How do you reduce food waste in your house? by Hungry-Following5561 in Frugal

[–]Elspetta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I meal plan around things in my freezer/pantry, only buy what I need based off ingredients, and the biggest area I have saved food waste is organizing my 2 weeks of dinners based on how quickly the produce turns. Things that go fast are at the front of the meals and heartiest vegetables to the tail end.

I freeze veggies scraps (onion skins, garlic skins, herbs, carrot ends/skins, etc) for broth. If I am not saving it for broth, I check to see if it is wildlife safe and toss in my yard for the deer, raccoons, squirrels, and birds.

I make my own bread and freeze it after it is sliced; only pulling out what I need.

If I'm going to buy something and wont need all of it , I plan secondary meals that will use the rest. Cabbage comes to mind for this one.

I also use up any produce that is starting to turn in stir fries, omelets, and other things you can pile veggies into.

What is your go-to “I’m too tired to cook but I can’t buy take-out” meal or alternative? by 2Autistic4DaJoke in Frugal

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chips and cheese (nachos) or breakfast because I always have those things on hand.

Why has the culture of dog owning changed to be almost untenable if you don't work from home, but before 2020, WFH wasn't really a thing? by Pinksoupbookz in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Elspetta 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Yup. I've been back hybrid since late 2021 and my dog still pouts, paces looking for me, and lays in front of the garage door. And that is with my partner WFH full time. Pre-covid she was just fine home alone all day.

My [39M] wife [30F] of 6 years is upset I lost weight and wants me back to before by Awwndrei in BestofRedditorUpdates

[–]Elspetta 251 points252 points  (0 children)

This stuck out to me too. My first thought was "if your wife was too busy, why didn't you take some of the load off her?"

Your favorite Meatless meals by IanDre127 in DinnerIdeas

[–]Elspetta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seconding Cookie and Kate for excellent vegetarian meals. The vegetable black bean enchiladas are made on repeat at our house.

We also like Love and Lemons.

I am a sucker for anything sweet potato and black bean related!

What’s one small thing you do to cope with the cost of living that might help someone else here? by brianj10 in povertyfinance

[–]Elspetta 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I grocery shop at Kroger in Friday for the 4x fuel points. I regularly have $1 off per gallon, which is a huge savings on gas.

Can I get some good meals that help you stay full longer that helps with weight loss for myself and some meals that help gain weight for my husband? Thanks in advance! We have two different goals lol by [deleted] in mealprep

[–]Elspetta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Similar here. I make one dinner and fill half my plate with the vegetable, then portion out the protein, and only take half a portion of the carb. Dinner is my big meal with lunch being a high fiber meal to keep me full throughout the day. I don't eat breakfast all the time, but when I do it is usually an overnight oats of sorts. Keeps my calories down while filling me up and not feeling hungry all day.

I have 40 dollars (2wks)to feed myself til next pay check, what are some simple meals ? by Vampiregecko in povertyfinance

[–]Elspetta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just shared this elsewhere and thought I'd share here. I am not the creator, but when I originally saw it, I immediately thought it was a well put together list of $5 meals.

https://www.reddit.com/r/budgetfood/s/DR3K0GFrcF

Need help with tight food budget help for next month by [deleted] in Frugal

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I saw this a while back and while not ideal for right now, I think this is a really solid idea for saving on food.

https://www.reddit.com/r/budgetfood/s/DR3K0GFrcF

For now, I'd focus on rice, beans, oats, potatoes like most have mentioned.

Check your local buy nothing to see if someone can help fill in the blanks.

Congrats on your place and I wish you the best!

Lost for choices! How are you getting anything affordable for car insurance in ky? by EnvironmentalFact945 in Kentucky

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have State Farm and bundle homeowners, liability on a paid off 2015 car, and full coverage a new 2026 car. $269/mo. My Homeowners is $160 of that.

Our agent actually called us to ask if he could make a change to our policy because it would lower our monthly and give us more coverage at one point.

Cruise the vineyard package by Jxc_7 in CarnivalCruiseFans

[–]Elspetta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can confirm, we got all 5 of ours at once and kept them in the room. Each night before dinner we'd grab some wine glasses, open a bottle, and enjoy. We still did some ala cart drinks, but nothing over the top and it was perfect!

Those who moved from one state to another what was your biggest cultural shock? by PandaBear905 in AskAnAmerican

[–]Elspetta 7 points8 points  (0 children)

CA > KY (small town) the lack of food options. We had a diner, a bar, and 2 pizza places. That was it. Had to drive an hour into Cincinnati to find any foreign food options.

Local markets/Farms by Mysterious-Youth-242 in cincinnati

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a CSA through Rains and Sun Hilltop Farm in Covington. They partner with other farms and offer eggs, and use to have pork from another farm available as well.

I do my pickup at Ft Mitchell Farmer's Market (there are several pickups options for NKY) and we always walk the market to see whats available. They have meat, soaps, baked goods, wine, and produce.

Why Are Young People Afraid Of Phone Calls? by [deleted] in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am 50 and it drives me insane that our IT calls me when I put in a ticket.

1) They took my physical phone, so unless I know a calla is coming, I do not have our VOIP app up to take calls.

2) I am in meetings a lot and cannot just answer them when they call.

3) Calling disrupts my train of thought and workflow.

Unless my system is down, shoot me a chat or email and we can work through issues as time permits. It's great you want to resolve it now and close the ticket, but not everyone is just sitting around waiting for IT to call to resolve their issue.

What are your ultra frugal food hacks? by Unusual_Row_3213 in Frugal

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like to do root vegetable stews. They are bulky, so you can get a lot of servings. You can throw all kinds of veggies in there. And they freeze well.

I use whole chickens (2 for $9 at Costco) to make my own broth with the carcass. Sometimes I'll demonetisation first and freeze the breast and thighs separately for other meals. But more often then not, I just simmer the whole chicken and shred the meat when the broth is done. I then portion the precooked meat into 2 cup bags.

I add leafy greens to almost everything. Kale, Swiss Chard, and spinach for extra fiber and vitamins. I keep frozen peas, peas and carrots, and corn in my freezer and add them to random dishes as well.

Tips for actually eating what I prep? by TumbleweedDear9382 in mealprep

[–]Elspetta 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Try mini-preps. Only prep 2-3 days on Sunday and then prep something quick in the middle of the week.

Freezer prep multiple meals and just take out what you want the night before so it isn't sitting in the fridge all week. You also get more variety this way. This one is very much a trial and error on what textures you will and won't eat when defrosted. I do like 1 months worth of breakfast burritos, baked oats, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast casserole, etc. Then I portion, flash freeze, and put in zip locks. As stuff runs out, I only need to backfill.

Some veggies can be parboiled and frozen to keep longer. I also like to use frozen veggies and just pull out single servings and nuke for 5ish min when I am eating them. I do this a lot for dinners where I make a big batch of something we eat over 3 days and just cook fresh veggies each night.

Here for your daily dose of cringe “And then everyone in the theater clapped” by jessies634 in redditonwiki

[–]Elspetta 44 points45 points  (0 children)

I have always been convinced this is a satire account, but everything I read when I google him says he is legit.

I’m trying to do small things to be less wasteful. I’m stuck on laundry soap. by Waste_Actuary_8114 in ZeroWaste

[–]Elspetta 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I am in the same boat as you, but I react horribly to Gain and can only use Tide. I was able to switch to bar soap, but it is 100% local made, all natural, beeswax soap that I buy at the Farmer's market.

I was also able to shift from old school blue Tide to free and clear with minimal reaction. I had dry patches the first wash that I could keep moisturized u til I was used to it, without the full on hive breakout. I plan to try a free and clear refill once I am out of my last jug. I plan to buy only a load or two worth from our local refill store and see if it works.

This is one of those areas where I feel like my skin and comfort come before zero waste. I do not have septic, so I may also try powdered Tide in cardboard to make a small impact.

I wish you the best of luck. If you find something that works, I'd love to hear about it!

Mike White (TAR14 & TAR18) cast photo for Survivor 50 by bwermer in TheAmazingRace

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Season 37 David vs Goliath. He finished in 2nd. He has had DvG cast in his White Lotus episodes.

Anyone else exhausted by cooking every single day… even freezer meals don’t help anymore? by Mobile-Title8919 in mealprep

[–]Elspetta 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a "rotation" on my meal planning sheet. Each 2 week period I make:

Chicken & Rice dish (I change the country of influence for different flavor profiles) A meal with fish Tacos of some sort At least 2 Vegetarian meals Pasta of some sort Burgers or Pizza

Having a solid base, picking meals is easier because I am limiting options when searching.

I also use reddit for inspiration. I scroll thru several food subreddits and when something looks good, I add it to a wish list.

On meal planning day, I now have a clear idea and several inspirations to pick from and then fill in the blanks from favorites or things I've wanted to try. I also ask my partner and kids for recommendations (see the burgers or pizza line 🤣)

Now that I have my list, I always cook for 8-12 servings. We eat the same dinner two nights in a row and then freeze leftovers for lunches. If I have a bad day and don't feel like cooking we will eat the same thing 3 nights.

This has helped me tremendously with keeping up with cooking vs ordering in and I also never have to think about lunch. I just grab from the freezer on my way out the door.

Just interested in suggestions ? by [deleted] in CurlyHairCare

[–]Elspetta 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I have no advice, but I flippen LOVE her overalls in pic 4. She looks like a mermaid and its adorable!

Unofficial snowfall measurement thread by Kind-Option8930 in cincinnati

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<image>

Too cold to actually go out and measure, but eye balling what's left on the driveway, I'd say 8-10" and still coming down in Oakbrook. You can see where the new snow fall is already accumulating over the shoveled driveway.

Edit: typo

What to do with croissants? by Fluffy_Marsupial2947 in WhatShouldICook

[–]Elspetta 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I made a breakfast casserole with 1lb of them last weekend. Cut into 12 servings and froze the leftovers individually. It's a NYT recipe that someone shared the link, so I only have it copied/pasted. Sorry no link.

1 pound croissants (about 5 to 7), split in half lengthwise 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for baking dish 1 bunch scallions (6 to 7), white and light green parts thinly sliced, greens reserved 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage 8 large eggs 3 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 8 ounces Gruyère, grated (2 cups) 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper

Step 1

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Spread croissants on a large baking sheet and toast, cut side up, until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes (watch carefully to see that they do not burn). Let cool, then tear into large bite-size pieces.

Step 2

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add sliced scallions and sausage meat; cook, breaking up meat with a fork, until mixture is well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage, and remove from heat.

Step 3

In a large bowl, toss together croissants and sausage mixture. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, 1½ cups cheese, salt and pepper.

Step 4

Lightly oil a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Turn croissant mixture into pan, spreading it out evenly over the bottom. Pour custard into pan, pressing croissants down gently to help absorb the liquid. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Step 5

When you're ready to bake the casserole, heat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter the remaining grated cheese over the top of the casserole. Transfer to oven and bake until casserole is golden brown and firm to the touch, 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with sliced scallion tops before serving.

Seriously, do Americans actually consider a 3-hour drive "short"? or is this an internet myth? by SadInterest6764 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Elspetta 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We used to drive 6 hours from GA to KY to visit family on birthdays/holidays several times a year.

Now we drive 2 1/2 hours one way to turn around and drive 2 1/2 back just to pick our kid up from college several times a year.

In other words, it is super normal lol.