"12 Days of Christmas" Ideas :: from Do Something's FoodWise web site

'12 Days of Christmas' Ideas

Want to use up some of your most common festive fares? Here are some ideas from Making a Meal of It (Wakefield Press) by Rosemary Cadden and Jane Willcox. It also has some great tips on how to store your excess food purchases, making sure that your food lasts longer (and saves you money!).

On the first day of Christmas:

It's Christmas Day and we're busy opening our presents, but don't forget to stuff the stuffed turkey back in the fridge. After 4 hours at room temperature, you're in danger of serving up a dollop of food poisoning with those turkey slices.

On the 2nd day of Christmas:

Follow the suggestion of Do Something! founder Jon Dee, the initiator of Boxing Day as National Leftovers Day, and have a party! Impress your pals with turkey mango salad: mix together cooked turkey (or chicken), maybe some ham, chopped cucumber, chopped coriander and finely sliced red onion. Blend together mango, grated rind and juice of a lemon and olive oil for the dressing.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas:

Overload of avocados? Treat the kids to avocado and banana ice blocks, and make the big kids avocado shakes - with a taste of honey, lemon, orange or mint.

On the 4th Day of Christmas:

Those bunches of herbs are in danger of drooping. Easy answer: freeze them in sprigs or in ice-cube trays for another day!

On the 5th Day of Christmas:

How's that ham going? Think about freezing some of it. There's only so much ham one can take day after day…

On the 6th Day of Christmas:

Got some soft biscuits gone soggy? Put a piece of apple or bread in the container for 24 hours. Crisp biscuits gone soggy too? Put them in a low oven for a few minutes before serving - you can only do this once though!

On the 7th Day of Christmas:

It's New Year's Eve and space must be found in the fridge for the beer and champagne. Time to use up all those bits of sponge cake, Christmas cake and chocolate cake to make lamingtons, truffles, rum balls and trifle for yet another party, party, party!

On the 8th Day of Christmas:

That bumper bag of capsicum seemed a good idea at the time. Never fear. There are lots of ideas for baking, stewing, roasting and, of course, stuffing.

On the 9th Day of Christmas:

What are you going to do with all those bits of leftover cheese? How about quiche, vegie bake, frittata or risotto?

10.

On the 10th Day of Christmas:

Stop crying over sliced onions: use those goggles you got for Christmas to tearlessly chop away. Or you could chop under water - the onions, not you!

11.

On the 11th Day of Christmas:

You've neglected the garden and that zucchini plant is going berserk. Slice the biggest one in rounds, brush with oil and pop on the barbie.

12.

On the 12th Day of Christmas:

The excess food bought before Christmas that has not even seen the light of day since going into the fridge: hmmmm. Good excuse for yet another party!