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Leftover Food Has Many Different Uses!

Food is one of the easiest expenses to forget about, especially because we waste so much of it. On the other hand, it's hard to buy the exact amount we need, so who can blame us? But there are ways to waste less food and reuse it instead of just throwing it away. Here I've collected 12 ways for you to save your extra food:
 
1. Reusing Green Onions
Food - Leftovers - Usages

It may sound strange but it's true - green onions can grow back when you save their white roots. How? Just cut off the green leaf and put the white ends in a cup of water. Put the cup on a sunny windowsill. The onions will start growing almost immediately, and you will be able to harvest the green leaves almost indefinitely. From time to time, empty the water, rinse the roots and return them to a cup of fresh water.

2. Reusing Ground Coffee
Food - Leftovers - Usages

Ground, used, or dried coffee can be used to solve a lot of situations, so before you throw it away, you can:

• Use it as an ant repellent by spreading it a little where ants can be found.
• For skin peeling, you can massage coffee grains on your face and rinse.
• To fertilize plants, you can spread ground coffee on acidic earth
• To neutralize bad odors in the freezer, put a bowl of ground coffee inside (you can add a few drops of vanilla extract).
• To remove scents of foods from your hands, we recommend rubbing them together with ground coffee and then washing.
• To rid your dog of fleas, wash him, then rub ground coffee on his fur, and then wash him again. 

 

3. Use Ripe Bananas to Cook 
Food - Leftovers - Usages

Bananas that are too ripe may not be good for eating, but they can become delicious banana bread. So instead of throwing them away, make a terrific and delicious dessert.

You will need:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 spoon of drinking soda
• 1/4 spoon of salt
• 1/2 a glass of softened butter
• 3/4 a cup of brown sugar 
• 2 scrambled eggs 
• 2 cups of squashed ripe bananas

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 347°F (175°C) and oil an English cake-baking mold.
2. In a big bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. In a different bowl, mix butter and brown sugar.
3. Add the eggs and the squashed bananas to the butter and brown sugar bowl and mix well. Add the banana mix to the flour, baking soda, and salt bowl and mix well.
4. Pour it into a mold and put in the pre-heated oven for 60 minutes. Let the banana bread cool for 10 minutes, and then serve. 

4. From Dry Munchies to Crunchy Munchies 
Food - Leftovers - Usages
Snacks such as potato chips or crackers are expensive and can take a big bite out of your budget over time, and so it can be quite annoying when a big bag of chips or crackers goes stale after only a few days. However, instead of throwing them away, put them in the microwave for 10 seconds. They will make a short trip back in time to a higher level of crunchiness!
Please note: The freshness cannot be returned to crackers or chips that have begun to smell bed, are moldy or hardly have any taste. 
5. Getting More from Your Lemon
Food - Leftovers - Usages
If you need to add just a few drops of lemon to a recipe, don't cut it in half. Instead, prick it with a tooth pick and gently squeeze out the amount you need. Cover the hole with a little tape or paper and put the lemon back in the fridge to be used again later.
 
6. Dry Rice for Drying 
Food - Leftovers - Usages
If you have encountered an old bag of rice and you're worried it's no longer good enough to eat, don't throw it away. Instead, next time something gets wet (like your phone, for instance) put the rice in a bowl and the wet object on the rice. The rice will drain the liquids from the object. So if it is your cell phone, for example, wait 24 hours and then turn it back on.
7. Oil Eggs for Extra Freshness
Food - Leftovers - Usages
To prolong the life of fresh eggs, dip a paper towel in plant oil and gently rub the egg shells before putting them in the fridge for storage. The oil will keep those eggs fresh for another 3-4 weeks.
8. De-funking that Dish Sponge
Food - Leftovers - Usages

If you need to clean and you are out of good sponges, just put that old funky one in the microwave for 2 minutes. It will look much cleaner after 99% of its germs have been killed, and will be almost good as new. 

CAREFUL! Do NOT put any sponges that have any metal fibers in them, as no metal can be put inside a microwave!

9. From Old Bread to Croutons 
Food - Leftovers - Usages

Don't throw away old bread! You can dice it, fry it with butter, and make delicious croutons for your salad or soup. HOW?

Dice the dry bread. Put a pan on a medium to high heat and melt a little butter. Put the diced bread in the pan and toast until all the sides begin to turn brown. When the bread has been toasted, remove from the fire. If you do not plan on using the croutons right away, let them cool and only then put them in storage. 

10. Citrus Peels vs. Insects
Food - Leftovers - Usages

While citrus fruit gives the body essential vitamins, its peel is also quite useful. It helps to keep away flying insects and ants, as well as neutralize moldy smells. Use scraped peel and rub it on surfaces that attract a lot of flying insects or ants.

Another option is to throw the peels in a blender, add a glass of water and grind until the mixture turns smooth. Then, pour the liquid on anthills or near the entrance of the house. To get rid of moldy smells, put an orange peel in a cloth bag and hang it in old closets. You can also throw a citrus fruit peel in the trash compactor to get rid of bad odors. 

11. Too Many Potatoes? Not a Bad Thing!
Food - Leftovers - Usages
Did you peel too many potatoes or sweet potatoes? Don't throw out the extra ones or cook too much. Just take the uncooked ones, put them in a bowl with cold water, add a few drops of vinegar and put them in the fridge. The potatoes will last like this for another 3-4 days.
12. Crumbs Will Do!
Food - Leftovers - Usages
A moment before you throw away bags of pretzels, croutons, cereal, crackers or other snacks that have crumbs - collect the crumbs in one big plastic bag and crush the crumbs with a rolling pin. Then you can use them to dress up other courses or freeze them in big chunks and then cook slightly for resurrected snacking.
Images courtesy of depositphotos
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