King of Leftover Oatmeal

So, what do you do with leftover oatmeal? Make pancakes!

Yep. Men, can't find anything in the fridge for the kids to eat for breakfast, except for some old leftover oatmeal? Great. No sweat. Make oatmeal pancakes. 

Here's how. Get the old leftover oatmeal. Grab some in your hand, about the size of a burger patty. Flatten it a bit. Not too much. And throw it on a hot pan with lots of butter. Heat it up until both side are golden brown. Serve with butter and syrup. Lots of syrup. Kids scream for this stuff. 

You'll be a king of leftover oatmeal. 

Here's a warning about eating leftovers. Leftovers can be kept for three to four days in the refrigerator. Be sure to eat them within that time. After that the the risk of food poisoning increases. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them immediately.

Food poisoning — also called food-borne illness — is caused by harmful organisms, such as bacteria in contaminated food. Because bacteria typically don't change the taste, smell or look of food, you can't tell whether a food is dangerous to eat. So if you're in doubt about a food's safety, it's best to throw it out.

Fortunately, most cases of food poisoning can be prevented with proper food handling. To practice food safety, quickly refrigerate perishable foods, such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs — don't let them sit more than two hours at typical room temperature or more than one hour at temperatures above 90 F (32 C).

Uncooked foods, such as cold salads or sandwiches, also should be eaten or refrigerated promptly.

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.

When you're ready to eat leftovers, reheat them on the stove, in the oven or in the microwave until the internal temperature reaches 165 F (74 C). Because they may not get hot enough, slow cookers and chafing dishes aren't recommended for reheating leftovers.