Happy Tuesday all. And welcome to day 973 of the Quarantine!

A little different today. Not as statistically drawn and a little more light hearted. We have all spent more time by ourselves or with family than probably EVER for the last 30 days or more. So… what have you learned? What skills have you improved on, or what have you decided to do differently?

Because even if your work is considered ‘essential’, you’ve definitely had more time on your hands. Have you picked up a second language? Have you learned to cook? What have you learned about YOURSELF?

Us, personally… we’ve learned and realized that we definitely were on the high side of Food Waste families. Before the pandemic, we would usually have groceries delivered more than once per week, and we would cook a lot. But often, we would end up cooking and having leftovers (I can’t wait for the girls to get older and be able to cook for 4 real eaters). Many of the times, we would pick at the leftovers, but most of them would go in the trash. This was for a few reasons; we were tired of the food, OR, we sought other alternatives. Sydney and I would definitely order out a lot; running the business and two kids under 6 left us staring at each other several nights a week saying “Where do we want to get food delivered from?” even when there was plenty to choose from in the Refrigerator.

Now, we are not going to the store, nor having groceries delivered several times a week. We are making sure everything we do purchase has a longer shelf life, and can be used in a variety of ways. I know it’s simple, but it adds up. When we get the fire going on the BBQ, we’re cooking MORE chicken, that can then be used for Salads, tacos, wraps… you name it. And less is getting thrown away. We are still ordering takeout, and when we do, we’re making sure we are supporting our local favorites; but we’re definitely ordering less often, which is definitely showing a positive impact on our financials as well. And we are certainly not wasting the leftovers. The steamed rice from Le Thai delivered over the weekend became the base for Southwest Bowls made last night… talk about stretching the food and the imagination.

We realize food waste is an epidemic in the United States and we all are guilty of it. But when times have changed, and the simply thought of going to the Grocery Store, or getting lucky with a delivery or pickup window, has us thinking that we can improve how we consume. And that’s what we need to do. We need to think about how we consume, food, or anything, as we get out of this.

So maybe you did learn a new language, or redid your landscaping. Perhaps you repainted rooms in your home. But hopefully you did SOMETHING, something that made you think deeper than the activity itself. Hopefully, this time #TogetherAtHome has given you a new perspective on what we have, and what we really need in our lives.

Sorry for being deep today… felt like I needed a bit of a change. Let me know what YOU learned!

-GZ