Lisa Hirst Carnes
10/12/2026 6:40 AM
Definitely! We're finishing (or giving away) leftovers. It's great not seeing so much in our compost bin.
October 1 - October 31, 2026
"My mission is to waste less, spend thoughtfully, and enjoy food more, building everyday habits that help me use what I have, appreciate what I eat, and reduce my impact."
Lisa's points
- 0 TODAY
- 5 THIS WEEK
- 280 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO7.2pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO3.4poundsfood waste prevented
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UP TO8.0zero-waste mealsconsumed
Lisa's actions
Storage
Create an Eat First Area
I will create an "Eat First" area in my fridge to prioritize food that needs to be used right away for my household of 2.
Planning
Keep a Food Inventory
I will take a fridge and pantry inventory to stay up to date with what I have at home before I go grocery shopping.
Planning
Plan a Leftovers Day
I will plan a meal to use up leftovers by creating a tasty smorgasbord or using a recipe that repurposes them.
Cooking
Cook Just Enough
I will scale down the recipe of a meal to make just the right amount for my household of 2 so we eat everything up.
Cooking
Cook From Root to Leaf
I will try root-to-leaf recipes, which utilize all parts of the vegetable, such as beet greens, carrot tops, and herb stems.
Participant Feed
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REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningAre there food items you have been better about using up and not wasting since you started keeping an inventory of what's in your fridge?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONCookingWe often worry about running out of food so we make too much. What thoughts and feelings have come up when you make just the right amount to eat up all the food?
Lisa Hirst Carnes 10/07/2026 7:03 AMWe’re still getting used to being just two in our household, so this has been a little tricky. We are, however, catching on!Side note: When our family has a larger gathering and the food starts running low, we have a saying to make sure there’s enough for our guests: “Family, hold back.” -
REFLECTION QUESTIONStorageWhat kinds of food are on your Eat First shelf? Has creating an Eat First area helped you reduce food waste?
Lisa Hirst Carnes 10/05/2026 3:21 PMI hadn’t really thought about it this way, but I actually did this a few days ago. We ate some delicious homemade red lentil soup and remembered we had raspberries just in time to eat them. Great idea!-
Josie Buesgens 10/05/2026 4:36 PM
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Lisa Hirst Carnes 10/05/2026 3:16 PMSaved two bananas from the compost bin and made a humble (yet still good) banana bread.
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H McCrillis 10/07/2026 6:22 AM -
Frances Platt 10/05/2026 6:30 PM -
Abby Horner Riedinger 10/05/2026 5:01 PM
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REFLECTION QUESTIONPlanningWhat kinds of foods do you like to eat as leftovers? If you or your household members don't like eating leftovers, are there any foods you would be more willing to try than others?
Lisa Hirst Carnes 10/02/2026 9:05 AMI enjoy leftovers that can be "repurposed" into something else. For example, a brown rice that can be made into a fried rice or chili that becomes a taco salad. -
Lisa Hirst Carnes 10/01/2026 7:56 AM
Two magnificent (basketball-sized) puffball mushrooms!-
David Carnes 10/01/2026 9:02 AM
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