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Vivien Fowler's avatar

Vivien Fowler

Washington County Staff

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,331 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    160
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    30
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    168
    zero-waste meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    87
    pounds
    food waste prevented

Vivien's actions

Planning

Plan a Leftovers Day

I will plan a meal to use up leftovers by creating a tasty smorgasbord or using a recipe that repurposes them.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Learn About Portion Sizes

I will observe how much my family members eat and learn how many portions will match our life stages and appetites.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Keep a Food Inventory

I will take a fridge and pantry inventory to stay up to date with what I have at home before I go grocery shopping.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Sign up for Fridge Check Fridays

will sign up for Fridge Check Friday emails, sent by Hennepin County but open to everyone, to prompt me to check my fridge for food that needs to be used up and for hacks on storing food to keep it fresh.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Create a Weekly Meal Plan

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu of meals and ingredients for my household of 2.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Planning

Learn About and Choose a Meal Plan Style

I will explore different meal plan techniques and choose one that works for my household.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Plant a Garden

I will plant an herb or vegetable garden at my home or community garden.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Create a Household Cookbook

I will create a cookbook or recipe collection of go-to meals for my household to make meal planning easier.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Planning

Track My Wasted Food

I will track the food that my household of 2 throws out so I can learn what we're wasting and why.

COMPLETED 31
DAILY ACTIONS

Cooking

Make Soup Broth

I will store vegetable scraps or bones in my freezer and use them to make veggie stock or bone broth. I will make 2 batches.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?


  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/31/2024 4:42 PM
    Today...I checked my organized refrigerator; wrote down a grocery list; went shopping for listed items only; prepared and cooked food using three leftover items; and also stored curry and soup in freezer to be used at a later date. Overall, my family and I enjoyed this fun and educational challenge and we plan to continue this challenge as to prevent food waste at home.

  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/30/2024 10:41 AM
    Instead of buying fruits in bulk, I've decided to buy them individually and/or as needed in the future. Since I have so much fresh fruits leftover from two weekends ago, I am going to make jam and smoothies and then freeze them today.

  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/29/2024 3:32 PM
    I just watched two very interesting, informative and educational videos, i.e.,"5 Tips to Reduce Waste" and "!00 Ways to Reduce Food Waste You Have to Try."

  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/28/2024 4:59 PM
    I started practicing the "first in, first out" inventory method two weeks ago that include organizing the refrigerator, labeling food items, rotating and creating a eat first food area. So far...love this because it helps my family and I with the stop food waste challenge.

  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/27/2024 5:22 PM
    Over the weekend we cooked too much food since we had friends over for dinner. To reduce food waste, we simply freeze and label two of the food leftovers to be used at a later date.

  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/26/2024 4:42 PM
    This morning...I emailed two of my friends who live near the Highland Park Community Center regarding the documentary movie screening about Just Eat It! I hope to get together with them this weekend to learn more about it.

  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/25/2024 3:45 PM
    The stop food waste challenge is going better than I expected. It's so much more fun especially when my family gets involved. You not only get their support but also spend more time together which is fabulous.

    • H McCrillis 's avatar
      H McCrillis 8/26/2024 12:10 AM
      Very true, especially when they share information about food storage and other tips.

  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/24/2024 4:47 PM
    It was a slow process to get my family members involved in the stop food waste challenge. But when it finally happens, you might feel all different types of emotions such as being proud, happy, and satisfied. For instance, I got a surprise this morning when my hubby took the initiative to make a quiche using leftovers from last evening. It was an interesting quiche that needed little more spices in it. His gesture and surprise definitely brighten my day for I am happy and grateful that I registered for this challenge. Thank you.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Cooking Make Soup Broth
    Have you ever made soup broth from scratch before? What kinds of vegetables do you have on hand to put in?

    Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/24/2024 4:11 PM
    After a persistent coaxing and encouragement to my hubby, I was finally able to get him involved in helping me make soup broth from scratch using leftover and vegetables, and that was great.

  • Vivien Fowler's avatar
    Vivien Fowler 8/23/2024 12:39 PM
    Today I got my hubby involved in planning our meal and doing the cooking. Even though it was a challenge for him...he took it in stride, and he did learn something from this experience.