here're some super fun ideas...

I promised y'all tips and tricks. Turns out, most of them involve reducing food waste and, in the long run, getting more out of a dollar for doing so (gotta love that two birds, one stone). Food waste, just as an additional fun fact, is a huge cause of climate change. In fact, "[i]f food waste were a country, it would come in third after the United States and China in terms of impact on [climate change]." And if that doesn't get you going, all the calories wasted would be enough to feed every single one of the undernourished on Earth. So, check out this site for five incredibly easy ways to reduce your own food waste, and if you want to help reduce food waste on a scale larger than your kitchen, check out organizations like Table to Table in Iowa City, Iowa (or find one near you).

But I digress. Following are some of my own ideas for you. Most of which include reducing food waste, as I've already stated. And I've incorporated a picture with each tip because it's aesthetically pleasing and it helps prove that I've done it myself. That means I really know what I'm talking about. All about that ethos.

Stop throwing away the green tops of root vegetables.

That means carrots and beets and turnips and radishes and probably a bunch of other things I'm not listing here. Sauté them for a side dish, use them where you would normally use other leafy greens. Whatever. They've got all kinds of flavor, and they're good for you too.

Roast things.

Who knew radishes could be so good roasted? Know what else is delicious in the oven? All kinds of stuff. Eggplant, potatoes, beets. Toss them in the oil of your choice and toss some salt on there. If you're feeling extra exciting, add some pepper too (but I've restricted myself to salt, so here I am.) Radishes let go of some of that spicy flavor and replace it with something semi-sweet (but not really that either.) They end up with roughly the texture of potatoes. Delish. Really.

Save your drippings.

My oil options took a major hit when I decided to eat local this month. But then I bought some bacon. Cooking bacon renders a whole bunch of fat, and that fat can be poured in a jar and saved for later: Think frying potatoes or an egg, roasting veggies, whatever. It's already got a bunch of flavor (which then gets infused into that other food) and it came with the bacon. That means two tasty purchases for the price of one.

Make your own broth and stock.

It's really as easy as not throwing away your peels and stems. Or bones if you're a carnivore. There's loads of recipes online, but it doesn't really matter a whole lot what goes in. And, as with keeping those drippings for later, it doesn't require a whole lot of extra work, and it means you're getting more bang for your buck.

Get more out of your coffee.

Part one of this: Please, please, please do not ever put your coffee grounds down your sink drain. It will clog it, your plumber will probably roll their eyes at you. Part two: You can do something way better with them anyway. Coffee grounds are great for plants, and the internet is full of techniques just waiting to be taken advantage of by you. I just sprinkle mine around my plants. Don't have a garden? Coffee grounds can be added to the soil of house plants too. Don't drink coffee but want to take advantage of the benefits of this practice? Ask a friend (like DreiBerge Coffee).

Also, if you're boiling vegetables, don't dump that water down the drain either. Let it cool and proceed to water your plants with it. The water is holding some nutrients from the veggies you're about to eat and those nutrients can be given back to other plants. Sharing really is caring. (I have done this. I know there's not a picture. I forgot to take one. It happens to the best of us.)