Is Your Fridge a Composter?

My husband recently sent me a link to an article on CNN.com about how our refrigerators are becoming composters. I think it was his way of telling me the fridge needed to be cleaned out. Ok, I’ll take that hint. But really it got me thinking about what I was throwing out. No matter how hard I try to plan my meals I’m still working on that temptation to not to buy the 5 lb. bag of carrots instead of the 2 lb. one. It just seems like a better deal! But when a couple of weeks later my family is tired of all the carrot creations I can come up with I’ll end up throwing the food out and sending it to the compost pile. With the rising cost of groceries these days that can quickly become a pretty expensive compost pile! And if you don’t compost your produce waste, then throwing it into the trash can even me more difficult to stomach!

The point is that with meal planning you’re buying just what you need. Whether its zucchini because it’s on sale this week or a tasty apple because they’re in season, planning your meals to include just the produce you need that week to feed your family can save you money and guilt when it comes time to clean out the fridge! I made a really yummy Apple-Cran Walnut cake last week for a get-together. It was so delicious and I was using apples and cranberries that are just coming in season!

I certainly do not have my practice down pat by any means but I do know that since I plan my meals (and plan a night for leftovers), I’m throwing away a lot less spoiled food than I used to. And be sure to keep track of all those recipes that you can to use up the produce before it goes bad. For me that means I’ve got two or three rotating muffin or bread recipes to use up overripe bananas or pears. Banana muffins, banana bread and pear-walnut muffins are almost staples around here. Make a list of your favorites to whip up in a jiffy and save your produce from the compost pile with a yummy snack or meal that your whole family can enjoy. Your pocketbook will enjoy it too!

Happy cooking!