Waste not, Want not

 That's what my Grandma used to say, right?  My kids have always made fun of me because I reuse and recycle as much as possible.  I hate to waste food.  Of course we have chickens and goats, so there is not that goes to waste here.  But I do have a couple of strategies that I use on a regular basis.

One of my faves is Clean Out the Fridge Veggie Soup.  I hardly ever buy anything additional for this soup.  I just pull from the refrigerator, freezer and pantry.  When I have fresh veggies, either from the garden or a veggie tray, and there are too few to serve as a side, I just throw them in a zipper bag and stick in the freezer.  I just add to it as I go.  Nothing cooked, just fresh.  If I have celery or onions, or whatever that I know are no longer as fresh as they should be, I chop them up and add them to the bag.  

Today I pulled that mixed bag, some frozen carrots and green beans from last season, a can of corn, some small potatoes from the garden, and some cabbage that I had sliced and frozen.  I just dumped it all into the Crock Pot and added some crushed tomatoes, a half jar of tomato juice that was in the fridge and a container of chicken broth.  I always keep chicken or veggie broth on hand, since I scoop them up when they are on sale.  Add some seasonings and let it cook!  I will be smelling this all day long!  I will serve with some warm bread and honey butter.  Yum!  I am getting hungry just thinking about it!

Do you save food that might otherwise be thrown away?  I save stale bread or the heels in a zipper bag and put them in stuffing.  I save tortilla chips that are smashed for Taco casserole.  Overripe bananas get popped in the freezer, peeling and all.  When I want banana bread, I simply thaw and squeeze out the banana pulp.

Of course, not everything can be saved.  Food that is moldy or starting to show signs of rot finds its way to the coop.  Just think of the money you can save using veggies that you normally throw away.

Not long ago, I went to my favorite grocery store that marks down produce when it nears expiration.  You really have to be cautious and have a plan in mind if you purchase some of the items.  For example, I found a huge bag of carrots for $.99!  They were not moldy or soft but were nearing their expiration date.  I got them home, cleaned and sliced them, blanched them,, and used my food sealer to make individual packages and popped them in the freezer.  Since I didn't grow any carrots this year, it will give me variety without it costing me much money.

What are your money saving tricks?