Stacey Ho

This is the Ho Family's second year participating in the Eco Challenge. Last year we focused on local food and more walking/less car driving. Over the year we have made a lot of food source changes so this year we want to focus on food waste reduction. With a deep freezer, canning, meal planing and pantry stocking we find we often have a lot of food sitting around. We want to plan our meals around older items in our pantry and freezer to be sure that we are not wasting any food. Our plan will be to try to only by some seasonal veggies, milk, eggs, juice, etc. - but to utilize mostly what we have on hand and to be sure that it doesn't go to the garbage!

We already participate in Meatless and Kids Cook Monday's (though not always on Monday and often many more days that one day a week), but want to continue to cook with the kids and add some more twists by learning to improvise and use what we have - rather than just buying more. Let's see how we do :) If you want to know more about how we got started on our journey to being a greener family through great resources like NWEI you can follow our blog at www.moreorlessinpdx.blogspot.com and I encourage you to make a donation here in our name to help their wonderful organization continue to provide these resources to others.

My EcoChallenge Blog

October 14th, 2011

I have to say these last two weeks went by way to fast. I haven't had time to write out many thoughts or check in like I had wanted but I will... eventually. This weeks challenge has been too much tuna. I'm not sure there is such a thing but we have done panko breaded, casserole, and salad and there is still some to go. The other challenge we have is a giant cabbage (seriously - like 6 lbs) that I have no idea what to do with yet. After this is all over I think I'm going to be much more careful about how I package things before freezing them, and about how much I really buy in bulk (even local, seasonal fare). The smaller the quantities the better - buying in bulk doesn't help if you waste it. Other things I will think about are splitting more meals when eating out (better to snack again on fruit or left overs if we are still hungry later). Oh, and I'm really really looking forward to Portland's new curbside composting coming next month. Not that I want to waste - but it will be cool to compost more if I have too. I'm also realizing that I must must must be better about taking food for lunch some days - time is the challenge here so if anyone knows how to create more of that I could use some tips ;) One last thing I realized is that sharing what you can't eat on your own is great too. One thing that has saved us in this challenge is several group gatherings and taking food to work to share with others. We have an overflow of fruit right now and I'm planning on taking fruit salad to our daughters birthday party this weekend. It will be so good to see it eaten and not have anything go to waste. Now - anyone want some cabbage? ;) Ok, I will get to those blog posts soon.... I hope. PS thanks to everyone who supported our challenge!

October 11th, 2011

For some reason I have added comments and not updates. To update we spent week one using up our strange new pig parts. Making broth with neck bones and rendering fat with back fat. We waged war on our freezer stash of stacked away muffins, apple sauce, and fruit and I gave away or made bread some of the several dozens of bananas that I had rescued from the trash but done nothing with (nice to have a co-worker who makes a lot of smoothies). This week we are focused on some of the several lbs. of tuna and salmon that we got from Know Thy Food last spring and this summer... so I feel like the freezer is emptying out. BUT - what I didn't anticipate is all the leftovers and restaurant waste from eating out. So look for blog posts soon on what I didn't think about and how we used up what we had ;) thanks so much to those that have supported our family!

September 30th, 2011

I'm kicking off our challenge with our first blog post - check out www.moreorlessinpdx.blogspot.com for more information. More to come as we meal plan this weekend.

Comments

From: Mike Mercer

Thanks Stacey for jumping on board again this year. Always appreciate your kind words. Make sure to try out the new food course - Hungry for Change. It's out next week.. enjoy the freezer food!

From: Stacey Ho

So far we have dug down to the bottom of the freezer and made stock and dog food out of our whole hog neck bone from last springs hog purchase and then my husband made a great soup with the stock. Last night he rendered all the back fat so that we now have plenty to use in cooking for what looks like possibly the whole winter (depending on how many cookies we bake ;) ). I'm giving away some frozen bananas that have piled up over the months to a smoothy loving co-worker and we are meal planning to use as much of the food in our fridge, cupboard, and freezer as we can without wasting it. More on how we did all this to come in the blog soon!

From: Tami Boardman

Hi Stacey! Thanks for pushing me up to $400! Tami

From: Dawn Lesley

Just think, after this is all over you can get rich on your new book: "What I Learned From Freezer Burn" !

From: Marcia Muramatsu

Thanks for the inspiration!

From: Stacey Ho

Thanks so much Tami, Dawn, and Marcy for helping out NWEI and for your words of encouragement!

From: Candy Chapman

Always happy to help out our family. So proud of your efforts to make a difference. Mom & dad

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My EcoChallenge(s)

Sustainable Food Options

Trash Reduction

My Fundraising Goal

$50

My Pledge Tally

$75

My Pledgers

• Tami Boardman
• Dawn Lesley
• Marcia Muramatsu
• Candy Chapman