OnlySunshine Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Like I mentioned in another thread, the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal are BIG on economizing. They try to reuse everything they can so it minimizes cost and keeps them in line with the poor of the community. When I visited them in January 2010, I noticed that they kept virtually every plastic container they had to store left over food in the fridge. It was funny seeing them pull out everything for lunch and dinner and placing it on the little island counter in the middle of the kitchen. I also remember washing wire racks that they had cooked meat on (I think it was pork or something), that had little bits of meat and skin left on it from cooking. Rather than throw it away, we put it in the sink and scrubbed the bits off. It was penance trying to stand there scrubbing every little bit off. I remember looking at my hands when I was done and thought they looked like prunes. The Sisters are big on not wasting food, either. When we served in the soup kitchen, there was quite a bit of leftover beef stew and mashed potatoes so that is what we had for lunch when clean up was over. The only time we had freshly cooked food was when we went to eat dinner at the postulants' house. We sat around this large table, family style. It was so nice! I love those Sisters so much. I cannot remember much economizing while I was with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus unless you count them using lightly perfumed soaps and bath stuff given as donations that they would not buy themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPetiteSoeur Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Chinese food containers are the BEST for storage of cookies, pasta, anything really! SAVE THE CONTAINERS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmenchristi Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 (edited) [quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1317236203' post='2311779'] I thought everyone did that? And freezerbags etc? Thats so normal to me it never crossed my mind to mention it! [/quote] Really? When I first visited the community I was in shock to see that the sisters washed plastic wrap. I mean, I could understand re-using plastic bags that just had bread in them, but the cling-wrap stuck on the wall over the sink to dry was just too much for me! I'm glad that the plastic wrap re-usal is now only limited to really clean stuff that doesn't require washing! How about re-using coffee grinds or tea bags more than once? That's another one that shocked me, but again just another individual's idea that somehow became a rather common practice.... again abolished! Thank God, because the second time around the caffine is no longer effective! And I'm no addict. Edited September 30, 2011 by carmenchristi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulBride Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 [quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1317223139' post='2311685'] Oh goodness! Thankfully I never came up against that one. Oh there was a time when we had spinach for dinner and halfway through my NM who I sat next to noticed me put a bit into the little bowl. She raised her eyebrows so I moved it a little to show her the [b]well cooked caterpillar[/b] I had discovered She later told me she was extremely impressed at how discreet I had been, just getting rid of it then eating the rest of the spinach without a second thought. [/quote] Cooked Caterpillar?? eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwww but how wonderful that you were so discreet and obedient to continue eating it. Yeah I would have screamed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InPersonaChriste Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 [quote name='HopefulBride' timestamp='1317392393' post='2312806'] Cooked Caterpillar?? eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwww but how wonderful that you were so discreet and obedient to continue eating it. Yeah I would have screamed. [/quote] Ive eaten grosser things. At least it was cooked eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulBride Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 [quote name='InPersonaChriste' timestamp='1317393614' post='2312812'] Ive eaten grosser things. At least it was cooked eh? [/quote] Le big gasp. but yet I'm intrigued Like what? oh wait don't tell me yet, I'm going to lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandelynmarie Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 (edited) I've encountered dehydrated ladybugs in a school lunch salad one time. That was enough! Edited September 30, 2011 by brandelynmarie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 [quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1317421595' post='2313056'] I've encountered dehydrated ladybugs in a school lunch salad one time. That was enough! [/quote] Ew! That's disgusting and awful (since ladybugs are so cute). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faithcecelia Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 Cutting up used enveloped to make papers we could write notes to each other on. Fine in itself, but by nature of the card business we always had a steady supply of white notepaper from the bands they put around the cards at the printers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 [quote name='faithcecelia' timestamp='1317422794' post='2313075'] Cutting up used enveloped to make papers we could write notes to each other on. Fine in itself, but by nature of the card business we always had a steady supply of white notepaper from the bands they put around the cards at the printers. [/quote] Hehe, I used to cut up paper that was going to be thrown away at home if it had a blank backside. I would cut it into note sized pieces and put in in a memo container. It lasted at least a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah147 Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 I write to a postulant of the FI's and she writes super tiny so as to save on paper. Eh, she's Franciscan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopefulBride Posted September 30, 2011 Share Posted September 30, 2011 [quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1317421595' post='2313056'] I've encountered dehydrated ladybugs in a school lunch salad one time. That was enough! [/quote] eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwww. Sooo glad I read this after lunch since I had a salad as my lunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brandelynmarie Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Some of the Carmels I was in used a little mesh bag to put their bath soap in when it got too small to use. The bag would be full of these little bits and pieces and hung over the water tap at the sink, and we used this for washing our hands. We were asked to use only cold water for handing washing, not only as a penance, but also as an economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sister Marie Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 ALERT... feminine products ahead... We have a whole closet full of feminine hygiene products down in our basement... and its not going anywhere fast... I'm the only sister young enough in this house to use them and I buy my own with my LMA... they look like they are from 1960... I'm afraid they won't work as well... I bring them to school and put them in the closet for emergency middle school situations, which there are a lot of... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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