Working with what you have...

So, tonight is Buffet Night at our house. What that means is I have been cooking all week and, as a result, have amassed quite a collection of leftovers. So, the fridge needs to be cleaned out and I HATE to throw perfectly good food away. Thank you, LORD, I married a man that doesn't mind leftovers. What we will do this evening is get everything out of the fridge...and I do mean everything...and put it all on the bar. The kids LOVE it because they actually get to pick anything and everything they want to eat. If there are lots of leftovers then we like to invite friends over to help with the cleaning of the fridge. Sometimes I do add a side dish or something if needed/requested.

Tonight on the buffet: lasagna, cheeseburger pie, cheese dip, fried chicken, peaches, grapes, apple, "pinenta" cheese, and a few other things I can't remember right now. There may not be quite enough for everyone tonight, so I may steam some veggies. Sometimes the combinations of food can get quite amusing. For example: one night Erica had Pizza and goulash...I think...it was pizza and something that didn't really go with pizza...similar to the corn and pizza combo that is always served in the school cafeterias. But, I digress.

Basically, anything in the fridge is free game. I just figure there is no reason to continue cooking and adding to the leftovers when the fridge is already full of perfectly good food. And why save it in the first place if you're just gonna throw it away in 3 days? EAT IT!

Lunch today: "egg sammies" (see photo) Now, I know you're probably wondering what in the world that is. If you grew up in SW Arkansas, then you might know. A slice of bread slathered with Miracle Whip (not mayo, Cary), loaded with scrambled eggs and folded in half (a.k.a. a "fold-over" - any 1/2 sandwich made by folding one piece of bread in half). It's the first time the kids have had these. Kennedy loves eggs any way she can get them, but we've always had trouble getting Jude to eat them. Well, today...SUCCESS! Anything is better when it's got Miracle Whip on it! Geez - why didn't I think of this sooner?!?! All 3 of us got a fold-over. Well, by the time I got mine made and had a couple of bites, Kennedy had finished hers and then took the rest of mine. Why am I not a size 2! Then I got out the grapes at Jude's request and a peach at Kennedy's request. Jude, not feeling well (tugging at his ear - made a dr appt for tomorrow), threw in the towel and was ready for his nap. Kennedy, however, completely gorged herself and proclaimed that her belly was too little to eat so much, then reminded me that my belly was big. I'm not sure how since you just took the food right out of my mouth! (Thought it - didn't say it)

All the while, Kate lay in her bouncy seat and had a bottle propped up on a little stuffed cat since she can't hold it by herself yet. Creative, I know!