motd Monday Feb 20, 2012

[Guest guest]

DON'T TOSS IT!

Monday, 20 February 2012

I wonder how much food we Americans waste

every year? Oh, you know what it's like. Just how

much food have you scraped from

your family's dinner plates into the garbage disposal,

huh? It really is a shame. I mean, you know how big

a problem hunger is in this world and, in fact, in

this country or ours, too.

And not only are we wasting needed food but, when we

do, we're wasting money,

too. But there are ways to stop wasting so much food

and save yourself a little money at the same time.

For instance...

Got some bread left in the

kitchen that's not being eaten? Don't toss

it.

Got some bread left in the kitchen that's not being

eaten? Don't

toss it. Bread crumbs are a wonderful addition

to any salad. But if you buy them in the supermarket,

they can be very expensive. Don't wait for the bread

to go completely stale because it'll make your bread

crumbs have a stale taste. Place your bread pieces on

an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for

10-15 minutes. Before baking, you can also sprinkle

them with some of your favorite herbs to get the

desired taste you want. After they're done baking,

crush them into crumbs by hand or you can coarsely

grind them in a food processor. You've now got

homemade bread crumbs, fresher than store bought and a

lot less costly, too.

Baked or broiled a chicken? Oh, look at all of that

savory broth left in your pot. Don't toss

it! After

the broth cools, pour it into some ice cube trays and

freeze it. Then, next time you're making soup, toss a

few of those chicken broth cubes into the pot, adding

some outta-this-world chicken flavor. You're saving

on buying cans of chicken broth at the market, too.

And oh yeah, you can do the same thing with beef or

even vegetables you've broiled. Save the

broth!

Lots of recipes call

for only the juice of one lemon and you're left with

the yellow peel. Don't

toss it!

Lots of recipes call for only the juice of one lemon

and you're left with the yellow peel. Don't toss

it! Chop

the lemon peel up and use it in marinades. Or dry

them out for a few days and add pieces of peel to your

glass of iced tea or even sparking water for some

lemony zest.

Do you ever buy whole ungrated parmesan or romano

cheese and you're left with the rind? Don't toss

it! Save the rind and add it to any

slow-cooked dish like lentil soup, white beans or

risotto. The rind will add the cheese's rich, nutty

flavor to your dish without adding the calories.

So there're a few ways to save a little money in the

kitchen. Hey, maybe you have some ideas of your own.

I'd like to hear them. Send your own money saving

kitchen ideas to me here at richardsimmons.com. And

remember, don't

toss it, save

it, use it and...save yourself a little money

while you're at it!

Love,