Talking about leftovers is a worthwhile discussion. You can find out a great deal about some one when you uncover their attitude concerning leftovers.
There are not just two camps like one would think; those that eat them and those that do not. There is a third group made up of those that mean to eat them but never do.
From anecdotal observations, the leftover debate is not one divided by gender, age, education or sophisticated palette. Income or lack thereof, can be a swaying factor for those who would normally reside in the I don’t eat leftovers camp.
For those who eat leftovers, the debate can be fine tuned to how many times to eat the same meal. Is once enough or are you good for as many as it takes to finish it off?
For those who do not eat leftovers are there ever exceptions like Thanksgiving dinner?
For those who have eating leftovers good intentions, how long do they stay in your refrigerator at home or at work before you toss them?
For all camps the question comes up about reusing the leftovers into another meal. For example, leftover roasted chicken becomes chicken burritos the next day. The third day the same roasted chicken becomes chicken salad. Is this a violation of the ‘I don’t eat leftovers’ camp doctrine? Do only ‘I eat leftovers’ users make use of the leftovers?
Are the ‘I don’t eat leftovers’ people better or worse money managers?
Are the ‘I eat leftovers’ people more responsible or lazy?
Are the ‘I meant to eat the leftovers’ people greedy or thrifty?
Am I full of it or am I just full? Thanksgiving is coming!
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Haralee, you have given this a lot of thought, and I think it’s going to take several weeks to address all these questions.
The third group intrigues me, probably because I’m subject to some of this behavior in food and other things, but I confess to being a member of #3 some of the time. The next day I look at the leftovers and may decide I’m not in the mood for that, and the day after it may have been pushed to the back where I have (conveniently) forgotten about them. By the end of the week when I clean the refrigerator, well, we all know the ending to this one. But this would never happen if the leftovers were meatballs and spaghetti, or lasagna, which I could eat all week and be happy. As for Thanksgiving dinner, I’m of the opinion that only the most hardened anti-leftover eaters would turn up their noses. But maybe I shouldn’t have answered this question, since I’m not in that camp. (Are you subtracting points?) Now, moving right along to the “for all camps” question, a leftover is a leftover is a leftover, and your family (and you) all know very well what became of that chicken after it left the egg. Violation! Violation!
Better or worse money managers? Inconclusive. We don’t have the evidence at hand yet to know which of them cook only what they will eat at one sitting, and which have eyes bigger than their stomaches, leading to $ down the drain. Anyone want to take a poll?
The group eating leftovers are more responsible, of course. Some leftovers can be frozen and reheated, leaving more time for community works and other good stuff, which can be left to the imagination. Good intentions don’t count, here. You’ve got to Eat it! In a week or less!
The “I meant to eat the leftovers” group: Greedy or thrifty? Umm…well…ahem…this is hitting a bit too close to home for comfort. Hmmm…surely not thrifty, as good intentions don’t count here, either, which leaves us with…with…A Moment of Truth! Is there a box where I can check “Other?” Will you be submitting the answers to a VN psychologist for personality profiles?
As for the very last question, it can’t be answered decisively until you’ve had Thanksgiving dinner. We can wait.
Our family eats all leftovers (unless the orginal dish was really yucky…a spaghetti casserole comes to mind). We will often “repurpose” the leftovers as you descibed with the chicken. Some food is better after a day or two (soups and stews especially). Sometimes we mean to eat something, but it gets pushed aside until it becomes a science experiment. Sooo, I guess we fit all your categories.
I wonder if there are any purists. Those who never eat leftovers or never waste any food.
And if leftovers are given to animals such as chickens, dogs, cats, pigs, goats, and so on, is it really wasted?
Oh my gosh – this is too funny!
We love left overs.
In my family, we don’t cook huge amounts of food for gatherings, so left overs generally consist of, maybe, lunch for the next day. But, attend one of Greg’s family gatherings… oh-my-gosh! The food is prepared in sheet cake size pans by EVERYONE! There is enough food to feed a small army and left overs for days. It is expected that you take food, and lots of it, home with you.
Now, I can only speak for ourselves…
We eat everything we take home with us, and doesn’t matter whose family it comes from.
Only once did I have to resurrect a batch of, what was supposed to be, Swedish meatballs into, what turned out to be, a fabulous spaghetti sauce. One of Greg’s sisters attempted the meatballs – which I thought were fairly decent, considering the source. But they weren’t the quality of the one’s his other sister makes, so no one was eating them and the hostess was going to just toss them. When she told me what her intentions were, I said give them to me, I can work with them. Come to think of it, that gathering we walked away with food for weeks. I froze what I could for use later and we ate the other stuff over the next week. Otherwise we have always eaten the leftovers in the form they were originally prepared in.
Speaking of a week … isn’t that about how long leftovers will last? I remember as a kid, Fridays were leftovers day.
Does eating leftovers make us better or worse money managers, more responsible or lazy, greedy or thrifty??? LOL! All I know is, I have yet another opportunity to savor all the fabulous food I don’t normally and didn’t have to cook … again! (And sometimes, again and again.) Isn’t that what leftovers is all about!?!
Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless
Philomena
I love leftovers but not from thanksgiving dinner. once is enough. However, if i go to the olive garden or any Italian restaurant i will take my leftovers and love them the next day. When i visit i never ask for leftovers, however, the hosts are always pushing them because they have too much and do not know where to put it. I always take the desert if there is any left.
OUR FAMILIES ARE ITALIAN/AMERICANS AND THERE ARE “NEVER” ANY LEFTOVERS AFTER FEEDING 20 PEOPLE, WHOM ARE MOSTLY MEN…..LOL
WHAT CAN I SAY, I AM A GREAT COOK!
I THINK AT THIS POINT IN LIFE I’D BE WORRIED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING LEFTOVER..LOL
Looks like everyone enjoys a left over meal! I know I do.