The next day after Thanksgiving is marked by the appearance of a seemingly endless stream of turkey sandwiches. It is, in its own way, part of the American Thanksgiving tradition. But is slapping a few slabs of white and dark on wheat with a smear of Mayo the only thing to do with leftovers from the big meal? Of course not! There are endless possibilities to explore with the remains of the bird.

Tradition aside, what is turkey but fowl? That means that any dish that could contain chicken is a decent fit for turkey. Soups, salads, pastas and casseroles area all contenders. Even a turkey omelet can find its way into your post Thanksgiving turkey recipes.

South of the border flavors aren’t out of bounds either. A turkey enchilada or burrito is a unique yet tasty option, as is a turkey quesadilla (use dark meat for the latter so the flavor is strong enough to hold its own with the cheese). A turkey-based chili is a delight, and a nice belly warmer on a chilly November evening.

Instead of a turkey sandwich, try a turkey-salad sandwich. This is a great option for the last few scraps of the bird since you want small pieces here anyway.

Of course, none of these options are possible if you don’t have properly stored leftover in the 1st place. It’s not simply a matter of having enough Tupperware and refrigerator shelf-space, either. Most folks are sick enough from overeating on Thanksgiving without the added burden of past-its-prime meat.

When poultry turns, it turns fast and hard. For safety purposes the turkey should be into the refrigerator no more than 2 hours after it came out of the oven. However, if the turkey is stored correctly it should be safe to eat for nearly a week.  To be on the extra-safe side, any meat that will not be eaten in 3 days should be frozen for longer storage. Any frozen leftovers should be thawed and eaten within one month of freezing, not so much for safety’s sake, but because it won’t taste as good.

Taking care of the old ticker requires exercise and a decent diet. There’s simply no substitute for either. We’ll leave the aerobic concerns to more informed minds and stick to the stuff that goes in the gut, namely the heart healthy foods everyone needs to stay fit, and the heart healthy cooking techniques that keep them that way. There’s no substitute for either of those either.

Low saturated fat, low cholesterol dishes are what we’re after here, and hold the butter and other added fats. The unhappy fact is that certain ingredients and preparation methods can add unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol to your food.

One can bake without fear, broil to the heart’s content and microwave all day (just don’t stand too close).  Poaching is cool and steaming is even better. Seafood, chicken and vegetables are all good candidates for grilling. Lightly stir-frying or sautéing foods in cooking spray, small mounts of vegetable oil or reduced sodium broth are other healthy options. When roasting even skinless meats it’s wise to place meats on a rack so fat can drip away.

There are lots of ways to cut out unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet that don’t take the fun and flavor out of meal time. Butter is not your friend, what with its 8 grams of saturated fat and 11 grams of fat per tablespoon. Salsa is your good buddy though, with 0 grams of saturated fat and 0 cholesterol found in 1/4 of a cup. Creamy salad dressings are notoriously loaded with the bad stuff, while a reduced fat Italian sports only 2 grams of fat and tastes just as good.

There are many fine and tasty herbs, spices and condiments that can add zest to some of the more bland heart health dishes. Herbs include oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and paprika are all acceptable spices. Along with the reduced fat or nonfat salad dressing and salsa there are old standbys like mustard, catsup, horseradish, reduced fat or nonfat mayonnaise, reduced fat or nonfat sour cream, reduced fat or nonfat yogurt and reduced sodium soy sauce. That’s to say nothing of Parmesan cheese, fruit preserves and simple red pepper flakes, none of which will harm you heart.

And there you have it. With a little planning, a bit of knowledge and a smidge of extra effort anyone, can eat right for their heart without giving up a healthy enjoyment of food.

Have you ever imagined over the morning breakfast that the toast you really enjoy comes from a toaster which seems a lesser complex device but indeed a small box of wonders. An electric toaster is not very much a complex machine, but there’s more going on in that little slotted box then you probably think of. The basic principle of bread getting into the slot, slot gets hot, toast pops out is easy enough to follow, but what’s really going on beneath the toaster cover is a bit more complex and quite interesting to understand.
Here’s how it works. A rider present in the slot holds the bread. When the handle is depressed the rider carries the bread down into the slot. Grates close around the bread to center it and an electromagnet holds the rider down until the timer goes off.  At the same time a pair of contacts are forced together, sending current through nichrome wire that is crisscrossed over a mica sheet. This causes the highly resistant nichrome to produce a great deal of heat very quickly. The bread is toasted (i.e. lightly charred) by infrared radiation produced by these heated coils. When the timer, i.e. the toaster’s Darkness Setting, goes off the electromagnet is deactivated, causing the spring-loaded tray to pop up and disengage the contacts, which in turn breaks the circuit and stops the current from flowing through the heating element.
Now the next time you go to buy a toaster you don’t really need to keep this in mind but in reality what you have to consider is the other functional aspects of the toaster. Here are some features to look for when deciding which toaster is the best choice for you.
• Slice #: 2 slice toaster or 4 slice toaster.
• Slot Size: Standard size slot or extra wide slots.
• Removable Crumb Tray: Handy for cleaning.
• Defrost Function: To unfreeze frozen bread.
• Bagel Setting: To perfectly toast bagels.
• Reheat Option: Warms without browning.
• Browning Controls: For precise browning.
• Cancel Button: Stops toasting immediately.
• Self-Centering Bread Racks: For even toasting
• Extra High Rack Lift: For easy removal of small items
• Toaster Cover: Keeps unit clean/protected when it’s not in use.
On the second hand find out more about the toasters which suit the criteria. Short list the toasters and read their reviews. Also compare them on their prices before you make your decision. A good toaster is the open which is functional, easy to clean, fits in your budget and comes with a warranty.
Discount toasters are also available in many stores and online portals wherein you can find the best toaster within the reach of your pocket. You can find the best of discount toasters online at toaster-oven.net, amazon.com, smartbargains.com, cheaptoasters.com etc. The recommended toaster brands are Dualit 2-Slice Toaster, Krups, KitchenAid, Braun, Oster, Cuisinart etc. So the next time you buy a toaster review the product carefully, compare the prices and get yourself the best bargain with discount toasters.