in landfills, it can create methane, a greenhouse gas known to contribute to global warming. Eating leftovers for lunch and storing food properly are some easy ways to reduce food waste. But if you're looking for some creative and easy ways to indulge your family with kitchen leftovers, try these!
Dry your own herbs - whether you buy or grow fresh herbs, it seems like you always have more than what you need before they finally go bad. While leftover herbs can be frozen for later use, our preference is to dry them. It's so simple to do, just clean and dry the herbs, bundle them at the stem and hang them upside down in a warm location until they are thoroughly dried. Store the dried herbs in labeled food storage containers.
Enjoy watching birds with homemade bird suet - use leftover beef fat to make a suet the birds will love, especially when the weather gets cold and food is scarce. We mix the fat with cornmeal, oatmeal, peanut butter and some bird seed to form suet balls which we hang on our trees and feeders. Leftover beef fat can be formed into any decorative shape and frozen for use in the fall and winter.
Entertain with fruit filled ice cubes - if you have leftover strawberries, grapes, cherries or other fruit, add them to ice cubes as a special garnish for beverages. Just fill an ice cube tray with a small amount of water and freeze. Add the fruit and fill the tray with enough water to cover the fruit. Once your fruit is frozen, store in a food storage container or bag until ready to use.
Grow your own garden greens from scraps - did you know that you can easily grow your own green onions, sweet potatoes, garlic and celery from leftovers? Garlic is one of our favorites and is so simple. If you won't use a full bulb of garlic before it goes bad, try planting some of the plump cloves in a sunny location in your garden. The greens from these cloves can be used in recipes and with a few months of good care, you can enjoy fresh garlic from your own garden.
Perk up your plants with eggshells - eggshells are rich in calcium and can be added to your compost bin or garden as a soil booster. They can also be used to deter pests like slugs by spreading crushed eggshells around the base of plants. Our tip? Pulse dried eggshells in your food processor for a few seconds to get finely crushed eggshells.
Add a flavor boost to your favorite foods with leftover cheese - forget the pricey shredded blends from the grocery. If you have a chunk of leftover Jarlsburg or Havarti left over, try shredding it with a grater or food processor then freezing it until needed to add a flavor boost to salads, omelets and other dishes.
Add extra crunch to baked chicken or pork - before tossing those stale potato chips or saltines, consider using them as part of a breading for baked chicken or pork to add texture and crunch to these foods.
Indulge yourself with homemade iced coffee - didn't drink that entire pot of coffee? Don't waste it. Store leftover coffee in a carafe or other suitable container in the refrigerator. When you need a lift, make your iced coffee your way with crushed ice, coffee, milk or even a splash of half and half and vanilla sugar.
DIY natural cleaning solutions that work and smell great - have some leftover lemons you are not sure what to do with? Lemons not only add a fresh scent to cleaning solutions, they contain an acid that cleans and disinfects. Natural cleaning solutions are frequently safer around children and pets, and can often be made at a fraction of the cost of packaged cleaning solutions. Want to learn more and get some recipes? Visit our previous post on the benefits of using DIY natural cleaning solutions.
Make gourmet dog treats for your best friend - who doesn't like to indulge their dog? Leftover fats, meat juices and even a few leftover veggies can be blended to create some tasty morsels. Add bonus? You can cut them in any shape and control portion size. Make them with this easy recipe from a previous post on using food scraps.
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