Katherine Boyce
8/31/2025 12:18 PM
Sometimes I actually think I would benefit from scaling up more often, so that I have leftovers for lunches.
August 1 - August 31, 2025
Katherine Boyce
"Eat more plants. "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,082 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO36pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO16poundsfood waste prevented
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UP TO3.0conversationswith people
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UP TO10minutesspent learning
Katherine's actions
Planning
Plan to Use My Garden or CSA Produce
I will check to see what will be ready to eat in my garden or CSA box this week and plan recipes that use these ingredients.
Shopping
Glean or Forage
I will learn about the foods that grow locally and try gleaning or foraging.
Cooking
Use the Edible Portion
I will learn about what food is still safe to eat if portions have gone bad and make sure to utilize the edible portions if I can.
Storage
Make Smoothies
I will freeze fruits and veggies, such as overripe bananas or avocados, to use later in smoothies.
Cooking
Cook Just Enough
I will scale down the recipe of a meal to make just the right amount for my household of 2 so we eat everything up.
Cooking
Reimagine Leftovers
I will learn about how to repurpose my leftovers into new meals and then try it.
Planning
Find your meal planning personality
I will explore different meal plan techniques and choose one that works for my household.
Storage
Be Smart About Food Labels
I will learn about food labels and not throw food out just based on the date on the package, but instead check the smell and color to see if it has gone bad.
Storage
Learn About Food Storage
I will learn about food storage and store food based on best practices to keep it from spoiling before it is used.
Community
Send it Down the Grape Vine
I will talk to 1 family members or friends about my experience with this challenge, food waste, and what I have learned.
Participant Feed
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Katherine Boyce 8/31/2025 12:25 PMTime to go harvest some garden carrots. Thanks for a great challenge, everyone.-
H McCrillis 8/31/2025 5:11 PM
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REFLECTION QUESTIONCookingWe often worry about running out of food so we make too much. What thoughts and feelings have come up when you make just the right amount to eat up all the food?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONCookingHave you previously learned about what food is still safe to eat if a portion of it goes bad? Who taught you this information?
Katherine Boyce 8/31/2025 12:17 PMI think my mother taught me to look for bad signs in food, rather than only at the expiration date. She has always hated wasting food! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONStorageDid you find that you were storing food incorrectly? Which items have you changed?
Katherine Boyce 8/31/2025 12:15 PMI didn't know that putting ripe bananas in the fridge would keep them ripe for a few more days. And I didn't know to store tomatoes with the stem up.-
Sharon Kephart 8/31/2025 3:50 PMIf you cut up your bananas and freeze then you can use them later for a snack or smoothies to extend its life further.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONStorageWhat kinds of fruit and vegetables do you like eating in a smoothie?
Katherine Boyce 8/31/2025 12:12 PMBerries and mangoes for flavor, bananas for smooth texture, dates for sweetness, soy milk for liquid, hemp, chia, and flax for protein, kale and spinach for extra nutrition! -
Katherine Boyce 8/29/2025 1:31 PMGoals for next year: try canning. Also, possibly acquire a larger freezer...-
Vivien Fowler 8/29/2025 4:44 PMI may try canning as well -- it seems like a great way to preserve food and cut down on waste. I already have two refrigerators. Acquiring a larger freezer, however, wouldn’t really help if I want to stay mindful of not overstocking food that might go unused.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningWhat meal plan method works for you and why? Have you tried some in the past that didn't work?
Katherine Boyce 8/29/2025 1:25 PMI think I selected this last year too...and didn't implement any particular meal-planning change! When I took the quiz, I came out as a "Flexible Planner", and I would add emphasis on the flexible part. :) That said, I do stay on top of what's in my fridge fairly well, and plan my meals based on what I've got available. I also do ok managing my grocery list accordingly. So maybe I'm doing better than I think at this.-
Margo Ashmore 8/30/2025 7:24 PM
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REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningHow easy has it been for you to plan your garden or CSA produce into your meals? Do you ever let your seasonal food go to waste?
Katherine Boyce 8/29/2025 1:20 PMI love the immediacy and freshness of harvesting from the garden. But there is certainly more waste just because of how much even a small garden produces all at once. Next year, I want to practice staggering my plantings a bit more, and also try some new preservation techniques. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONCookingHow have you modified what you do with leftovers to make sure nothing goes to waste?
Katherine Boyce 8/28/2025 7:44 PMFried rice is a great modified-leftovers meal. Otherwise I get creative with pastas, salads, and scrounging. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONStorageDid you know that not all food labeling means the same thing? How have you changed your habits to decide if food is still safe to eat?
Katherine Boyce 8/27/2025 9:31 AMI've shifted toward referring the food label date only for a nudge to eat something sooner. If it's past, I use the sight / smell / touch / taste test to see if the item is still edible, which it almost always is.