The first time I had dinner with the in-laws, Wilma and I were chatting as she cleaned up. She returned the uneaten pickles to the pickle jar and said to me, sternly:
"We don't waste food."
I quickly thought, "Does she think I waste food? Did I waste any food tonight? Who wastes food?"
Years later, I was at a restaurant with Wilma's daughter, Sandy. She asked for a leftover box and announced to the table, "We don't waste food."
I turned to my niece Arzaana-fay and demanded she waste some food, right then, thinking maybe it would keep her from turning into her relatives. I have nothing against wasting food, I just don't like the tone of holier-than ... I dunno ... than that strange sect out there who evidently believe in wasting food.
Actually, the next time Arzaana-fay visited there was a turkey that I defrosted too long, and I made her pick up the 10 pound turkey and slam-dunk it into the trash bin, yelling "I WASTE FOOD!" (This still makes me laugh wickedly.) But, that was an aberration. Usually I use all parts of the Buffalo.
This was on my mind at the grocery today. I overbought barbecue sauce for my last barbecue project. So, this week we will be having:
Ham in barbecue sauce
Pork tenderloin in barbecue sauce
Chicken in barbecue sauce
Petite smoked sausages in barbecue sauce (because "Lil' Smokies" is such an asinine name)
AND
Pizza
I realize I could just throw out the extra barbecue sauce , or shove it in the back of the fridge, but it feels like a waste, and in this house we don't waste barbecue sauce.
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