Yesterday before work I took a pork shoulder picnic roast out of the fridge and put it in the slow cooker.

I rubbed it down with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano and turned it on low for the whole day. When I got home the house smelled fabulous!

Then I peeled some russet potatoes and to add color, flavor and some extra vitamins I peeled 3 small sweet potatoes and added them to the pot. When they were soft I mashed them, added sour cream, butter and just for fun some leftover onion dip! Yes weird, but tasty!

Add a salad to the meal and you have the perfect winter meal and it only took about 45 minutes to get it on the table, great for a work night feast.So after dinner the clean up starts.

We love leftovers in our house. We have had some of our best meals and most exciting taste bud moments from leftovers. Last night we had a fair amount of meat leftover from that roast and the ideas began to flow. So I'm going to list some of them here and refer you to the recipe box for specifics.

BBQ pork empanadas
pork sandwiches - cold or hot with the left over mashed potatoes
refried bean and pork burritos
balsamic pork egg-rolls
pork and veggie layered casserole
pork tacos
reheat sliced pork and serve over crisp green salad
pork chili
stir pork into a spaghetti sauce and serve over noodles
chop pork very small and stir in mayo, horseradish and whatever else sounds good and smear on toast

Now idea's for left over potatoes!

serve hot over meat and toast and top with left over gravy

mix 1 egg and a small amount of flour, add a little salt and pepper and spoon onto griddle about the size of pancakes and voila! Easy potato pancakes, serve with eggs and maple syrup

stir in 1 egg, add cheese (any kind you like, as cheesy as you like) put in a casserole pan and bake until hot, bubbly and slightly browned

OR use the above idea but make sure that the potatoes are slightly thick, then spoon them by heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet and cook until browned.

We love leftovers and you will too. It just takes a little imagination and a willingness to experiment.
I would recommend you write down your successes so you can repeat them. I haven't been very good at that in the past and I often hear, "hey mom, can you make....." and I have no idea how I did it!

Good luck and happy leftovers