Comments on: Guest Post: Be Thankful, Not Wasteful

By: Melinda Hemmelgarn

Melinda Hemmelgarn — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:06:11 +0000

Warning: do not cook food in plastic cooking bags, or reheat leftovers in plastic containers, even if the label says “food grade” or “microwave safe.”
Plastics can emit endocrine disrupting compounds into our food. Better to store leftovers in glass.
For more information on plastic risks, see: http://www.iatp.org and search under Food and Health.
I recommend brining turkey, using a covered roaster to keep in moistness, and not overcooking (use a meat thermometer).

Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:43:57 +0000

Carcass and Drippings can be used for so much. I love being able to strech out my food use. Not only is it environmentally friendly… it is also great for the pocketbook!

By: dee dee

dee dee — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:30:47 +0000

Thanks for your thoughtful tips. I always make turkey soup from the carcass. It freezes well and is handy to have on hand for winter nights when no one wants to cook. Having plenty of storage containers (with matching lids…that’s always my challenge) helps to make packing up leftovers easier – sometimes it makes sense to ask guests to bring some with them.

By: Quick Bites from the Web: Pre-Thanksgiving Edition « Simply Cooking

Quick Bites from the Web: Pre-Thanksgiving Edition « Simply Cooking — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:55:54 +0000

[...] Be Thankful, Not Wasteful – Tips to keep from wasting food at your feast (Wasted Food) [...]

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:50:01 +0000

Thanks so much the great guest post, Hannah. You really packed a lot of insight in there!

Good luck to everyone in preparing for Thursday. It’s all about doing what works best for *your* Thanksgiving.

By: Hannah @CookingManager.com

Hannah @CookingManager.com — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:57:19 +0000

Thanks, Shannon. If you’re only making one side dish or main course it doesn’t matter so much if the number of servings is exaggerated. But when you are doubling the recipe or making sides, it adds up quickly.
Ariella, right, not everyone likes all those turkey leftovers.

By: Ariella

Ariella — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:33:14 +0000

I usually avoid making whole turkeys because I hate dealing with all the leftovers. I find it overwhelming unless I am able to find a really small turkey that won’t produce leftovers that will last beyond 3 days.
Putting up a link to this.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:43:48 +0000

Great tips. I always find that the serving sizes given in cookbooks are two large. I usually figure that if the recipe says “serves 6″, it will actually serve 8. When you have a lot of sides, as for Thanksgiving, the recipe will go even further. If I know the leftovers can be frozen, such as for soup, I’ll make the whole recipe. Otherwise, I usually cut the recipe in half.