Read on Twitter
It occurs to me that some of you do not know the fine art of Using Leftovers Properly and may, in fact, be just reheating the same meal and eating it again and again.
On behalf of your ancestors, I'm horrified.
On behalf of your ancestors, I'm horrified.
Back in the days before refrigeration and convenient ovens cooking was a time consuming process where nothing could be left wasted else we would all starve and the jackals would gnaw our bones.
If you spent all that time cooking you did not let scraps go to waste and you did not want to know on the same meal every day because 1) it's frightfully boring and 2) no fridge = E. coli outbreak!
The food needed to be recooked each day.
The food needed to be recooked each day.
If you started with a large chicken dinner one day all the scraps and bones would be tossed in a pot for stock the next, and the bones picked for meat and stirred with grains for a casserole the second day, soup the third, and all of it over dry bread the fourth.
Day 1 - Big Chicken
Day 2 - Chicken Salad/Chicken sandwiches/Chicken Casserole
Day 3 - Chicken Soup
Day 4 - Bread and Chicken Pudding
Day 2 - Chicken Salad/Chicken sandwiches/Chicken Casserole
Day 3 - Chicken Soup
Day 4 - Bread and Chicken Pudding
Remember, there was a time where a nice glass of warm milk with old bread and fresh cut onions was considered a fine treat for a growing farm boy.
Buttermilk with salt and pepper is still drunk some places.
Buttermilk with salt and pepper is still drunk some places.
The point of any major meal is to be able to cook several other meals from the leftovers, which is why making a casserole or stew from scratch is somewhat wasteful unless you need very large amounts.
Start with a good rib-eye on the bone, THEN make the beef stew from bones.
Start with a good rib-eye on the bone, THEN make the beef stew from bones.
Tonight we had chicken lemon picatta, fetticine alfredo (dressed at the table), and green beans.
The chicken will become quesadillas tomorrow and sandwiches another day.
The unsauced noodles will become chicken lo mein or any other noodle dish.
The beans did not survive.
The chicken will become quesadillas tomorrow and sandwiches another day.
The unsauced noodles will become chicken lo mein or any other noodle dish.
The beans did not survive.
Maybe you're poor. Maybe you're stuck with ramen every night. That's fine.
Throw out the packet and do something different with the noodles. Make your own bone broth. Toss cooked noodles with frozen or canned veggies for stir fry. Noodles + canned tomatoes + spice = spaghetti.
Throw out the packet and do something different with the noodles. Make your own bone broth. Toss cooked noodles with frozen or canned veggies for stir fry. Noodles + canned tomatoes + spice = spaghetti.
Maybe you're low on time. Great. Your great-great-great granny has your back. She didn't want to cook every day either.
Cook once, turn half into a casserole and freeze, leave leftovers for soup.
3 dinners.
1 hour.
*high five*
Cook once, turn half into a casserole and freeze, leave leftovers for soup.
3 dinners.
1 hour.
*high five*
If you seriously hate cooking, look into a crock pot and dump meals (also called freezer meals).
You do the shopping, dump all the ingredients in freezer bags, and freeze. It takes 3 hours one day... but you have 21 meals that require you to put them (frozen) in a crock pot.
You do the shopping, dump all the ingredients in freezer bags, and freeze. It takes 3 hours one day... but you have 21 meals that require you to put them (frozen) in a crock pot.
Eating the same meal every day, even if it's relatively healthy, isn't healthy.
Any nutrients that meal has are cut out of your diet and that can lead to serious deficiencies and illness.
You don't want that.
Any nutrients that meal has are cut out of your diet and that can lead to serious deficiencies and illness.
You don't want that.
If you are dealing with depression or facing choice fatigue ... prep your meals on a good day and use a random number generator to decide what you eat.
And take your meds and vitamins.
<3
And take your meds and vitamins.
<3
The idea that you need to be rich to eat a varied diet comes from the idea that unused food can be thrown out.
Trust me, you don't do that when you spent your last 50cents on a can of beans. You are going to find a way to eat every single one so you don't waste a penny.
Trust me, you don't do that when you spent your last 50cents on a can of beans. You are going to find a way to eat every single one so you don't waste a penny.
But not everyone grew up with varied foods. You didn't learn how to reuse and remake foods because you didn't need to.
Now is a good time to figure it out.
If you need help @ me or ask Google.
You've got this.
Make your ancestors proud.
<3
Now is a good time to figure it out.
If you need help @ me or ask Google.
You've got this.
Make your ancestors proud.
<3
