Does Bulk Buying Lead to More Food Waste?

Here I am with the first weekly check-in of my Holiday Food Waste Challenge!

This was a good week in food-waste land in our house. The only thing I tossed was about 1 1/2 very small potatoes that had spoiled in the bag. Considering the huge volume of food that goes through our house, I think that's pretty good! I don't have a pic as the casualties occurred on a night I was trying to get things done in the kitchen extra quick.

One thing I keep reading in articles about food waste is that the trend to buying larger quantities of food to save money is leading to increased food wastage. As someone who is an advocate for the bulk-buying approach to food shopping, I don't think that bulk buying itself is necessarily the problem. I think it's a combination of two things: buying the WRONG foods in bulk and improper food storage/food management techniques in the home.

I buy quite a few foods in HUGE quantities (think 12 kilogram bags of oats, coconut and raisins). I haven't wasted any of them to date. Why? Because they are stored securely in the freezer until I'm going to use them. I keep small quantities in containers in the kitchen for easy access and simply refill them from the freezer stash as needed. Since I have 4 hungry people at my house, even these large quantities of staples are used up fairly quickly (the oats we go through in 3-4 months, the raisins about 6-9 months and the coconut about a year).

Where I think the problem lies is in people buying huge amounts of highly perishable items like salad greens, prepared hummus and the like. This stuff has a very short shelf life, and unless you're feeding an army you're not likely to finish them off before they disintegrate into mush in the bottom of the crisper. Another related issue is buying infrequently-eaten foods in huge quantities. If you're only eating something once a month, you don't need to purchase several kilograms of it at a time!

Produce in general can be tricky to manage well. I know it can be hard during the growing season not to overbuy when there are a lot of great deals out there. If you're properly prepared with freezer space and canning supplies, much produce wastage can be avoided by freezing and canning these items while they're still good and fresh (and then you'll have a wonderful stash for the winter months). This does take a bit of planning and forethought, but it's certainly not difficult.

Finally, it's important to keep reasonably good tabs on your food stash. Make sure you're using the food that's been in your pantry and freezer the longest before you start in on more recently purchased items. A good way to do this is to have one week every few months where you "eat from the stash" and try to use up all the odds and ends that have been hanging around a while (this helps get your grocery bill for the month down, too!) I always try to make sure that more recently purchased items go at the back of the pantry cupboard and the bottom of the freezer, keeping the older items front and centre. Of course, this not being a perfect world (and sharing a house with 3 other people who might not be as attentive to these details as I am), this doesn't always happen so the "eating from the stash" routine helps keep us on track.

Do you think you waste more foods when you buy in bulk? If you're joining me in the Food Waste Challenge, how was your food wastage this week?

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Make it From Scratch: School-Friendly Granola Bars

As some of you are aware, my younger son, who has previously been homeschooled, decided to go to public school this year. This has brought about a number of changes for our family, not the least of which is that I have to pack a nut-free lunch for him five days a week.

Granola bars are standard fare for school lunches and since you know I'm way too cheap to buy premade ones (plus most of the store bought ones are full of questionable ingredients) I've been on a quest for a good homemade granola bar recipe that: a) only uses staple items from my pantry and b) doesn't contain peanut butter, which happens to be an ingredient in the majority of recipes I think look most promising! Yes, I could sub in some sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter, but I'd rather save it for making sandwiches on days when I don't have any other options handy.

After a little experimenting, I've come up with these bars, which are good and oaty, and have a satisfying texture (a bit chewy with a hint of crunchiness on top). You can easily change out the dried fruits and seeds to create a variety of flavour combos.

Ingredients:

3-6 tbsp of brown sugar (adjust depending on your desired level of sweetness)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups rolled oats (I use old fashioned, but quick oats would probably work fine)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp ginger (I prefer it with the higher amount, but I'm a ginger addict!)

Instructions:

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey and butter over medium-low heat, until butter melts and mixture is thoroughly blended together. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine oats, raisins, coconut, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and ginger. Pour honey-butter mixture over top and stir until oat mixture is thoroughly coated.

Press firmly into a greased 9" x 9" pan (I put a bit of butter on my fingers to do this so the mixture doesn't stick to me!) Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature before cutting into bars.

Makes 12 granola bars (I cut them into 6 pieces in one direction and in half the other direction to get a proper "long and skinny" granola bar shape).

Weekly Menu Retrospective #89

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes, check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here.    

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins (variation of this recipe on p. 96), Baked Oatmeal (p. 91), peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza 

Dinners:

Monday: Cheesy Mac and Beef Skillet (p.148)

Tuesday: Western Omelette Wraps (p. 124), Colourful Cabbage Salad (p.207)

Wednesday: Chickpea and Vegetable Coconut Curry (variation of this recipe, p. 136)

Thursday: Pasta Alfredo with Sausage, peas and carrots

Friday: Potato, Bacon and Egg Hash (variation of Make-It-Your-Way Potato Hash, p. 140)

Saturday: Basic Bean Burritos (p. 130), Creamy Cucumber Salad (p. 205)

Sunday: Classic Beef Burgers (p. 125), roasted mini yellow potatoes, Chocolate Quinoa Cake

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), coconut oil (in granola), coconut milk, canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!), quinoa

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, cabbage, cucumbers, garlic, salsa (home-canned), ground beef and sausage (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, eggs, sour cream 

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola and baked oatmeal), cornmeal, apple cider vinegar, millet, popcorn, whole wheat flour

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.

(P.S. Want to join in on my Holiday Food Waste Challenge? All the details are here.)
  
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Holiday Food Waste Challenge 2012

Photo by Rosen Georgiev/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know how much I can't stand wasting food. When I was doing research for my book, I learned that the average North American family wastes a full 25% of the food they buy. Yes, really. That's a shocking amount of money that's wasted on food that never gets eaten (if your monthly grocery bill is $800, that equates to $200 a month down the drain).

Aside from the fact that wasted food = wasted money, the environmental impacts of throwing out food are staggering. When you consider all the water, soil, and fertilizer used to grow that food and the fuel used to transport it to you, it soon becomes a mind-boggling amount of resources that are being wasted on food that never gets eaten. If wasted food is tossed in the trash rather than composted (and unfortunately, the majority of it is), the decomposing food then becomes a huge producer of methane gas.

I've become more and more determined to make people aware of this important issue as my own awareness of just how big and how widespread a problem this is across the continent has increased. Nearly 50% of the food that's grown in North America is wasted, about half before it reaches us consumers, and the other half after it's lingered in our refrigerators for too long. Actually, from garbage studies that have been done by various researchers, a significant portion of the food that's tossed from our homes isn't even spoiled!

The good news is that this is a problem we can all address, since half of food waste is occurring in the home. Although I have yet to achieve the holy grail of 0% food wasted on a regular basis, our family's food waste is minimal, and I've found that most of the time it's not a big deal to prevent food wastage *if* you have key food management strategies in place. Grocery shopping effectively, storing food properly, and using leftovers strategically are all key pieces of the puzzle when it comes to reducing a household's food waste.

As we head into the holiday season, there is likely to be even more food than usual in our homes, and a larger than normal potential for wasting it. So, I thought this would be the perfect time of year to get you all thinking about ways you can avoid tossing out food. I'm issuing an official Holiday Food Waste Challenge starting today and finishing on New Year's Day. How close to zero can you keep your food waste over the holidays? 

During the challenge, I'll be sharing photos of my family's food waste, as well as tips and strategies for keeping that waste to a minimum. I'm hoping you'll join me by sharing your own tips, too - either in the comments or via email if you want to remain anonymous (you can send them to abundanceonadime AT gmail DOT com).

Let's make this a festive *and* food-waste-free season!

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Weekly Menu Retrospective #88

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes, check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here.   

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Aloha Muffins (p. 99), Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes, peanut butter toast

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza 

Dinners:

Monday: Smothered Meatballs (p. 143), mashed potatoes, carrots and green beans

Tuesday: Thai-Style Peanutty Pasta (p. 147)

Wednesday: Apple and Bacon Baked Beans (p.177), Cornbread (p. 212)

Thursday: Potato and Sausage Hash (variation of Make-It-Your-Way Potato Hash, p. 140)

Friday: Leftover Buffet

Saturday: Sausage, Millet, and White Bean Soup

Sunday: Crispy Parmesan Pork (variation of the recipe on p. 186), Colourful Cabbage Salad (p. 207), roasted mini yellow potatoes, Apple Crisp (p. 220)

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), coconut oil (in granola), coconut milk, canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), bananas, pineapple, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!)

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, cabbage, cucumbers, garlic, salsa (home-canned), ground beef, sausage and pork (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, eggs, sour cream 

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola and baked oatmeal), cornmeal, apple cider vinegar, millet, popcorn

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.
  
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My Latest Food Find: Affordable Local Free-Range Eggs!

I'm thrilled about my latest adventure in hunting down affordable local foods: some awesome free range eggs from a small-scale local producer.

If I had the choice, my preference would be to keep my own backyard chickens to have easy access to fresh eggs from happy chickens. Unfortunately, it's currently illegal to keep backyard chickens in my city, and while the issue is currently under debate, I'm not sure it's going to be resolved any time soon.

So, while I wait not-so-patiently for a verdict on backyard chickens, I've been hoping to find some good local eggs that were affordable enough to buy on a regular basis. We just can't afford to shell out over $6 a dozen for the ones at the grocery store! I was Skyping with an American foodie friend one night recently and lamenting that I couldn't seem to track down eggs from a small local producer. She mentioned that one of the ways she has found some of the smaller local food producers in her area is by looking on Craigslist, and suggested that I do a search on Kijiji to see if anything came up (Craigslist is not really active in my area). Well, sure enough, I typed in "free-range eggs" and a few different options popped up! I zeroed in on one listing that was located closest to us and also gave the most information about their eggs.

After a flurry of texts back and forth between the"egg lady" and my husband, we set off on Saturday afternoon to acquire our first non-supermarket-purchased eggs. Here is what we came home with:

We had originally requested 3 dozen chicken eggs, but she didn't have that many available so we came home with an interesting mix of eggs from three different kinds of birds. The top carton is a mix of different coloured chicken eggs. The two large eggs in the bottom carton are duck eggs, and the small speckled eggs are quail eggs. We paid a grand total of $4.50 for all of these eggs, which is ridiculously inexpensive for the quality of the eggs. They are not "certified organic", but they are definitely from happy, free-range chickens. We were told they receive organic feed (as well as whatever insects, greens and other goodies they munch on while they're wandering around) and no antibiotics.

 Aren't the quail eggs just gorgeous? I'd never seen one before! They look so much like a work of art that it's almost a shame to eat them...

 

We got to visit the birds while we were there. Here are some of the lovely ladies who laid our eggs:

This hen is known as an "Easter Egger" and is the one who laid the greenish coloured eggs:

We also got to pet a turkey while we were there! Specifically, this friendly female:

 She stuck close to us the whole time we were wandering around her turf, kind of like dogs sometimes do :)

It's pretty neat to meet the birds that laid your eggs!  As we were getting back in the van to come home, I glanced up and noticed that a whole parade of birds had followed us out of the yard. By the time I thought to snap a photo, the little crowd of fowl had already started to disperse, but it was awfully endearing in the moment. Our two boys, who declined the offer to come with us to get the eggs, have been busy showing them off to all their friends (with accompanying "oohs" and "aahs"). After we showed them pictures of all the birds, I think they wished they had come with us after all. Maybe next time they will decide to join us.

When I was making a blueberry clafouti for breakfast on Sunday morning, I couldn't resist an opportunity to do a visual comparison between one of our newly acquired eggs and a grocery store egg:

Can you guess which is which? The free-range egg is on the left and although it's not as dramatic in the photo as it is in person, the yolk of the free-range egg is definitely much darker than that of the grocery store egg.

One of the advantages of buying directly from food producers (aside from knowing a lot more about how the food was produced) is that you often end up with a more eclectic and interesting selection of offerings than you would at the grocery store. I doubt I ever would have purposely set out to buy quail or duck eggs, but since the opportunity presented itself, it's fun to explore these less familiar options. I was told by a friend that duck eggs make particularly moist and fluffy baked goods, and the muffins we made with one on Sunday do seem to have turned out particularly well. We still haven't cracked open the quail eggs, but I have plans to use them in a potato hash later in the week. It's a pity none of us like poached or fried eggs as I suspect the quail eggs would make really quaint little versions of each!

While this method of purchasing eggs is certainly not as convenient as grabbing them from the neighbourhood supermarket, it's definitely a lot more fun and interesting. Plus, it's good to know we are helping to support a local young couple (even if it's just in a small way) and that these are well-treated, happy birds supplying our eggs.

Have you made any great local food discoveries lately?

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Weekly Menu Retrospective #87

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes, check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here.   

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins (p. 96), Blueberry Clafouti (variation of this recipe, p. 223)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza 

Dinners:

Monday: Leftover Buffet (lots of leftovers from my son's birthday dinner the day before)

Tuesday: Kusherie (Egyptian lentils and rice with a spicy tomato sauce and sauteed onions)

Wednesday: Spicy Peanut and Tomato Soup (p.163), Cornbread (p. 212)

Thursday: Leftover Buffet again (I don't know how I managed to have this many leftovers in one week - I wish it would happen more often, lol!)

Friday: Broccoli and Bacon Alfredo Pasta (just invented this one - super yummy!)

Saturday: Cabbage and Beef Soup (p.167), Pizza Breadsticks (variation of this recipe, p. 214)

Sunday: Pork and Apple Stew (p. 156), Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding (p. 233)

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), coconut oil (in granola), coconut milk, canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), bananas, pineapple, coffee (locally roasted and delivered by bike!)

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, cabbage, cucumbers, garlic, salsa (home-canned), ground beef and pork (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, *eggs, sour cream 

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola and baked oatmeal), cornmeal, apple cider vinegar, popcorn

*I'm SO excited about the free-range, organically-fed chicken, duck and quail eggs we bought this weekend from a local small-scale producer. I'll be sharing more info on them later this week :)

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.
  
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Four Delicious Things to Do with a Cabbage

Photo by Summai/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 "It is the cabbage which surpasses all other vegetables. What virtue and health-giving qualities it has." ~Cato the Elder 

Cabbage is one of those foods that is just about perfect: packed full of nutrients, locally grown and readily available here in Southern Ontario, and CHEAP - really, really cheap. They go on sale routinely around here for $1.50. And a large, robust cabbage is a LOT of food. You can easily get three family meals from one of these formidable veggies. So I have to wonder why more people haven't embraced this amazing vegetable! Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that when most people think of cabbage, they think of cabbage rolls - a rather labour-intensive dish (and one, I might add, that I don't particularly care for) which seems to be enjoyed (at least in my social circles) only on special occasions like holiday buffets. I admit it's not a vegetable I grew up eating, and if you're not familiar with various methods to prepare it, it might seem a trifle overwhelming to figure it all out.

Here I am to the rescue with the recipes I hope will convert everyone into enthusiastic cabbage eaters! All of these dishes are in regular rotation in our home during the months cabbage is in season. I might note that none of them have a really strong bitter-cabbage taste that you can sometimes get with cooked cabbage. So I encourage you to give them a whirl, and expand your repertoire of ways to use this overlooked powerhouse of frugal cooking.

(The page references given are where you'll find the recipes in my book)

1. Cabbage and Beef Soup, p. 167
This makes a BIG batch of soup, perfect for when you need to feed a crowd, use up a bunch of rapidly-wilting produce or want some planned leftovers. It's one of my family's favourite soups, packed full of veggies and very satisfying.

2. Colourful Cabbage Salad, p. 207
A staple in our fridge, this salad will keep well for a few days if it lasts that long! (And goodness, I can't believe I *still* keep forgetting to take a photo of this one).

3. African-Style Vegetable Stew, p. 161
This dish is much heartier than you might suspect based on the ingredients - the substantial amount of peanut butter makes it quite filling.

4. Pork with Cabbage, Apples and Onions
Although it's not the most attractive looking dish, it's quite tasty and eagerly gobbled up by all of my family members whenever I serve it.

What's YOUR favourite way to cook cabbage? Please leave a comment and share it with us!

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Weekly Menu Retrospective #86

Welcome to my weekly roundup of the past week's eats. I prefer to report what we ate in the last week, rather than what we're planning to eat in the coming week. Why? The reason is pretty simple: although I usually have a general idea of what we're going to eat in the next week or so, life often unfolds a little differently than planned, and I adjust my menu plan on a near-daily basis to accommodate leftovers and other not-possible-to-plan-ahead circumstances. I find this is the easiest way to ensure that I minimize our family's food waste. I'm also willing to admit that I'm a rather spontaneous cook, given to preparing foods that strike me as the most appealing thing to eat right here and now!

If you'd like a whole book full of inexpensive, quick and kid-approved recipes, check out my book, Cheap Appétit : The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Family for Less Than $400 a Month (While Eating Better Than You Ever Thought Possible) on Amazon (Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble.  It's gotten multiple 5 star reviews!! I've included page references to recipes that are in the book in my menu plans so you can locate them quickly. For more details about the book, go here.  

Breakfasts:
Granola (p. 92), Orange Pineapple Muffins (p. 100), peanut butter toast, Baked Oatmeal (p. 91)

Lunches: 
leftovers, sandwiches, pizza 

Dinners:

Monday: Everything-But-the-Kitchen-Sink Lentil Soup (p. 162), Cornbread (p. 212)

Tuesday: Cheesy Mac and Beef Skillet (p. 148)

Wednesday: Sausage, Broccoli and Mozzarella Egg Puff (variation of the recipe on p. 181)

Thursday: Sausage on a Bun, Easy Oven Fries (p. 194)

[Yes, we did have sausage two nights in a row!! For Wednesday's dinner, only 2 finely chopped sausages were added to the egg dish. Thursday I ended up needing a super easy dinner as I ended up going out for the evening unexpectedly. Given the food supplies in the house and the fact that we'd already eaten two of my standard speedy meals earlier in the week, this was what we ended up with. Hey, at least I fed the kids before I went out :)]

Friday: Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes served over Coconut Rice (p. 199)

Saturday: Creamy Tuna Pasta with Peas and Carrots (p. 146)

Sunday: Tex-Mex Shepherd's Pie (p. 173), Colourful Cabbage Salad (p. 207), Apple and Carrot Salad (p. 208), Pull-Apart Parmesan and Herb Breadsticks (variation of this recipe, p. 214)

In keeping with my local and organic challenge, I'd also like to note the local and/or organic items on this week's menu:

Organic: coconut (in granola), coconut oil (in granola), coconut milk, canola oil, raisins (in granola), sunflower and pumpkin seeds (in granola), bananas

Local: potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, cabbage, cucumbers, garlic, salsa (home-canned), ground beef and sausage (from VG Meats), honey (unpasteurized), milk, eggs, sour cream  

Local AND organic: peanut butter, sesame seeds (used to top bread loaves), oats (in granola and baked oatmeal), cornmeal

For more great meal ideas, check out Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com.
  
Love what you read here? Find out how you can help support this blog. 

Want to stay connected in between blog posts?

Click HERE to follow me on Pinterest (yes, I finally succumbed!!)

Click HERE to follow me on Twitter

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Ditching Our Dishwasher: Saying Goodbye to Another Kitchen Appliance

Photo by Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We're officially down another kitchen appliance on what will likely be a permanent basis. About three months ago it became apparent that our dishwasher was toast. The age of this appliance is uncertain; all we know is that it was here when we arrived nine years ago and it was old then :)

Once it became clear that it was futile to try and extend its life, the discussions began. Do we really need a dishwasher? I know a good portion of you will commence questioning my sanity right here (if you haven't already ::grin::). Just remember that when our microwave died roughly seven and a half years ago, we decided not to replace it and we've never looked back. We've been living microwave-free quite happily ever since then and I can't remember the last time I even remotely wished we had one.

One of the main reasons we really wanted to give this some careful thought (aside from the expense of replacing a major appliance) is that our kitchen is of the very-modestly-sized variety, which means cupboard and counter space is at a premium. We've been planning to do some renos to the kitchen anyway, and eliminating the dishwasher altogether would free up a large amount of space and allow us to have both more cupboard and more counter space.

Yes, having a dishwasher is convenient - to a point. I've always thought that hand washed dishes were much cleaner than those that come out of the dishwasher, with all their cloudy buildup and baked on crud that didn't quite come off during the washing process. Plus it's just plain hard on your dishes - glassware can get pitted or permanently clouded, plastic containers get warped. Not to mention the ongoing frustration of trying to find an environmentally-friendly dishwasher detergent that actually works *and* doesn't cost a fortune!

While there are certainly still days when I'd be happy to toss everything in the dishwasher and walk away, overall I haven't minded our return to exclusive hand washing of dishes. The dishes are all sparkling clean, for one. A couple of side benefits have also become apparent: Firstly, we are more likely to minimize our dish dirtying (by reusing a barely-soiled glass or plate) so we cut down on the amount of items being washed on a given day. Secondly, I'm having more in-depth conversations with my husband and kids. Doing the dishes is one of those household tasks that is naturally suited to being a two-person job. Since it takes more than a couple of minutes, we have time for more elaborate conversations rather than a couple of quick sentences scattered in here and there before we dash off to various activities. I've even found it to be a wonderful mindfulness practice (when I remember not to think of it in terms of how-quick-can-I-get-this-done). I have the time to be grateful for each dish, spoon and platter, to consider how it came to be mine (wedding gift, yard sale find, etc.) and to really appreciate its presence in my life (because who knows how long I'll have it, stuff is known to get broken once in a while around here!)

So here we are, now happily dishwasher- *and* microwave-free, and down to half the number of appliances found in the typical kitchen, which is fairly ironic since I'm sure we do more than twice as much cooking as the average family!

While I know choosing to go without a dishwasher might not be the right choice for every family, it's another example of how it can be helpful to think through what you and your family truly want and need before going out and buying something just because that's what everyone else has.