Do you offer Thanksgiving left-overs to guests?
Seems like we all love our left-overs (to the point of protecting them!). Say you've done it all----shopped, prepared & served your guests. Now, as they are preparing to leave---do you offer those precious left-overs? Do you give away only certain foods, keeping favorites for yourself? Or are you the type that says "I'm done with this---please take!"?
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18 Comments:
I would definitely dole them out equitably, but keep some for myself. You have to be realistic, though; one can really put on a whole bunch of weight over Thanksgiving weekend.
emily20008 at 12:02PM on 11/02/07
Depends on how much is left. I can't live without my post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches. :-)
Ann Fisher at 12:04PM on 11/02/07
I usually offer them up, then feel secretly resentful when people actually accept. Don't take my stuffing, I was just trying to be polite!
sobriquet at 12:06PM on 11/02/07
If you want some leftovers you have to show up after black friday shopping around lunch.
JerzeeTomato at 1:09PM on 11/02/07
It depends. On the refrigerator space, the guests who've only been there for dinner, the guests who are staying the weekend, and how hoggish those pursuing the leftovers seem. If my husband is particularly fond of a certain dish, I also need to take that into account.
lemons at 1:24PM on 11/02/07
That is why you make extras. it is about the same work to feed eight as it would be for 12.
nelson5757 at 1:32PM on 11/02/07
Yes. Otherwise, I'll have leftovers for a long time.
Last year I discarded freezer-burned turkey months after Thanksgiving. I learned my lesson.
I hoard the stuffing, though, and my thanksgiving dinners are potluck.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 2:08PM on 11/02/07
Leftovers? I usually just have the turkey bones ( I make soup on Friday) and a few pieces of pie and some cranberry sauce. I do stash away some slices of turkey for sandwiches, but I wouldn't call that leftovers.
NanaJoie at 2:15PM on 11/02/07
I specifically buy tins with lids because I want everyone to have their favorite Day After T-Giving treat.
I used to work T-Giving Friday because I worked for brokerage. One year I worked the whole day on Friday looking forward to T-Giving leftovers for dinner. I got home and mom told me we didn't take any from my aunt's house (where T-Giving was hosted). I was furious. Ever since then, I make it a point to send everyone home with leftovers - and cook enough to make sure that happens.
chiff0nade at 2:18PM on 11/02/07
Take my leftovers? When you can pry 'em from my cold, greasy hands.
Seriously, leftovers make up for the headache that is the family event. No problems sharing if you stop by the next day or whatever. It's generally a non-issue though since most of my family isn't really into leftovers.
corycm at 2:44PM on 11/02/07
It's been years since I hosted a holiday meal, but when I did, I always offered left overs to anyone who wanted them, and was careful not to push them on to people who were even the slightest bit reticent.
DaveFaris at 4:21PM on 11/02/07
I'll offer leftover sweets to whoever wants some but not the savory stuff. I make a lot of desserts for the holidays and I want to get it all out of the house so I don't eat it all myself.
elderberry44 at 5:12PM on 11/02/07
It depends how soon after the meal...haha. I know we will have tons and tons of leftovers that honestly will be fine after the meal. But if it's weeks later...we'll spare the cases of food poisioning! :o)
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 6:44PM on 11/02/07
chiff0nade, I'm a nurse, although I no longer practice. But when I did and my kids were little, I usually worked 3 - 11:30 p.m. Thanksgiving dinner, as was usual in our family, was a noon-ish meal (you can imagine how early the turkey had to go in), so one year I headed out to work and left then-husband and two kids at home. Dragged in at 12:30 a.m. or so, pooped, of course, and headed to the kitchen for something to eat.
Found a single piece of pumpkin pie; I'd made two and three of us had had a piece each after diner. "Where'd you put the other pie?" I inquired of dear husband. DH had the grace to look somewhat abashed. He and the 10-year-old son had demolished the remainder of the first pie, and then all but one piece of the second!
lemons at 1:01AM on 11/03/07
To me, my own left-overs just seem to taste better than when I take someone else's home. I can tell you one thing, after this year's meal at the hospital, I will not be taking home any of their leftovers :(
JEP at 5:41AM on 11/03/07
I love leftovers too much (my family even has a name for them LO's) to give them away. When I heard of a friend taking containers to her mother in laws to take the LOs home, I was befuddled. If you have cooked that meal, you deserve the bounty of the LOs!!
psychsarah at 9:01AM on 11/05/07
at this age and stage, i really can't afford to not keep the leftovers. i think leftovers of the dessert are great like someone mentioned.
i do think that leftovers are okay for college-aged kids or for people/families that you know are less fortunate. my mom still piles the leftovers on. but then again, the guestlist is small.
lanaberry at 6:11PM on 11/06/07
Gotta offer leftovers. Everyone deserves the day after turkey sammich with dressing
Kim Nyland at 6:16PM on 11/06/07