Food-Saving and Recycling

Regarding tomato paste, it seems a whole can of tomato paste is many times too much for some recipes. Suggestion: take a piece of waxed paper, putting it on a cookie sheet and putting teaspoonfuls of the leftover paste on the paper -- another sheet on top and freeze this. When frozen just peel them off and put them in a baggie and when you need a tsp. or tbs. of paste you have it without opening a whole can and there is no waste. OR-- put small amounts in an ice tray and then just pop them out when I need them.

Mash and freeze ripe bananas, in one-cup portions, for use in later baking~no wasted bananas (or you can freeze them whole, peeled, in plastic baggies).

Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Storing Cake -- If you store half and apple in the container which you are storing a cake, the cake will retain its freshness.

Leftover Pie Dough -- Extra pie dough? Cover it with some parmesan and gruyere cheese and you'll bake a delicious appetizer--at the very same meal with your pie as dessert.

If you freeze wild rice it will last 3-4 months compared to a week in the refrigerator. A good trick when you go away on vacation is to place a baggie with a few ice cubes in the freezer. If a power failure occurs while you are gone and the food thaws and then refreezes you will know about it when you get home.

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator it will keep for weeks!

Save celery leaves. Spread them out on paper towels or a paper plate and let them dry. Crumble them into soups, salads and stuffing's. They will add an extra zippy flavor for free.

Broccoli Stalks -- Don't discard the tough ends of broccoli stalks. Use them for making soups.

Instead of throwing away bread heels or leftover cornbread, use them to make bread crumbs. For use later, store them in the freezer.

Don't throw those single serving gelatin plastic cups away, make your own single servings. Place the cups in a muffin holder, fill the cups and place in the refrigerator. It only takes a few minutes and no mess.

Potato chip bag open again and they're all stale and yucky?? Pop them in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, let stand for two minutes and they'll be crispy again.

Save your store-bought-bread bags and ties~they make perfect storage bags for homemade bread!

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love 'em!

Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if you store it upside down in the refrigerator. This slows the effects of oxidation.

To keep milk past it's expiration date add salt. A pinch of salt in a gallon will do it. The salt slows the rate of bacteria growth.

Brown sugar will not harden if stored in the freezer.

Keep the linings from cereal boxes~they make great substitutes for waxed paper!

Moldy Fruit -- What should you do with fruit with mold? Throw it away rather than simply cutting off the mold since mold on fruit goes much deeper than what appears on the fruit.