The Box (2)

 

When I buy a Waste Not box I consider myself honour bound to Waste Nothing!  So, here's what happened to the contents of the box,.

First to disappear was the grapes.  I couldn't be bothered to cook on Saturday evening so I had a cheese and tomato roll and about half the grapes.  I grazed on the rest during Sunday.

I roasted the most of the carrots, having some with my Sunday lunch and saving the rest to eat with salads.  I've saved a couple for making coleslaw during the week.

I also roasted half the peppers (again for eating cold) and saved the rest to have raw with salads or put them into a stir fry.

I had a few tomatoes in the fridge so I sorted through and roasted the softer ones and made a tomato puree which will become soup.  It's in the freezer now.

The apples are in the fruit bowl.

The potatoes have (mostly) been set aside for baking - a baked potato with cheese is one of my favourite evening meals.  I roasted a couple with my Sunday lunch.

Sunday is a PeakSave day so I get half price electricity.  I took full advantage and cooked the peppers, carrots and tomatoes when I cooked my Sunday lunch.  

Peak save

 

My current energy fix ending mid-June) is with British Gas and they offer five hours of half price electricity on Sundays.  Five precious hours!

I save laundry for Sunday, especially if I have to do a more expensive load and even more especially if I have to use my tumble dryer.  I realise that some people may be tut-tutting at the very mention of a tumble dryer but please remember that I am disabled and struggle with some tasks.  I hang things on airers when I can.  A couple of weeks ago I washed my bedspread.  It is quilted and heavy and needs quite a bit of tumbling.  While the bedspread was drying, I did the quarterly clean of the washing machine and monthly clean of the dishwasher.

My trundle truck (mobility scooter) goes on charge as do my iPad and iPhone, vacuum cleaner and electric scrubber.   The rechargeable batteries get a treat as well.  I try to do my freezer inventory during these PeakSave times as the freezer door is open quite a bit when I am doing that.  

I didn't use my oven this week but sometimes I fill it with bread and batch cooked meals.  

British Gas offers PeakSave to encourage domestic consumers to use energy during periods of low demand from industrial and commercial consumers.  I get things ready on Saturday as I don't like rushing around on Sundays but most of these things look after themselves once I have switched them on.  

Small saving

Pasta doesn't take long to cook, but did you know that if you soak it, it will cook even quicker?  Just put dry pasta to soak in water for an hour or two before boiling. It will then only need a couple of minutes of cooking time, because it’s absorbed the water it needs, and only has to heat through.

I find that I can then put it into the pan with the sauce I am making (maybe just chopped tomatoes, pepper and onions) and heat both together.  That way I've saved both time and money.