Day 13 and some

This weekend was incredible. The end to my 13 day nightmarish week felt like a celebration. While my physical body was exhausted on Friday night, mentally I was ready for fun. Here’s some real-time footage of my last day and a recap of my weekend.

I visited 2 cideries in the New Paltz area: Kettleborough and Brooklyn Cider House. Kettleborough exceeded my expectations. I found them by searching “cider houses” on Google and after not recognizing the name I admit, I did not have the highest hopes. How wrong I was. The cider was delicious, to start. Just the qualities I like: tannic, dry and effervescent. Unlike commercialized ciders, that are not bad in my eyes by the way, these ciders display the true transformation in the fermentation process. The flavors are more akin to a white wine than they are to a common cider. And yet the most incredible part of Kettleborough was the scenic view from around the cider house. Suddenly you were perched on top of a hill looking out on the Shawangunk ridge in it’s vibrant autumnal glory. If we weren’t freezing, we could’ve sat there forever. But like I said we were cold, and apple cider donuts beckoned.

The Brooklyn Cider House, while definitely a more well known name, was equally as enjoyable. The cidery’s New Paltz location occupies an orchard, Twin Star Orchard, in addition to a cider house. We chose a bottle of the raw cider which had that farm-y funky flavor that I’ve been really enjoying in farm beers lately. We enjoyed a pizza, a bottle of cider and a walk through the orchard. The full sun made this location a little more bearable in the elements. I stole an apple. No telling.

Really Saturday was wildly special because of my company: I love my boyfriend possibly more than I love myself. He is my best friend, and if you believe in soul-mates he is mine. But Saturday was also special because I took my new-found tasting knowledge out for a spin. I looked past my preferences and prejudices and tried a little of everything, and it yielded new knowledge and a greater variety to choose from in the future. It’s something I’m definitely looking forward to exploring more. I know I can improve on my tasting abilities and descriptions. Maybe a new journal? Who knows.

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Waste Not, waste-free snacking

I tend to graze throughout the day: a little bit of food throughout the day rather than big meals. I love a good snack, but snacks are not always the most waste-free foods on the planet. Packaging is a huge problem when it comes to cookies, chips and candy. Oreos? A delicious packaging nightmare with plastic trays and wrapping. Chips either come in family sized bags that are too large for one person to consume and smaller bag either provoke the mindset of “I can eat the whole thing” (uh, you shouldn’t) or “I can buy a million of these little snack size bags” producing excessive garbage. Watching chips turn stale hurts me, it does. What is a gal to do? May I introduce you to popcorn.

Popcorn? Popcorn! So, I don’t have a microwave. I don’t know how I do it, but I don’t have a microwave. Thankfully I’m a vintage kind of gal, and popping kernels on the stovetop is exactly my jam. One 32oz bag of kernels costs $2.50 at Shop Rite, which is super cheap considering I’ve made popcorn 3 times and have hardly made a dent in the bag! Popcorn kernels allow better portion control so you’re not always popping enough kernels for either a baby or a family of 4. While the bag recommends instructions for 2 servings, it’s easy to find half measurements online and doubling is simple. Plus, one bag means one piece of garbage! Not ideal, but definitely better considering the amount of food per piece of garbage. If popcorn kernels are available in bulk bins opt for that and reduce your waste completely. Additionally, flavor options are endless depending on spices, oils and sweets on hand. I’ve been making popcorn with salt and cracked black pepper. Sometimes I’ll feel fancy and drizzle a little white truffle oil on top. And chocolate on popcorn? Dare I say, yeet.

As far as snacks go, you could definitely be eating worse food. While popcorn isn’t exactly health food, it won’t be necessary to cut back excessively considering it’s corn. And I can’t stress this enough, it is not health food but it’s better than a bag of potato chips or cheetos. While I miss those two things, I’m getting the most for my money with popcorn.

Last, and honestly probably least, the bag is smaller than air-filled chip bags and takes up less space in my tiny kitchen. In fact, sometimes I leave it on the sliver of counter space that I have because I forget to put it up in my cabinet. I mean perks are endless.

Next time you’re at the store and you’re craving something to munch on, try some popcorn. It’s food waste-free and delicious.

Waste Not and what I’ve learned

I’m going on my third full week of this challenge and I think it’s important to reflect on a few things I’ve learned thus far:

1. Eating with little to no food waste is possible with some resources and knowledge of yourself and your own habits. If you know that bulk meal prepping works or does not work for you, then keep it up. I learned that bulk meal prepping really isn’t my jam and if I have an excessive amount of leftovers then those are more at risk to be wasted than perhaps leftovers that could provide two solid meals. I like making enough extra food to provide dinner, lunch and dinner again. That all being said, don’t be afraid of the freezer, but take a peek in there every so often and actually eat the things you have stored. Check once at night before bed and take one thing out to thaw for dinner tomorrow.
2. Shopping for food is okay! I obviously ate perishable items first so as to not throw away any fruits or vegetables, but I could not maintain a healthy diet with only carbs, frozen meat and beans on hand. When shopping for food thing of needs versus wants. Go back to your inventory and see what you ate and what you threw out. Re-purchase what you ate in its entirety and skip anything that became waste on your behalf. When it comes to take-out or eating at a restaurant save the plastic reusable containers and don’t order more than you need. I like to eat take-out max. twice after the initial meal. Don’t get crazy with your order.
3. If fresh vegetables or fruits are either not accessible or are sold in quantities too large for you or your family to consume consider canned or frozen fruits and vegetables as viable substitutes. These options can be cheap, convenient and nutritious alternatives to the pricy produce section. Canned tomatoes, canned beans and either rice or pasta as a full meal can be filling, delicious, waste-free and inexpensive. It’s a shame that people like me can buy and often throw away fresh vegetables while a large population can’t afford them to begin with. Less than 10% of Americans can actually afford to eat a balanced diet, according to this article. Everyone can benefit from canned or frozen options. Lets be smarter shoppers so as to not throw away another person’s meal.

At the start of this new week, my fridge is full of fruits and vegetables courtesy of my mom who stopped by while I worked day 8 of my crazy 13 day work week (vlogs to follow). I have leftovers from her in the fridge, which makes for less waste on her part and easier meals for me.

Sharing leftovers…good concept to work in this blog.

Waste Not 6

It’s that time of year. The weather is wack and everyone is slowly getting sick. It was time for soup. I had all the ingredients for tomato fennel soup in my fridge and I got to work. I used the remainder of the fennel from last week’s meal and used the remainder of my peeled tomatoes from last night’s pasta. Based on last week’s meals, I learned that mass meal planning is not the most effective way to cook for myself. I get tired of the same things after a while so freezing half of my raw ingredients (if I’m working with meat) or saving some unseasoned sauce and vegetables, for example, allows me to repurpose leftovers.

The fennel and tomato soup came together very quickly, and was the first soup I ever made using a blender! It utilized the rest of my fennel, all of my tomatoes, and things I normally have on hand. It’ll taste even better tomorrow with my toasted pita!

I bought some food yesterday, I’ll admit. It’s been a rough couple of days and I couldn’t deny myself the pleasure of happy cherry gummies and a quality bag of pasta. On the bright side, neither of those went to waste! I ate leftover pasta for lunch and have some dry pasta saved. I also ate all the happy cherries while watching Harry Potter last night. I’ll have to go shopping soon. While I consumed most of my food, I officially have no more vegetables and I will succumb to sickness if I don’t eat a vegetable in a few days.

Waste Not 5

There’s a reason it’s called a challenge: this is harder than I anticipated. Since I “cheated” I’ve had two more meals “out” and I sought comfort in a hot coffee and brownie from the museum cafe only just this afternoon. Unfortunately I had to throw away some food due to my inability to eat at home all of this weekend (bye bye, black beans, broccoli rabe and leftover rice). I think I need to start freezing things in a more timely fashion, and meal prep more realistically. How often will I actually want to eat the same roasted pork tenderloin? While you tell yourself “yeah I’ll just heat up the rest later,” how often can you do that with the same meal? Especially when you need a little comfort food? On my next shopping trip I’ll be sure to acquire smaller portions and more variety (two smaller bunches of different veggies instead of one large bunch).

Tonight I indulged in a little waste-free dinner option. Sometimes the dump-and-go dinner reigns supreme despite having leftovers. I had tomatoes, half an avocado and jalapeños that needed to get eaten. I sautéed a small onion in olive oil and scrambled some eggs in the same pan. Today was a double cheese day so I melted in one slice of American and finished it with shredded cheddar. I put the cheesy eggs on top of the vegetable mix and topped the bowl with hot sauce. I can call this the poor woman’s huevos rancheros, or just cheesy eggs for the soul, but one thing is for sure: nothing went to waste. I even have some leftover veggies and more eggs and cheese for either dinner or breakfast tomorrow.

Another problem I’m facing, aside from the leftover problem, comes from my “no shopping” rule. I ran out of fruits and I’m running out of veggies quickly. To not buy fresh produce limits my diet to pasta, canned items and frozen meat—not quite the balanced diet I need to juggle all that I’m attempting. I also run out of certain things like eggs quickly, but I can’t not buy eggs. As someone who doesn’t eat much meat and needs quick protein most days, eggs are essential. Once it gets down to the nitty gritty and I’m left with lasts, I can’t survive on only frozen hot dogs. I’d probably get wildly sick.

So I don’t know. Is shopping for food okay when I have food in my kitchen? Is meal prepping actually effective?

Waste Not 4, what are the rules?

So yesterday I deemed my lunch as “cheating,” but what is cheating if I never laid down any rules? Tonight, one of my best friends reached out to get dinner. And when you haven’t seen your friend in a month, you can only say yes. So I went to dinner, and I’m now stewing over my leftovers in my second wind of this evening’s activities.

So am I supposed to deny social events to avoid wasting food? Is that an extreme? For 22-year-old me, yes that’s an extreme. Food is not just sustenance, but a vehicle for human connection. If you can’t bond with someone over food, maybe he/she is not the right one for you. If you can’t eat whatever you want in front of someone, maybe he/she isn not truly a friend. So I got home, put my Tupperware in the sink and went out to dinner to catch up with a friend over some comfort food after a long week. I don’t feel bad. I boxed up my leftovers in a paper box, and the restaurant was even nice enough to give us free drinks.

I think the ground rule here is to not throw away any edible food. Eat things before they go bad. And don’t buy groceries until you absolutely need more.

For breakfast and lunch I maintained my no-waste goals and finished up the cooked peaches in a big bowl of oatmeal. For lunch I brought some leftovers.

And now for my proudest accomplishment…

This is my bread starter. When I went to sleep last night this jar was filled half way with starter. When I woke up and removed the tea towel from the jar, it was filled to the brim with fermented goodness. Now that I’m trying to waste as little food as possible I’m faced with what to do about the discarded starter. If you, like me, are a sourdough starter novice, you learn things about maintaining a living organism that you made. That’s right, I’m basically Dr. Frankenstein. Anyway, in order to keep your monster under control, you must discard a portion before feeding it. Instead of discarding, you can use the young starter to make other recipes like pancakes and crackers.

Stay tuned for adventures in discarded sourdough. Lets turn the trash into treasure, ladies and gentlemen.

Waste Not 3, I cheated

That’s right. I’m a dirty cheater. I bought a sandwich. No ordinary sandwich. I bought a bobo—a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich with a hashbrown in the middle. Why? Because I didn’t eat lunch, was in the right area to get one and was clouded by lust and desire for carbs, cheese and bacon.

To be fair, I ate the whole thing and recycled the paper wrapper so really I didn’t waste anything; however, the goal for this week was to spend no money on food as long as I had perfectly good food in my house. So I’m sorry. I feel like I can do better. My total spending on food today was $4.83.

On the bright side, I’ve learned that a well stocked spice rack is the best thing to combat the monotony of eating from the same selection every day. This morning I ate some absolutely heavenly oatmeal due to some careful spice usage. Instead of flavoring my oatmeal after its cooked, I flavored the almond milk as it was heating using cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon. I strained the milk before adding the oats and topped off the bowl with peanut butter. It was warm and vaguely chai-like, which was perfect on a chilly morning.

I’ve decided to undertake a simultaneous project as well: bread starter. I bought a big ol’ jar yesterday and my baby has been bubbling away for 12 hours now. Hopefully by tomorrow I see some real action, but for now it’s still young. I can’t wait to make bread from scratch without wasting packages or watching a fresh loaf get stale and moldy before I can eat it all.

For dinner (if I even make it) I plan to use some of my already cooked spaghetti squash and add either leftover tomato sauce or make a quick butter and sage sauce. A key to combatting food waste is also to prepare as much of your fruits/vegetables in one shot. You’re definitely more likely to eat spaghetti squash if it is already cooked. Same goes for kale, swiss chard, melons and so on. The task of preparing each food as you eat it is discouraging, especially when you’re tired. I suggest cooking whatever you have either right after you buy it, or while you’re making something else. This way, its easy to say “oh here’s some already prepared kale, dinner is almost done!”

I’m sorry I cheated, folks. I feel awful and yet still oddly satisfied by the bacon. It won’t happen again.

 

Waste Not 2

I’ve been reading about other chefs and laypeople who decided to go waste free. The Zero Waste Chef did something called the Use-It-Up Challenge, and it really aligned with what I was planning for my week (or however long it takes to eat the food in my house). One particular section caught my eye: the inventory. The chef took inventory of everything in their kitchen, so I did the same. I looked in every cabinet, my refrigerator and the freezer to itemize exactly what I have, and honestly I was shocked.

Here it is. The Inventory as of 9/26:

• A big bag of yellow onions
• 3 bulbs of garlic
• Spices, oils and honey
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 can of white beans
• 1 box of pasta
• Half a bag of whole grain egg noodles
• 3 cans of tomatoes
• Rice
• Oatmeal
• Flour
• Chicken Stock
• Trader Joe’s squash soup
• Peanut Butter
• Espresso
• Frozen Bolognese sauce (thanks, mom)
• Frozen plantains
• Frozen hamburgers
• Frozen hot dogs
• Frozen hot dog buns
• Frozen Italian sausage (sweet and spicy)
• Frozen chicken breast
• A little bit of black beans
• Yogurt
• Half a bulb of fennel
• Sliced cucumber
• Cooked peaches
• Jalepeno peppers
• Tomatoes (from my mom’s garden. Thanks, mom)
• Hummus
• 1 pita
• Shredded Cheddar
• 1 avocado
• Cooked rice (of unknown age)
• 6 eggs
• Fresh sage
• Fresh thyme (both from my mom’s garden. Thanks, mom)
• Grapefruit peel (for my bourbon)
• Lemon
• Orange
• Assortment of hard cheeses
• Half a container of almond milk
• Leftover tomato sauce
• Seltzer
• Cooked spaghetti squash
• Roasted spaghetti squash seeds

This is so much food, and yet my fridge looks sparse. I’m shopping for one person with a fridge the same size as the one 4 girls share in college. I have enough food.

Today was day 1 of this challenge. Here’s what I ate:

• Espresso and yogurt with strawberries and cooked peaches
• Lettuce-less salad of tuna fish, black beans, fennel and cucumber with balsamic and oregano-infused olive oil.
• A teeny bag of potato chips
• 1 pita with hummus
• Pork chops with fennel pesto and roasted fennel stalk and onion

My portions are small since I tend to graze throughout the day. I spent $0 on food and ate everything or saved it for later (like the massive dinner I accidentally put together).

I’m proud that I ate an entire vegetable, root-to-stalk, this week. With the remaining bulb of fennel I have and the other delicious findings from my cabinets and fridge, I think I’m going to tackle Tomato and Fennel Soup, something I’ve seen on many a hipster menu this time of year. Chilly days are ahead of us, and soup seems to be the only remedy.

Firsts

Hey folks and fans. It’s been a minute, but I finally have wifi in my FIRST APARTMENT. That’s right. I moved two weeks ago into a real fixer upper of a one bedroom apartment. I started with low expectations of both myself and the space, but after two weeks of a little bit of work each day it’s coming together. Of course, I couldn’t do it without help from friends and family, specifically my mom, Dave (my mom’s boyfriend) and Nick (my boyfriend). You can see some of my projects, additions and adventures (when I remember to post) on Instagram @picturemarcella.

Along with the FIRST apartment comes my FIRST electrical bills, FIRST internet bills and FIRST furniture purchases, which have all been their own unique version of exciting. That really sums up my FIRST apartment. It’s hard work, and you need to be a bit of a pain in the ass to get things done (ie. get your landlord to fix your sink) BUT it’s all part of the life lessons that come with being in your early 20’s. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, right?

My next FIRST is having my FIRST article published at my current job. I had the opportunity to drink beer on a boat and I wrote all about it here. I work in marketing, but once in a while a fun assignment will pop up with my name all over it (look out for the hard cider pairing chart coming out soon). Food has always been a passion, and I’ve had a knack for writing since I was published in my town’s local newspaper at age 11 (for a sports story, imagine that). I never imagined that I would be so heavily associated with the beer scene in the Hudson Valley, but since my sample article for my job application was about the local hiking & beer scene, it’s been my claim to fame around the office. I’ve got no problems with it.

I absolutely love my job. I come into work every day ready to put my best foot forward and contribute to the local farm, food and beverage scene. It inspires me to read about, write about and experience the food and drink cultures around me. I want to somehow do it all and I’m not sure where to start: wine, beer, meat, cheese, agriculture—there’s so much involved! Since I’ve been plowing through books (currently on Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat—amazing, btw) please let me know if there are any smart reads on any of the above subjects. What are the holy texts of food? Contribute to my list of FIRSTS, give me some tips!

I’ve been on a journey

It’s been a long time. Much has happened. I went to Austria for 10 days, got a job when I returned and have been living in an ether of neither here nor there for almost a month. I went on my second interview two days after I came back from Austria and was offered the position on the next Monday which meant I had one week to figure it out.

It was Friday July 13 when I drove up to spend the weekend with my boyfriend with about 3 weeks of clothes packed in preparation. It was hot out. I drove for about 3 hours to get to my first destination of many to follow. I didn’t know how to pack for what I was about to experience. On the next Monday I drove back, another 2 hours, to spend the next few days with a family I grew very close with. I started my new job on Tuesday.

I dedicate this interlude to how much I love my job. It’s part-time for now (which I don’t love) but it might possibly be the perfect first job for me. I write about food, I talk about food and I think about food. That’s what I do. On some days I’m making phone calls and drafting emails. On other days I’m asking for a cider pairing recommendation. I’m at the epicenter of a farm-to-table movement, and I’m stoked to participate in the facilitation of the movement.

ANYWAY, I had to leave at some point. I’ll admit, I felt like that family accepted me as a part of their family. A tiny addition. I wanted to cry when I left because, honestly, it was my last shred of stability before the uncertainty of the next few weeks settled in. I left to go on another weekend adventure with my boyfriend. We went to Vermont, and truly I needed some peace. For the record, as of this point I only knew I had a second place to stay. So you can imagine that I could’ve laughed into tears at any point during this weekend.

My next stop, a temporary sublet. A friend of a friend offered her student housing for the month she’d be away before school started again. So here I am. In a room full of pictures of smiling friends, none of which are me. My suitcase is still on the floor. When I’m too alone, I feel it in my soul. Sometimes I can’t be rational about my feelings. I’m wearing a mask that says “I have everything under control” when I’m at work. But until just two days ago I had very few things under control. But two days ago I figured out a little more of the puzzle.

Two days ago I got approved for my first apartment. It needs some love I’ll give it that, but it’s my stability for the foreseeable future. I mean I can put my clothes in a closet and lay in a bed with a blanket that covers the entire mattress (and not my twin-size, powerpuff girl fleece blanket).

Now the last thing…that whole “part-time” bit. I’m working on it. I’m interviewing for any and all positions that need me. I’m giving BS answers to why I’m passionate about being a cashier. But simply I need the money. At least until I can finesse my beloved part-time job into a full-time job.

My mom said life is just a bunch of problems you need to figure it out. Or something like that. So I’m figuring it out. I’m discovering new things about myself–about what I love–and I’m excited about it. I’m scared but very, very excited.

The alone time ebbs and flows between empowering and lonely. One night I can feel the haunting silence of an empty four bedroom apartment creeping in around me, and the next day I could thrive in the sunlight making my rounds through the farmer’s market on my own. I haven’t felt this way since my adjustment to Florence over a year and a half ago. And yet, that was the beginning of the best transformation I’ve undergone in my short life. Which is why I’m excited. I know that these feelings of uncertainty and doubt can yield the best moments.