Food for Thought : Food Waste

Do you feel like you are always cleaning out the refrigerator? You’re not alone: Approximately 40 percent of the food in the U.S. goes uneaten. Here are a few tips to help you reduce your food waste:

1 . Check the freezer and refrigerator to make sure they are at the proper temperatures.

2 . Keep dairy products on the shelf. Even if your refrigerator has built-in space for these, frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator door can cause these foods to spoil more quickly. Store meats in the coolest part of the fridge, which is usually the meat drawer on the bottom shelf.

3 . Keep certain fruits and vegetables separate. Apples, peaches and bananas release ethylene gas as they ripen. Carrots, berries and leafy greens absorb this gas, causing them to ripen quickly and spoil.

Words of Wisdom
"When you consistently maintain a positive frame of mind, you'll become known as a problem-solver rather than a complainer. People avoid complainers. They seek out problem-solvers."

"May laughter fill your home, relieve your stress, and strengthen your friendships. Do not let a day go buy without laughing; it is good for your health."

"Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing."

"Laugh often friends tho' passing years bring, sometimes, smiles and, sometimes, tears, for mirth forever warms and cheers. Laugh often!

"To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity."

"The difference between an optimist and a pessimist? An optimist laughs to forget, but a pessimist forgets to laugh."

"If it were possible to bottle laughter and sell it as medicine, it would be too expensive for any of us to afford. Thank goodness it's free."

"True humor is fun - it does not put down, kid, or mock. It makes people feel wonderful, not separate, different, and cut off. True humor has beneath it the understanding that we are all in this together."

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else’s hands, but not you."

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us."

A proud Grandpoppa G.