Leftovers and Saving Dollars

In this day and age of recessions and folk trying to save money, I think it’s really important to do your best to save money by not wasting food.  I mean, we spend so much money each year on food, why not make the most of it?  I know for some, it’s really difficult to get through leftovers… by the end of the week… most people are tired of eating that same spaghetti, meatloaf, or grilled chicken breasts.  So what do you do?  You can’t stop cooking (cooking is one of the BEST ways to save money) and you HAVE to eat the food!  Well, here are a couple of tips.

1.  At the beginning of each week, try to make two or three different entrees, so that they can be alternated throughout the week.  You can bring these leftovers for lunch as well and not feel like you are eating the same things over and over again. 

2.  Trade up your side dishes with these entrées.  Sometimes switching your side from a salad to buttered noodles really makes a difference!

3.  Use EVERY part of the food you buy.  For example, when you roast a chicken, once all the meat is eaten, use the chicken carcass to make your own homemade chicken stock.  Save the tough ends of your asparagus, they can be the base for an asparagus soup.  There are TONS of ways to use every part of the food you buy.

AND…. MY FAVORITE TIP…

4. (In my P. Diddy Voice) THIS IS THE REMIX.  There are ways to take your leftovers and turn them into whole other meals.  Let’s say you have leftover steamed veggies and you have no idea what to do with them.  Use them on top of your favorite salad greens to bulk up your salad.  Or take them and add them to a frittata (Spanish omelet).  Do you have leftover grilled chicken?  With a cup of chicken stock and a cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, you can create a quick pulled chicken to be put in between your favorite Kaiser roll.  Leftover meatloaf?  Chop it up, add some tomato paste and a bit of water, and you have a sauce to go over spaghetti.  And let’s not forget, the sandwich.  Most entrees can be turned into a sandwich.

I write this to say, be creative with your food.  These are some great techniques that you can use to save money and to get through your leftovers!  Be on the lookout for my recipes for remixes!

Onward and upward,

-Vince