Leftovers

When I added more people in my life, boyfriends, daughter of boyfriend, I started to encounter a food dilemma.  I would to go into my fridge and find moldering leftovers in the back.  It seems to me that they regarded leftovers as something created by the devil himself - to be shunned and be certain to make warding gestures as you walk past.  I always thought that wasting food was the real sin but I was hoping to avoid a religious food war if I could.

My daughter Casey and I look forward to a bowl of warmed over leftovers.  My other daughter, Rhea, when she comes to visit likes to scarf them down just as eagerly.  Everyone else would prefer to waste away until they end up looking like forgotten island castaways before they nuke up a plate.  My two girls and I grew up knowing that a lot of foods - soups, stews, curries, casseroles, etc - taste so much better the next day.  I always wondered what the new crowd in my life grew up eating.  I can't afford to cook entirely new meals every day.  Even if I could afford to - I like the flavors these concoctions pick up when allowed to meld overnight.  Sigh (I sigh alot some days).

I did finally figure out a good way to get the less enthusiastic eaters in my house to consume them.  Turn them into something unrecognizable. Take tonight's dinner for instance.

I had leftover peas, onion and mushroom gravy and Italian sausage which I scrambled and fried.  These were from three different meals.  Looked like I had enough stuff to make something else altogether from them.  I threw the peas and a package of frozen stir fry veggies (I buy these by the ton when they go on sale - my freezer bulges) into my beat up wok - best wok ever.  Cranked up the heat, added garlic, black pepper, chicken stock.  When bubbling I added the gravy and sausage and heated through.  Spooned it over leftover rice and everyone made it disappear.  I lovingly call this refrigerator stew.