Trout Republic-Leftovers

I believe everyone has at least some experience with leftovers especially after a huge family gathering or church potluck.

There is something about tossing out food that we all have an aversion to and even the “experts” weigh in on the phenomena. The highly educated would tell us that keeping leftovers is inherent in us from the time we rose from the apes and worried about our next meal.

Not having seen anyone lately who could not miss a few days of meals without adverse results, I cannot see how the survival theory has much credence. Something, however, drives the need to not only buy Tupperware but also to fill it with bits and pieces of our “last supper.”

Miss Trixie is a saver and came by that quite naturally as her mom was frugal as a squirrel with no winter nuts stored. Her mom had to be a saver, bless her heart, due to the hard times she endured early in life and she never forgot where her dimes, pennies and every morsel of bread went.

Her daughter continues on with this tradition. So Ol’ Dutch is constantly finding things in the refrigerator that have taken on a life of their own and have gone past the zone of safe consumption.

There are some things, though, that are actually better the next day such as ham and beans, homemade noodles and any pie – especially since there is never any pie leftover.

The worst thing about leftovers, as anyone who is unlucky enough to be resident dishwasher will tell you, is the slimy bowl that must be cleaned after a determination has been made to end the life cycle of said leftover.

Of most importance is that you get the food in question out of the fridge before it begins to eat you. Now that's some bad leftovers.

There is only so much potato salad or lettuce or macaroni that a person can stomach and if the preparer is letting you take it there is a reason -- trust me. You take home one of those leftover lovers and I guarantee you before long you are gonna be cleaning up a mess that you did not bargain for on the uptake.

Now that is not to say there are not good leftovers like the lumber you bought too much of or maybe even some money left in your pocket after a night on the town. Both of which I might add, you can drop off at my house anytime and I guarantee it won't get moldy on you.
But generally, leftovers are relegated to the next garage sale or in the case of food, to the big landfill outside of town ever to rot in perpetual mold. I know right?

And while we are on the subject of leftovers there is another kind that is best tossed out on first appearance. Someone’s leftover boyfriend, girlfriend or ex spouse is best to let go to the great garbage pail in the sky because sooner or later -- like laundry -- they will begin to stink after a period of time.

It’s at that point that you realize that as good as those leftovers look, you never should have brought them home to your personal space.

So if you are gonna do leftovers, keep them to the kind that go in the fridge or garage as the ones that come with baggage of their own will end up messing around till you have to set them on the curb also.

 

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is [email protected]. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com or on Twitter at TroutRepublic.


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