Use It Up Advice Thread [Archive] - Simple Living Forums

AmeliaJane

11-24-13, 11:32pm

I decided that one of my goals for the last two months of the year was to eat down the pantry, fridge and freezer. So far: four over-ripe bananas, the end of a bag of frozen cranberries, and the rest of the walnuts went into a double batch of banana bread to bring to the work potluck; frozen purple-hull peas, turkey kielbasa, and some wilting grape tomatoes went into a slow cooker soup; I FINALLY used up the last of a bag of frozen tilapia on fish tacos, and a lot of produce in the fresh salsa to go with it; a half-box of Rice Chex, the end of a bottle of corn syrup and the dregs of a jar of peanut butter in a snack mix; used up a scone mix, brownie mix and biscuit mix that had wandered in somehow; and I've just generally been clearing out bits and pieces of condiments and ingredients...the last three tablespoons in the jar kind of thing. One of my Thanksgiving weekend projects is going to be to go through the fridge and pull out all the half-full bottles and jars and find recipes to use them up.

Also, I watched two DVDs that had been sitting around way too long so they can go in the mail.

Azure

11-25-13, 10:30am

I just found out that the container store has teeny spatulas with really long handles to use to get the last out of make up bottles & lotions. It is $5. I WANT one! I hate throwing out lotion bottles that I know has more stuff in it where I can't get to it. I think I am going to order one for all 5 of my sisters & my mom to give as little gifts when we have our girls weekend next year. Then we can all use it up. :)

Who knew?

Gardenarian

11-25-13, 2:52pm

fidgiegirl

11-25-13, 5:30pm

Hey, the pencils could be cute here in lieu of the crayons:

http://showmemama.com/blog/2013/03/14/crayon-craft-project-tutorials/

I also did a search on Pinterest for "book pages DIY" and got a million ideas! It would be so super if you could let people have those books for free for their crafts - would your institution allow it?

fidgiegirl

11-25-13, 5:30pm

Can you burn pencils? Like, in a campfire? Or is that toxic?

Don't know how I missed so many replies on this thread, man I love using stuff up!!!!!!!

Jilly

11-25-13, 5:55pm

I am pretty sure that you can safely burn graphite. I could be wrong, but I think you have to heat it to, maybe, a few thousand degrees before you have to worry about the whole carbon bonding and creating carbon monoxide problems.

But, the burning thing makes me think that they would be cute when glued around a little votive candle holder. And, the letters are so cool.

I can hardly believe that you end up with stubs, though. The pencils are our library are just terrible. Not sharpened well when they arrive and nearly impossible to sharpen on our dinky, public sharpener or on our nice electric one.

Books, magazines and audio media, both donated and out of circulation, that cannot be kept for the book sales and lobby sale shelves are put into a box in the vestibule for people to take for free. I have many books that I have been meaning to read, several that I have used for crafts and a neurology journal (that shows up regularly, as the doctor is finished with them) that I enjoy, but for which I am too cheap to buy a subscription.

We even have a few regular and reliable patrons that will bring in a book or two and add them to the free box.

It is only the occasional donation that is too far gone to recycle, but we do that, too.

SiouzQ.

11-25-13, 6:11pm

http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1332&d=1385421234

I am someone who has actually used and is looking for almost used-up pencils, as they have appeared in some of my art pieces! I have been working on what I call a "rattle-bone", which is a musical instrument made from a beautiful piece of deer leg bone with all sorts of funky things attached to provide a "rainstick" sound when shaking (I'll see if I can figure out how to post a picture of one). I am also that person who picks up metal stuff from the gutters and in parking lots (rusty washers, old paperclips, lost earrings, pennies, unidentifiable metal things, etc, etc...http://www.simplelivingforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1330&d=1385421180

Gardenarian

11-25-13, 6:22pm

That's amazing SiouxQ!

Kelli - we do try to give the books away at the end of the semester - no takers! Maybe I'll ask at SCRAP (http://www.scrap-sf.org/) if they want those.
I liked that crayon craft too!

MaryHu

11-28-13, 12:20pm

Azure: If the bottles are plastic just cut them open and scrape them clean. Put the cream or lotion into a clean empty moisturizer or cold cream jar or a small canning jar with a lid. That way it won't dry out. I do this with my tubes of hand cream and it's amazing how much is left in them that can't be squeezed out of the uncut tube!

Lainey

11-29-13, 11:16am

SiouxQ - Absolutely love that rattle bone. If that's like your other art pieces, you really have a gift.

rosarugosa

11-30-13, 10:32am

Any ideas on what to do with a fairly large amount (guessing about 4 cups) of leftover cooked bulgur wheat?

herbgeek

11-30-13, 10:41am

Bulgur: you can make all kinds of grain based salads. Taboulleh is a classic one. I often make a salad by adding dried fruits and nuts and a fruity vinaigrette. Or you can throw it into a chicken soup instead of rice. Or you could put some into a whole wheat bread recipe for a little extra texture.

SteveinMN

11-30-13, 10:45am

In college, they served bulgur as a breakfast cereal -- add milk, sugar/sweetener, nuts, dried fruits, cinnamon... whatever you would do to oatmeal.

sweetana3

11-30-13, 1:35pm

I would also be tempted to make a fried rice type of dish with veggies, little meat, egg, etc. I think it would be great.

katieb12

11-30-13, 3:15pm

I know many libraries/librarians who won't make discards available to the public. Taxpayers often object to throwing away "perfectly good" books, no matter that the books are yellowed, smelly, dusty, outdated, and/or haven't been checked out in years. It's unfortunate. We're so desperate for space that we throw away a ton every year, and probably SOMEONE would want them.

Any ideas for using up the short ends of little golf pencils? We have about a thousand of them at the library. I'm thinking maybe donate them to the artists' warehouse (SCRAP)?
And old books no one wants? We send 100s to recycling - seems a shame.

sweetana3

11-30-13, 6:41pm

Our library may throw away some damaged books but they have huge sales 6 times a year and sell old decommissioned library books, excess popular issues, DVDs, and everything else you can think of. Many people donate books and there are often wonderful finds. But it does take a huge group of volunteers working for the library foundation to set up and run the sale. I have seen the same people for years working the sale.

Note that we even have a "free" section for National Geographics, ordinary magazines, and other catagories that don't sell well. There were vinyl records in huge boxes in this area at the last sale. This stuff even finds a home. I admit to checking it out for free magazines.

maryellen

12-10-13, 1:38am

One of my favorite discoveries for using up old lotions or creams in plastic bottles with small openings where I just can't quite get to the bottom…..is slicing the container with a utility knife somewhere near the middle. Cutting on a diagonal seems to give the best access. After that I use a small spatula (mentioned in another post) to scrape the remains out into a small plastic jar with a screw top - or some kind of sealed food container. If you don't happen to have the tiny spatula, clean fingers work, too. And if you can use up the remnants before they dry out - then no need to transfer to another container. This works for toothpaste, too.

simplelife4me

12-10-13, 8:02pm

You will be surprised how much is left in containers after they seem to be empty. It is mostly lotion consistency stuff that never really empties so you can get a lot out by doing what maryellen says.

Cypress

12-12-13, 2:59pm

I used up Thanksgiving leftover mashed potatoes and gravy in a pot of home made chicken soup. I read it somewhere that this can be a thickener for the broth. The potatoes did not come out so good, but blended into the finished soup, it gave great body and nutrition to the meal. Plus used up the last bits of everything. I was rather proud of myself for being inventive.

fidgiegirl

12-22-13, 11:45am

Hey all, how about zucchini? We have so much frozen zucchini. I had a bit of an aversion to it at that point in my pregnancy and still am not wild about eating it up as-is, though before I liked it. DH plunked some in some spaghetti sauce and it was kind of mushy, so I'm wondering if it would be best to thaw and puree it to use in some baked goods? Other advice welcome. If we don't come up with an appealing idea I might give it away on CL to make room in the freezer for other items.

early morning

12-22-13, 12:03pm

sorry, Kelli - fresh out of zucchini ideas. I'm assuming you've done the bread/bars/cookies etc. I was gifted with 8 huge, exceeding ripe pears. We ate a couple but they were almost too far gone to eat, so we found a pear coffee cake recipe on line. It turned out great, and no pears were wasted, yay!

fidgiegirl

12-22-13, 1:51pm

Wow early, that sounds amazing!! Pears are so good, but DH isn't super into them, so I don't get them very often - once in a while just for me.

We actually haven't baked with the zucchini, we'll have to try some recipes, which of course abound on Pinterest. Any other creative ideas still welcome . . .

I may also make a blueberry sauce out of the frozen blueberries that I left out on the counter overnight and refroze and now they are a frozen mass, very frustrating when you just want a few blueberries and so embarrassing that I was the one who caused the problem! Or perhaps some jam. We'll start with a fresh bag for our other uses.

fidgiegirl

12-22-13, 3:25pm

Amazing what you can use up when you focus on it!

Pulled out a big package of chicken and used up 3 jars of green sauce with that, it is in the crockpot right now for enchiladas or chilaquiles.

For lunch, ate up two containers of soup from last spring.

Going to make a zucchini soup (http://www.picklemetoo.com/2012/12/04/creamy-zucchini-soup/) tonight!! Will throw in some on-the-edge potatoes with it.

Also have plenty of stuff for chili sometime after the holiday, and that will free up a bundle of space in the freezer.

Feeling better about the state of the freezer!!

SteveinMN

12-22-13, 7:23pm

I haven't made this yet myself; my neighbors do not grow zucchini. Not sure if the zucchini being frozen will affect the recipe adversely...

Jennie Cook's Zucchini Butter
By Genius Recipes

Editors' Comments:
Whenever you come home a bundle of squash, this is the best, purest way you can distill it. (And then in about a month, when we're overrun, it will still be a happy way to dispense with lots of them at once.) It turns out zucchini wants to be butter. Grated fine, it cooks down quickly, pooling into a soft, freckly green pile. Spread it on toast in place of actual butter. Cake a thick layer in a sandwich with salted tomatoes or soft cheese. Sauce a grilled pizza. Consider it a side dish. Or just eat a big heap of it, right out of the pan, like we did. Recipe from Jennie Cook (http://www.jenniecooks.com) via The Kitchn (http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-jennie-cooks- zucchini-b-121770).

Makes about 2 cups

2 pounds zucchini or assorted summer squash (feel free to use less or add extra -- cooking times will vary)
1/4 cup olive oil or butter
2 minced shallots, garlic, or combination of both
Salt and pepper

1. Coarsely grate the zucchini. Let it drain in a colander for 3 to 4 minutes or until you are ready to begin cooking. To hasten cooking time, squeeze the water out of the zucchini by wringing it in a clean cloth towel.
2. In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil/butter. Sauté the shallots or garlic briefly. Add the zucchini and toss. Cook and stir over medium to medium-high heat until the zucchini reaches a spreadable consistency, about 15 minutes. If you scorch the bottom, turn the flame down! (And scrape those delicious bits into the butter for added flavor -- you can splash in a little water to help deglaze the pan.) The zucchini will hold its bright green color and slowly caramelize into a nice vegetable jam.
3. Enjoy on toast, or as a side dish all summer long!

Blackdog Lin

12-22-13, 7:50pm

Kelli: zucchini bread and cakes of all sorts are delicious, using shredded zucchini (not sure how you prepared yours for freezing). I've been making a basic zucchini bread for 30 years; this year I tried a chocolate zucchini bread for the first time and it was very very good.

I froze zucchini "chunks" for the first time this year, and had the same trouble you mentioned (mushiness). The one way I've found so far to use them up is in both Italian minestrone and beef-vegetable soup. I just add the chunks toward the end of cooking the soup - they end up just fine.

Steve: just re-read your post. Zucchini butter: I'm intrigued!

fidgiegirl

12-22-13, 7:56pm

Yummy, Steve! Lin, DH did chop it in chunks, so that is a tiny bit of an obstacle for most recipes, and I appreciate the tip about the soups.

I read you can use the puree as you would applesauce in baking recipes, as an oil substitute.

I also might see how I can make this beauty: http://thepaleomama.com/2013/11/chocolate-zucchini-bread/ Isn't that gorgeous?! But it does call for squeezing the water even out of the shredded zucchini, and mine would be a puree, so not sure how well it would work.

SteveinMN

12-23-13, 9:20am

Kelli, that zucchini bread recipe you linked looks terrific! I'm guessing thawed zucchini would throw off more water than shredded fresh zucchini and would make the bread a little more homogeneous (think carrot cake with little bits of carrot in it versus applesauce cake).

debi

12-23-13, 12:50pm

Kelli:

this is the recipe I use for Zucchini Torte.
5 - 6 cups grated zucchini (if using frozen, make sure you drain the liquid)
1-1/2 cup homemade baking mix (or Bisquick/Jiffy)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (you can use less cheese, but I love cheese)
1 small onion, grated
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup oil
salt, pepper to taste
1 tsp. each basil and parsley

Mix all together and put into a greased 9x13" pan in a 350F oven for 45 minutes. Let set about 10 minutes before cutting. Good hot or cold.

fidgiegirl

12-23-13, 4:18pm

Yum!

Joyous_5

12-26-13, 10:38am

danna

12-26-13, 10:47am

Kelli
Dd has an aversion to a lot of textures in food (especially frozen veggies) and we have found if we
fry/sweat in a little oil before using them in soups/sauces/rice dishes they are much better.
We had bought some frozen mixed veggies that were meant to be used in soups/spaggetti sauce/stews
and we did not like them at all until we did this.
Worth a try

SiouzQ.

12-26-13, 5:18pm

Thank you so much, Joyous_5! I actually sold that piece a couple of weeks ago; I had a hard time mentally letting it go...

Tiam

12-27-13, 3:11am

Any ideas for using up the short ends of little golf pencils? We have about a thousand of them at the library. I'm thinking maybe donate them to the artists' warehouse (SCRAP)?
And old books no one wants? We send 100s to recycling - seems a shame.

Geo chachers. Geo cachers would use stubs for hides. If you have a group in your area you could drop them off to. Some groups have monthly meetings. You'd have to look up clubs in your areas.

befree

12-27-13, 4:39pm

fidgiegirl, both those craft ideas for pencil stubs and DIY book pages are cool....I immediately thought that it might be a fun project to advertise, a free craft workshop being held at the library, to draw people into the library as a "fun" place! And, as for leftover juice: I freeze it in an icecube tray, then drop the juice cubes in a ziplock bag to save for baking.

fidgiegirl

1-18-14, 10:35pm

How 'bout ideas for a can of coconut milk?

Whole coriander seed?

Whole mustard seed?

Tiam

1-18-14, 11:41pm

How 'bout ideas for a can of coconut milk?

Whole coriander seed?

Whole mustard seed?

I've never been a huge fan of coconut milk or curry but it sounds like the makings of a Indian dish to me.

SteveinMN

1-19-14, 9:20am

How 'bout ideas for a can of coconut milk?

Whole coriander seed?

Whole mustard seed?
What kind of coconut milk? The thin kind used in cooking or the thicker, sweeter kind that goes into mixed drinks? Actually, both of them could go into food, with the non-sweetened variety being more flexible. I'd either find a dish that called for it, or cut it into the milk used for another dish in which a coconut flavor would not be jarring, or portion it into 1/4- or 1/2-cup amounts and freeze what you don't use right away.

Or donate it to a food shelf; it's not the kind of thing that usually shows up on food shelves, even though a good chunk of food-shelf users here in the Twin Cities would have ready use for it.

Ditto with the seeds (food shelf idea). If you'd rather keep them, though, coriander can be a nice flavor change in breads or pancakes/waffles. Mustard seeds could be pounded and added to water to create a (sharp) mustard. Or they could be pan-toasted and then used in a wider variety of dishes. Pan-toasting cuts the "bite" some so you're left with a deeper flavor than the sharp vinegary tang of prepared yellow mustard. Maybe part of a salsa or a sauce/dressing for meat or fish? Coriander seed is a bit more restricting. But it generally goes well with more-starchy foods, so it could dress potatoes, yams, etc.

cdttmm

1-19-14, 9:38am

How 'bout ideas for a can of coconut milk?

Whole coriander seed?

Whole mustard seed?

We use a lot of coriander seed at our house so you can send it to me!!! :D

We use coriander seed, cumin seed, and red pepper flakes together, grind them up and put them on any Mexican inspired dish. We use it in quesadillas and on nachos as well as in chili on a regular basis.

new2oregon

1-19-14, 11:38am

siouzq, I just saw this older post and like your artwork. Love seeing recycled crafts and musical instruments. Would like to see more.

fidgiegirl

1-19-14, 12:35pm

Hmm, so to use those seeds do they HAVE to be ground? We only have a pepper mill for the tabletop and I hate to buy more.

The coconut milk is the full fat stuff in a can. I think I had bought it to make coconut milk ice cream. Someone once mentioned they put it in their coffee? Am I remembering this right?

cdttmm

1-19-14, 1:30pm

Hmm, so to use those seeds do they HAVE to be ground? We only have a pepper mill for the tabletop and I hate to buy more.

We grind ours using a mortar and pestle, which you could probably improvise if you don't already have one.

Birdie

1-19-14, 2:38pm

My son makes coconut curry soup. He sautes chopped onion and either butternut squash or sweet potatoes and any other vegetables you like. Then he adds curry paste, a drained can of garbanzo beans and the can of coconut milk. Add water as needed. He may add more stuff but that is all I can remember. It's pretty good and freezes well too.

Blackdog Lin

1-19-14, 10:26pm

kelli - don't know much about coconut milk or coriander, but as for whole mustard seed.....

.....cucumbers. Mustard seed is classic with cucumbers, in all sorts of recipes, fresh, pickled, any of 'em.

Old-Fashioned Sweet-n-Sour Cucumbers

3 large cukes, unpeeled, cut into 1/4" slices
1 large onion, cut into 1/8" rings or slices
1 1/2 c. sugar (I use a scanter amount - to taste)
1 1/2 c. cider vinegar
2 tsp. canning/pickling salt
1 tbs. mustard seed

Whisk together sugar, vinegar, salt and mustard seed, then pour over cucumbers and onions. Refrigerate overnight. Will keep for weeks in the fridge.

I also make microwave bread-n-butter pickles, and a wonderful colorful Calico Salad, using whole mustard seed.

Tiam

1-20-14, 3:51am

Left over blackeyed peas and ham. A couple of servings worth, but we are bit food fatigued on it.

cdttmm

1-20-14, 9:03am

Left over blackeyed peas and ham. A couple of servings worth, but we are bit food fatigued on it.

Personally, I would just freeze the leftovers in meal-sized portions and eat them later, assuming that it is a meal I generally like.

SteveinMN

1-20-14, 11:12am

Kelli, as cdttmm said, they don't have to be ground. If you chose to grind them, you could improvise, especially since neither mustard nor coriander seeds come with the kinds of husks you see on cardamom or nutmeg. Even a rolling pin or a heavy glass jar bottom would do the trick, though it would be more work than a grinder/mortar & pestle.

As for the coconut milk, it still can go in a lot of dishes. Asian and Indian dishes tend to use non-sweetened coconut milk. But the sweetened kind probably could be cut with water or stock to make it usable. Or just save it for desserts and sweeter dishes.

Azure

1-20-14, 4:15pm

Not really a use it up, I think, but a keep using it lol I had bought my 1st reed diffuser on clearance at work last fall. It is a lovely subtle scent that I really enjoyed. It dried up so I decided to try adding some rubbing alcohol to the bottle and it worked! It smells good again.

fidgiegirl

1-20-14, 7:24pm

Chose this recipe to finish off that coconut milk. Had the added bonus of using four squashes from last fall. Only about 20 left. :) Our squash didn't have super flavor, so I don't think the soup turned out AS well as it would have with a really sweet squash, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.

http://grumpygranny.wordpress.com/2011/10/30/squeakin-in-battle-winter-squash/

Tiam

1-21-14, 12:47am

I've really pledged myself not to buy more food, but work on what I have. It seems I have quite a lot. It makes it clear to me, how much I buy when I don't need to. I'm out of coffee, and nearly out of half and half but still have tea. I think I am out of sour cream but may have a creme fraiche that I made that didn't set too well, left. There seems to be more about than I dreamed of, and not buying anything new, I am still having trouble using it all up!

fidgiegirl

2-1-14, 4:43pm

I looked up a few recipes for the caraway seed, and will put away the mustard seed for pickling.

Also going to take some peppermint sugar to work to use in coffee. I also plan to throw some cheddar powder in some pasta this week.

We have so many spices and spice blends right now because my DSis gave me all of hers (she's not that interested in cooking and doesn't know what to do with spices). I combined a few jars of like or almost-like things and tucked a few others further back in the cupboard. Little by little we will use them, but I am planning to focus on some of the infrequently-used, almost-gone stuff to get it out of there.

Noticed that my washing soda is one big cake in the box. Will rip the box up and scrape the soda back into powder in order to use it. I'll have to hunt down a sealed container I can use to store it in to avoid a repeat performance, surely we have something laying around that will work.