Waste Not Want Not

My grandma Parker grew up very poor in Honolulu.  She was very frugal and passed that trait on to her children and grandchildren. I can often hear her saying waste not want not.  I incorporate that into my daily life, which cooking is a big part of. 

Today I made beef stew. I added in all kinds of things I had in the fridge that you may not think of adding to stew.  I had lamb gravy from a week ago, a little bit of brine from kalamata olives, extra sauce from when I made ajitama (seasoned boiled eggs). I also added things that “normally” go into my stew - chicken broth, celery, carrots, onions, garlic and some chuck steak I bought on sale, cut up and froze for several meals.  It turned out delicious. The best part is that I can feel my grandma smiling down on me.  I think God is happy too when we use all the ingredients we have available to us and don’t let them go to waste. I see another Life lesson mirrored in this- a reminder to use the gifts and talents we have to create something delicious in our lives. Sometimes we put things together that don’t normally go together and it works out beautifully.

Next time you make stew or soup, look at what is in your fridge that needs to be used up. You may be pleasantly surprised at your results.  Doing this adds to the creative process of cooking and makes it fun!I  We all can use a little more of that.

Here is my recipe for ham soup. I used up what I had and added some surprise ingredients. I’d love to hear what creative ingredients you put in your soup! Make a comment below!

Till next time, be present, eat joyfully.
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Link:
Hearty Ham Soup #2

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