

In another direction, I food shop using circulars to get the best prices on sale items and to develop a food menu for a week or longer. There are food recipe websites that allow you to find ways to cook just by the ingredients like Yummly. Use that with the sale purchases to help you make a menu.

I despise throwing food away and consider it one of the worst of the deadly sins so if I need a cup of chicken broth for a meal and find myself with 3 cups left then I'll use the remainder as the base for a soup or stew. I also make a weekly menu for 5 days and use the leftovers for the other 1 to 2 days. Leftovers can show up as panfried patties (think fishcakes as an example), soups stews, fried rice, etc. Believe it or not, undressed salad greens are a great last minute addition to soups; learned that from the ex's French great aunt. Want to cut down on expensive meat usage? Eat at least one meatless entree a week. Healthy and less expensive.


Stop buying 4-5 dollar bottles of condiments as many are easy to make with ingredients you probably have on hand. Tartar sauce - mayo and leftover sour cream and a chopped pickle; the average home has the wherewithal to make most any salad dressing on hand. Make a citrus flavored sugar syrup for ice tea using the peel or zest. Just goggle a recipe and you'll find a substitute with ease. Remember when a specific ingredient is missing for a recipe that there are many substitutes available again by using your favorite search engine. Earlier this week I found I was almost finished my powdered buttermilk so added a TB of vinegar to a scant cup of milk and had the same product with all it's meat tenderizing tendencies and tangy taste at a much lower cost.

So many possiblities to save money on budget websites w/o giving up on quality.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Mason jars are freezable too, what the? And they are so cute esp the little ones.

So many good ideas and I had no idea that I could make my own buttermilk with vinegar, when i think of all the times I ran out and spent $4 on a small container for one recipe, yikes. I do think Tyler Florences smothered pork chops uses that and now I have something to add to the menu so yay

 

[punkin]

Mason jars are freezable too, what the? And they are so cute esp the little ones.

So many good ideas and I had no idea that I could make my own buttermilk with vinegar, when i think of all the times I ran out and spent $4 on a small container for one recipe, yikes. I do think Tyler Florences smothered pork chops uses that and now I have something to add to the menu so yay

Btw, that liquid sour cream can sub for buttermilk in any recipe (more calories though).

 

[Heather07438]

Eat at least one meatless entree a week. Healthy and less expensive.

My meatless meal staple is broccoli and macaroni. Usually with garlic & onion but with dried minced garlic in a pinch. And the guys love a ton of broccoli in that. Always in the cupboard/freezer and a quick meal.

You're so right about the condiments! Salad dressing keeps getting more synthetic and expensive. After making it a few times it gets easy to balance different ingredients. Recently I was forced to make homemade Manwich (sloppy joe). The only extra step was cutting up a bit of peppers and onions. Made it from Chef John's recipe. Better taste. Bye bye canned Now I'm wondering how to make my own chop meat without a grinder. At $6/lb for either ground beef or steak, I'd rather buy the steak and chop it myself. I'm tempted to throw a steak in the Ninja blender, lol.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

If you have paper bags that aren't like gross or contaminated you can use them to soak up the grease from foods. When washing the cleaning cloths, don't forget to add bleach to the washing machine.

My husband does this when he fries. Sometimes the baggers at our grocery store put a paper bag inside the plastic one for heavy bags like cans. We save those and cover with a paper towel or 2 for bacon, pork roll or chicken cutlets.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Looks like we all love Amazon for this stuff.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D4NY2JR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1We have 2 sets of these. They are the perfect size for packing leftovers to take to work. We have a round Pyrex set with plastic lids that don't have the flaps and the lids have all cracked at the edge except the smallest one.