Leftovers Again?

Are you having leftovers for a meal, multiple times during the same week? Is someone complaining? Perhaps, you need a multiple-use, leftover planning solution.

If you have someone who will eat the leftovers from a meal one time, but not a second time, you should consider freezing the leftovers from your meals.

 A shallow 3-cup container by Glad can contain one of the following combinations.

• a TV dinner for one
• 4-servings of a vegetable or dessert
• one serving of a low-calorie soup
• the base ingredient for another dish

Raw hamburger (when freezing, divide it with a doubled separator of waxed paper) can make any of the following meals.

• hamburgers
• hamburger steaks
• hamburger steak and gravy
• beef for soup
• chili
• spaghetti sauce

Leftover chili has a variety of uses

• chili for hamburgers or hot dogs or
• chili for beans
• chili with cheese for dips
• chili beans can be served over rice/potatoes/bread

Stewed chicken breasts are a staple for many different meals. Try putting the basic stewed chicken with broth in the 3-cup containers for quick meals.

• make chicken salad
• chicken and rice
• chicken and noodles
• chicken and gravy
• chicken sandwiches
• lightly floured and fried chicken breasts

Change up your meals by freezing leftovers or portioning your base meats for different menu choices. If you vary the vegetables and spices that you use, you can give meals a lift from tedious regularity. Getting into the habit of fixing meals using base ingredients for different types of meals is awesome.

Who wants the same leftovers twice in one week?

Have you considered freezing the leftovers for later use?

Prepare different meals instead of serving the same leftovers back-to-back. If you think ahead, you can repurpose the leftovers into a brand new dish.

Consider fixing breakfast menu choices for your supper. Here are great mix-and-match menu choices for a novice cook.

·        eggs

·        bacon/ham

·        grits/rice

·        toast/bun/biscuit

·        pancakes/waffles

·        oatmeal with jelly or jelly/peanut butter

Do the above solutions offer sufficient alternatives to address the “what again” reactions to your menu choices?

Let the person who is complaining fix a meal to break the perceived monotony. He or she does not get to purchase take-out, order a meal delivery, or buy junk food for alternative meals. The available ingredients are limited to those within the house.

Small Space Organizational tips

What are some of your best organization tips for someone living in a small space?

• Furniture should have a dual purpose.
• A side table should have storage space.
• You can use file cabinets (two-drawers) as side tables for seating.
• A storage chest can double as a coffee table.
• Use two file cabinets as the base for a table. Add a hollow door as a tabletop. However, you need to leave an open seating area space in the middle.
• Chairs can transform into a sleeping space.
• Couches can transform into beds.
• Bunk beds have desk areas or trundle beds for alternative uses.
• Captain’s beds have drawer storage underneath and shelf storage at the headboard.
• Use a tall dresser instead of two or more small dressers.
• Drop leaf tables are versatile. Use them for dining, playing board or card games as entertainment, a craft station, or as a temporary desk for office purposes. Valuable floor space is available for living when the tables are not open for use.
• Bookcases or tall rolling shelves can house multiple things in different rooms. Fabric cubes can contain or hide items that you do not want to view.
• A set of chrome shelves can hold an entire wardrobe.
• Reduce the number of items that you keep so that they will fit your space.
• Try to establish a core set of clothing so that you can mix and match your outfits. Maintain a second core set of clothing that coordinates with the first set of clothing if you have space. Do not keep orphan clothing items.
• Do you have collectibles? Display the items that mean the most to you and store the rest. Rotate the items periodically to refresh your space.
• Nest your kitchen supplies to save space in your cabinets.
• Maintain a shopping list so that you can minimize extra supplies on hand.
• Put needed items on the shopping list when you reach your predetermined minimal amount of those items.
• Use a library, a kindle, or an online service instead of purchasing books or magazines.