Marianne
Super Self-Sufficient
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2011
- Messages
- 3,269
- Reaction score
- 355
- Points
- 287
- Location
- rural Abilene, KS, 67410 USA
Earlier tonight I asked what I could do with some chicken skin and chicken fat. This is something that I have either given to the hounds, but usually it got tossed in the trash unless I was making bone broth. I'm glad I asked as I was given suggestions that are pretty darn tasty!
But it made me think of stuff that we either trash, give to critters or throw in the compost pile. As expensive as groceries are, how about sharing ideas of how to use up some of the wrinkled veggies, carrot peels, cabbage cores, chicken fat, etc etc so WE can eat it. What creative meals have you come up with using leftovers in the frig?
Some of the things you do might seem pretty typical to you, but they might be new to some of us! Come on, share how you use up those things in the frig instead of tossing them.
Tonight I fried the chicken skin (made great fried hide crisps)
, and since I had the grease hot anyway, I cut up some zucchini to fry, too. I sliced them lengthwise this time, and had cut the rounded edge of of two sides. Instead of throwing that in the compost can, I cut it up into matchsticks to put in salad. I ended up eating them while I was tending the stove.
I washed the dab of chicken fat and put it in the freezer until I have enough to render.
I had egg/milk plus flour/cracker mix leftover from breading the zucchini. The egg/milk went to hounds, cracker stuff to the chickens. I'm still looking at the grease in the pan.
The next time I get watermelon, I'm going to make the ol' standard watermelon pickles and try a Morrocan Watermelon Rind Salad instead of giving it to the hens.
But it made me think of stuff that we either trash, give to critters or throw in the compost pile. As expensive as groceries are, how about sharing ideas of how to use up some of the wrinkled veggies, carrot peels, cabbage cores, chicken fat, etc etc so WE can eat it. What creative meals have you come up with using leftovers in the frig?
Some of the things you do might seem pretty typical to you, but they might be new to some of us! Come on, share how you use up those things in the frig instead of tossing them.
Tonight I fried the chicken skin (made great fried hide crisps)
, and since I had the grease hot anyway, I cut up some zucchini to fry, too. I sliced them lengthwise this time, and had cut the rounded edge of of two sides. Instead of throwing that in the compost can, I cut it up into matchsticks to put in salad. I ended up eating them while I was tending the stove.I washed the dab of chicken fat and put it in the freezer until I have enough to render.
I had egg/milk plus flour/cracker mix leftover from breading the zucchini. The egg/milk went to hounds, cracker stuff to the chickens. I'm still looking at the grease in the pan.
The next time I get watermelon, I'm going to make the ol' standard watermelon pickles and try a Morrocan Watermelon Rind Salad instead of giving it to the hens.
Bones, go to the dog sometimes, and others go to stock or to the chickens to pick the last of the meat off. We don't waste ANYTHING around here. NOTHING goes into the trash if it is consumable. Peelings go to compost for nourishment for next years crops, bacon grease goes into a jar for seasoning, even leftover batter is made into something the chickens or goats can eat. Egg shells get ground for the tomato plants and for grit for the birds when needed. Coffee grounds go to the worm bed or compost. We really don't waste anything. I can't think of a single thing for which we do not have an alternative purpose, not with all these mouths to feed 
I always boil the peels in three changes of water so they aren't bitter. The syrup was sooo good I decided to keep it. I used it this morning on a couple waffles. Okay, I've been on an oinker binge, too. 
DH loves orange cake, so we use the peelings most times, but I'm gonna have to remember the orange cleanser recipe 
