I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! Now, what to do with the leftovers?
First, let's dispel the myth that it all has to be eaten right away or it will go bad. If you've had enough turkey for a while, put the leftovers in zip close freezer bags and toss them in the freezer. You can easily defrost them and have the pre-cooked meat ready for another meal. Don't forget to freeze the gravy as well.
Whether you decide to use the leftovers now or later, here are a few suggestions:
Sandwiches:
-Combine the meat and the gravy for use as hot open faced sandwiches.
-Shred the remaining white meat and mix with mayo or Miracle Whip for turkey salad.
-To use many leftovers, make a hearty sandwich of sliced turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
Make turkey pie:
Throw some frozen peas, carrots, and corn in the mixture, pour in a pie plate and cover with pre-made pie crust or biscuits. Heat in a 375 degree oven for about an hour. You'll know that it's done when the gravy starts to bubble up.
For something a little different:
Coat a frying pan with cooking spray. Toss in the chunked turkey meat, pour in some teriyaki marinade and some fresh or frozen broccoli. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the broccoli is crisp tender. Serve over rice.
For a Mexican flair:
Coat a frying pan with cooking spray. Toss in the chunked turkey meat, cover with a jar of your favorite salsa. You can also add in black beans and corn if you'd like. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes, until heated through. Serve over tortilla chips.
Like curry?
Coat a frying pan with cooking spray. Toss in the chunked turkey meat. Pour in enough orange juice to almost cover the meat. Add a teaspoon of mustard and sprinkle generously with curry to taste. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat until most (but not all!) of the orange juice has reduced. Serve over rice.
You can substitute turkey in almost any recipe that calls for chicken. Use your imagination AND your leftovers - you may even make a new family favorite!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Upcycle to Make a Tablecloth
Just like matching socks, sheet sets tend to get lost. For some reason, there always seem to be more top sheets than fitted sheets. If the mate to a pretty top sheet is known to be lost or destroyed, give that clean top sheet a new life as a tablecloth.
Twin size top sheets are the perfect size for most tables. They measure approximately 72" x 108". It is already fully hemmed. If you want to dress it up a little, you can sew lace trim around the edges.
If you have a small table, cut it in half so you have 2 reusable tablecloths. You may want to either sew or use fusible webbing to turn the unfinished size so it does not unravel.
The best part of either one is that cleanup is a breeze! Shake off the loose crumbs over the trash barrel, and toss the cloth in the washing machine. This free tablecloth works especially well for families with small children who can get quite messy.
This is a great way to reuse a top sheet that doesn't match any other sheets. By re-using what you already have, you save money!
Twin size top sheets are the perfect size for most tables. They measure approximately 72" x 108". It is already fully hemmed. If you want to dress it up a little, you can sew lace trim around the edges.
If you have a small table, cut it in half so you have 2 reusable tablecloths. You may want to either sew or use fusible webbing to turn the unfinished size so it does not unravel.
The best part of either one is that cleanup is a breeze! Shake off the loose crumbs over the trash barrel, and toss the cloth in the washing machine. This free tablecloth works especially well for families with small children who can get quite messy.
This is a great way to reuse a top sheet that doesn't match any other sheets. By re-using what you already have, you save money!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Make Your Own Shop Towels
It boggles my mind how willing people are to pay $20 or more for shop or cleaning towels when they are so easy to make yourself for free. That's right, free!
Whoever does the laundry in your home will know what clothing items need to be replaced. If any of them are 100 percent cotton, such as tee shirts and underwear, they should be washed and set aside. These can be recycled into cleaning towels.
Here's all you have to do:
1. Cut or rip out the side seams of the garment.
2. Cut the remaining fabric into 14 inch squares. These are your new shop towels.
3. Toss any scrap materials into the compost bin.
That's it! You will end up with a pile of shop towels ready to use.
I remember watching my grandmother clean the house when I was little. She would use underwear that had torn or had holes. She never bothered to cut them into squares, and they worked just fine. Personally, I prefer to make them look like towels before use.
You can use these towels in place of paper towels to save even more money. Taking the time to make your own shop towels out of what you already have just makes sense!
Whoever does the laundry in your home will know what clothing items need to be replaced. If any of them are 100 percent cotton, such as tee shirts and underwear, they should be washed and set aside. These can be recycled into cleaning towels.
Here's all you have to do:
1. Cut or rip out the side seams of the garment.
2. Cut the remaining fabric into 14 inch squares. These are your new shop towels.
3. Toss any scrap materials into the compost bin.
That's it! You will end up with a pile of shop towels ready to use.
I remember watching my grandmother clean the house when I was little. She would use underwear that had torn or had holes. She never bothered to cut them into squares, and they worked just fine. Personally, I prefer to make them look like towels before use.
You can use these towels in place of paper towels to save even more money. Taking the time to make your own shop towels out of what you already have just makes sense!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Pay Yourself First
If the banks and credit companies had their way, all of your hard earned cash would be handed over to them. This has never been more evident than it has in the recent past. How is the average person to survive?
Start by wrestling back the control of your own money. This means confronting the banks, debt collectors, and creditors head on. It also means paying yourself.
Each payday, take 10% of the net, what you take home, and stash it somewhere. If you trust a local bank or credit union, start a savings account with it. Keep in mind, though, if you are behind on taxes or other major debt, the government can freeze any of your accounts at any time. If you don't feel that the pennies you'll earn with a bank account is worth the risk, stash your cash somewhere safe: 10% of your pay, every payday. You'll feel more secure having that cash on hand for emergencies.
Start a stack of mail, the bills that are owed, and once a week go through it. The goal is to pay down your debt as soon as you can. In the days before direct deposit, our grandparents would bring their checks to the bank and receive cash for it. One strategy at the time was to have a shoebox full of envelopes, one for each debt, organized by importance. The first envelope was for mortgage or rent, second for food, third for heat, etc. Each week the cash would be divided among the envelopes, ensuring enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month. Some weeks the envelopes at the back of the box would get nothing. Some weeks there was some money left over, which would be saved "for a rainy day", usually under a mattress or in a jar buried in the back yard.
The banks obviously hate this strategy. They would prefer direct deposit, so THEY have first dibs on your cash. Isn't it time you took the control of your money back?
Start by wrestling back the control of your own money. This means confronting the banks, debt collectors, and creditors head on. It also means paying yourself.
Each payday, take 10% of the net, what you take home, and stash it somewhere. If you trust a local bank or credit union, start a savings account with it. Keep in mind, though, if you are behind on taxes or other major debt, the government can freeze any of your accounts at any time. If you don't feel that the pennies you'll earn with a bank account is worth the risk, stash your cash somewhere safe: 10% of your pay, every payday. You'll feel more secure having that cash on hand for emergencies.
Start a stack of mail, the bills that are owed, and once a week go through it. The goal is to pay down your debt as soon as you can. In the days before direct deposit, our grandparents would bring their checks to the bank and receive cash for it. One strategy at the time was to have a shoebox full of envelopes, one for each debt, organized by importance. The first envelope was for mortgage or rent, second for food, third for heat, etc. Each week the cash would be divided among the envelopes, ensuring enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month. Some weeks the envelopes at the back of the box would get nothing. Some weeks there was some money left over, which would be saved "for a rainy day", usually under a mattress or in a jar buried in the back yard.
The banks obviously hate this strategy. They would prefer direct deposit, so THEY have first dibs on your cash. Isn't it time you took the control of your money back?
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