Don't tell the kids I used old cheese for their Lasagna....

Don't tell the kids I used old cheese to make their Lasagna today. Well technically how old is old when it comes to Polly-O Ricotta Cheese?  The expiration date was yesterday. However, when I opened the lid and smelled the Ricotta Cheese it smelled perfectly fine to me.  So my question is, how many of us really following the expiration dates on the food we use?  If it was let's say chicken would you use chicken one day or two days after the expiration date.  With chicken it can be tricky, if you bought the chicken 2 days before the expiration date and then threw it in the freezer then took it out again to use would that chicken be fine to eat?  I have definitely taken sliced thin chicken cutlets and bought a whole bunch because there was a sale and threw it all in the freezer and have used it again.  It was definitely not bad to eat at all.  However, I do prefer nowadays to get my meat from my local butcher fresh without being frozen.  Is there a difference in the taste and quality of meat that has been frozen.  I would have to say from my own experiences the chicken bought fresh from the butcher has a better taste.  It also has been cut nicer and less fat.

Back to what you would use after the expiration date.  I honestly have to say I am one of those that will say if I have to question if this is still good I would rather THROW IT OUT!!! I know this is totally being wasteful I get it but I don't usually like taking any chances.  How about bread, would you use bread after the expiration date?.  Of course I would for sure if the bread was one day old.  However anything after that one day I start that questioning in my head and OUT it goes..... So back to the question about the Polly-O Ricotta Cheese, this cheese has met the "Michele" guidelines of what is to old to eat and not.  One day older then the expiration date is fine with me.  Isn't cheese suppose to get better with age....Okay I know now that kind of cheese, this cheese I am sure will just get worse and worse. 

Do we all find that we are sometimes very wasteful with food we purchased.  I am trying in this New Year to really go through my entire refrigerator and plan my meals around what I have currently in their.  I tend to sometimes over shop and find some of my food goes bad before I get to use it.  Most of use do not want to stop at a store every few days to pick up items, however if you stop at a grocery store or your local butcher to shop for your foods for the next few days I guarantee you will save money this way.  You won't over buy and waste more food.  You simply get exactly what you plan on cooking for the next three days and have all these items in your refrigerator.  I know most would say, I can't plan that far ahead 3 days ahead is a crazy idea.  But, if you want to now be so wasteful with your food simply planning 3 meals ahead of time is not that unreachable.

Back to my Lasagna, today I am using Barilla for my pasta noodles.  I am also happy to say, I had a box of Lasagna left over from Christmas with several pieces left and will be using that to make just a small tray of Lasagna for the kiddies.  An afternoon snack after school will make them all happy.  I will be happy that I do not waste or throw out "old" cheese and Lasagna noodles.

Mission accomplished!!!