The Lockhorns by Bunny Hoest and John Reiner for January 14, 2025

No heartburn left behind

swill the nightmare never end?!?

Just dump it in the garbage—then the holidays will REALLY be over!

My mother used to take all the turkey remnants, add mixed vegetables, make gravy, spoon it into baggies labeled “turkey goop,” and freeze. Delicious over mashed potatoes or even dry toast. She was a great cook who had to stretch the food dollars. We ate so well!

My parents bought a large chest freezer around 1960. One of the things they froze were holiday leftovers like turkey and dressing and vegetable side dishes. Back then, TV dinners came in thick aluminum trays, and they saved them to reuse for the leftovers, that they covered in foil, then froze. Unlike frozen dinners today that come in plastic trays that can go into a microwave, the aluminum trays could be reheated in the oven.

Too bad they stop selling egg-nogg before I run out of rum.

The carcass and some bits of meat are coming out of the freezer today. YUM! Turkey soup!

That’s the perks of living alone.

So…. to the optimistic, it’s still the holiday season.

Haven’t those leftovers officially spoiled by now? Of course, with Loretta’s cooking, it’s hard to tell.

Frozen Fruit Cakes for dessert.

I’m pretty sure my family got through all the holiday leftovers within four or five days. Anything that’s been kept this long would not make for a pleaant meal.

Unless it was frozen. In which case I’d say, hang onto it till the spring or summer and heat it up one night for a whimsical out-of-season dinner. Maybe play Christmas music and throw up a few decorations while you’re at it.

Leftovers came from my sister who is an excellent cook, she teaches Italian cooking classes and the leftovers were usually gone in a day or two.

345 days until Christmas. 10 until National Peanut Butter Day.

Good time to use the compost bin.

On the downside, those leftovers are at least 2 weeks old at this point, and you’ll probably get sick. The upside? Anything Loretta cooks today will definitely make you sick.

They need a dog.

No doubt Leroy is hoping the leftovers are gone soon.

Poor Leroy wonder what season the left overs are from

It’s Loretta’s rule.