Food Waste Friday - Living On The Edge

I don't have any food waste to report this week, but I am quaking in fear (okay, mild exaggeration) about a couple of items. After my success with my first Italian loaf last weekend (gobbled up by family at my sister's birthday dinner) I decided to make focaccia bread. Although delicious, the recipe also turned out huge. We have been ever so slowly eating a slice here and a slice there, and I'm a little afraid it's going to end up moldy before we finish it.

Which would break my heart.

I'm also mildly nervous about my sprouts. But first, let me tell you how awesome they are. Every night, I pull a chunk of sprouts out of the mason jar and put them on my husband's lunch sandwich. I add a little water, swish it around, and pour the excess out to keep things moist, and the next morning the mason jar is full again. It's the coolest thing!

The other cool thing is that they are a million times greener than the kind you buy at the store. Since they're just sitting in my window, they get to soak up a lot more sun than the sprouts that are quickly loaded into the back of a truck and then left to languish anemically at the grocery store.

But, this never ending source of sprouts has me wondering if they're going to go bad at any point. I know technically they're growing and should be fine, but the ones at the bottom of the jar are packed in there so tightly that the little leaves are trapping water against the glass, even after I turn the jar upside down. Hopefully they are getting just enough moisture, and not too much.

This is my first experience growing sprouts at home (besides watching my mom do it as a kid) so I guess if they do go bad, it is just part of the learning curve. I've already gotten a week's worth of lunches out of this one jar, so I'll count it as a success either way. Next, I'm going to get some basil seeds started indoors.

Last Of The Groceries

Here's to hoping yesterday's shopping trip was the last of the month.

Safeway
3 1/4 oz Yeast - $2.75
Organic Milk - $5.19
Carrots - $1.89
1 lb Canadian Maple Ham Lunch Meat - $5.65
Total: 14.98

Franz Bakery Outlet
2 Loaves - $5.29

That would bring my grand total for the month to...(drum roll please)...$159.91! To say I am proud of that number would be an understatement.

This morning I sent my husband off to work with homegrown sprouts in his lunch! The jar is so full I had to split the yield in two in order to allow light to reach them all and turn them a beautiful green. Let's gaze at the glory, shall we?

If anyone would like to gift me a Canon Rebel or equivalent
on account of it being a Monday, I would be much obliged.

Aren't they beautiful? I can turn the jar upside down and they don't even budge they're packed in there so tight. Lesson learned - less seed next time. I am definitely going to be regularly stocking up on sprout seeds. Growing your own sprouts is just too easy!

Speaking of easy, The Mrs also inspired me to take a stab at bread baking. She is working her way through 200 different bread recipes. It got me thinking of how she must have a whole range of flops and successes, but the point is she's trying. Too often, I let perfection get in my way - it's part of the reason I bought sprout seeds in January and didn't try to grow them until March!

So I picked up yeast (enemy number one) yesterday and came home and just did it - I baked bread. And it turned out delicious!

My Italian Herb Loaf - a success!