Last Thursday many in the U.S. sat down at tables loaded with enough food to feed a third world country for a week.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-table-300x298.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1787" title="thanksgiving-table-300x298" alt="" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/thanksgiving-table-300x298.jpg" height="298" width="300" /></a>
<p style="text-align:center;">And we had leftovers.</p>
The best part of Thanksgiving to me.

I love the smell of the striped carcass simmering with onions and celery in our traditional turkey rice soup on Black Friday. We add brown rice before serving with whole wheat cornbread. Yummy!

This year I also found great, nutritious ideas from

[caption id="attachment_1790" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/23/healthy-thanksgiving-leftover-recipes_n_2161519.html?ir=Healthy+Living"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1790 " title="turkey taco" alt="" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/turkey-taco.jpg?w=300" height="219" width="300" /></a> Turkey Taco[/caption]
<p style="text-align:center;"><b>Click the picture for the link.</b></p>


[caption id="attachment_1793" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="http://www.nj.com/monmouth/index.ssf/2012/11/recipes_using_thanksgiving_leftovers.html"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1793 " title="turkey sliders" alt="" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/turkey-sliders.png?w=300" height="168" width="300" /></a> Turkey Sliders[/caption]
<p style="text-align:center;"><b>Click the picture for the link.</b></p>
Are you still moving leftover turkey or dressing or sweet potatoes around in your fridge? You need to pitch ‘em today.

<strong>Why?</strong>

Foodborne illness – Isn’t that a lovely way to say food poisoning?

In years past, I remember sitting around the table for hours talking and visiting with the food still there. Or, worse yet, moving the serving dishes to the stove top or counter so everyone could nibble all afternoon while we watched football.

Once we figured out what was causing our tummy problems, we stopped that foolishness.

Happily, most cases of food poisoning can be prevented with proper food handling.

How did you handle your leftovers? Did you refrigerate perishable foods quickly?

<a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-safety/AN01095" target="_blank">According to Mayo Clinic nutritionist, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D</a>. your goal is to minimize the time a food is in the "danger zone" — between 40 and 140 F (4 and 60 C) — when bacteria can quickly multiply. Meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs shouldn’t sit more than two hours at typical room temperature or more than one hour at temperatures above 90 F (32 C).

Because the bacteria doesn’t typically change the taste, smell, or look, you can’t tell until the bacteria attacks your digestive tract.

But leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator before the risk of food poising increases.

There weren’t many leftovers at our Thanksgiving feast and what there was went quickly. If you still have leftovers after today, my advice:
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>PITCH IT.</strong></p>