Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter my giveaway for Progresso Lemon Pepper Panko and a hardcover cookbook by Chef Michael Chiarello. I'll take entries through 11:59 PM (CST) tonight. Entries are low at this point, so your chances of winning are good!
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We needed a revolving door on our house this weekend. For a family that almost never has company, we had a lot of it the last few days.
We had our friends (a family of 4) over Friday night for supper, one of my friends stopped by on Saturday to drop off some recycling information, and at the same time Shane's foreman (when Shane's not the foreman himself) and his wife came over to get some of the canna bulbs that we had just dug up so they can plant them in their yard next spring. Of course, on Sunday, my daughter Jean and son-in-law M. were here for a while when they brought Kat home from staying at their house for the weekend.
For us, that was a lot of visitors! Unfortunately, while John and his family were here Friday night, John was beginning to get sick. By yesterday afternoon, Shane was also sick. It may or may not be what Kat also had last week. It doesn't seem to be serious; maybe a bad cold or a very mild flu. Hopefully everyone will feel better soon and we didn't spread it to too many of our visitors.
Otherwise, the weekend was fairly productive. Between guests on Saturday, I cleaned and organized my craft supplies closet. I managed to cull out some things, especially some yarn that I finally decided I'd never use (think 90s sparkly yarn). I filled four plastic grocery bags full of yarn I'd "inherited" from one of Shane's grandmas and listed it on craigslist for free. The first respondent asked if she could have it to make stocking caps to donate to the area homeless shelters. That sounded like a great idea to me, so it was out the door about 30 minutes after I listed it.
Yesterday I really didn't do much of anything other than help Shane clean out the garden beds and put some lawn items away for the winter. I didn't even cook yesterday because we had plenty of leftovers that needed to be eaten.
I have to mention, though, that our friends really took me aback on Friday night when they asked why I cooked as much food as I did. When Shane and I simultaneously said that we'd eat the leftovers over the next few days, they said (also simultaneously) that they "don't do leftovers". I know this isn't uncommon, but it always seems to blindside me when someone refuses to eat perfectly good food because it was cooked the day before. The sad part of this is that we've eaten at their house enough to know that they, like us, tend to cook more than enough for one meal. I wonder what happens to the rest. I wonder if they actually throw it out. The thought of that makes me cringe.
Ok, so I'm not here to gossip about my friends. That was just something I needed to vent about, though.
We're supposed to have a couple of nice days in a row before it starts cooling down again, so today after school I'll probably take Kat to the park for a while. Otherwise, my week is going to sound a lot like last week. For one thing, I have to go on Wednesday to get my thyroid blood work done. I ended up canceling last Wednesday's appointment because Kat was at home sick that day. The rest of the week should play out routinely until Saturday. Saturday morning Shane will be deer hunting and, if my mom is up for a visit, Kat and I will be visiting my parents. Since Shane will be hunting on John's' land, we may all end up at their house before the day is over, or Kat and I may just come back home. We've been invited to spend the night at our friends' house so the guys' can get an early start, but we aren't really up for that. They live just 15 miles away, and Shane would rather sleep in his own bed, get up early and make the short drive. I tend to agree with him; it's just not far enough away to justify giving up our own familiar bed and routines.
What do you have planned for the week? Anyone else enjoying some warm November days, or is it already cold where you are?
9 comments:
It's beautiful up north today! We do leftovers and in a big way! We had a church pot luck yesterday and I believe I came home with more food than I brought! We all split up the leftovers from the meal. Well at least the ones who wanted to take stuff home...
I can't imagine not having at least one leftover meal a week! And that's what my lunches are...
McVal: We have at least one supper a week comprised of leftovers, too. What gets me is people who say they hate leftovers, but will eat buffet food or catered food. Both of those (and probably a lot of other restaurant food, too) are made hours, if not a day or two, ahead of time.
What I dislike about 'not doing leftovers' is that is doesn't make sense for someone to say something that generalized. I'd love to know the actual reasoning they are using. Do they think there's a decline in the quality the next day? Some foods are even better if made ahead. As someone who often cooks meals ahead, I can tell you most foods reheat just fine. Do they not like to eat the same thing on consecutive days? Freeze them and pull them out when they're ready to face that meal again. Turn the leftovers into something completely different.
This week I have Veteran's Day (Thursday) off but I'll have Dan since his daycare is closed that day too. Nick has Friday off and somehow I volunteered to work the book fair that morning (it's open during parent-teacher conferences). I didn't realize he was off that day but I kept my commitment. I volunteered last week and got to interact with the kids, this week I will get to see the parents. I might bring Nick with me, take him to lunch and then return him to the before and after school program for the afternoon while I go back to work.
CJ: I'm not sure what their reasoning is. Shane has known John since they were in high school and says that his parents often served leftovers. So maybe it's his wife's decision. We were having a nice evening and I didn't want to possibly spoil it by ask them what their reasons are, but I am very curious.
I would consider them somewhat frugal in other ways. I know she enjoys garage sales and will also accept gently used clothing from her large family. I know John buys and sells at swap meets and has found some excellent bargains. They don't seek out "the latest and greatest" when it comes to cars, phones, TVs, etc. But when it comes to food, they seem to me to be very spendy and wasteful. :(
We have leftovers any time I cook too much. There are just some things I can't cook in small quantities, such as soups and stews, pulled pork sandwiches, roast beef, chili. The pulled pork always goes into the freezer for another meal or two. Chili is always "remade" into chili dogs or frito pies. Roast beef sometimes gets "remade" into hash or beef and noodles.
My husband used to say "If it was so good the first time, why is it left over?" and would refuse to eat left overs. I'm not sure what changed his thinking, maybe after going hungry a couple of times when served left overs did it! lol But he hates to see food wasted now. He is always telling me to "make a double batch so you don't have to cook again" too. He will take left overs in his lunch now also.
Lisa B: I'm not sure whether or not Shane's family ate leftovers when he was growing up, but now his philosophy is "if it was good the first time, it will be just as good or better the second time".
He's not picky about it at all, and occasionally we'll eat the very same meal as many as three nights in a row. Other times I'll skip a night or turn the leftovers into something different. He'd love to take them for lunch, but unless they can be eaten cold, he won't take them. He hardly ever has access to a microwave to reheat things.
Sometimes I plan for/hope for leftovers and there aren't any. :(
Growing up, my father refused to eat leftovers, but he was an asshole in other ways too.lol His 'issue' prolly stemmed from being dirt poor for a time in his youth. As an adult he was all about his image and social climbing and thought he deserved only the best of everything...indulging his stomach was just one way he proved to the world that he was important.
My mom OTOH loved leftovers so she just ate them for her lunch.
We eat leftovers often but not as much as we use to since I started cooking smaller batches of stuff, due to never knowing how many would be at the table any given night(teens with busy lives).
In fact we had leftovers last night...steak that got remade into beef stroganoff. I am the queen of remaking/hiding old meals in new ones.lol
I don't know why but the kids have a problem with leftovers so I have to be stealth about the leftovers.
Anyway, this week is busy. I have food work(slicing/dicing and freezing of produce, pureeing of pumpkins, cutting collards to do)and my eBay store is open again for the month to hopefully to generate some money while people are spending it for the Holidays. So I'll be either in the kitchen prepping food or at the computer listing auctions.
Alright, you know that your old when you would rather sleep in your own bed than have a sleepover! I feel the same way. Why would I want to go anywhere? I love our bed, it's all broken in and comfy!
We finished up the outside stuff for the year, I think. Den cleaned out the garage and I cleaned out both cars. We usually cut down the flower beds but I planted a ton of wild flowers and you are supposed to let them die and clean them up in the summer. At least, that is what Den said. He might just be saying that to get out of weeding. I am going to leave the morning glory though. I have never had it come back after cutting it down. My neighbor just leaves the mess and it comes back better every year. I hate to look at it though.
Have a great week!
I have heard people say they don't "do leftovers." Ummmm....that is what I bring for lunch almost every day. It's not leftover a week later. It is a freezer lunch.
I think some people throw away leftovers and that seems so wasteful to me!
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