Glass jars are much better for food storage than plastic containers! We save the jars from peanut butter, salsa, spaghetti sauce, etc., and use them over and over again.
leftovers
Spring Sale Vegetables for Supper…and Breakfast!
The sale items in the produce departments of our local supermarkets for the last few weeks have included kale, Vidalia onions (at half the typical onion price--must be a bumper crop!), mushrooms, and sweet potatoes. We have favorite recipes using all of these ingredients, but I came up with a new one on the spur … Continue reading Spring Sale Vegetables for Supper…and Breakfast!
Things Not To Do: Cooked Fruit Edition
Don't cook cantaloupe. Most other kinds of fruit can be cooked and will still taste good, maybe even better. Cooking is an ideal way to use scraps or fruit that's too old to eat fresh. But not if it's cantaloupe. Cooking makes cantaloupe fragrant in a bad way. It doesn't smell like food anymore. It's … Continue reading Things Not To Do: Cooked Fruit Edition
Costco vs. Gordon Food Service
It's Works-for-Me Wednesday! It's also Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, so you might want to check out last year's suggestions for Lenten fasts that help the environment or my musings on vanity and seeking help. I've been a member of Costco for some time, and the money we save by buying some things … Continue reading Costco vs. Gordon Food Service
Speedy Sushi and menu planning with a six-year-old
The obvious solution was to have Nicholas work with me on the menu plan. A side benefit is that he's more likely to eat meals he planned. I know that it usually works better to get him involved in what I want to do than to try to keep him occupied somehow so I can do it, yet sometimes assumptions like, "Children don't like to do that sort of thing," creep in and talk me out of even trying!
Recycling Christmas Cheer
Christmas is coming, so now is the time to plan your strategy for setting out less post-Christmas garbage than any other family on your block! (We often achieve that goal, and we're in a mostly Jewish neighborhood.) Reusing things not only saves you money and helps the environment but also creates a treasure trove of … Continue reading Recycling Christmas Cheer
Chickicheesinara Sauce
A decade ago, my friend Alison posted some recipes online, and several times since then she'd mentioned her Chickicheesinara Sauce for spaghetti . . . but for some reason, I never got around to trying it until just a few weeks ago! Not only did my whole family like it, but also I noticed something … Continue reading Chickicheesinara Sauce
Storing Cheese and Onions
Cheese and onions are the two foods I've had the most trouble storing in the refrigerator, after opening, without hosting a mold colony. I've tried various tips for safe storage and finally come across methods that work for me. They have one thing in common: glass jars, which are overall my favorite way of storing … Continue reading Storing Cheese and Onions
American Beanwich
We rarely eat meat anymore, and I don't miss it much, but once in a while I miss the particular flavor of a McDonald's cheeseburger. The soyburgers that try to taste like ground beef succeed only (in my opinion) in tasting like my elementary school cafeteria's hamburgers; I prefer the veggie burgers that don't even … Continue reading American Beanwich
Ham Binge!
This is the fifth day in a row I've eaten the same lunch: a salad of lettuce, spinach, cheese, and ham. Wait a minute! HAM?! EnviroBecca is a pescatarian (eats no meat except occasional fish) for environmental and health reasons--ham should not be in her lunchbag, especially not five days in a row! Hang on. I … Continue reading Ham Binge!
Pasta Prima Becca
It's Works-for-Me Wednesday, and as I enjoy the leftovers of a meal made out of leftovers from my church's Easter reception, I have to share this tip! At the end of a party, usually there are some random vegetables lying around on the veggies-and-dip tray. I have seen people throw these into the garbage!!! What … Continue reading Pasta Prima Becca
Take in for take-out!
When we know we'll be eating in a restaurant where we might have leftovers to take home, we bring our own containers. This is better for the environment because they're containers we've already used several times and will use again, instead of new containers provided by the restaurant that might be a single-use type. It's … Continue reading Take in for take-out!
Eat More Kale!
It's Works-for-Me Wednesday! Kale is an affordable, nutritious vegetable that many people know only as the garnish on restaurant plates--and based on my observations while washing dishes in a restaurant, 99% of people receiving a kale garnish don't eat it. I grew up knowing kale as a notorious vegetable used by my maternal grandmother's family, … Continue reading Eat More Kale!
Veggie Burger Lunch, Version 2.0
On February 27, 2002, I wrote in my SoyLent Diary: I had a lunch that I've found is very convenient for work: pack a food-storage container about 3/4 full of leftover rice or pasta and put a frozen veggie burger on top. The burger thaws slowly during the morning, so the whole thing can be … Continue reading Veggie Burger Lunch, Version 2.0
Cabbage Nengkan
This is a story about how I cook. I hope it will provide some insight to people who cook only by following recipes, or who "don't know how to cook," as to how one can go about figuring out what to do with the main ingredient that happens to be available. If not, maybe my chaotic cookery will … Continue reading Cabbage Nengkan
Packing for a Picnic or Potluck: Reusable Gear!
Picnic/barbecue season is here, with mounds of disposable tableware: soggy paper, bendy plastic, skidgy foam, spoons that scratch our mouths and melt in our coffee, forks whose tines snap off, knives that won't cut anything, cups that are too cold or hot to hold without adding a layer of cardboard. Everybody's cup is identical, so we have to write our names on them. What convenience! What convenience? We've started bringing our own dishes, utensils, and napkins when we go to picnics and some potlucks.
What to Do with Half-Eaten Fruit
Anyone who spends time with young children is familiar with this phenomenon: "I want an apple!" [eats four bites] "Let's save it to later. NO, Mama, don't eat it!! I will finish it next time." [next day] "I want a banana! No, not an apple, a banana. NO, Mama, don't eat my apple!! It's for … Continue reading What to Do with Half-Eaten Fruit
Sweet Potato Burritos
I love sweet potatoes; I love burritos; just because I never would have thought of combining the two concepts doesn't mean it's a bad idea! Turns out it's a really good idea! These can be frozen and reheated in a microwave or toaster oven.
Becca’s Broccoli Casserole
We love broccoli but aren't so crazy about the typical broccoli casserole that contains scary "cheese food" and such, so I came up with this recipe. It's a tasty way to turn leftover rice into something completely different, and I bet you could use other cooked grains if that's what you happen to have on hand.
Beans & Rice
This is our basic "Mexican food" recipe. It is very flexible and reheats very well. You can use leftover beans, leftover rice, or any appropriate leftover vegetables you happen to have.
The Earthling's Handbook 