Leftovers

I hear so often of people that they do not eat leftovers. If my family did not eat leftovers they would not have to worry about dieting : )  Especially this time of year when there is so much to be done. Grass to be mowed, gardens cleaned and planted, beds weeded and mulched and the list goes on. Who has time to spend hours outside and then come in and prepare huge meals.

So what's a girl to do? Prepare ahead. Sunday I had roast (venison) and gravy over mashed potatoes. I threw an extra small roast in the pot. What was left was stored in the refrigerator. Monday I had spaghetti sauce prepared in the crockpot. I threw in an extra jar of tomato sauce and had leftover sauce in the fridge Monday night.

Tuesday morning early I baked buns.

Both small hamburger type buns and small french bread type buns. Both whole wheat.

Sunday nights' roast and gravy became hot roast venison sandwiches with a side of oven fries on Tuesday night.

Monday nights' leftover spaghetti sauce became grilled Italian sausage subs on Wednesday night. The sausage none other than our venison/pork Italian sausage made right here in this kitchen. The sausage hot off the grill added to that whole wheat bun and then spaghetti sauce added and shredded Mozzarella cheese. Add to that a bake potato hot off the grill and some grilled asparagus with olive oil and sea salt.

When time is short you can turn just one or two cooking days into meals for a week. Many times something like baked chicken will become baked chicken on one night, chicken salad on the next or maybe a chicken casserole and then the bones and anything remaining cooked into broth and chicken and noodles or chicken spaghetti a night or two later.

On those long spring/early summer days left overs can become a lifesaver in the kitchen.

And if they don't eat leftovers then by God they better learn how to cook for themselves (and clean up the mess) because my table has leftovers : )

Blessings from The Holler

The Canned Quilter