LEFTOVERS

I've decided to write a cookbook about delicious left-overs and call it The Morning After or maybe After Glow, even better, Oh That's Why I had Gas! While Joe thumbs through piles of cookbooks looking for the next delicious meal to prepare, the mini-van driving, soccer mom in me often thinks, "why don't we just have leftovers?" Last weekend Joe made one of the most ridiculously delicious chicken risotto's I've ever had. The night before it was carbonara and Sunday night found us dipping warm, scrumptious bread in even better pasta fagioli soup (I will provide recipes later). Sometimes we get so caught up in what our next meal will be we forget what fantastic things are sitting right in front of us. I thought about this today as my stomach growled while pushing a cart through the aisles of the Home Depot. I came upon a bin labeled, "Left-Overs" filled with wood, molding, trim and other pieces cut in-store and discarded by customers who decided not to purchase. Instead of tossing them out like yesterdays lunch, Home Depot sells them at deeply discounted prices. I picked up a 4'x3' piece of bead board for $4 and headed home to create something good from a few simple ingredients. Last weekend we removed the crown molding from our old kitchen, so I rescued a few pieces, stained the bead board with a deep mahogany, painted the trim a striking white and hung it above a bed in our guest room. Voila. As quick and easy as re-heating last nights mean cuisine, I've created a headboard (and focal point) for our guests. Now off to my lunch of pasta fagioli soup with a side of risotto!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Ten minutes, four ingredients (bead board, trim, white paint, stain)

COST: $4 for leftover bead board in the "Left-Overs" bin at the Home Depot.

STRESS LEVEL: Creating an interesting piece of furniture for less than the cost of coffee: LOW