The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

JellyCity — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:04:33 GMT

My mother always made use of leftovers. Whenever she cooked rice, she always made a huge pot so that she would have leftovers, even if she wasn't sure yet what she would do with it the next day. Sometimes she would add tomato juice/sauce, onions, etc. to make "Spanish rice" or use to make stuffed green peppers, other times she would add milk, eggs, sugar, etc. to make rice pudding. Sometimes she would brown some hamburger (sometimes alone, other times with some diced onion) and use part of it to make sloppy joes or something, and put the rest in the fridge or freezer to use for something else another time. Many times the leftovers were used in a different way than the way they were originally served.

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

mauraslo — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:38:42 GMT

I cook for one and freeze the extras. I cook a whole pound of hamburger and freeze the extra patties. I freeze homemade soup and even milk,since I only use a little milk in my tea and to make scrambled eggs on weekends. I eat out a lot and freeze my restaurant leftovers. It is nice not to have to cook when I come home from work. I only have to cook about two times a week and I don't have to worry about leftovers going bad!

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

j e mack — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:10:32 GMT

My son is allergic to lots of stuff, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, wheat, soy, corn and all beans. I cook a lot of Daniel-safe food and freeze it. Soups, home made Daniel-safe mac and cheese, casaroles, Daniel-safe lasagna roll ups, and the like. He is two, so I freeze small portions and larger ones for me, as I have a lot of the same allergies. The cost of the rice pasta is KILLING our budget so when I buy it I try to use it all. We do get tired of rice and baked potato sometimes, so I pull these out and reheat. It is also good for when he goes to grandma's house and she wants to feed him without breaking out a second set of pots and pans.

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

B.K. Clark — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:43:19 GMT

Planned overs can be scrumptious, cost effective, and time efficient. I learned how to "plan-over" from "Cooking for the Week" by professional chefs Dian Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart. I checked this book out from our public library. I used their menus until I got the hang of it, and then began creating my own.

Sometimes there isn't enough food left at the table to make a new meal for my family. I bring a fresh plate to the table after dinner and artfully arrange the leftovers for my lunch at work. I might add a bed of greans from my garden and turn tonight's grilled salmon and vegetables into a gorgeous salad. It takes maybe two minutes, and the next day I get a lot of envious eyes in the staff lounge.

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

debbie — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 07:06:40 GMT

just get rid of the republicans and you can start living like a human again

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

Annette Trammell — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:30:34 GMT

I think it is great to not be spoiled to cooking a new meal every night!!!! I grew up with a family of 5 children and two adults. We DID NOT throw away anything. My mother brought us up to be thankful for what we had because many other children and families did not have any food. So my siblings and I grew up this way, so of course to this day we all eat left overs or make a new dish from the old meat or vegetables. I think that there is nothing wrong with it and very smart and economical.

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:00:57 GMT

We are 2 people, & neither of us is a leftover person. Our solution, we bought a food saver sealer. I freeze any wet leftovers is single serving, then seal and label with date what it is etc. Nothing goes to waste, and we don't ever eat the same thing in the next couple of weeks. When we are to busy to cook there is food of many sorts available. When the neighbor had heart surgery, we had lots of food to offer that took little effort to heat up, and tasted fresh. Same with leftover waffles & pancakes. Dry completely on cooling rack, then freeze. The toaster heats with out making things soggy.

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

Janice Cox — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:06:59 GMT

I cook for 1, so it is impossible not to have left overs. Once I eat my first portion, I immediately package and date the leftovers in individual serving portions and freeze. It is fun to have these available, particularly on rushed evenings. They are like finding a treat.

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

Susie — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:40:45 GMT

Good idea, Miss K about cooling it down - we are notorious for over eating soup,stews, because it is still warm on the stove. I cook in the crockpot most of the time because I like my meals ready when I get home therefore, I can use much cheaper cuts of beef, whole chickens (lot cheaper than breastmeat and I have mastered a mean pot of chicken noodle soup) and we'll eat it one night as a meal it was intended then put into wraps, mixed w/sauces, etc. - there are only two of us and I cook for four or more and try my best not to overeat because I like to cook but I like not having to cook even better, we never eat out unless it's a special occasion then we enjoy it more because we don't do it all the time. If you could get yourself a head one month and stock up on items, then only buy food items as they are on sell and in season you can save - I will even buy larger boxes of brownies, family size boxes of rice/black beans meals, etc. and divide them into two meal preps so that we don't get overly tired of it or overeat too much of a good thing because lots of times that is what is on sell and it's cheaper than the smaller box. My Dad used to have a saving "If you'd stay out of the stores - you would not spend money" that is true when it comes to grocery shopping especially - impulse buying and going to the store hungry are both no-nos. I could go on and on because I love the idea of saving money and being able to do less w/more.

re: The leftover calendar: Getting more from food dollars

Maria — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:33:15 GMT

We do not call them left overs. I call them make overs. Todays hamburger BBQUE is tomorrows taco meat. Todays meat loaf is cut in to tomorrows meatballs for spaghetti. Broiled chicken *** tomorrows Ceaser salad. It works & my family has no clue they are eating leftovers.