Leftovers

There are a couple of considerations to be mindful of when storing and eating leftovers. For one thing, you want to make sure that you do so in such a way that said leftovers aren't a burden, but a secret surprise. For another thing, you want to make sure that you'll live to tell the tale after eating said leftovers.

Safety first. When storing food in the freezer, please do so in small containers that approximate to one serving each. Why? For one thing, smaller containers of food will freeze solidly fairly quickly when compared to food in large containers. For another thing, once you've heated up frozen food, you want to make sure that you finish it off, and don't put it back in the freezer. It's not safe.

I can't tell you how many times I've gone to the freezer, craving something I'd made earlier that month, and been disappointed to see that I'd have to reheat a huge quantity that's only suitable for a large party. Ever since I got my own home with my own fridge and freezer situation, I make sure to only freeze in small amounts. Raiding the freezer is a habit you want to get into, rather than buying those frozen premade foods.

Another thing to remember is that when you do store your leftovers, don't store more than one or two servings (per person) of one particular dish. If you don't want to get sick of the food that you've spent all this time and effort making, go ahead and just put the bulk of it in the freezer, and leave out just enough to eat in a day or two. In my house, I tend to make enough for just me and Steve, to last about two full meals. Much more than that, and I'll start stretching into the freezer.

Above all else, there is the whole thing that if you do freeze your leftovers, you're giving yourself some insurance against those nights when you just don't feel like cooking. I know I've had plenty of those in my time, and you're bound to have them as well.