This is such a hard thing for me to do-- still. That waste not, want not mentality is a B! It's not like I was poor growing up- so it not childhood issues. My parents weren't even members of the clean plate club. It just an intrinsic part of my nature, get all your money's worth.

Everytime i make the boys pancakes there are one or two left over pancakes. I used to freeze them- but they never cared for them reheated. Then I tried leaving them for hubby, but most days he won't eat breakfast. So I've taken to tossing them once I clear the table.

Tonight I made a pasta dish, and had lots of leftover pasta. Again, I tossed the extra before I served dinner, cause I'm sure I would have picked my way through 1/2 a pound of plain pasta otherwise.

I don't know if this will ever become second nature, but I'm seeing the faster I toss them, the less tempted I am to justify eating them. Lord knows I'm a pro at making up those justifications.

I grew up in a "Poor children in Biafra are starving" family. It was also a "You need to lose some weight. Can't you finish this so I don't have to put it away?" family.

I throw food away on a regular basis now. It is not easy, although the easier parts are food we buy for family which comes to visit and is pretty much leftovers. Today my wife held up a partial loaf of bread and asked if we should freeze it for when they return. I said, "It's 30 cents worth of bread! Toss it!" I am pretty sure it is in the freezer right now. I would have tossed it. It is part of the new paradigm.

I like the idea of looking at he dollar value of what's left. 30 cents worth of bread I can toss. In my head though I'm somehow tossing the whole $2.50 loaf.

The mixed messages you got from your family are the same I got from mine.

I STILL dont throw food out unless it is moldy/colorful. I freeze what I can.. Or stick it back in the fridge

I almost laughed right out loud reading your post. My wife is the same way and has not made the transformation yet. The discussion goes like this.

Her: We need to put this in the fridge.

Me: Why? No one is going to eat it.

Her: It's still good!

Me: We can throw it away now, or put it in the refrigerator until it gets moldy and THEN throw it away!

Her: Just put it in the fridge!

I comply, because I want to remain happily married. And a couple of weeks later, I toss it in the trash.

I'm just pleased to know that the LittleBill Family officially recognized the West African State of Biafra!!

Leaving behind all the Thanksgiving leftovers at my Dad's house was hard because I love our family turkey day dishes and I know he'll have no problem tossing them (he's not a big fan of leftovers). But if I had them, I'd eat them! Especially the pumpkin pie that no one else but me loves.

I was always my favorite "garbage receptacle" for food. It's hard to lose that mentality for sure!

My poor chickens get more 'crap' than they should... because I find myself either 'pushing' it on the teens, or feeding it to the chickens. It's still hard though, I won't lie.

There's a piece of carrot cake (homemade by the woman, in my book, that makes the BEST carrot cake ever), my FAVORITE cake IN THE WORLD... sitting in our fridge. If no one eats it by tomorrow, then it's going to the chickens...

Then there are days that I feel the need to shove that **** right into my mouth! Damnit.

I wish my dog didn't have such a sensitive stomach. She can't handle any human food at all. Maybe I should get some chickens :-)

Chickens are awesome ;)

And the eggs are the best bonus ever!