Leftovers: do you ever get tired of it?

[Contrary Housewife]

I've been throwing food out all week. I caught DH not taking his lunch for the third time this week. My fridge is full of little containers. And something in there has died and I cannot find it.

Do you ever get tired of keeping the leftovers and want to say 'the hell with it" and just throw it all out? Do you get sick of tracking what needs to be eaten first, of saving each portion, of washing all the little containers? I'm thinking of purging today. Clean start, no scraps of food shoved in the back of the fridge, no funny smells....

I would SO much rather be doing something else though.

[G'MaDebbie]

YES! I dislike it also! I want to be able to only buy just enough food that we will eat with no leftovers! I would be more than happy to have to buy extra food for lunches if I didnt have to deal with the rotting leftovers in the fridge.....they are just too much bother and NO-ONE eats them like they say they will...
Wheewwww...I feel better about that now! lol!!

[frugal.lass]

Most of the time I don't hate leftovers. I'm single and leftovers save me from having to dirty dishes/my kitchen in order to make a meal for one. That being said, there are times when I get tired of dealing with all the containers of stuff in my fridge and there are most definitely times when I just purge things. I feel guilty about it but honestly, if I hated the meal the first time round and there isn't anything that can be done to fix it, its probably NOT going to be eaten (meat and veggies are easy leftovers to transform, casseroles can't easily be changed if they sucked the first time round).

[CrazyCat]

I've been trying to have a leftover night for dinner.

Sometimes I have 3 different meals of leftovers. Not everyone gets the same thing...but we all eat~

If not..the dogs get the leftovers~

[imagine]

If you want a fresh start I say go for it. Sometimes you just have too.

We generally do not have leftovers for long in the fridge.

Hubby is a magician with leftovers . He can grab a bit of this and a bit of that add something from the pantry and Viola a totally new meal. I still have a hard time figuring out how he does it.

I think that helps keep our leftovers down as well as leftover buffet night.

Also the children like leftovers for breakfast.

[imagine]

I've been trying to have a leftover night for dinner.

Sometimes I have 3 different meals of leftovers. Not everyone gets the same thing...but we all eat~

If not..the dogs get the leftovers~

we call the leftover night Grab and Groan night.

We lay the leftovers on the counter
Everyone grabs what they want, first come first choice.
The groan part come in when the choices you made didn't mix well in your tummy and your tummy aches or you groan because some else already picked what you were hoping for or you groan because someone came after you and made the most amazing leftover remix and your jealous.

We do have some unspoken rules in leftover night. Children pick first unless they do not come when called then they get bumped to the back of the line. If someone has pre requested a leftover you save it for them unless they pre-request all the time. Do not take part of a serving leaving leaving less than a serving for someone else.

My mom took a while to understand these unstated rules/politeness when she is here for grab and groan. She cut in line in front of the children. She took a bit of each main dish and side dish, like you would at a pot luck. Grab and groan night isn't a pot luck sample everything day. When the children pointed out these infractions. She said "Oh, I thought that Grab and Groan night you were suppose to make everyone groan" Nope, the most successful grab and groan night is when everyone thinks they got the best meal at the table.

[monkeywrangler71]

I don't have enough leftovers lately. Of course, probably due to the fact that I hardly cook anymore

If it was good, I'm lucky to get one serving left over for someone's lunch (usually dh). If it wasn't good, then it will sit in the fridge until I throw it out.

[MomToTwoBoys]

God no.

I love my leftovers. <3 it completely!

We don't have much for leftovers, actually. I make enough for six people because DH takes some for work and I make it the next day for my lunch. We had schnitzel last night with rice and corn but there wasn't enough for me today, so I'm having Caesar salad (with the rain, I dare not go walking -- besides, my shins are killing me) for my lunch. Tonight's baked chicken with stuffing is definitely going to yield leftovers, but I'll eat it up like crazy tomorrow for lunch and DH loooooves leftover cold chicken sandwiches.

[MsMarieH]

In general, I really try to use my leftovers, but sometimes it's just plain hard. We usually eat them for lunch. If it's "meat" (i.e. leftover steak, chicken breasts, etc.) I'll often use it as the basis for a stir fry or soup or casserole. But truthfully, sometimes I end up with science experiments and just throwing them out.

[heartofmine]

We call leftovers "if you can find it you can have it" night. LOL

Actually why not make tv dinners with them? Get some of the rubbermaid or other plastic containers with separate departments in them and put leftovers out in them just like tv dinners. Put a piece of tape on top with the date and what is in it. Those will last for a few weeks in the freezer. On nights when you don't want to cook just do "homemade tv dinner" night and heat them in the microwave. Everyone can chose whatever meal they want. Its great for lunches too.

Another tip is to put leftover vege's that would be good in a soup into a ziplock bag and freeze. When you have enough make a big pot of soup. Leftover beans would also work in a freezer bag to use for chili.

[Judi Dial]

WE call it "dibs & dabs"... but the thing that has helped us the most when to freeze it or pitch it is that I noticed that we're good up to 3 times with an entree, like roast chicken, but if I don't do something like turn it into soup or burritos or something, after 3 meals, we both lose interest. So, we've stopped serving it after 2 times of the same thing. Then I just alter it, freeze or pitch it, depending on what it is and how full my freezer is.

This has helped us a lot, I hope it's helpful!

Judi

[dancemommy]

We don't do leftovers well at our house. If it is something I can freeze, I will. If not, sometimes I save it and sometimes I just toss it. I am a little paranoid too though- I don't like for us to eat anything that has been sitting around for more than a couple of days. Terrified of mold!

[lwlynch]

i also just make one day a leftover night.. and then the rest portion in small heatable containers for snacks. sloppyjoe and pulled pork. i portion out for sandwiches and freeze.. also put up pullpork to add into baked beans.. i always usually have a plan

[tervsforme]

I usually do pretty well with my leftovers. I am single and I like to cook on the weekends. By thursday, I am usually tired of what I cooked, so I try to only cook enough for 3 meals, I will sometimes freeze a portion or two, if it can be frozen. The dogs will sometimes get the leftovers on their food as well.

[piney]

I don't mind eating a few left overs about the only time i get tired of them is when i have company and cook a lot and it not all ate and no one take it home with them and i don't have room in freezer.