Save Food, Spend Less Challenge 2026

Hennepin County | Ramsey County | Washington County

October 1 - October 31, 2026

ArcStone Feed

BACK TO TEAM PAGE

REFLECTION QUESTION
Planning

Are 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?
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.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Cooking

We 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 AM

We’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.”

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Storage

What 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 PM

I 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!

Read More
- Josie Buesgens 10/05/2026 4:36 PM
  
  Delicious!
  
  Read More
Lisa Hirst Carnes 10/05/2026 3:16 PM

Saved two bananas from the compost bin and made a humble (yet still good) banana bread.

Read More
- Abby Horner Riedinger 10/05/2026 5:01 PM
  
  Thats awesome!
  
  Read More
- H McCrillis 10/07/2026 6:22 AM
  
  Hooray! 🍞🍌🍌 🥳
  
  Read More
- Frances Platt 10/05/2026 6:30 PM
  
  Yay! That’s great!!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Planning

What 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 AM

I 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.

Read More
Lisa Hirst Carnes 10/01/2026 7:56 AM

Two magnificent (basketball-sized) puffball mushrooms!

Read More
- David Carnes 10/01/2026 9:02 AM
  
  Puffballs are good edible mushrooms - better than the button mushrooms in the store.
  
  Read More