We have lights, people!!!!
It’s been a crazy week! We lost power last Friday after the violent storm pounded the DC area.
After a week of camping out at my mom’s house, we finally got our power restored yesterday.
SEVEN DAYS without power!
It’s amazing how much we take electricity and air conditioning for granted. You never realize just how important (and uncomfortable) it is until you don’t have it.
The house is now at a normal temperature: 91 degrees down to 79 degrees. Ahhhh!
We went to Trader Joe’s and Safeway last night and restocked.
Before:
After:
Much better!
Since we lost most of our food, a lot of our meals were fast food. As much as I love Chipotle, Ledo Pizza, and Five Guys french fries, it packed a punch on my waistline.
I’m going through veggie withdrawal, so today I stopped at Butler’s Orchard to check out their produce.
Look what I found!
Yep, you read it right. Seconds.
Butler’s has a Second Chance bin that is full of produce marked down super cheap. Other than a few blemishes, it’s perfect.
I was so thankful that Butler’s gave their customers a chance to purchase this wonderful produce. A lot of markets don’t.
I was reminded of a Food Network special that I watched months back called The Big Waste.
Bobby Flay, Michael Symon, Anne Burrell and Alex Guarnaschelli were challenged to create a gourmet banquet using only food that was going to be thrown away. They found mounds and mounds of food that was perfectly edible, but viewed as imperfect to the consumer.
What is the perfect apple to you? The perfect pea pod? The perfect peach? Does it have scratches? Spots? Too small or too big? Nope. We always go for the perfectly sized, spotless, shiny produce. We toss everything else aside, like it’s worthless. But in reality, it’s perfect.
I admit that before watching this program, I would often bypass the second best food. But I realize now that there’s nothing wrong with it. It can still be a perfect addition to a great meal, like the chefs on the show proved.
So the next time you go the grocery store, the farmer’s market, or the orchard, I challenge you to pick up that less than perfect peach, potato, or tomato and give it a try. You’ll be cutting down on waste and enjoying a delicious meal. Sounds like a win in my book:)
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