Recycling leftovers instead of to go containers

Recently we had breakfast at the Southern Kitchen Coffee Shop.

It's located in Downtown Los Gatos on Main Street just east of the HWY 17 overpass between Icing on the Cake and the High School.

As usual, my breakfast was too big. But because I (almost) always bring a tupperware-type container with me I brought my leftover hash browns and English muffin home.

And for the first time ever our server didn't just smile or laugh that I had my own take out container, she thanked me for doing so and said she always thanks all of their customers who do the same. It made me feel good, not that she thanked me, that there are other people out there doing the same thing for the sake of the environment and for future generations.

Absolutely loving my Lodge Logic cast iron skillet.

So, what do you get when you combine leftover hash browns with a Beefless Gardein Burger or regular ground beef? Burger hash! I also re-toasted the muffin though it got a bit overdone because I didn't realize the toaster oven was set to bake and not toast. If I'd had an egg handy a fried egg would have made it a perfect meal the next morning.

I just tossed the hash browns in my cast iron skillet with a frozen Gardein burger. Once the burger cooked I minced it with the spatula and stirred it into the potatoes. It was terrific!

I find any type of hash browns reheat really well in a frying pan. I've also brought home leftover fruit to add to a smoothie and often bring home half a sandwich or burger from dinner and eat it for lunch the next day.

Leftovers from my first visit to Ike's Lair sandwich shop in Cupertino, CA

California is considering legislating to go/take out containers, something many cities have already done, to ban the use of styrofoam take out containers statewide. There are pros and cons if this is done but at the end of the day the reality is that we could choose to eliminate the use of a lot of styrofoam for leftover food by simply bringing our own reusable containers with us when we dine out.

I lay a napkin beneath sandwiches to wick away moisture from the bread

The question I posed to myself when I started doing this is if we don't mind walking out of a restaurant with a take out container, why should we mind walking in with one?

Other eco-friendy dining out ideas include using reusable chopsticks and bringing my own plastic cup to restaurants that use throw away cups for in-house dining.