Leftovers

Food is such a sensitive subject these days, and it shouldn't be. So many likes anddislikes, allergies etc. There's too much choice.
Sorry to hark back, but in the OLD DAYS if you didn't eat your dinner you got it back at teatime, nothing else until you'd eaten it.

OH eats what he is given - if he wants something else he can cook it himself! I do of course try and cook things I know he likes - and that in itself is a challenge as he does not like salad, vegetables, pasta, soup or fruit! Inevitably he gets things he does not want quite often in the interests of his health.

Of course we eat every scrap of leftovers and I would have no hesitation whatsoever in serving guests the same meal (or at least the same ingredients rehashed into something else) two days running. Whyever not? I do not have the sort of guests who would mind.

Often a stew or reappears as stir-fry or whizzed up as soup - and very tasty it is too!

As others have said, I wouldn't offer leftovers to a guest, but on the other hand if I were that guest, I wouldn't be so rude as to refuse a meal prepared for me by my host, leftovers or not.
I frequently do as kittylester says - make double size portions and freeze half for another day. Saves so much time and bother and you've nearly always got a meal or two in the freezer for days when you CBA to cook.

I'm hopeless on a morning other than for staying in bed and drinking tea. I plan ahead for the week to pander to my own need for variety. DH would happily eat the same things day after day so I can't blame anyone else

Sorry

Oh Lord! I eat the same slice of toast and marmalade every morning Atrig I can't do decisions at that time in the morning [htlwink]

For me it is not about any danger of eating leftovers but of my liking for variety. We don't even eat the same breakfast two days running let alone dinner. I do cook double quantities of things like curries and casseroles but freeze them to have on some future day when I am busy. 10 minutes to cook fresh pasta or rice I hate the idea of buying ready meals but create my own

Our daughter didn't complain, she ate everything. It was her partner.
And yes - I remember the cold meat on Monday/washing day, and rissoles on Tuesday.

But in the past we all lived on leftovers and no one died! Roast on Sunday, cold with mashed potatoes on Monday and rissoles on Tuesday (Anyone ever eat rissoles now?)` And the Christmas turkey lasted for at least a week, with no refrigeration just the cool-ish larder.

It would never occur to my children to turn down leftovers, they're just grateful to have something they haven't had to cook themselves.

Good advice, Kitty.
And I think they will come again (in spite of the fact that I "lost it" once with him) because they're keen on walking and cycling and where we live is perfect for both. Plus the weather is usually better than in the UK.

But, if you had frozen half of the meal this time, there would be a meal ready for next time. If next time they came you did double on one day and froze half you could get out the frozen meal from the time before for the second day. And so on ad infinitum. That's the way I use my freezer.

I try to make only enough for one meal. As a child, I had leftovers quite often, and I really dislike the taste of reheated potato, however it is cooked and presented. Also, I like something different each day. (Ooh, I've just seen a heron fly past my window)

I suppose I'll have to try to make something different each day next time. prepare in advance - which I did to some extent.
Greyduster - I think ours have the same expectations.
I've stayed with this couple a few times and the only time we get a proper meal is if I make it. Otherwise they buy in a pizza or a chinese or we go out to a place where you pay a fortune for things you could make at home for next to nothing.

tricia I sympathise with you on the point of coping with guests for more than one day - I find it more and more difficult as I get older. I would probably not give a thought to eating the same thing two days running but I wouldn't offer leftovers to friends, and my children would think they had been seriously short-changed if I did it to them! They have certain culinary expectations when they step across my threshold! Said expectations are not, however, always fulfilled!

Difficult isn't it Tricia? DD had a partner I just struggled to take to, which is very unlike me as I generally get on with anyone.

It's rude to refuse to eat in someone else's house in my opinion, unless you really can't on allergy or religious grounds or because you truly don't like that foodstuff (coconut in my case )

The visitors were family, daughter and her partner. But it was the first time he has stayed with us, she usually comes on her own.
As others have said I don't think I would serve the same meal twice to "guests", who aren't family, though we're getting a bit too old to cope with guests for more than the one-off meal now.
I suppose I'm just having a moan because he got on my nerves in general .
Still, as long as they care for eachother, which they seem to do, that's the main thing.

In theory we ought to have leftovers some days because I seem to still cook for four and there's now just the two of us but its far too easy to put bigger portions on the plate or have 'seconds' and not have enough for the next day.

Some meals are better the next day - casseroles and curries for example - but I'm hopeless at using up the odd bits and pieces left in the fridge so I do waste stuff that Hugh F-W would roll his eyes over!

If I had made enough for two meals, I would only have it once and then freeze the rest for later on, definitely not to eat again the same day. The exception being Sunday's joint eaten cold with pickles and fried left over veg on Monday - one of the best reasons to have a roast!!

DH DCs and I will happily eat leftovers but personally I wouldn't serve them to a guest. I don't think I've ever not cooked a second meal, veg, dessert etc.

I often cook a casserole that will last for two days, but make sure it's probably cooled and kept in the fridge. If I had a larger freezer I'd batch cook too.

We rarely have left overs. The exception being spag bol. I will eat any leftover but DH and DS won't not for health reasons but just because they don't fancy it. DH will eat stew two days running but then we think it tastes better the next day
I wouldn't offer guests leftovers.

I often use up leftovers the next day but as others have said I wouldn't serve the same meal to guests.

It depends on what sort pf food it is and how it looks after a night in the fridge, but most of my family happily gobble up left overs anyway.

The rest depends on how formal you guests are .

If the food has been properly chilled and re-heated it wouldn't do any harm.

However, I wouldn't serve the same meals twice to a guest.

ps I've just noticed the competition for leftover recipes, so many of you do use them.
This is more on the lines of, do they do you any harm?